In between running one of the world’s largest charitable agencies and acting as Microsoft’s technology advisor, Bill Gates manages to find time to read books, both long and short. Now Gates --who has been labeled a “greedy” reader—has released a list of his favorite books of the year. All of the books are standout reads, according to the billionaire, most of which are focused on business and economy.
Here are Bill’s top four picks for the year (with parts of his full review of each book).
Business Adventures, by John Brooks
Brooks’ collection was published in 1969 and remains one of Gates’ favorites. He re-read it again this year, labeling it “the best business book I’ve ever read”.
“Shortly after we met, Warren Buffett lent me this collection of New Yorker business articles from the 1950s and 1960s. I loved them as much as he did. Brooks’ insights about business have aged beautifully, and they are as true today as ever.”
Capital in the Twenty-First Century, by Thomas Piketty
Piketty’s novel hit the shelves in August 2013 and sparked much discussion concerning income inequality throughout this year. Gates also got to sit down with Piketty himself after reading the non-fiction work to discuss the topic.
“As I told him, although I have concerns about some of his secondary points and policy prescriptions, I agree with his most important conclusions: inequality is a growing problem and that governments should play a role in reducing it.”
How Asia Works, by Joe Studwell
Studwell’s work, which was published in May this year, addresses how countries such as Japan, South Korea and China have continued to achieve high growth, and why other countries have failed to do the same.
“The agriculture section of the book was particularly insightful. It provided ample food for thought for me as well as the whole agriculture team at our foundation. And it left us thinking about whether parts of the Asian model can apply in Africa.
Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization, by Vaelav Smil
Smil’s books are a constant favorite of the Microsoft founder—one of his books makes Gates’ list almost every year. Making the Modern World came out late last year and explores the global use of materials, from silicon to wood, and plastic.
“If anyone tries to tell you we’re using fewer materials, send him this book. With his usual skepticism and his love of data, Smil shows how our ability to make things with less materials—say, soda cans that need less aluminum—makes them cheaper, which actually encourages more production.”
1. Of the books, ______ is best praised by Bill Gates.| A．How Asia Works |
| B．Capital in the Twenty-First Century |
| C．Business Adventures |
| D．Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization |
| A．charity in the world |
| B．business and economy |
| C．poverty in the world |
| D．Bill Gates’ life experience |
| A．why African agriculture cannot be developed fast |
| B．How they can apply Asian economic model in African countries |
| C．why Asia is so slow in agricultural development |
| D．How some Asian countries have rapidly grown in economy |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】With all the traditional media channels, including newspapers, magazines and television shows, shrinking, advertisers are worrying about how they can reach customers. Banners (横幅) ads on our devices are ugly and disturbing. To overcome various digital problems, the ad industry has been serving up a sneaky (不光明正大的) solution: make ads look less like ads and more like the articles, videos and posts around them.
This trend, called native advertising, has taken over the Internet; even the websites such as NYTimes.com and Wall-Street.com are using it. On Facebook and Twitter, every 10th item or so is an ad; only the small subtitle “Sponsored (赞助)” appearing in light gray type tells you which posts are ads.
Won’t dressing up ads to make them look like reported articles mislead people? Sometimes, yes. An Interactive Advertising Bureau study found that only 41 percent of general news readers could tell such ads apart from real news stories. And it’s getting worse. Advertisers worry that the “Sponsored” label discourages readers from clicking, so some websites are making the labels smaller and less noticeable. Sometimes the labels disappear entirely.
At a recent talk about the difficulty of advertising in the new, small-screen world, I heard an ad manager tell an impressive story. She had gotten a musical performance – paid for by her soft drink client- perfectly inserted (插入) into a TV awards show, without any moment of blackness before or after. “It looked just like part of the real broadcast!” she recounted happily.
Look, it is great that native advertising works. But if advertisers truly believe in their material, they should have no problem labeling it as advertising.
For now native ads continue to be a fashion- with no laws governing them and no labeling standard. But that could change; the Federal Trade Commission has begun considering regulation. If the new generation of digital advertisers clean up their act according to the regulation, native ads might become more acceptable.
1. What can we learn about native ads from the text?| A．They have overcome the problems of banner ads. |
| B．They are clearly labeled as ads in websites. |
| C．They are a special type of articles. |
| D．They are used by all websites. |
| A．It’s difficult to advertise in the small-screen world. |
| B．It’s difficult to tell native ads from what they have been inserted in. |
| C．It’s easy to insert ads into a TV awards show. |
| D．It’s easy to deal with the “Sponsored” label. |
| A．bright | B．discouraging | C．uncertain | D．time-dependent |
| A．How to advertise in the digital age. | B．Difficulties facing native ads. |
| C．Truth in digital advertising. | D．What native ads are? |
【推荐2】Three Films to Watch in October
October is approaching and a new wave of films will be on soon. Here are three breath-taking films recommended by BBC and see which of the following will appeal to you best?
Rebecca (《蝴蝶梦》)
The famous adaption of Rebecca is the Oscar-winning Alfred Hitchcock classic Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine. How can Ben Wheatley’s new version possibly compete? Well, one answer is to have Kristin Scott Thomas as Mrs Danvers, a stroke of casting genius which is enough to justify the film’s existence. Another answer is going back to the book and trying to get closer to the actual story... You think you know it and you just don’t.
On Netflix from 21 October
Possessor
Andrea Riseborough stars as an assassin(刺客) who can control other people’s bodies and get them to do the killing for her. Her latest job is to kill an IT tycoon (Sean Bean) and his daughter (Tuppence Middleton) by possessing the daughter’s future husband (Christopher Abbott). David Ehrlich of IndieWire claimed , “90 minutes of Andrea Riseborough and Chriustopher Abbott engaging in warfare over control of the latter’s body is more satisfying”.
Released on 2 October in the US and 9 October in Canada
Honest Thief
Liam Neeson plays Tom, a retired bank robber who promises to return his ill-gotten gains in exchange for a reduced prison sentence so that he can settle down with the woman he loves (Kate Walsh). But the two FBI agents (Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos) assigned to fetch the money decide to steal it instead and frame Tom for murder. Unfortunately for them, he is a man with a very particular set of skills, so the explosions, car chases, and shoot-outs all come.
Released on 14 October in France, 15 October in Portugal and 16 October in the US
1. What do we know about Ben Wheatley’s new Rebecca?| A．It is the most famous adaptation of Rebecca. |
| B．It is directed and produced closer to the original. |
| C．Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine starred in his film. |
| D．Kristin Scott Thomas, a casting genius edited the movie. |
| A．On 2 October. | B．On 9 October. | C．On 14 October. | D．On 15 October. |
| A．Tragic love. | B．Thrilling action. | C．Beautiful landscape. | D．Psychological control. |
The eligibility (资格) standards for the 2021 Resident Visa focuses on people whose primary purpose for being in New Zealand (NZ) is to work.
Eligibility under the settled, skilled or scarce groupsYou must have met the standards on 29 September 2021 and on the date you send your application.
To be eligible you must:
have been in NZ on 29 September 2021, and
be on an eligible visa on 29 September 2021, or have applied for an eligible visa on 29 September 2021 that was later granted.
You must also meet one of these three standards:
(settled standards) have lived in NZ for the past three or more years, or
(skilled standards) earn at least $27 per hour, or
(scarce standards) work in a role on a scarce list (Click here to view scarce lists).
If you meet the standards for eligibility but were in Australia on 29 September 2021 and were unable to return to NZ by that date, you may be considered eligible but you must be in NZ when you apply.
Eligible visas
On 29 September 2021 all applicants must have been on (or have applied for and later granted) one of the following visas:
Post Study Work Visa
Essential Skills Work Visa
Religious Worker Work Visa
Talent Work Visa
Long Term Skill Shortage List Work Visa
Some Critical Purpose Visitor Visas (CPVV)
Short-term visa holders are not eligible, such as visitors, students, working holiday makers, and seasonal workers.
Visa application process
The 2021 Resident Visa will be open for applications in 2 periods.
Period 1: From 1 December 2021
Period 2: From 21 February 2022
Applications can be sent online. All applications must be made by 31 July 2022.
1. The passage is most likely to be taken from ________.
| A．an advertising poster | B．a travel magazine |
| C．an immigration website | D．a geographic leaflet |
| A．Andy, who applied for the 2021 Resident Visa in Australia in Dec. 2021 online. |
| B．Judy, who came to NZ in Dec. 2021 as an exchange student and will leave in 2022. |
| C．Sam, who was granted a short-term visa in Sep. 2021 and works in a role on a scarce list. |
| D．Ron, who has been living in NZ on Talent Work Visa since 2020 and earns $27 per hour. |
| A．29 Sep. 2021 | B．1 Dec. 2021 | C．21 Feb. 2022 | D．31 Jul. 2022 |
【推荐1】If you are having trouble in finding suitable books for your kids to read, or would like to try some new ones, maybe you can take advantage of the following passages to see what’s around.
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Nobody has seen Willy Wonka inside his amazing chocolate factory for years. When he announces plans to invite the winners of five Golden Tickets hidden inside chocolate bars to visit his factory, the whole world goes after those tickets! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is perhaps Roald Dahl’s best-known story. |
| When the Sea Turned to Silver Pinmei’s grandmother always has the most exciting stories for her granddaughter. However, one night, soldiers of the King take her away. Knowing the King wants a special stone, Pinmei starts a journey to find the magic stone with her friend Yishan, a mysterious boy. This is a book full of Chinese stories, truth, and magic. Don’t miss it! |
| A Mango-Shaped Space This is a wonderful book! Mia is different, because she sees colors when she hears sounds, and all letters and numbers have colors. Even words and people’s names look a certain way to her. She has difficulty with maths and language classes because of it. She doesn’t tell anyone about it until one day when she is going into the eighth grade. |
| Because of Winn-Dixie One summer day, ten-year-old Opal goes down to the local supermarket for some groceries, and comes home with a dog. The dog Winn-Dixie is not an ordinary one. It’s because of Winn-Dixie that Opal begins to make friends. In fact, as Opal admits, just about everything that happens that summer is because of Winn-Dixie. |
| A．Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. | B．When the Sea Turned to Silver. |
| C．A Mango-Shaped Space. | D．Because of Winn-Dixie. |
| A．She has a talent for language learning. |
| B．She can easily remember words and names. |
| C．She finds sounds, numbers and words have colors for her. |
| D．She keeps her secret long enough until the end of ninth grade. |
| A．To recommend some books. |
| B．To express his love for reading. |
| C．To share some interesting experiences. |
| D．To persuade readers to buy some books. |
【推荐2】Reading has been on the decline for years. One of the reasons for the decline in book sales is the leaps and bounds in technology. Why do you buy a book when you can conveniently buy audiobooks （有声读物）instead? Here are 4 of the best audio books you can find.
The Power of Now
Published in 2000. The Power of Now explains a journey---a journey that encourages you to dismiss your analytical （分析白勺）mind and set aside yourself as well. The author, Eckhart Tolle, guides you through these transitions with easy words and phrases. The purpose of this book is to help you pay more attention io the current moment—the “ now”.
The Alchemist
It talks about the journey of a boy named Santiago who travels from Spain to Egypt in search of riches. Along the way, he meets three characters, a woman, a man who thinks he's a king? and the alchemist（练金术士）. These characters help guide Santiago to his goal, but over time that goal changes. It moves away from worldly riches to something deeper and more meaningful.
The Power of Habit
Written by Charles Duhigg, 77ie Power of Habit- talks all about the power behind habits using various cases and plots to present Duhigg's points. In the book. Duhigg turns complex systems and methods into easily digestible stories that people and businesses can relate to.
Outliers
Written by Malcolm Gladwell, this book has popularized the idea that practicing 10,000 hours in total will make you an expert in that area. It also covers other aspects about what many of today's great people do in their daily life and how they have become successful in their own field.
1. Why did Eckhart Tolle write The Power of Now?| A．To encourage people to travel. |
| B．To tell people to focus on the present. |
| C．To meet different people's curiosity. |
| D．To give advice to the business man. |
| A．Wealth. | B．Fame. | C．Wisdom. | D．Friendship. |
| A．The Power of Now | B．Outliers |
| C．The Power of Habit | D．The Alchemist |
【推荐3】High Speed Book Scanner
Simply turning pages of a book quickly may not seem like the best way to scan it. A Japanese research group at Tokyo University has created new software that allows hundreds of pages to be scanned within minutes. Scanning text is normally a boring process with each page having to be inserted into a scanner, but the team led by Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa uses a high speed camera that takes 500 pictures a second to scan pages as they are turned by workers.
Normal scanners can only scan the information that is actually before them on the page. This high speed book scanner uses a camera that captures pages at 1000fps as they are turned. A system built in allows it to automatically correct any changes to the text due to the page bending as well as light differences due to shadows. “It takes a shot of the shape, then it calculates the shape and uses those calculations to film the scanning,” Ishikawa said, explaining the system used to reconstruct the original page.
The current system is able to scan an average 250-page book in a little over 60 seconds using basic computer hardware. While it now requires extra time to process the scanned images, the researchers hope to eventually make the technology both faster and much smaller. “In the more distant future, once it becomes possible to put all of this processing on one chip and then put that in an iPad or iPod, one could scan just using that chip. At that point, it becomes possible to scan something quickly to save for later reading,” Ishikawa said.
Being able to scan books with an iPhone may be further off, but Ishikawa says that a commercial version of the large-scale computer based scanning system could be available in two or three years. While the technology has the potential to take paper books into the digital age, it remains to be how publishers will react to people scanning their books while just turning pages quickly.
1. According to the passage, the advantage of the new scanning software is that ___.| A．there is no need to scan every page |
| B．no manpower is needed in operating the scanner |
| C．it can work much more effectively |
| D．it can make the scanning process more interesting |
| A．changing the shape of the images |
| B．reducing the size of the images |
| C．scanning several pages at the same time |
| D．reconstructing the original page |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Optimistic. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Cautious. |
| A．Publishers will probably not welcome the new software. |
| B．Publishers will refuse to comment on the new software. |
| C．People will get any book they like more easily. |
| D．People won’t need to buy books any more with an iPhone. |
by Noel Streatfeild
(Nosy Crow)
This classic story introduces the Fossil sisters — Pauline, Petrova and Posy. At Madame Fidolia’s school in London, the three sisters learn all the skills they’ll need for a career on the stage. Posy is a wonderful dancer and Pauline shines at acting, but Petrova’s talents lie in a very different direction ...
No Ballet Shoes in Syria
by Catherine Bruton
(Chicken House)
In this award-winning book, Aya and her family have just arrived in Britain, looking for asylum ( 避难所) from the war in Syria. When Aya discovers a local ballet class, the teacher notices her talent at once, but how can Aya follow her dream of ballet when her family has to fight to stay in the country? This is a wonderful story of friendship and wonderful performances.
Dance Dreams
by Malaika Rose Stanley
(Tamarind)
Thirteen-year-old Keisha is excited to have the chance to join the Birchwood School for Dance, although following her dreams isn’t going to be easy. Going to Birchwood will mean leaving behind her best friends. Is Keisha’s dance dream about to turn into a bad dream?
The Nutcracker and Other Stories
by Emma Adams
(Puffin Books)
Discover the attractive story behind some of the most famous ballets of all time, including “The Nutcracker”, “Swan Lake” and “Sleeping Beauty”. With six beloved ballet stories, this beautiful summary makes for the most wonderful gift — whether you’re a reader, a dreamer or a dancer.
1. Which of the following books tells a story about three girls?| A．The Nutcracker and Other Stories. |
| B．No Ballet Shoes in Syria. |
| C．Dance Dreams. |
| D．Ballet Shoes. |
| A．They both are friendship-related. |
| B．They both describe the cost of war. |
| C．They both are printed by the same company. |
| D．They both introduce the Birchwood School for Dance. |
| A．Emma Adams’. |
| B．Noel Streatfeild’s. |
| C．Catherine Bruton’s. |
| D．Malaika Rose Stanley’s. |
Senior Business Editor
You must：
assist the business editor in setting goals and working on achieving them；
be an excellent team person who can generate ideas and think creatively and be able to rewrite totally if needed and mentor junior staff；
ideally have been working or have worked in a position of responsibility and understand what leadership entails；
have had at least five years’ editing experience working on editing the Business Desk and be familiar with industry software.
Senior Copy Editor
You must：
work on shifts in the Business Desk and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print；
edit or rewrite copy and give snappy headlines and captions；
have had at least two years’ editing experience working on editing desks and be familiar with industry software.
Copy Editor
You must：
be good at editing or rewriting copy and writing snappy headlines and captions；
be able to work on shifts for different pages, and usually have the last word before the page is sent to print；
have two years of editing experience working on copy desks, and be familiar with industry software.
Graphic Designer
You must：
have excellent skills in information graphics；
be good at illustrations and freehand drawings；
be experienced in newspaper or magazine layouts；
have a good sense of typography；
have good news judgment；
be well-versed with Macintosh software, including InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop；
be fluent in English.
For enquiries or to apply, write to job @ chinadaily.com.cn.
1. What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To describe the positions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| B．To describe the working conditions of the China Daily newspaper group. |
| C．To tell you how to become part of this group. |
| D．To advertise for recruiting some good employees. |
| A．Be well-versed with Photoshop. |
| B．Writing snappy headlines and captions. |
| C．Having a good sense of typography. |
| D．Have excellent skills in information graphics. |
| A．Free accommodations are available to the workers. |
| B．The workers there can enjoy a seven-day leave without pay. |
| C．The employees have the right to enjoy eleven-day public holidays. |
| D．The senior business editor’s only job is to help the business editor to set goals. |
【推荐3】Welcome to Summer Camps.com; find and book the very best summer camps. Your children are precious so we offer the highest quality of camps that will meet each child’s needs and interests.
Catalina Sea Camp
Sea Camp offers three one-week sessions to boys and girls aged 8–13 and two three-week sessions to teens aged 12–17. Our hand-picked instructors create an atmosphere of fun and excitement while leading campers to a host of ocean adventures, marine (海洋的) biology, and social summer camp activities.
Address: Toyon Way, San Bruno, California 94066
Phone: 800–645–1423
Camp Cayuga
Camp Cayuga is a private summer camp for children aged 6 - 16. The camp is on a 350-acre land in the Pocon o Mountains of Northeast Pennsylvania, just outside the village of Honesdale. It’s a 3-hour drive from New York City to Philadelphia.
Address: 321 Niles Pond Road-Suite ISC, Honesdale, Pennsylvania 18431
Phone: 908-470-1224
Camp Rockmont
Camp Rockmont is a Christian summer camp for boys, aged 6–16, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Rockmont’s duty of developing boys into healthy young men is accomplished through age-appropriate skills, activities, and challenges that help campers to know themselves better.
Address: 375 Lake Eden Road, Black Mountain, North Carolina 28711
Phone: 828-686-3885
Primitive Pursuits Overnight Camps
Primitive Pursuits Overnight Camps offer week-long Summer Adventure Overnight Camps in New York’s Finger Lakes to your children aged 11–15. Campers experience a week of nature-based skills training, inspiring challenges, and fun activities under the guidance of skilled instructors.
Address: 611 County Rd 13, Van Etten, New York 14889
Phone: 607-272-2292
1. What number should a parent call if his boy is curious about sea creatures?| A．607–272–2292. | B．828-686-3885. |
| C．800–645–1423. | D．908-470-1224. |
| A．In North Carolina. | B．In California. |
| C．In Pennsylvania. | D．In New York. |
| A．It lasts a week. | B．It is on a 350-ache land. |
| C．It is intended for boys. | D．It is full of adventures. |
