1 . How can we make learning and reading fun again? How can we get our children excited to open a book? Or explore a new subject? Here are some ideas we used. Besides, these don’t just work for kids!
Find Fun Bookmarks
Do you have a super comfortable place in your home just for reading? Perhaps it’s time to make one! Throw blankets on the floor or make a permanent window seat where anyone can go to enjoy a good book. By making your home suitable for reading, you’ll be setting the stage for lifelong readers.
Get Into a Program
Most libraries have a reading program that ends in a prize especially in the summer. If your kids don’t have one, make your own reading challenge or program.
Model Learning
If you want your kids to become lifelong learners and readers, they should see their parents doing it too. The truth is that we do what is modeled for us, not what someone tells us to do.
| A．Create a Reading Spot |
| B．Find a Place for Reading |
| C．Find books that you love to read and join a challenge yourself |
| D．One of the best gifts you could give your kids is a love for learning |
| E．Adults can also use extra motivation to get our minds in high condition |
| F．These cute printable bookmarks to color are the perfect start to reading |
| G．Let the kids decide what they’d like to do if they hit their reading goals |
2 . One of the best things about historical stories is that they can make you interested in learning more about the actual history of the time period.
This Rebel HeartKatherine Locke
This impressive historical story transports readers to 1956 Hungary during the revolution(革命). Csilla grew up near a magic river, but when her country falls apart, and her world crashes around her, she must decide between leaving her home or fighting to save it.
The Peach RebellionWendelin Van Draanen
In post-World War II California, three teenage girls from different backgrounds get bound(捆绑)together through hardship, secrets, and friendship. In this beautiful coming-of-age story, the girls face the storms on their way bravely, helping each other through love and loss.
Luck of the TitanicStacey Lee
The terrible disaster is as attractive as ever in this historical story. Unable to board the ship as a regular passenger, Val hides in it and manages to travel along. She dreams of getting a job at a circus in New York City, but she doesn’t expect to fight for survival(生存)along the way.
Dream CountryShannon Gibney
A fascinating look at the connection between Liberia and America, Dream Country explores the lives of five generations of a family searching for freedom. Heartbreaking and honest, this journey through history is about family, dreams, and the hope for a better future.
1. What is the purpose of this text?| A．To explain scientific facts. | B．To describe historic events. |
| C．To remember famous people. | D．To introduce historical books. |
| A．She is interested in historical stories. | B．She gets aboard the ship with a ticket. |
| C．She meets many hardships along the journey. | D．She works in a circus in New York city. |
| A．Deep love for their country. | B．Long-lasting friendship. |
| C．Struggling spirit. | D．Spirit of freedom. |
3 . Travel is the only thing that will really make you richer. While it's very valid, there're many times when we are simply unable to travel for certain reasons. However, there's still a great and affordable way to experience new places: books.
Wild
Wild is Cheryl Strayed's beautifully written story of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail for 1,100 miles all by herself. Her journey of self-discovery and facing her painful past is fascinating and will keep you fascinated from the first page up until the last. You will feel like you're hiking alongside Strayed the whole time.
On the Road
Jack Kerouac's classic novel in 1957 is a masterpiece from the Beat Generation, which tells the timeless tale of being young, confused, and just getting on the road to try to figure it all out. The book tells the personal developmental story of Sal, who is strongly based on Kerouac himself, leaving New York City and traveling around the country. The book ensures madness, along with colorful characters and heartbreaking moments.
The Caliph's House
This book is written by author Tahir Shah, whose experience of vacationing in Morocco of Africa during his childhood growing up led him to move with his family from London to Morocco, where he learned a lot. His writing is rich and fascinating and tells an incredible story of their time of living there.
The Great Railway Bazaar
Paul Theroux's book narrates his four-month experience in 1973 traveling by train from London to Europe, the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, as well as his return trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, enriching and improving himself. Theroux explored poverty and ignorance throughout the book, which is often considered as a classic in the travel writing world.
1. Which book tells of the author's long journey on foot?| A．Wild. | B．On the Road. |
| C．The Caliph's House. | D．The Great Railway Bazaar. |
| A．The author's rich writing experience. |
| B．The story of British children in Africa. |
| C．The vacation of an African family in London. |
| D．The author's childhood experience in Morocco. |
| A．Madness and sadness. | B．Travel and self-growth. |
| C．Poverty and confusion. | D．Childhood and ignorance. |
This book of essay and poems by Maya Angelou, a respectable American poet, is written for "the daughter she never had" —the millions of women, both young and old, who she considers to be her "family". From the viewpoint of a caring, older relative, this book contains lessons taken from her own life experiences, including the birth of her only child, a son, as well as the development and loss of friendship.
Ordinary Light （Paperback $6. 46）
"She left us at night,” Tracy K. Smith, a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, writes in the first sentence in Ordinary Light. She gives a description of her mother's last days and moments, and her own private farewell. She moves on to search for her mother through memories. She remembers her as a steady presence during visits to grandparents, while spending time with her much-older sisters and brothers. Ordinary Light is a memory, a discovery, a blessing.
A Room of One’s Own （Hardcover $19. 48）
This essay by English writer Virginia Woolf is based on her several lectures given to two women's colleges at Cambridge University in 1928. In it, Woolf describes that it's situation not talent alone that allows men to be more successful at writing. Women, in other words, spend so much time cooking, cleaning ? and tending to their children that they have no time left for art. To write well, therefore, a woman must have "a room of her own". While on its surface, this essay appears to be only about writing, it is actually about wealth and class, freedom and imprisonment （囚禁），and the power struggle between sexes.
Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? （Hardcover $8. 44）
"When you think things are bad, when you start to get mad... you should do what I do!"
The classic book by Dr Seuss begins with the advice of a wise man and provides the perfect ways for readers of all ages who are feeling down. Thanks to Dr. Seuss's trademark rhymes （韵律）and signature illustrations （插画），readers will realize just how lucky they truly are.
1. How many different books can you buy at most with $25?| A．One. | B．Two. |
| C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．Letter to My Daughter |
| B．A Room of One's Own |
| C．Ordinary Light |
| D．Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? |
| A．Maya spends most of her time fighting for women's rights. |
| B．Woolf thinks many factors influence women's success at writing. |
| C．Tracy often spends much time with her older sisters and brothers. |
| D．Dr. Seuss always gives more encouragement to young people. |
5 . "You are the same today as you will be in five years except for the books you read. " A love of reading can make your brain more efficient, lower stress levels, and inspire life pursuits （追求）. Here's how your brain and body benefit when you crack open a book.
Reading can improve brainpower.
Reading can melt away stress.
Being lost in a good book lowers your levels of unhealthy stress hormones. In a British study, participants were involved in an anxiety-provoking （引发焦虑的）activity and then either read for a few minutes, listened to music, or played video games. The stress levels of those who read dropped 67 percent.
Reading about someone who overcame hurdles may encourage you to achieve your own dream. If you'd like a raise, following a character into the boss's office may give you the courage to make the same request. The more you identify with a character and experience the events as if they were happening to you, the more likely you'll take action.
| A．Reading can encourage life goals. |
| B．Reading can recall your memory. |
| C．As a result, stress is associated with reading. |
| D．That process forces you to think and concentrate. |
| E．Reading gives your brain a different kind of workout. |
| F．We cannot think too highly of the benefits of reading. |
| G．It was a more important drop than that of the other groups. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Scientific. | C．Popular. |
