1 . If you want to make sure that you understand this story as fully as possible,you might consider printing the article and reading it on paper.

Virginia Clinton carried out the research examination. Clinton’s examination found that reading from paper generally led to better understanding and improved a person’s performance on tests connected to the reading material. And, she found no major difference in reading speed between the two. Such differences were notable only when the reading material was expository texts—or explanatory and based on fact. Clinton said she found no major difference when it came to narrative,fictional texts.

Clinton also found that paper readers usually have a higher recognition of how well they have understood a text than screen readers.She said,“We think that we’ve reading the story or the book better than we actually are.We think we understand what we are reading better than how we are actually reading.” Yet,this inflated sense of understanding is especially common among screen readers.

Clinton said there are many possible reasons for such findings.Overconfidence of screen readers,for example,could be the result of a distracted,less focused mind.Clinton said,“If you are enjoying the reading process,you’re going to be more involved.You’re going to be paying better attention.Preferences are a key issue here.”

Clinton said, “Several studies have found that people often think of paper material as more important and serious. If you are reading from paper,your mind thinks,’This is something important.I need to pay attention to it’.”Readers might connect computer screens with fun,less serious activities such as checking social media or watching Netflix.Clinton described this kind of reading as “enjoyment reading”.

Although her findings may support paper reading over screen reading,Clinton says,“When you’re reading on a screen,it can be programmed that you have to answer questions and get them right before you can continue.Paper can’t make you do that.Other tools in development will offer students reading at a lower level more simple texts while providing their other classmates more complex versions of the same text.”

3 . World Book Day falls on April 23rd every year, but do you know that it is also Shakespeare Day? Everybody may have heard of Shakespeare, but do you know how many plays he wrote?

Shakespeare’s plays have three kinds: tragedies, comedies and histories. His most famous play is the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, which deals with two young lovers who are not allowed to marry by their parents. It was best-known to people. Other tragedies include Hamlet, Othello, and Macbethd.

Shakespeare’s comedies include Much Ado About Nothing,A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night. Twelfth Night is a play about unclear identities. Two twins are shipwrecked (遭海难) and the sister, Viola, dresses up as her brother, Sebastian, who she thinks is dead. It’s funny, because the brother reappears and there’s a big love problem going on: Viola is in love with the Duke, who is in love with Olivia, who falls in love with Sebastian except that she doesn’t realize that Sebastian is actually Viola dressed up! Everybody falls in love with the wrong person, but it is all made right in the end.

Some of his history plays, such as Antony and Cleopatra, Richard III and Henry V,are based on the lives of real historical people. In Antony and Cleopatra, Cleopatra becomes Antony’s girlfriend and Antony becomes so crazy about her that he loses control of the army. Cleopatra kills herself in the end and Antony kills himself too.

Shakespeare’s plays can be very difficult sometimes. Some of the themes they deal with are heavy, so they almost always include a lighter subplot with characters that are not so important. They are often used in tragedies to lighten the mood of the play and to keep the audience interested in the main plot.

4 . Oct. 15th was International White Cane Safety Day. You may have never heard of it, but it was a day to remember for Peng Baier of Nanjing Foreign Language School. After school that day, he visited the local Disabled Persons’ Federation (残疾人联合会). He wanted to know about the sales and feedback (反馈) of his newly­published book, How to Help a Disabled Person.

Since he lives with his disabled grandparents, he understands that life can be hard for this group of people. Peng decided to write the book because he wanted to create a better life for disabled people in China.

“Crossing the street is a big problem for them,” Peng said. “Speeding cars, people walking in a hurry, bikes on the sidewalk—accidents can happen everywhere for the blind. That’s why we hardly ever see disabled people on the street, even though there are millions of disabled people in China.”

Peng’s book with pictures is easy to understand. It is a guide to the right and wrong ways to treat disabled people. The left­hand pages show the reader the right way; the right­hand pages point out mistakes that are commonly made.

The teenager had 2, 000 copies of his book printed. With the help of the Disabled Persons’ Federation, he gave them to the disabled community. “The book is bilingual, so foreigners can also use it,” said Peng.

Peng put great efforts into the book. For example, he interviewed many disabled people to get first hand materials. He also studied textbooks from different schools for the disabled. Peng finally completed his handbook, but he still had the problem of getting it printed. How did a high school student raise money needed for that?

With a smile, Peng said how he went about it. “I visited three local companies, dressed up in a suit and tie. I was lucky. The companies were warm­hearted and willing to give me a hand.”

Li Hua

9 . A trip to the library was like a great journey to a different country. To get there, we had to walk a mile. But our weekly journeys to the library were a piece of perfection. I had around me at one time all the people I loved best-my father and mother and brothers and sister-and all the things I loved best-quiet, space, and books.

I read a lot of books about science: not the spaceships my brothers preferred, but the birds and bees-literally. I brought home a book of birds and searched the trees for anything other than robins (知更鸟). I went through a phase of loving books with practical science experiments and used up a whole bottle of white vinegar by pouring it on the sides of our apartment building to prove that it was constructed of limestone (石灰石).

One Saturday, as I wandered through the young adult section, I saw a title: Little Women, by Lousia May Alcott. I had learned from experience that titles weren’t everything. A book that sounded great on the shelf could be dull once you got it home.

So I sat in a chair near the shelves to skim the first paragraphs. I read and read and read Little Women until it was time to walk home, and, except for a few essential interruptions like sleeping and eating. I did not put it down until the end. Even the freedom to watch weekend television held no appeal for me in the wake of Alcott’s story. It was about girls, for one thing, girls who could almost be like me, especially Jo. I had found someone who thought and felt the way I did.

10 . The end of the library?

When was the last time you went to your local library? Last week? A month ago? A year ago? For many reasons, fewer people borrow books from libraries. With advances in technology, it is now possible for people to download and read whatever they like on electronic devices such as Kindles at any time. It has been argued that doing this is cheaper than buying hard-copy books.     1       

Call me old-fashioned.     2     I like to have printed books lining my bookshelves. I love the smell of a new book and I enjoy leafing through paper pages. Besides, libraries offer a quiet place to sit, read, think and do research, and a real escape from the outside world. When I was at university, I often spent hours at the library and borrowed numerous journals, articles and other printed materials, as it was just too expensive to buy new books every week.     3     They're particularly suitable for students.

    4    At home, my local library hosted actors, historians and other speakers during the town's yearly art and literature festival. Well-known authors are also invited to libraries to give speeches or lead discussions about their work. These events are a great way to attract people of all ages in the community.     5    

There are still many fantastic ways to use libraries. Maybe we just need to try to recognise them.