1 . The Travels of a T-shirt in the Global Economy is a highly-praised and prize winning book that highlights the globalization debates and reveals the key factors to make global business happen. Following a T-shirt’s life story from a Texas cotton field to a Chinese factory and back to a U. S. storefront before arriving at the used clothing market in Africa, the book uncovers a wealth of interesting questions about politics, trade, economics, ethics (道德学), and the impact of history on today’s business landscape.

Pietra Rivoli’s story began at George Town University in Washington where she worked as a professor of finance and international business. One day, she encountered a student seminar about globalized economy, where one student illustrated his views by giving the simple and accessible examples of T-shirts. She became inspired so one day she bought an ordinary T-shirt randomly for $5.99, deciding to look into how the process worked, which triggered the whole story. She travelled thousands of miles and across three continents to find out who did make these T-shirts that we all wear without giving a second thought about the journey each T-shirt had to go through to make it to the United States. She reached readers by using this simple, everyday T-shirt as a camera through which to explore all aspects of globalization in a historical context.

The story is told in an interesting and efficient way to achieve its purpose of educating on global economy. The language used is simple for anyone interested in reading to understand the complex world of international trade. The book is written professionally from an economist’s point of view. Rivoli uses a neutral tone, which is uncommon among economic writers and policymakers. She says, “I have written this book not to defend a position, but first of all, to tell a story; not to convey morals but to discover them, and simply to see where the story leads”.

2 . Our National Public Radio staff and trusted crities have made some recommendations about must-reads.

Rough Sleepers    Tracy Kidder

This uplifting book is about Dr. Jim O’Connell’s work of bringing health care to unhoused people for more than three decades, first in Boston and now in nearly every American city. His work might be a band-aid on the bigger problem of homelessness, but as he said, “This is what we do while waiting for the world to change.”

The Right Call       Sally Jenkins

Sally Jenkins has had a superb career recording the highest achievements in sports by individuals and by teams. With The Right Call, she captures what makes some athletes and coaches reach their peak. Whatever part of life you want to excel in, this book will have you rethinking what you do and how you might do it differently.

The Secret of Cooking       Bee Wilson

More than a cookbook, this is a guide to how to make cooking work for you — and even become a joy. What if you have picky eaters, a full time job and a kitchen with only half the ingredients the recipe calls for? This book has the answers, explaining everything from how to figure out what flavors go together, to how to get easy when everything goes wrong.

Land of Milk and Honey       C Pam Zhang

Set in a future where a mysterious smog has swallowed Earth, causing widespread crop failures and food shortages, the story follows an unnamed chef who finds herself in a world of cooking delights and unequalled sensory experiences among a landscape of despair (绝望). It’s an exploration of human nature, and the choices we make in the face of difficulties.

7 . If you’re looking for a new book to read, you’re in luck-every October sees the most books published in a single day and this year it falls on October 12. These are some of the biggest new titles to pick up.

●A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett, priced £20.

It contains 20 short stories written in the seventies and eighties in the last century. This delightful collection is inventive and engaging, often with a twisty end. The comedic fantasies that shape this book make a fun read.

●A Haunting on the Hill by Elizabeth Hand, priced £16. 99. Available now.

It is a read attracting readers’ curiosity to the end and the end is beyond expectation. The short chapters, complex characters, and beautifully yet scarily written descriptions make the novel an irresistible page-turner.

●Divine Might by Natalie Haynes, priced £20. Available now.

You’ve likely heard their names — Hera, Demeter, The Furies — and you may think you know their stories. But Haynes’ manages to give these well-known Greek goddesses a new voice by telling their story from a different view.

●Secrets of the Forest by Alicia Klepeis, illustrated by Kristen Adam, priced £14. 99. Available now.

American children’s author Alicia Klepeis has over 170 works for young audiences to her name, all with an educational angle. Through these delightful bite-sized bedtime stories, readers are guided to learn about the real biology and behavior of the incredible creatures. These stories should be treasured and handed down through generations to come.

9 . Reading is an important part of learning English, but many students find it difficult. This collection of tips can be of great help to you.

Read for the main ideas

Read the text a first time to understand the main idea, and don’t look up new words.    1    

Use Context

Context refers to words and situations around a word you don’t understand. Look at the example sentence：

I went to the shlumping to buy some chitla for dinner.

What’s ‘schlumping’? - It must be a store because you bought something there.

What’s ‘chitia’? -     2    

Use Your Own Language

Ask yourself this question：Do I read every word in my own language when I am reading a schedule, or summary?

    3     Reading in English is like reading in your native language. It is not always necessary to read and understand every word in English.

Understand Different Reading Skills

Here is a quick overview of the four types of reading skills used in every language： skimming, scanning, extensive reading and intensive reading.

    4    Run your eyes over the text, noting important information.    5    Run your eyes over the text for the specific piece of information. Extensive reading is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject, including reading longer texts for pleasure. Intensive reading is used on shorter texts to get specific information, including close accurate reading for detail.

You can use these reading skills to improve other areas of English learning, such as pronunciation, grammar and increasing vocabulary.