1 . My Favourite Books
Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series(系列)of lifestyle books.Here she picks her top reads.
Matilda
Roald Dahl
I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl’s writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful worlds. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress,Miss Trunchbull , are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.
After Dark
Haruki Murakami
It’s about two sisters — Eri, a model who either won’t or can’t stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister, Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse “night people” who are hiding secrets.
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn
There was a bit of me that didn’t want to love this when everyone else on the planet did, but the horror story is brilliant. There’s tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It’s a real whodunit and the frustration when you realize what’s going on is horribly enjoyable.
The Stand
Stephen King
This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.
1. Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?| A．Cosmopolitan. | B．Matilda. |
| C．After Dark. | D．The Stand. |
| A．A folk tale. | B．A biography. |
| C．A love story. | D．A horror story. |
| A．Matilda. | B．After Dark. | C．Gone Girl | D．The Stand |
注意：1. 词数100左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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Dear Peter,
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Yours,
Li Hua
3 . To the untrained eye, a ping-pong ball is just a ping-pong ball. To a Beverly Cleary fan, it's two motorcycle helmets（头盔）for mice. Just cut apart and add rubber band chin straps. Ever since I read Cleary's series about Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, I've never looked at a ping-pong ball—or the world—the same way. And why shouldn't it be? It's perfect.
I wanted a mouse of my own to ride a toy motorcycle around my house! Thanks to Cleary's genius, a talking mouse friend seemed not only possible but probable.
Cleary, who passed away at 104, was one of the main reasons why I became a children's author. While much of children's literature attempted to explain the world from the point of view of a wise and gentle adult, Cleary created main characters who saw the world as only children can. I carefully read every title that bore Beverly Cleary's name. She seemed like a friend who understood me in ways I didn't yet understand myself.
I've written eight children's books and have always kept Beverly's sense of wonder in mind. I don't remember at exactly what age I decided I wanted to write books, but I know that in the second or third grade, my teacher assigned a project that allowed us to focus on whatever we wanted. My best friend picked dolphins while I chose children's authors. I told that story recently to a school group. One of the students said, "That's amazing! You did your project on children's authors and then you became one!" "Yes," I said.
And that perfectly sums up why I love writing for children: the lack of cynicism（愤世嫉俗）, the belief that fantastic, magical things can happen. Best friends can become dolphins. Mice can ride toy motorcycles and become our friends.
That's what Beverly Cleary taught me. In the hands of a gifted storyteller, anything is possible…and very funny.
1. Why does the author use a ping-pong ball as an example?| A．To say the ball is their favorite for mice. |
| B．To express his thoughts about the topic. |
| C．To describe how mice ride the motorbike. |
| D．To stress the importance of reading stories. |
| A．The author's favourite writer. | B．The author's grandmother. |
| C．The author's teacher. | D．The author's fan. |
| A．He took Cleary's sense of mind seriously. |
| B．He decided to help his teacher finish the project. |
| C．He has published several books on animals for children. |
| D．He clearly remembered when he wanted to write books. |
| A．The author's talent for telling a story. |
| B．The author's strong belief about magic. |
| C．The author's reasons for writing for children. |
| D．The author's interest in playing with dolphins. |
4 . Sometimes a book comes along that isn’t just “interesting” or “well done”— it’s a book where it seems like the author looked into your brain and wrote a book specifically for you. A book like that for me was released this week. It’s called 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet, written by editor Pamela Paul.
Paul lists 100 things we used to do that the Internet has either changed or taken over completely: writing letters, print newspapers, the joys of being bored, and not having all the knowledge in the world in your pocket.
As I’m a longtime accumulator of random knowledge, certain entries on the list—Being the Only One, Figuring Out Who That Actor is—hit me where live; remembering detailed facts is no longer nearly as impressive when everyone has the capability to find the answer in seconds.
On and on the list goes, with every minor shift adding to the pile. What this book does so well is illustrate the growth of that pile; while any individual item might be no big deal, the collected set is significant. It’s a list of ways in which the world now is different from the world then.
Obviously, Paul isn’t saying that everything back then was better. Time marches on, after all. and it’s tough to argue against the many benefits that the Internet has brought into our lives. But that isn’t really the point. It’s not about whether it used to be better. It’s that it used to be different.
100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet is a fun read for those of us who share some of Paul’s memories and experiences. We remember what it was like and we like to remember. The landscape has shifted, and no doubt it will shift again as technology’s advancement continues apace. This book serves as a reminder of the simple truth that when gains are made, sometimes something is lost.
1. What is the purpose of the text?| A．To review and recommend a good read. |
| B．To comment on the effect of the Internet. |
| C．To argue for the viewpoint of a new book. |
| D．To urge the readers to value what they have. |
| A．Maps and Eye Contact. |
| B．E-pay and Compact Disks. |
| C．Postcards and Homeschooling |
| D．Bad Photos and Washing Machines. |
| A．Prove what I’m good at. |
| B．Introduce how I grew up. |
| C．Describe the place I live in. |
| D．Speak out what is on my mind. |
| A．Things in the past are better. |
| B．There’re no gains without pains. |
| C．The internet is a double-edged sword. |
| D．Technology is constantly changing the world. |
5 . “In time, we will put our eyes to this light and see that these people are the peers of nature. And forgivingly, when they appear we will lift up our song and sing, and say we cannot praise too much of any single thing.” It may read like poetry, but these lines weren’t composed by a poet — they were written by an artificial intelligence (AI).
It appeared in early December on the face of the UK Pavilion (展馆) at Expo 2020 in Dubai, and it was created from a single word chosen by a visitor to the pavilion, which was then fed to an AI that had previously been trained with millions of lines of poetry. The result forms part of a “Collective Message” — a continuous poetry shown on the bar screens arranged in a circle at one end of the cone-shaped (锥形) pavilion, which was designed by Es Devlin, a British artist whose previous works includes stage sets for the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony. She is the first female designer of a UK pavilion since the Expo started in 1851.
Devlin’s inspiration to create Collective Message came from famed scientist Stephen Hawking. In 2015, three years before his death, he approved a competition in which people were invited to submit a potential message for an advanced alien civilization, with the goal of meaningfully representing mankind and our planet.
In a similar way, visitors to the pavilion are encouraged to send a message to the AI and acknowledge the role that AI plays in our lives. “We don’t want this thing just to be like a museum with lots of different exhibits, and we really want something that visitors could engage with,” says Stuart Bradbury of creative agency Avantgarde, “The AI was created specifically for this project, many AI experts and social organizations, including the Poetry Archive, the Poetry Society and the Scottish Poetry Library, worked with developers to train and improve AI output over six months, and we think we’ve created something really special.”
1. Who is the designer of the Collective Message?| A．Stephen Hawking. | B．Stuart Bradbury. |
| C．Es Devlin. | D．Poetry Archive. |
| A．To introduce the theme of the Expo 2020. |
| B．To popularize the world-famous scientist. |
| C．To state the source of inspiration for this project. |
| D．To increase the authority of the design of the pavilion. |
| A．Es Devlin is the first female artist in British history. |
| B．Es Devlin is as well known as Stephen Hawking. |
| C．All visitors acknowledged the role that AI plays in their lives. |
| D．The AI had been previously trained with millions of lines of poetry. |
| A．Creative inspiration is everywhere. |
| B．Visitors are encouraged to compose poems. |
| C．Poems written by a computer light up the UK Pavilion at Expo Dubai. |
| D．An AI that can write poems was created successfully. |
6 . Are you struggling to find reading materials for your kids? You can try these books.
Johnny Catching Fire
By Aaron Allen
www. xlibris. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$22. 99 | $16. 99 | $3. 99
Johnny somehow gets the strength of super power. Now, he must decide whether to use his power for good or to get even with those who played tricks on him. Young readers can be inspired to think about the choice of life. To forgive? Or the other way around?
The Unequal Twins
By Sylva Kanderal
www. xlibris. com
Hardback |Paperback | E-book
$28.99 | $16.99 | $3.99
What if …the twins Ava and Zoe, who could hardly be distinguished from each other visually and who could not have been more different in character, had to go through severe envy, jealousy, and hate? Where does that road lead to? To a total loss of their connection, or are they finding the lost path to each other again?
How to Help Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be
By Pam Grewall
www. iuniverse. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$23.99 | $13.99 | $3.99
This self-improvement book offers a simple handbook to help kids recognize their strengths and weaknesses and understand how to make their own destiny.
Quotes from the Quiver
By Dante P. Galiber, MD, FACC
www. authorhouse. com
Hardback | Paperback|E-book
$43.99 | $22.99 | $3.99
Inspired by time, space, and human interaction, this collection offers a series of original and thought-provoking ideas and quotations designed to uplift and enlighten young readers.
1. Which book mentions a teenager’s super power?| A．The Unequal Twins. |
| B．Johnny Catching Fire. |
| C．Quotes from the Quiver. |
| D．How to Help Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be. |
| A．$28.99. | B．$36.98. |
| C．$43.99. | D．$7.98. |
| A．They are designed to inspire young readers. |
| B．They help readers to understand adulthood better. |
| C．They help kids recognize their strengths and weaknesses. |
| D．They provide quotations to uplift and enlighten people. |
7 . Four Seasonal Best-Sellers Online
Are you among the parents who are seeking books for your children during the coming winter vacation? The following seasonal best-sellers may be on your list of choices.
Salt
Salt, in which Helen Frost tells a story about friendship between Anikwa and James, was set in a time of war. Anikwa and James spent their happy days together in the forests of the Indiana Territory until facing the cruel war. As a children’s literature, it was once considered as a Kirkus Reviews Best Book in 2013.
Now
Now was set in the present day. This is the final book in Morris Gleitzman’s series that began with Once, continued with Then and Now. In the novel, Felix, a successful man with painful memories of his childhood recalls his time with his granddaughter Zelda. It has been popular with teenagers since it came out. Now is one of Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2012.
Green
Die-cut (模切的) pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book. How many kinds of green are there in the world? Laura Vaccaro Seeger shapes a respect to a single color that will delight and quite possibly shock you. Green was considered as Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012 and a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book.
Holes
In this wonderfully creative novel, Louis Sachar makes up a puzzle about Stanley Yelnats, a boy who was sent to juvenile detention center (少年管教中心) Camp Green Lake, and forced to dig a hole a day, five feet across in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed. It is a darkly humorous tale. The book wins the Winner of the National Book Award and was one of the best sellers among children.
1. Who is the author of the book Salt?| A．Helen Frost. | B．Anikwa. |
| C．Stanley Yelnats. | D．Louis Sachar. |
| A．It tells a serious but funny story. |
| B．It describes different kinds of one color. |
| C．It talks about friendship in the period of war. |
| D．It is one of the series by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. |
| A．They are set in modern times. |
| B．They share the same honor as each other. |
| C．They don’t sell as well as first published. |
| D．Their readers are mostly children. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
There are too many classic literary works we should read that it’s hard to know where to start. Watch the movie version is certainly one way to get familiarly with a book. Beside, the movie version usually gives you most of the important plots and characters informations. It may also helps you decide if the book is worth reading it. Reading the original books is completely different. With far more characters and plot details, it allows you appreciate the beauty of the language in the book. As for which is better, it depends on that you need. If you just want to get the story, watch the movie version; for the more complete experience, the book version is definitely better.
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（/），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I'm so glad to give my personal opinions on mine favorite newspaper English Monthly set up by the Students' Union. I'm a high school student which is enthusiastic about reading newspapers and I want to learn anything from them. I think English Monthly had many advantages. For one thing, it's rich in content, ranges from economy to civilization. For an another, it's a guide to English learning. Through it, I can have a good command what's going on at home and abroad and I've enriched my English knowledges. My suggestion is that it can introduce more about Chinese traditionally culture in the culture column.
10 . Whether you’re looking for a gift idea, or you’re hoping to find a way to help your teen make better choices, there are a variety of motivational books on the market that can help you.
1. Do Hard Things
Written by twin brothers, Alex and Brett Harris, Do Hard Things says that low expectations are the reason teens are not motivated to create a better world for themselves or the next generation. By encouraging readers to take the hard road and put challenges in front of themselves, teens can gain motivation to achieve greater things in life.
2. Who Moved My Cheese?
Who Moved My Cheese? written by Spencer Johnson, has been a life changing book for many adults. The teen version will help teens create positive change in their lives as well. Adolescence (青春期) is filled with change and uncertainty and this book helps young people learn how to adapt. Rather than refuse change, teens can learn how to accept change. It will undoubtedly help teens create positive change in their lives as well.
3. The Code: The Five Secrets of Teen Success
The author, Mawi Asgedom, overcame difficulties when he grew up during civil war in Ethiopia and became a student on scholarship to Harvard. In this quick read, your teens will learn valuable lessons from Asgedom’s own real-life example, and receive practical guidance.
4. Success Express for Teens
The author, Roger Leslie, offers simple and thoughtful activities that will motivate your teen to set clear and attainable goals. This book encourages self-awareness(自我意识) and offers plans to anyone who wants to live their best life.
5. What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens
Written by career authorities Carol Christen and Richard N. Bolles, this book will helps teen discover their interests, which could be helpful in their decision on a future career. The book is a quick read and has been updated to include the social media aspect of finding a career and job.
1. Which book should one read if he has trouble getting used to a new environment?| A．Do Hard Things. |
| B．Who Moved My Cheese? |
| C．The Code: The Five Secrets of Teen Success. |
| D．Success Express for Teens. |
| A．Who Moved My Cheese? |
| B．The Code: The Five Secrets of Teen Success. |
| C．Success Express for Teens. |
| D．What Color Is Your Parachute for Teens. |
| A．Alex and Brett Harris’ | B．Spencer Johnson’s |
| C．Roger Leslie’s | D．Carol Christen and Richard N. Bolles’. |
| A．Parents. | B．Students. |
| C．Educators. | D．Businessmen. |
