These days, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone, which can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the texts. The more,     1     better. It can improve my language skills and also can help me to get good grades.

Before you start reading, ask     2    (you) why you are reading this book. Most people read for two main     3    (reason), pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is of great     4    (important) to you, so you will decide     5    (read) and finish the book faster.

No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy     6     you read. Your friends may tell you the books they are interested     7    , but those books might not be the ones you enjoy. Whenever you realize that you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, give it up.

It is true to read the books that     8    (borrow) from libraries     9    (fast) than those I buy. The reason is that I don’t need to return those books I buy. Having a reading goal     10    (help) you work out how much reading you need to do in a week or even a day. Before you read each book, you should know what time you need to complete this book by.

2 . To develop one’s taste in English, the most effective way is to read English books widely. Yet one may be at a loss to choose the proper books, especially as a beginner. As a native Spanish, I would like to share some of my reading experience.

My first English novel was Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, recommended by many English teachers and professors as an ideal book for English learners. But my experience was somewhat horrible. I had great difficulty in understanding the novel, let alone enjoying it. It’s not the vocabulary that troubled me, but rather the way Austen constructs sentences, and her way of thinking, which seemed rather unfamiliar to me at that time. My fading enthusiasm was much recovered after reading Hemingway’s novel-A Farewell to Arms. No long and puzzling sentences. And I particularly liked his brief style. So my first suggestion is, as a beginner, you’d better choose modern novels instead of classical ones.

However, if you limit yourself to novels, you will miss a lot of treasures. Besides, English essays also play a key role. They can at once inform you, entertain you, and improve your taste in English. The best example is Bertrand Russell’s work. Its language is plain, yet you cannot help feeling the elegance and the special sense of humor. His simple language enables his philosophy within the reach of ordinary people. Therefore, here comes my second suggestion-essays are also vital.

Never follow others’ recommendations and opinions blindly, however famous or influential the person might be. We should be open to various ideas, but always think independently and determine for ourselves. As a saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. With that in mind, we are bound to find out our favorite writers through reading and develop our fine taste in English.

A book club can be an enriching, satisfying way     1    (develop) new friendships and an appreciation for reading. Or it can be a big, fat failure. The direction it takes really depends on how it     2    (plan) and managed. Right out of the gate, talk with potential members about what they want from a book club. If their interest is purely social, think about forming a group to do social     3    (activity) together, instead.

Davina Morgan-Witts, a book club expert at Book Browse, conducted     4    survey in 2019 of thousands of book club members. In that survey, Book Browse found that the longer a group spends talking about a book, the     5    (happy) they are in the club. In fact, 81 percent of those in book clubs that     6    (general) discussed a book for 75 minutes or longer marked     7    (they) as “very happy”, compared to just 55 percent in groups that discussed for 20 minutes or less!

“It’s not that they say social time is unimportant but it’s secondary,” Morgan-Witts explains. “It’s because of the open discussion and the sharing of opinions     8     the friendship forms.” If you want to discuss books without all of the small talk, she suggests     9    (turn) to a public library group. Those groups tend to be much more focused     10    book discussion, rather than the social elements he says.

7 . Summer reading

Finding Junie Kim

by Ellen Oh

Middle schooler Junie Kim is facing bullying (欺凌) at school, but she keeps quiet. Then, for a school project, Junie interviews her grandparents, who grew up in Korea during wartime in the 1950s. In their story of struggle, Junie finds the courage to speak up. The book will encourage any kid who has ever been in Junie’s shoes.

Simon B. Rhymin’

by Dwayne Reed

Simon is starting fifth grade and wants everyone to call him Notorious D. O. G. because he wants to be a famous rapper (说唱歌手). But he’s shy about using his voice to express his thoughts. When a teacher asks the class to give a talk, Simon must face his fears. Simon B. Rhymin’ is a great book that will give confidence to readers who are going through similar struggles.

A Shot in the Arm!

by Don Brown

A Shot in the Arm! is a novel about the history of vaccines (疫苗). Readers learn how vaccines have been used throughout history to fight disease. The author also introduces people around the world who helped with the development of vaccines. A Shot in the Arm! is an exciting read that uses colorful drawings to pull the reader in.

The One Thing You’d Save

by Linda Sue Park

If your house were on fire, what one thing would you save? Writer Linda Sue Park explores different answers to this question in poems that show the different voices of a middle school class. Some choose baseball cards or toy animals. One picks a sweater that was passed down for generations. The book is illustrated (给……作插图) with black-and-white art. Readers of all ages will like this book. It helps you realize what matters most.

9 . Reading is to success what water is to fish. Apparently, every successful person develops a passion for reading. This is because reading is the key to get the information required to understand something. For example, lawyers have to study and learn every established law on their specific branches. Sometimes the law changes according to people’ s needs. A good lawyer has to be informed about the latest news in the court. A doctor has to be informed of the latest advances in medicine.

Reading is very important for all mankind. Everything is relative in this world, especially reading. Reading can open many doors and it can lead you into a path of success. Studies have confirmed that reading to your unborn child is very good. This way your child will develop a passion for reading.

How do you develop a passion for reading? There is only one way you can boost your passion for reading. Let me explain this to you. If you want to learn how to ride a bike, you have to get on the bike as many times as possible until you have learned. It works the same way with reading. If you want to improve your reading, take a book and read it all the way through. When you finish reading your first book, take another book and do the same. Try to read as much as you can. If you are going out, take a magazine, a book, an article or something to read.

There is a very important factor behind the reading---reading comprehension. It’s what makes you understand the meaning behind the text. Let’s assume that you read a document and you are supposed to explain the meaning of the document. How would you explain the document if you couldn’t capture (捕捉) the message of the author?

10 . Three very strong women — my mother, my grandmother and Melinda — deserve big credit for helping me become the man I am today. But Blanche Caffiere, a very kind teacher and librarian I’ve never written about before, also had a huge influence on me.

Mrs. Caffiere died in 2006, shortly after reaching her 100^th birthday. Before she passed away, I had an opportunity to visit her and thank her for the important role she played in my life.

When I first met Mrs. Caffiere, she was the elegant and engaging school librarian at Seattle’s View Ridge Elementary, and I was a fourth grader. I was desperately trying to go unnoticed, because I had some big weaknesses, like dysgraphia (书写障碍), and had a totally messy desk with books around. And I was trying to hide the fact that I liked to read — something that was cool for girls but not for boys.

Mrs. Caffiere took me under her wings and helped make it okay for me to be a messy, nerdy boy who was reading lots of books. She pulled me out of my shell. She started by asking questions like, “What do you like to read?” and “What are you interested in?” Then she found me a lot of books. For example, she gave me great biographies she had read. Once I’d read them, she would make the time to discuss them with me. “Did you like the book? Why? What did you learn?” She listened to what I had to say patiently. Through those book conversations in the library and in the classroom we became good friends.

Teachers generally don’t want to burden their students with extra reading beyond the homework they’ve given. But I learned from Mrs. Caffiere that my teachers had so much knowledge to share. Looking back on it, there’s no question that my time with Mrs. Caffiere helped spark my interest in libraries and my focus on helping every child in America get the benefit of great teachers. I should give great thanks to the devoted teacher and librarian who helped me find my strengths when I was nine years old. It’s remarkable how much power one good person can have in shaping the life of a child.