Speed-reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and WeChat to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Surrounded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line.
A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones.
Slow readers, such as the Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to sympathize.
Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions.
| A．The point is to sit down and exchange ideas about a certain book. |
| B．Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. |
| C．Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly from The Atlantic. |
| D．But a new trend calls on people to enjoy reading slowly. |
| E．They sink into comfortable chairs and read in silence for an hour. |
| F．The Internet provides us with many chances, says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian. |
| G．It also helps people understand others’ mental states and beliefs. |
相似题推荐
The Shepherd’s Life by James Rebanks
Reviewed by Helena
No lyrical, romantic account, but a hard-bitten, dull and down-to-earth story of a family, a community and an environment. A story of cycles — of seasons, years, people, generations, stretches back centuries. A story of farming which only exists now in the remoter, wilder regions of the UK, where the land is too hard and the environment too harsh for farming to be an “agribusiness”. Where success, survival of farms, their sheep are dependent on knowledge passed down through generations and shared between farmers and shepherds in a small, close-knit and mutually-dependent community. A story of people hefted to their land every bit as much as their sheep are hefted to their fells.
A Month in the Country by J.L.Carr
Reviewed by L. R. Fisher
It is unbelievably simple and delightfully slow-paced, full of Lawrence-like description of a vanished (消失的) country landscape. The focal points are a casual and peculiar friendship between two war-scarred, shell-shocked men Tom Birkin and Moon. In a book barely 100 pages long, the author not only manages to give us a story that flows like a stream, but also achieves impressive characterization, bitter feelings of war and a corresponding celebration of peace, a little suspense, and even a twist in the tail.
A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Reviewed by T. Bently
Having read all of Bill Bryson’s travel books, this was the last one left. I hadn’t read this because I had been told it was one of his weakest one. But I decided, through no other reason that I needed a hit of Bryson, to read it. People couldn’t have been more wrong. From the very beginning of assessing the feasibility, arranging for Katz to accompany him to the purchasing of his equipment and the purchasing of “a large knife for killing bears and hillbillies”, Bryson is at his absolute best. His cute eye is a wise witness to this beautiful but fragile trail. His encounters along the trail and Katz anti-social, childish antics (滑稽动作) make the first 150 pages more than a laugh-out-loud hike. I couldn’t have been more surprised. An adventure, a comedy, and a celebration, A Walk in the Woods is destined to become a modern classic.
1. In The Shepherd’s Life, James Rebanks takes readers through a shepherds’ life ________.| A．featuring a hard struggle in the remote and beautiful area |
| B．alternated by the seasons and changed by the generations |
| C．little noticed, and deeply attached to the harsh land |
| D．spent in a profitable agricultural and friendly community |
| A．have lived in a slow-paced country throughout their life |
| B．are war survivors with troubled memories |
| C．were deafened by the explosion of a shell in the war |
| D．will make the end of their story more fascinating to read |
| A．Bryson’s travel book is the best seller in travelling literature |
| B．Bryson’s travelling experience is laughable |
| C．it’s a pity that people turn a blind eye to Bryson’s travelling experience |
| D．A Walk in the Wood combines artistic quality well with natural beauty |
【推荐2】My Favorite Travel Books
Matthew Karsten has been traveling around the world for nine years now, and it all started after he was inspired by reading some useful travel books. Here is his personal list of the best reads.
Travels With a Donkey in the Cévennes
Robert Stevenson
It is one of the first travel books I have read, which takes me on a walking journey with Robert and his donkey (驴) Mosestine across a mountainous region of France. I get to feel what traveling through 1870’s Europe was like. Robert and his donkey don’t get along well at first, but they finally learn to become travel companions.
World Walk
Steven Newman
World Walk is the story of newspaper writer Steven Newman who packed his bag at the age of 28 to start a four year-long journey around the world on foot. He walked his way across 22 countries in five co6d heartfelt stories of the people he met along the way, as well as wild adventures A lesson of hope and love is told through the exciting backpacking.
On the Road
Jack Kerouac
On the Road is a classic American travel book. The story, which is based on Kerouac himself, tells us about Dean Moriarty’s cross-country journey across America in the 1940’s. A great read for those who would like to escape the real world for a while and just go where the wind blows them.
The Cat Who Went to Paris
Peter Gethers
For someone who expects to experience life-changing wonders that await abroad, there’s perhaps no better resource (资源) than The Cat Who Went to Paris. Peter Gethers’ global journey with a cat named Norton puts a note of humor into many common travel situations.
1. Who does “I” refer to in the text?| A．Robert Stevenson. | B．Matthew Karsten. | C．Steven Newman. | D．Jack Kerouac. |
| A．World Walk. | B．On the Road. |
| C．The Cat Who Went to Paris. | D．Travels With a Donkey in the Cévennes. |
| A．They are based on the same experience. | B．They show a useful skill in raising cats. |
| C．They are about a journey with an animal. | D．They focus on a love story in Europe. |
【推荐3】Here are some books that are carefully picked for your kids.
Corduroy
It’s about a little bear, Corduroy, in a toy shop. He has lost one of his buttons (纽扣). This makes him very sad because he wants to be taken home by a kid. So he decides to find a new button. Corduroy contains some hard words. So you’d better use a dictionary while reading it.
Price: $18; a 10% discount (折扣) on Sunday
Curious George
Curious George, a monkey, is a little too interested in everything, which causes humans to bring him from the forest to a big city. However, there he calls the fire department, is sent to prison, escapes from prison and is carried into the sky by balloons. Though the book uses a lot of short and simple sentences, some of its words are not simple.
Price: $20; a 20% discount on Sunday
The Story of Ferdinand
Ferdinand, a bull, loves to smell the flowers in the grasslands. One day people come to pick a male cow for bullfights. Ferdinand doesn’t want to be chosen, but a bee stings (蜇) him. It causes him to jump around crazily, so he’s picked. In Ferdinand’s first fight, he lies down to smell the flowers instead of fighting. So he is sent back to the grassland. The book has many similar stories that bring laughter. And it has everything that makes a children’s book great for English learners — simple and hard words.
Price: $16; a 10% discount on Sunday
Green Eggs and Ham
In this book, a cat named Sam really likes green eggs and meat. So he offers them to a friend. Read the book to see if his friend likes the meal or not. This book is a poem. Despite the simple vocabulary, the words are used in a way that feels smart.
Price: $15; a 5% discount on Sunday
1. Why does Corduroy decide to find a new button?| A．To make a kid buy him. | B．To send it as a gift to a kid. |
| C．To make his clothes warmer. | D．To take the place of the damaged one. |
| A．He fits into human society. | B．He creates some problems. |
| C．He makes friends with humans. | D．He sets animals in the zoo free. |
| A．They teach kids to be kind to animals. |
| B．They enjoy great popularity among kids. |
| C．They contain basic and advanced vocabulary. |
| D．They are recommended by English beginners. |
