1. When was the National Library of St. Mark’s first designed?
| A．In 1588. | B．In 1570. | C．In 1537 |
| A．Being the first public library. |
| B．Surviving several wars. |
| C．Having the largest collection of books. |
| A．In Syria. | B．In Egypt. | C．In Greece. |
2 . Reading is a complex and crucial skill that impacts the youth’s ability to perform as students. Therefore, it’s important to develop reading skills during childhood. A team of researchers focused on the effect of whole-body learning in instruction, known as embodied learning.
The research included 149 children, aged 5 to 6, who had just started school. They were divided into three groups: one that stood up and used their whole bodies to shape letter sounds; a seated group that shaped letter sounds with their hands and arms; and a control group that received traditional, seated instruction during which they wrote letters by hand.
“Our research showed that children who used their whole bodies to shape the sounds of letters became twice as proficient (熟练的) at letter sounds that are more difficult to learn as those who received traditional instruction,” says PhD student Linn Damsgaard of UCPH’s Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports.
With regard to difficult letter sounds, she adds, “There are many difficult letter sounds in Danish. These sounds are particularly important because once children become proficient at them, they will be better readers.”
Associate professor Jacob Wienecke, who led the study, explains, “The primary goal is to learn more about which methods can be used to give beginner readers a good start. The idea is that if, through play and movement, we can learn where their strengths truly lie, we’ll create a form of learning that combines reading with play, and that’s truly positive.”
Previously, the researchers showed that the children felt more motivated by teaching methods which included physical movement. Jacob Wienecke hopes this will provide an opportunity to inspire teachers and school managers to prioritize movement across subjects.
The study also investigated whether a direct effect of embodied learning could be found on children’s reading of individual words. This was not possible, which might be due to the fact that the children were at such an early stage of their literacy development that they could not yet use their knowledge of letter sounds to read words.
1. What were the participants required to do in the study?| A．To pick out difficult letter sounds in Danish. |
| B．To learn new letters through repeated writing. |
| C．To learn letter sounds using different approaches. |
| D．To memorize some letter sounds as soon as possible. |
| A．By combining learning with games. | B．By offering them chances to cooperate. |
| C．By inspiring them to overcome difficulties. | D．By explaining instructions to them patiently. |
| A．Promoting harmonious teacher-student relationships. |
| B．Urging schools to pay attention to physical exercise. |
| C．Enabling researchers to carry out further studies. |
| D．Encouraging educators to apply it to teaching. |
| A．Children prefer learning step by step. |
| B．Children are too little to use their knowledge smartly |
| C．Children lack enough practice to get fully improved. |
| D．Children’s learning still relies on adults’ instruction. |
| A．Whole-body learning — a good start to children’s reading |
| B．Embodied learning — a booster for children’s reading speed |
| C．Children’s reading skills matter a lot in their literacy development |
| D．Children’s literacy development depends on the flexibility of their bodies |
3 . I do think that a book can inspire ideas and ways of thinking that have the power to transform our lives. Here are some books to serve the purpose.
Thinking, Fast and slow
Daniel Kahneman is a Nobel Prize winner who has written an amazing book that dives into the mysterious world of our conscious and unconscious thinking patterns. By reading this book, you’ll gain a deeper understanding about how to make decisions and react to certain things in your life. Yes, this is a super thick book that seems challenging, but somehow the author makes it accessible and really fun to read.
The Power of Habit
Written by award-winning New York Times business reporter Charles Duhigg, this book is an awesome mix of research, stories, and revelations(启示) about habits: how we form them, how we can change them, and how knowledge about human habits is transforming everything.
The Road Less Traveled
The first words in this classic and powerful book are: Life is difficult. Without hiding the true realities of life which is filled with conflicts, difficulties, and challenging decisions, M. Scott Peck guides us to a deeper level of self-understanding and creates a path we can follow to a fuller, more peaceful life.
The Power of Now
The key message of the book is simple and powerful: The way to true happiness is through learning to live in the now, without reliving the past or racing to the future. Eckhart Tolle helps us understand how our thoughts and emotions get in the way and what to do about it.
1. What do we learn about Thinking, Fast and Slow?| A．It’s too abstract to understand. |
| B．It helps readers to make decisions. |
| C．It divides our thinking patterns into different types. |
| D．It enables readers to understand themselves better. |
| A．Daniel Kahneman’s | B．Charles Duhigg’s |
| C．M. Scott Peck’s | D．Eckhart Tolle’s |
| A．The challenges of life. |
| B．A path to a better life. |
| C．The author’s understanding of humans. |
| D．The best way to settle conflicts. |
| A．Thinking, Fast and Slow | B．The Power of Habit |
| C．The Power of Now | D．The Road Less Traveled |
| A．They are classic and refreshing. |
| B．They are adventurous and challenging. |
| C．They are accessible and full of fun. |
| D．They are inspiring and helpful. |
Across America, libraries used to reach out to readers by sending bookmobiles into school parking lots, street corners and rural byways (侧道). Now, those rolling reading rooms are becoming fewer.
One town in northern New England just lost its bookmobile. The Cobleigh Public Library in Lyndonville, Vt., had managed to keep its van (有蓬货车) rolling until about a month ago, when it died.
If you want to hear first-hand what it’s like to go through a whole month without a single visit from the bookmobile, just ask the preschoolers at a daycare centre.
“We miss the bookmobile,” one child says. “Yeah, we miss the bookmobile until it comes here,” says another.
Now that the bookmobile has broken down, librarians have to bring books in their own cars for story hour. Daycare provider Anneka Bickford says it’s not as exciting as having a big, brightly painted van roll into the driveway and open its doors so the kids can choose their own books.
“It’s getting the children involved with what a library is, how to check out books and how to return books,” Bickford says. “They would do programs with the children; singing, dancing, themes—so it’s the excitement of the library that we can’t give to the children.”
It’s not the first bookmobile to bite the dust. Over the years, Vermont’s large number has reduced to three or four. Lyndonville’s head librarian, Cindy Karasinski, says replacement costs have risen quickly.
“New bookmobiles are expensive; just one of them costs $90,000,” she says, “so that seems not the way we are going to go.” Sadly, Karasinksi says, money that used to support bookmobiles has nearly dried up.
However, not everyone hopes the Cobleigh bookmobile gets a second chance. Some in town feel the bookmobile has served its purpose and become a financial burden (财政负担).
1. What’re bookmobiles? (no more than 5 words)2. What can kids do with the help of bookmobiles in the opinion of Anneka Bickford? (no more than 15 words) .
3. What does the underlined phrase “bite the dust” in Paragraph 7 most probably mean? (no more than 5 words)
4. What leads to the disappearance of bookmobiles? (no more than 10 words)
5. What’s your own opinion on bookmobiles according to the passage? (no more than 25 words)
