1 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”
Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.
People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.
Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.
1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?A.To explain what they are. | B.To introduce Book Crossing. |
C.To stress the importance of reading. | D.To encourage readers to share their ideas. |
A.An adventure. | B.A public place. |
C.The book. | D.The identification number. |
A.Keep it safe in his bookcase. | B.Mail it back to its owner. |
C.Meet other readers to discuss it. | D.Pass it on to another reader. |
A.Online Reading: A Virtual Tour | B.Electronic Books: A New Trend |
C.A Book Group Brings Tradition Back | D.A Website Links People through Books |
2 . With the cold weather drawing nearer, few people will choose swimming as a daily or usual activity.
Good for your brain.
Swimming is one of the best activities you can do all year round, which benefits your body and your mind. Swimming has been found to increase blood flow to the brain, which leads to more oxygen.
Work your muscles.
Every time you swim, it is like doing a mini-resistance workout. Each kicks and pull works your muscles more than you could imagine, especially your arms, shoulders and gluteus — the muscles that are inactive all day when you’re sitting at your desk.
Lift your spirits.
While swimming is an individual sport, it is also very social. You can meet people from all walks of life when swimming. Have a chat in the lap pool, join a swimming club or get involved in social water sports to get to know people in your community. Besides, the great thing about swimming is that you can do it — rain or shine. Although your backyard pool, the river or beach cools down over winter, most inside swimming pools run heated pools year round, so you’ve got no excuse to stop swimming.
A.Benefit your body. |
B.Meet new people. |
C.These chemicals can control your thought and action. |
D.Swimming also works your abs (腹肌) and will reduce your waist line. |
E.Exercise gives off chemicals in your body called endorphins (内啡肽). |
F.And that means you’re experiencing better memory and sharp mind. |
G.However, swimming in winter is of great benefit in cold days. |
4 . How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends. Good friendship has many benefits. It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health. There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools. Such changes often leave us without a friend.
1. Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people. You can go to public places to meet new people. Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
2. Start a conversation.
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.
3.
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together. Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
4. Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch. However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.
5. Enjoy your friendship.
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.
A.Be cheerful. |
B.Do things together. |
C.Do not wait to be spoken to. |
D.Try not to find fault with your friends. |
E.Making new friends comes easy for some people. |
F.For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch. |
G.So you will need to give your friend time to react to you. |
5 . If something that you’re doing doesn’t challenge you, then it doesn’t change you. We all need some normal stress in our lives, after all.
1.Figure out what you’re scared of and do it continuously.
If you’re a salesman, and you’re scared of talking to people personally or over the phone now, instead of being scared and thinking you’ll fail, spend at least five minutes a day to pick up the phone and make a call.
2.
Make sure this hobby is not linked to your career; you have to relax and relieve your stress while performing this. Some examples might be cooking, sewing, painting and so on. Apart from helping you challenge yourself, taking a class for your hobby may also give you extra income.
3. Set aside at least nine minutes a day for physical exercise.
4.Travel and allow yourself to be interested in new people.
Don’t just limit yourself to your fellow travelers, try to connect with the service staff. You never know what kind of people they’re going to be. Get out of your house or go online to book your ticket right now.
A.Someone may hang up on you. |
B.You should do it continuously. |
C.You don’t need to go to the gym. |
D.Running in the gym may be a better choice. |
E.Start to travel now and learn to challenge yourself. |
F.Take a class for a hobby you’ve been wanting to develop. |
G.You can never see any improvement if you stick to your comfort zone. |
6 . Advice for Cooking on a Tight Schedule
From my experience, there are three main reasons why people don’t cook more often: ability, money, and time.
Think ahead. I usually think cooking is a pain when I’m already hungry and there is nothing ready to eat. So think ahead of the coming week. When will you have time to cook? Do you have the right materials already?
Make your time worth it. When you do find time to cook a meal, make the most of it and save yourself time later on. Are you making one loaf of bread?
Hopefully that gives you a good start.
A.Try new things. |
B.Ability is easily improved. |
C.Make three or four instead. |
D.Understand your food better. |
E.Cooking is a burden for many people. |
F.Let cooking and living simply be a joy rather than a burden. |
G.A little time planning ahead can save a lot of work later on. |
1. What was the event designed for?
A.Celebrating Copperfield Park’s opening. |
B.Educating kids on cat rescue. |
C.Helping kids have fun. |
A.Making blankets for toys. |
B.Making educational sheets. |
C.Making shelters for homeless cats. |
A.At a radio station. | B.In Copperfield Park. | C.At an animal rescue center. |
1. Who organizes the book club John joined?
A.A school. | B.A community. | C.A library. |
A.A student. | B.A writer. | C.A teacher. |
A.Three times a week. | B.Every four weeks. | C.Once a week. |
A.Little Women. | B.The Little Prince. | C.Peter Pan. |
1. Whom will Mike go to the airport with?
A.His father. | B.His friend. | C.His colleague. |
A.By car. | B.By taxi. | C.By bus. |
A.To take a business trip. | B.To go sightseeing. | C.To visit his family. |
1. How many volunteers will collect donations on the street?
A.Two. | B.Three. | C.Four. |
A.Go to a charity. | B.Visit his grandfather. | C.Prepare for an exam. |
A.In a company. | B.On a farm. | C.At home. |