1 . Thousands of books are published daily, and book advertisements play a crucial role in increasing awareness about those books. But it’s too easy to be tricked into bad “advertising opportunities” and make the wrong decisions. Here are several forms of digital advertising proven to work well.
Facebook advertising: Facebook provides the perfect advertising platform for authors because it allows targeting very specific categories of people. The other advantage is that it’s easy to test. You can start with a budget as low as $5 and gradually increase your monetary (货币的) commitment if your return on investment is positive.
Amazon advertising: Amazon allows you to show ads about your book directly on other book pages and search result pages. Since their main US rollout in 2017, they’ve become the most effective advertising place for authors.
Bookbub advertising: Bookbub rolled out a self-serve ad platform in 2016, which they’ve greatly improved since. It’s a less competitive playing field than Facebook or Amazon, but it does have its features.
Discount/promotion advertising: If you’re running a discount or free promotion on one of your books, you can apply to have it advertised in the newsletters of platforms such as Freebooksy, Bargainbooksy, etc.
Other types of advertising include search advertising, Goodreads advertising, banner ads on websites, etc. These haven’t produced the same effective results for most authors yet, but they could be just as effective (or more) if you write in a certain field.
1. What is special about the Facebook advertising?A.It is easy for authors to access. |
B.It aims at saving money for readers. |
C.It allows adjusting investment by profit. |
D.It includes different categories of information. |
A.Facebook. | B.Amazon. | C.Bookbub. | D.Freebooksy. |
A.To get readers to buy more books. |
B.To raise people’s reading awareness. |
C.To offer authors advertising platforms. |
D.To help publishers communicate with readers. |
2 . While screen time is known to affect sleep, new research suggests that interactive (互动的) activities, such as texting friends or playing video games, put off and reduce the time spent asleep to a greater degree than passive (被动的) screen time like watching television, especially for teens.
The team studied the daytime screen-based activities of 475 teenagers using daily surveys. They asked the teens how many hours they had spent that day communicating with friends through social media and how many hours they spent playing video games, surfing the internet and watching television or videos. Finally, the researchers asked if they had joined in any of these activities in the hour before bed.
Next, the team measured their sleep time for one week. The researchers found that the teens spent an average of two hours per day communicating with friends via social media, about 1.3 hours playing video games, less than an hour surfing the internet and about 1.7 hours watching television or videos. For every hour throughout the day that they used screens to communicate with friends, they fell asleep about 11 minutes later averagely. For every hour to play video games, they fell asleep about 9 minutes later. Those who talked, texted or played games in the hour before bed lost the most sleep: about 30 minutes later.
Interestingly, David, lead author of the study, said the team found no obvious relations between passive screen-based activities and sleep. “It could be that passive activities are less mentally exciting than interactive activities,” said Anne, co-author of the study. “It’s a tricky situation,” she said. “These screen tools are really important to everyone nowadays, so it’s hard to put a limit on them, but if you’re really looking out for a teenager’s health and well-being, you might consider limiting the more interactive activities, especially in the hour before bed.”
1. Which of the following belongs to interactive screen activities?A.Seeing movies. | B.Watching videos. |
C.Texting friends. | D.Surfing the internet. |
A.Lucy who watched a three-hour movie before going to bed. |
B.Jack who had a 30-minute video chat with his brother before bed. |
C.Sam who played computer games for two hours throughout the day. |
D.Amy who chatted with her friends on WeChat for one hour in the morning. |
A.Frightening. | B.Awkward. | C.Hopeless. | D.Encouraging. |
A.Screen time activities cut down our sleep hours |
B.Interactive screen use reduces sleep time in teenagers |
C.Passive screen use is better than interactive screen use |
D.Parents should prevent children from using social media |
3 . Human beings are extremely diverse in many ways. People differ in opinions, races, nationalities, lifestyles and so on. Yet we are all human species, we feel pain and joy despite the differences. Today, it is impossible for any group of people to live without interacting with others outside their group.
Diversity creates richness in opinion. Some problems can’t be solved by a homogenous (同种类的) group of people.
Diversity makes us compassionate (有同情心的) about others. When we interact and try to understand others, we won’t judge them. This instead makes us compassionate about others.
Diversity is a growing trend. Today, there is no country in the world that has only natives living there.
A.Millions of people move every day. |
B.They are in search of good lifestyles. |
C.Diversity opens up new market chances. |
D.Diversity requires us to respect each other. |
E.We are then able to love and help one another. |
F.Cultural diversity, therefore, is very important today. |
G.Those require people from different backgrounds to work together. |
4 . A powerful earthquake hit Morocco, killing thousands of people and causing huge damage over a large area.
The earthquake struck around 11 pm on Friday night. It was not only one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in Morocco, but also the country’s deadliest earthquake in over 60 years. So far, the earthquake is reported to have killed over 2,900 people. The earthquake was especially precarious as it happened at night, when most people were asleep at home.
The center of the earthquake was in the Atlas Mountains, about 72 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, a large city popular with tourists in the center of Morocco. Fortunately, many of its modern buildings survived the earthquake. However, the old part of the city, called the Medina, whose buildings are over 1,000 years old, was hit hard, leaving many of those buildings in ruins.
Outside of Marrakesh, the earthquake caused even more damage. In the Atlas Mountains, the earthquake’s center, there were many small villages. Many people in the area lived in simple houses made of mud, a traditional way of building in Morocco. But they’ re not strong enough to survive earthquakes and many of these houses simply fell apart, turning into sand. The Moroccan government has laws requiring buildings to be built more safely, yet these rules were often overlooked.
In larger cities, rescue efforts seemed to be going well. But it took a lot longer for help to reach remote (偏远的) areas in the mountains. That meant the local people in those areas had to deal with the situation on their own. They had to dig through the ruins with their hands, searching for survivors who were trapped. Moreover, many people were sleeping outside, unsure if their houses were safe enough.
More help was on the way. Many outside countries offered teams of experts and emergency supplies. But the government said too many different rescue teams could make the situation more confusing.
1. Why did the earthquake lead to the most deaths on record in Morocco?A.It struck a large and tourist city. | B.It was powerful and happened at night. |
C.The rescue teams arrived too late. | D.The traditional houses were not strong enough. |
A.Dangerous. | B.Powerful. | C.Unique. | D.Impressive. |
A.They had no shelter to stay. | B.They ran out of food supplies. |
C.They lost contact with the outside world. | D.They couldn’t get necessary rescue in time. |
A.A science magazine. | B.A travel journal. |
C.A news report. | D.A cultural website. |
5 . As newer, more advanced technologies come out, huge amounts of electronics (电子产品) are thrown away, instead of being reused. These goods often end up in landfills, where the chemicals inside them may be a danger to the environment. Electronics can contain harmful materials. If these materials get into the ground or water, the pollution can cause serious problems. Most electronics require metals. These metals must be mined from the Earth. Often the mining process creates serious pollution.
A group known as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum is trying to make people more aware of the problems of e-waste. Recently, the WEEE Forum asked researchers from the United Nations (UN) to study a kind of e-waste that’s often not noticed because people don’t consider the goods to be electronics. The WEEE Forum calls this kind “unable-to-be-seen” e-waste.
The UN study shows that about 1/6 of all e-waste is “unable-to-be-seen”. Though it’s “unable-to-be-seen”, it’s certainly not a small amount. The “unable-to-be-seen” e-waste weighs about 9 billion kilograms. The WEEE Forum says that if this e-waste were put into 40-ton trucks and the trucks were then lined up, the line of trucks would be about 5,630 kilometers long.
The surprising kind leading the “unable-to-be-seen” e-waste group was toys. Worldwide, roughly 7.3 billion electronic toys are thrown away each year. These include goods like car racing sets, electric trains, and musical toys. They also include toys with electronic parts, like dolls that speak or games with electronic timers. In all, toys make up about 35% of “unable-to-be-seen” e-waste. But the problem is far larger than just toys. The report also shows that other everyday goods like home alarms, smoke alarms, power tools, and computer cables (电缆) are also big sources of “unable-to-be-seen” e-waste.
The WEEE Forum is hoping that as more people and governments become aware of e-waste, they will make a much greater effort to make sure electronics get reused.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?A.The amount of electronics. | B.The development of electronics. |
C.The ways of reusing electronics. | D.The pollution of electronics. |
A.People’s interest in electronics’ character. |
B.People’s impression on electronics’ package. |
C.People’s misunderstanding of electronics. |
D.People’s struggle to adapt to electronics. |
A.By showing numbers. | B.By providing examples. |
C.By making a summary. | D.By making a comparison, |
A.Designing advanced electronics. | B.Making electronics get reused. |
C.Stopping giving away electronics. | D.Reducing electronics’ production. |
6 . Over the last century, engineers all over the world have spared no effort to achieve the unachievable in bridge design.
Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge
No bridge is as long as the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in the world. The 164.8-kilometre-long bridge built in 2011 in China serves as part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The trip from Ningbo to Jiaxing that previously took 4.5 hours has been reduced to two, thanks to this bridge.
Rio-Niterói Bridge
Completed in 1974, the Rio-Niterói Bridge in Brazil is the second-longest bridge in all of Latin America connecting the cities of Rio and Niterói across the Guanabara Bay. The Rio-Niterói Bridge is technically known as a “box-girder (箱形梁)” bridge, made of special concrete. It receives an astonishing 140,000 (or more) vehicles per day.
Hartland Covered Bridge
The Hartland Covered Bridge is the world’s longest covered bridge. The 1,282-foot-long bridge was opened in 1901 and has been on Canada’s list of National Historic Sites since 1980. Although it was originally built without a roof, the bridge was capped with wooden materials during the repairs in 1921.
Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
The newly-built Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China was named “world’s longest bridge over water” by Guinness Book of World Records in 2011, a title previously held by the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The dispute was settled when the title of “longest continuous bridge over water” was given to the causeway, with the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge receiving the title of “longest bridge over water”.
1. On which of the following can trains pass?A.Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. |
B.Rio-Niterói Bridge. |
C.Hartland Covered Bridge. |
D.Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. |
A.It is a busy bridge. | B.It was built in 1980. |
C.It has a roof. | D.It is a wooden bridge. |
A.In America. | B.In Brazil. | C.In Canada. | D.In China. |
7 . The Price of a Dream
I grew up poor. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics.
By the time I was sixteen, I was good at baseball and football. My high school coach was Ollie Jarvis. He not only believed in me, but taught me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念).
One summer a friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — cash for dates with girls, certainly, money for a new bike and new clothes, and the start of savings for a house for my mother.
Then I realized I would have to give up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was afraid of this, but my mother said, “If you make your bed, you have to lie in it.”
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as mad as I expected him to be. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them,” he said.
I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the words that would explain to him why I dream of buying my mom a house.
“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he demanded.
“Three point twenty-five an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3. 25 an hour the price of a dream?”
That question exposed the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play rookie-league ball, and offered a $20, 000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $1.7 million, and bought my mother my dream house.
1. Why was the writer grateful to Coach Jarvis?A.Because Coach Jarvis made him set a goal. |
B.Because Coach Jarvis supplied him with new clothes. |
C.Because Coach Jarvis gave him financial support. |
D.Because Coach Jarvis helped him show conviction. |
A.Balance summer baseball and the work schedule. |
B.Refuse the job offer for summer baseball. |
C.Give up summer baseball for the job. |
D.Ask his coach Jarvis for advice. |
A.You must eat the bitter fruit of your own making. |
B.Believe in yourself, but above all be patient. |
C.You must rely on yourself first, then others. |
D.A good beginning makes a good ending. |
A.He failed to buy his mother a house. |
B.He succeeded as a sportsman. |
C.He became a successful businessman. |
D.He made some money in the summer job. |
8 . Your neighbors are probably the first line of defense in case of any problematic situation.
The first step is introducing yourself when you move to a new neighborhood or when a newcomer moves in. Leave them a note under their door to introduce yourself.
Be respectful of your neighbors. It’s in poor taste to have regular insensitive parties at your place causing disturbances. Before your party, it’s good practice to notify your neighbors. Besides, avoid chatting them up for hours on end, which may be inconvenient, especially if you don’t know their schedules.
As Emma Seppälä put it, “social connectedness generates a positive feedback loop (圈) of social, emotional and physical well-being.” It feels so easy to just stay home without having to engage with your neighbors but connecting with them is worth the effort.
A.Remember every small gesture counts. |
B.A crisis is a test of communication skills. |
C.It can actually boost your mood in the long run. |
D.Slipping it in their mailbox further solidifies friendship. |
E.It’s essential to ensure you maintain decent relationships with them. |
F.Alternatively, you can give them a gift while making yourself known to them. |
G.Only by establishing healthy boundaries will you achieve peaceful coexistence. |
9 . What to Do When You Fail in Life
Most people are afraid of failure. The truth is that everyone, including all successful people, has ever failed time after time and will fail again.
Learn from it
No matter how hard you try to avoid (避免,逃避) it, failure will happen. Having a “no fear” attitude towards failure does not mean you should expect to fail, but accept it when it happens.
Stop fearing it
Let go of your self-worth
When your self-worth is in charge, you will not learn from the mistakes you have made, be open to other people’s views or see the situations clearly.
Improve your mood (情绪) and cheer up again
We all feel upset after having failed, which is natural, human, and unavoidable. But how we respond to our failures is what decides our road to success. One way of improving your mood is listing the things you are grateful for at the moment, which will strengthen your positive emotions.
A.There is value in failure. |
B.The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. |
C.The ordinary people experience failure, too. |
D.It always tends to get in the way of you and your success. |
E.In order to reach your personal best, you don’t need to fear failure. |
F.So do not be afraid of failure, which is a part of your road to success. |
G.Reading stories of successful people is another way to help us cheer up and move on. |
10 . We all know reading can teach you facts, and knowing the right thing at the right time helps you be more successful. But is that the whole reason just about every smart, great person you can think of, from Bill Gates to Yu Minhong, credits much of their success to their reading? Of course not.
In fact, beyond simply educating us, books have more benefits (好处). They provide inspiration, guide our decisions, and sometimes even change our lives. Reading a good book can be so amazing that you forget about your troubles for a while. On top of that, reading helps us understand people from different walks of life. It gives us a window into their minds and hearts. Reading has many positive effects on your body as well. Research shows that people who read are less likely to suffer from anxiety. Regular readers also have lower rates of heart disease than those who do not read at all or only watch television. It works better and faster than other methods of relaxation, such as listening to music or drinking hot tea.
Of course, you are reading right now, but sorry, it doesn’t count. The most important benefits come from devoting the time and attention to longer, deeper content. What type of reading is best for the brain? They believe that reading a novel closely to study literature and thinking about its value is an effective exercise in the brain, more effective than just reading for pleasure. Don’t go fooling yourself into considering a look through Facebook as a brain workout.
I use Goodreads to track how many books I read, and try to increase the number every year. If you are inspired to get through more novels this year too, keep an eye on your brain’s performance too, to see if it’s making a difference. I can safely say that you’ll be amazed at the result!
But seriously, have you read any good books lately? Let me know in the comments.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly about?A.Great persons like reading. |
B.Reading enriches people’s life. |
C.Reading has far more benefits than listed. |
D.Bill Gates and Yu Minhong have good credit. |
A.It frees us from trouble. |
B.It helps us better understand others. |
C.It is a useful way to treat heart disease. |
D.It can take the place of physical exercise. |
A.Turning to books for fun. |
B.Looking through articles online. |
C.Going through newspapers every morning. |
D.Thinking about its value while reading a novel. |
A.It’s never too late to read. | B.Deep reading works better. |
C.A good book is a good friend. | D.There is no easy road to reading. |