1 . How to Improve Speed Reading Skills

Speed reading is one of many skills that can improve your reading comprehension and shorten your study time.    1    

Look at groups of words, not single words.    2     However, if you can get into the habit of reading groups or chunks of words at one time, then you can read much faster. Start by trying to look at a group of three or four words at once, then work up to looking at an entire line of works. Focus on words that give the sentence meaning, such as the nouns and verbs and pay less attention to the filler words, such as a, the, and, etc.

Scan for keywords.

Scanning is a highly effective way of extracting answers from a text without really reading it. If you know exactly what you are looking for﹣a name, a date, a statistic, or a specific word-you can find it quickly by skipping over large chunks of the text. To scan, first visualize the word, number, or phrase you would like to find.    3     The information you are looking for should pop out at you.

    4    

You can train yourself to read faster by timing yourself as you go. Start by getting your base time. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, and speed read as you normally do.    5     Do not count the words, just the pages or paragraphs. Record your figures: for instance, you night write "15 min/6.5 pages."

A．Race the clock.

B．Cheek your comprehension.

C．Here are some speed reading techniques.

D．Then, run your eyes rapidly over the text.

E．When the timer goes off, cheek to see bow far you have got.

F．If you read a text one word at a time, then this will slow your reading speed down.

G．One of the reasons is that you have to pause to understand what a passage is saying.

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Where does Thomas Manning work?

A．In the Guinness Company.

B．At a radio station.

C．In a museum.

2. Where did the idea of a book of records come from?

A．A bird-shooting trip.

B．A visit to Europe.

C．A television talk show.

3. When did Sir Hugh's first book of records

A．In 1875.

B．In 1950.

C．In 1955.

4. What are the two speakers going to talk about next?

A．More records of unusual facts.	B．The founder of the company.
C．The oldest person in the world

3 . Do you know how to pick a good book you’ll really like? Here are some tips.

Start with your interest.     1    . You can pick something that you love to read, not for school. They can be ancient martial (武术) arts, computers, or fashion design. You name it, there are books about it.

Pick your type. Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction (or both)? Fiction books, like novels, can transport you to another world or help you imagine something beyond your own experience. Nonfiction books give you the who, what, when, and why of something.     2    . Many of them read like novels from start to finish.

Read the description. The reviews and quotes on the back and inside covers of many books give you an idea of what the book is about. They can also help you pick future books, too. If you find a book you really like, take a minute to read the quotes and see which authors praised the book.     3    .

Find a family favorite. Which book did your mother love best when she was at your age?     4    . Find out and give them a read — then you can share your thoughts about the book.

Find a quiet place and make time for the book.     5    . You can put on some good music, get yourself some tea and let yourself be carried away by the book. You’ll see that time does fly when you’re reading something you love!

A．How about your brothers and sisters?

B．They tell stories using facts — but that doesn’t mean they’re boring.

C．Reading is a good way to improve your English.

D．Most reading is best enjoyed when you can concentrate on it.

E．Often, they’ll have similar styles and you might find books you like by those authors, too.

F．So you should read as much as possible when you are free.

G．Reading on your own isn’t like reading for school.