1. What does Tony have in his hand?
| A．Lots of books. | B．A book review. | C．A reading list. |
| A．Teacher and student. | B．Reader and librarian. | C．Friends. |
| A．A Song of Ice and Fire. | B．Thirteen Reasons Why. | C．First Test. |
2 . The first set of Chinese stories presented in English scripts, titled Stories of China: Performed in English, was officially published by Foreign Language Press. Planned by the New Channel International Education Group with the participation of playwrights from China, the United Kingdom and the United states, the book provides a new way for young people to learn English while inheriting and spreading Chinese culture.
The book contains 20 English scripts in novel formats covering a wide range of subjects. Unlike the most common English scripts for young readers on the market which are based on adaptations of European and American stories, those scripts presented in this book are unique for being based on classic Chinese stories, readapted and written in English. The book is divided into three grades in terms of grammar and vocabulary difficulty, making it suitable for young English learners from primary schools to junior and high schools.
All the scripts in the book are written by top playwrights with elegant, pure and vivid language. The scripts are provided with a summary of the story in both Chinese and English, so that readers can fully understand the plot as well as the history and culture behind it. Readers can not only improve their English skills through immersive reading and performance but also appreciate Chinese culture.
Hu Min, English education expert and founder of the New Channel, said the combination of traditional Chinese culture and English teaching has become a trend, guiding young people to tell Chinese stories to the world with their own wisdom and deep Chinese cultural heritage. The New Channel will offer special courses on Stories of China: Performed in English in its many schools across the country, and cooperate with primary and secondary schools in Beijing, Shanghai to offer English drama courses on a trial basis. Hu believes the courses will set off a new wave of enthusiastic learning among young people.
1. What is the reason for publishing Stories of China: Performed in English?| A．To introduce some famous playwrights in China. |
| B．To make foreign students enjoy Chinese culture. |
| C．To offer a new teaching method on a trial basis. |
| D．To improve English learning and pass down Chinese culture. |
| A．Its popularity among young people. |
| B．Its elegant, pure and vivid language. |
| C．Being published by a top foreign press. |
| D．The way of introducing classic Chinese stories. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. | C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
| A．Science. | B．Tourism. | C．Culture. | D．Business. |
3 . As we close out the final days of this year, treat yourself to a deliciously distracting new book —a book that you can dip into and out of throughout the holidays. Read up, rest up, and enjoy yourself.
Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and beyond
A must-have guide for yoga-loving mamas, Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond offers helpful relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that are tailored to each pregnant woman. The book also lays out valuable techniques for labor and staying in touch with your body as it continuously changes.
Mindfulness Activities for Kids
We could all use a little more peace in our lives. Uniquely suited for children and parents to do together, the 40 mindfulness exercises recommended here —from pausing to fully enjoy a tasty sandwich to taking chalk walk together—will not only teach children calm and gratitude, but also bring grown-ups and their littles closer together.
Before She Disappeared
Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who devotes her time to solving cold cases, especially those involving people of color. A new investigation brings her to Boston, searching for a Haitian teenager who disappeared months ago. But as Frankie starts asking questions, someone else will stop at nothing to keep the answers hidden.
Oak Flat
Lauren Redniss’ Oak Flat tells the story of the land near the San Carlos Apache Reservation through an Apache family fighting to protect the land which the U. S. government and two world-power mining enterprises are attempting to seize and destroy for its copper resources. Visually striking and deeply reported, Oak Flat tells a larger story of endless westward expansion and native resistance.
1. Which book can help to improve family relations?| A．Oak Flat. |
| B．Before She Disappeared. |
| C．Mindfulness Activities for Kids. |
| D．Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond. |
| A．It’s a brief account of mining enterprises. |
| B．It centers on an Apache family’s struggle. |
| C．It sings high praise of the US government. |
| D．It supports westward expansion and native resistance. |
| A．Teenagers. | B．Men. | C．Kids. | D．Grown-ups. |
4 . Four new books to read
The books that are included in this list can meet your reading needs at any time of year.
Nobody Will Tell You This but Me
Bess Kalb
In this book, the author shares the advice her beloved grandmother Bobby left her. Bobby was a powerful woman who should never be underestimated, and she was very knowledgeable about the family’s traditions and secrets. The book proves that family bonds can endure through generations and beyond death.
We Came Here to Shine
Susie Orman Schnall
We Came Here to Shine focuses on the strong female friendship between an aspiring journalist and an unlucky actress at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Leaning on each other, these two ambitious women struggled against adversity (困境) at a time when women had little say.
A Star Is Bored
Byron Lane
Favored by television star Jonathan Van Ness, this novel is partly based on the author’s experiences as the former personal assistant to Carrie Fisher, a legendary American actress. The book follows Charlie Besson, the new assistant to the Hollywood icon, Kathi Kannon. Their three-year journey together is an unforgettable adventure that is funny, heartbreaking, and hopeful.
Fast Girls
Elise Hooper
The story in Fast Girls took place during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes, and Helen Stephens overcame difficult pasts to attain Olympic glory as the world’s fastest female athletes. Beyond the athletic journey, they also aimed to challenge the social standards of what females can achieve.
1. Who is the character in Bess Kalb’s book?| A．Bobby. | B．Susie Orman Schnall. | C．Carrie Fisher. | D．Betty Robinson. |
| A．A biography. | B．An industry report. |
| C．A real-life based novel. | D．A fictional adventure story. |
| A．We Came Here to Shine | B．Nobody Will Tell You This but Me |
| C．A Star Is Bored | D．Fast Girls |
5 . Many people do not read the classics. Their reasons begin with the language being too difficult and end with the storyline too distant to the present context.
Don’t be afraid to be confused.
We get it: it’s hard to power through confusion. It doesn’t feel great when a book makes you feel confused. Every reader has to start somewhere.
Research, research, research.
This step is self-explanatory. While it’s not hard to just pick a book up, we know how difficult it can be to convince yourself to do so. Remind yourself that it’s a new learning chance. Take a deep breath, then leap onto the deck (甲板) of Melville’s Pequod or step cautiously through the gates of Castle Dracula.
Remember: there is no right answer.
There is no perfect way to read a classic text. There is no fixed interpretation (解读) and no exact answer. Your goal as a reader is to discover what aspects are meaningful to you. Just enjoy the process.
| A．Just pick the book up |
| B．Allow the book to grow with you |
| C．It has some form of historical influence |
| D．Before you turn to page one, do some digging |
| E．Love for classics is obviously not at first sight |
| F．Never beat yourself up for not knowing something |
| G．Even if your interpretation of the work isn’t perfect, it’s still valuable |
6 . There are always some persons in your life who touch your soft heart with kindness.
As a little girl, my favorite thing was
At that time, the town library limited the number of books a person borrowed
Gradually, I developed an interest in writing,
Later, at the University of Iowa,
Whenever I think of the help from them, how
| A．reading | B．painting | C．exploring | D．creating |
| A．how | B．why | C．where | D．what |
| A．of | B．to | C．from | D．between |
| A．published | B．edited | C．presented | D．finished |
| A．in the lead | B．in panic | C．at a loss | D．on the rocks |
| A．shouting | B．smiling | C．crying | D．dancing |
| A．exchanged | B．recommend | C．designed | D．adapted |
| A．reflected | B．devoted | C．expected | D．benefited |
| A．extremely | B．fortunately | C．especially | D．slightly |
| A．inspired | B．challenged | C．contented | D．tricked |
| A．admit | B．send | C．revise | D．settle |
| A．although | B．because | C．when | D．since |
| A．relaxed | B．satisfied | C．impressed | D．upset |
| A．hesitation | B．tension | C．exception | D．argument |
| A．concerned | B．relieved | C．grateful | D．regretful |
赞成的观点：1. 节省时间；2. 易于理解。
反对的观点：1. 书中细节更多；2. 可以欣赏语言的魅力。
Dear Chris,
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
8 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website BookCrossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. BookCrossing provides an ID number to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson, the managing director of BookCrossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. BookCrossing combines both.”
Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.
People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. Emails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated (及时了解) about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.
BookCrossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟). The site now has more than one million members in more than 135 countries.
1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?| A．To explain what they are. | B．To introduce BookCrossing. |
| C．To stress the importance of reading. | D．To encourage readers to share their ideas. |
| A．The book. | B．An adventure. | C．A public place. | D．The ID number. |
| A．Meet other readers to discuss it. | B．Keep it safe in his bookcase. |
| C．Pass it on to another reader. | D．Mail it back to its owner. |
| A．A new reading habit | B．A social activity of exchanging books |
| C．A new trend of online reading | D．A website that connects people through books |
9 . Technology seems to discourage slow reading. Reading on screens tires eyes easily. So online writing is more skimmable than print. The neuroscientist Mary Walt argued this “new norm” of skim reading is producing “an invisible, dramatic transformation” in how readers process words. And brains now favor rapid absorption of information, rather than skills developed by deeper reading, like critical analysis.
We shouldn’t overplay this danger. All readers skim. Skimming is the skill we acquire as we learn to read more skillfully. And fears about declining attention spans have proved to be false alarms. “Some critics worry about attention span and see very short stories as signs of cultural decline, ” The American author Selvin wrote. “But nobody ever said poems were evidence of short attention spans. ”
Yet the Internet has certainly changed the way we read. First, it means there’s more to read, because more people than ever are writing. And digital writing means rapid release and response. Once published, online articles start forming a comment string underneath. Such mode of writing and reading can be interactive and fun, but is probably lacking in profound reflection.
Perhaps we should slow down. Reading is constantly promoted as a source of personal achievement. But this advocacy emphasizes “enthusiastic” or “eager” reading — neither suggest slow absorption. To a slow reader, a piece of writing can only be fully understood by immersing oneself in their slow comprehension of words. The slow reader is like a swimmer who stops counting the number of pool laps he’s done and just enjoys how his body feels and moves in water.
The human need for this kind of deep reading is too determined for any new technology to destroy. We often assume technological change can’t be stopped, so older media are kicked out by newer, more virtual forms. In practice, older technologies can coexist with new ones. The Kindle hasn’t killed off printed books any more than cars killed off bicycles. We still want to enjoy slowly-formed ideas and carefully-chosen words. Even in a fast-moving age, there is time for slow reading.
1. What is the author’s attitude towards Selvin’s opinion?| A．Favorable. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Objective. |
| A．Advocacy of passionate reading helps promote slow reading. |
| B．Digital writing and reading tends to ignore careful reflection. |
| C．We should be aware of the impact skimming has on the brain. |
| D．The number of Internet readers declines due to technology. |
| A．To demonstrate how to immerse oneself in thought. |
| B．To stress swimming differs from reading. |
| C．To show slow reading is better than fast reading. |
| D．To illustrate what slow reading is like. |
| A．Slow Reading is Here to Stay |
| B．Technology Prevents Slow Reading |
| C．Reflections on Deep Reading |
| D．The Wonder of Deep Reading |
10 . The National Library is one of Scotland’s foremost research libraries with an unparalleled collection of Scottish, national and international material. Our two main reading rooms are located in our George Ⅳ Bridge Building in Edinburgh:
* In the Special Collections Reading Room you can consult our rare books, manuscripts, and music collections.
* In the General Reading Room you can consult the rest of our material.
We also have a Maps Reading Room in our Cause wayside Building in Edinburgh. To consult our maps you should book an appointment in advance.
To access our reading rooms you must register for a library card. You must show your card on entry and keep it with you at all times. To safeguard our collections, we ask those using our reading rooms to observe our guidelines for care of the collections. For more details, see:
* Care of the collections: General Reading Room
* Care of the collections: Special Collections Reading Room
* Care of the collections: Maps Reading Room
No pens are allowed in our reading rooms. You can take pencils, paper, books, phones, laptops and tablets into the reading rooms, but bags larger than A4 size (29 cm×21 cm) must be left in lockers. Lockers in our George Ⅳ Bridge Building are operated with a £1 coin and there is a change machine on the ground floor. Lockers in the Maps Reading Room do not require a £1 coin. Laptops can be used in designated areas and we offer free WiFi.
1. Where will you go if you’re studying the history of Scottish music?| A．The Special Collections Reading Room. | B．The General Reading Room. |
| C．The Maps Reading Room. | D．The Academic Center. |
| A．Show your library card on entry. | B．Make an appointment beforehand. |
| C．Get familiar with the guidelines. | D．Leave oversized bags in lockers. |
| A．A local newspaper. | B．A registration guide. |
| C．A library website. | D．A student handbook |
