1 . Do you get lots of reading assignments as part of your homework? You might wish that you could read faster.

    1     But experts have dismissed this claim.

“    2    ” said Elizabeth Schotter, a scientist at the University of South Florida, US. Schotter pointed out that people who claim that they can teach others how to speed read are usually doing it to make money by selling courses and books.

In fact, speed reading has been advertised since 1959, when US educator Evelyn Wood introduced a speed reading program. Several US presidents have even asked their staff to take speed reading courses.     3    

Schotter explained that reading is a complicated task. It involves four stages: seeing a word, retrieving its meaning from your memory, relating it to other words in the same sentence, and then moving on to the next word.     4     It can’t be sped up.

Some people who claim to be able to speed read are simply skimming. Skimming involves reading a passage quickly and only looking for certain words or sentences. Skimmers can figure out the main idea of a passage—especially if it’s a topic they’re familiar with—but they will not be able to recall all of the details.

    5     Research suggests that you should try to improve your vocabulary and simply read more.

3 . Best books for 12 to 14-year-olds

Mortal Engines

Author: Philip Reeve

Publisher: Scholastic

London is on the move again: the city searches the world for resources on wheels, eating smaller towns. But when he is thrown off the city, young hero Tom is soon forced to reexamine life as he knows it.

Set in a futuristic background, this imaginative story is a blend of action and adventure. The book has won the Blue Peter Book Award.

Coram Boy

Author: Jamila Gavin

Publisher: Egmont

Toby’s and Aaron’s lives are linked by the Coram Man, who collects unwanted children from across the country, supposedly to send them to a safe new life. In reality, the man sells the children into slavery. Soon, Toby and Aaron find themselves united on a journey, filled with danger and excitement.

Rich with historical detail, this book provides an important insight into the 1750s society. It was a winner of the Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Author: Mark Haddon

Publisher: Red Fox

Seen through the eyes of Christopher, a mathematical talent and Sherlock Holmes fan, this novel opens with the discovery of a dead dog on a neighbor’s lawn. In his search to discover the identity of the killer, Christopher uncovers some information about his own family and he starts a journey to London to find his mother.

Watership Down

Author: Richard Adams

Publisher: Penguin

Young rabbit Fiver believes that a great disaster is about to strike the place where he lives－but no one will listen to him. At last he manages to ask a few brave rabbits to leave before it’s too late. Hunted by dogs and foxes, their journey is a dangerous one—but the rabbits can still dream of a peaceful and safe new life at Watership Down.

This book won both the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and the Carnegie Medal.

4 . I grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, and every morning, sometimes before I woke up, my dad left for work. I didn't know much about what my dad actually did all day. But one thing I did know about my dad's day was that he often spent his lunch break looking for books for me. He would often come home in the evening with a book for me in his bag. When he handed the "gift" over to me, I immediately investigated its cover, checked out the description on the back, and sometimes started reading right then.

I was not always as appreciative of those books as I should have been, especially in my younger years. One time, Dad brought home a paperback（平装书）called Bunya the Witch. I scanned the cover quickly before declaring, "Ugh! It's just another stupid farm book," and dropping it on the ground. I was rightfully reprimanded for being an ungrateful kid, and I learned that valuable lesson about not judging a book by its cover—Bunya the Witch turned out to be one of my favorites.

As I got older, my dad favored books focused on strong young female characters, like Invincible Louisa by Cornelia Meigs, Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt, and Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz, books I remember to this day.

It's not just the books themselves that stay in my memory. It's the girl reading them, and what she felt as she read. I think back to hours spent in my childhood bedroom, reading about young women who faced lives much more difficult than mine. I learned from their courage and drew inspiration from their bravery.

To this day, I love to read. I love the excitement of opening up a new book and getting lost in whatever story the author wants to tell me. And quite often, when I've read something really wonderful, the first person I pass it along to is my dad. I figure I owe him.

6 . My little cousin is already three years old. Last week, when I was shopping with my aunt, 1 suggested she buy some wordless books for him. She refused and said wordless books were useless. If you also think so, then you're wrong.

Anyone who has “read” a picture book can tell you that you don't need words to tell a story. Preschoolers(学前儿童)can follow a story told in pictures. And even though kids aren't reading words, it turns out that wordless books can help them develop important skills. Here are some reasons why little kids should read wordless books.

Through reading wordless books, young kids and preschoolers can learn how a book works: from front to back, left to right, and top to bottom. Following a story helps kids understand the structure of storytelling: cause and effect, conflict(冲突)and resolution, character development and a narrative(叙述的) way with a beginning, middle and end. Kids can hear many new words. They can also learn to recognize objects, people, places, animals and actions and tell a story based on pictures. This helps kids have a larger vocabulary and connect pictures with things they see.

Reading wordless books helps kidsobtainconfidence. A young kid or preschooler is proud to have finished a favorite book and have understood the whole story from start to finish without adults' help. When they're proud of themselves, they become more confident.

Reading wordless stories helps little kids develop a love of books. Wordless book can be enjoyed by little kids. After they find the pleasure in reading, they’ll fall in love with reading.

Wordless books can be enjoyed by all little kids. Books without text are great for kids who speak different languages, are learning English, or have developmental or learning difficulties that make reading words challenging.