A. reminder B. partner C. non-fiction D. setting E. survival F. acknowledges G. tastes H. symbolic I. value J. meaning K. grasps |
What makes the perfect winter read?
As the weather turns and the sky darkens, autumn and winter can often feel like the perfect time for curling up with a good book.
But I wonder if it’s just me who finds that my reading
I always
I also need a certain degree of comfortness in a winter read — something that will keep me warm when the weather won’t! Give me gothic (哥特式的) building in the snow, with heroines whose passions burn brightly. Or let me escape completely, into some fantasy
Katherine May’s beautiful, poetic deep thought on the season, Wintering, does precisely this. Seemingly, it’s
That’s why books that help me see the beauty of the season will always be high on my list of winter reads.
2 . As an active theater-goer and play-reader, I edit this book to share my passion for the theater with others. To do this I have searched through many plays to find the ones that I think best show the power and purpose of the short play.
Each play has a theme or central idea the playwright (剧作家) hopes to get across through dialogue and action. A few characters are used to create a single impression growing out of the theme. It is not my intention to point out the central theme of each of the plays in this collection, for that would, indeed, ruin the pleasure of reading, discussing, and thinking about the plays and the effectiveness of the playwright. However, a variety of types are presented here. These include comedy, satire (讽刺剧), historical and regional drama. To show the diverse nature of the short play, I have included a guidance play, a radio play and a television play.
Among the writers of the plays in this collection, Paul Green, William Saroyan, and Maxwell Anderson have all received Pulitzer Prizes for their contributions to the theater. More information about the playwrights will be found at the end of this book.
To get the most out of reading these plays, try to picture the play on stage, with you, the reader, in the audience. The house lights become less bright. The curtains (幕布) are about to open, and in a few minutes, the action and dialogue will tell you the story.
1. What do we know about the author from paragraph 1?A.He has written dozens of plays. | B.He is a professional stage director. |
C.He has a deep love for the theater. | D.He likes reading short plays to others. |
A.State the plays’ central ideas. | B.Select works by famous playwrights. |
C.Include various types of plays. | D.Offer information on the playwrights. |
A.Control their feelings. | B.Use their imagination. |
C.Apply their acting skills. | D.Bear their audience in mind. |
A.A short story. | B.An introduction to a book. |
C.A play comment. | D.An advertisement for a theater. |
A.She hopes he can stop reading. | B.She will turn it off at once. |
C.She is reluctant to turn it down. | D.She thinks reading is not important. |
Does Reading Improve Health
When thinking about our well being and taking care of ourselves, some things that we should do are harder than others. Reading is one of the easier ones. What follows are a number of ways in which reading can help maintain and improve health.
Reading allows you to de-stress by unplugging and escaping. In one study, reading was found to be as effective as yoga and humor in reducing subjective feelings of stress over a 30-minute period, as well as blood pressure and heart rate. Note that a good old-fashioned book or a dedicated eBook reader is the best way to do this.
Readers may live longer than non-readers. One study found that this was supposed to be due to the effect that reading has on maintaining cognitive abilities over time. In another study of individuals aged 64 and over, those who read at least once a week were less likely to experience cognitive decline than those who did not. At the 14-year mark of the study, and regardless of educational level, those who read more enjoyed greater protection. This effect is maintained into readers’ 80’s.
Bibliotherapy, or the use of various reading materials for the promotion of psychological health, is a well-known aid to mental health treatment. Bibliotherapy can consist of any type of literature and may include self-help books, focused readings, first-hand accounts of others’ experiences, and even relevant fiction. This can be a powerful strategy and has been used successfully to reduce depression, suicidal thinking, anxiety, stress and etc.
The benefits of reading are innumerable and reading is a low to no-cost activity. Cheap and no-cost books are everywhere. Public libraries continue to be one of the most amazing resources. If you aren’t a natural reader, you have nothing to lose by giving it a try.
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76. 假设你是浦润中学高三学生李青。学校社团就本学期开展的“经典作品阅读(Classics reading)”活动发起征文。主题是:Classics connect me and _________。征文要求如下:
根据主题补全标题;
阐述二者(classics和“______”)的联系及其对你(“me”)的影响
(注:文中不得出现真实的姓名及学校名称。)
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Why Should We Read Literary Classics?
Many have grown up on a healthy diet of literary classics. Some literary classics have been inspiring readers in many ways. In this age of fast-turners, how does investing our time in a timeless literary classic change us for the better?
Many literary classics from yesteryear, which got little or no success when published, are considered invaluable. These books offer a window through which we can experience histories rooted in different cultures. One can always ask, “But we can do so by reading our history books too. Why do we need to read classics?” The simple answer is that these literary classics are not just a retelling of history. They allow us to have a more individualized experience, where they show us other ways to look at history.
It is common knowledge that reading as a habit helps us improve our command of the language. But literary classics have an edge: the enriching writing style is something that sets them apart. Fascinated with the amazing wording and phrasing, we’ll surely pause and wonder about what we read. For instance, when we read Shakespeare, we naturally begin to consider how to better express our ideas just like his far-reaching “Have more than you show; speak less than you know.”
One more benefit is that after reading classics, we won’t see non-classics as just other stories: we’ll become interested in them. Maybe we’ll realize that some details we ignored last time are actually worth appreciating, or we’ll discover literary devices that bring a whole new meaning to the story. Literary classics offer us more perspectives to dig deep and enhance our ability to think and reason, which will inevitably spill over into our reading of other works. We finally fall in love with non-classics as well.
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7 . One of the most well-known figures of American history, Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States and the author of the Declaration of Independence. His life was an inspiring one and at the same time a little bit contradictory to his statements and way of living life, and thus he has formed the subject of a lot of authors’ books.
Jefferson and his time
| This is a Biography of the life of Jefferson published in 6 volumes over a very long period of 34 years staring from 1948 till 1982. Read it For: It is an entire collection introducing all aspects of Jefferson’s life in great details from his childhood till his last days. For history enthusiasts, this is a wonderful book that will give you insight into the life of one of the most memorable American leaders. Don’t Read it For: This series is a biography and strictly a work of non-fiction. It is reading about the life of a person and might get boring for some. |
American Sphinx
| An interesting yet strange book, this piece of writing is not an attempt to shed light on the life of Jefferson but rather an attempt to understand his mind. Jefferson was one who spoke something but did the complete opposite of it. Read it For: This book tries to analyze Jefferson’s life but does not do it in a way that criticizes him or idolizes him. This National Award winning book perfectly balances the act of examining someone’s acts and general behavior and trying to figure out the reason behind his contradictory statements and acts. Don’t Read it For: If you are searching for a book about Jefferson’s life, this is not for you. It covers a few events of his life, not his entire life. This Political Biography by Meacham takes you on a journey into the world that Jefferson lived in and saw it through his eyes. It shows how Jefferson formed the world around him and handled situations and people to shape the American political system as it is today. |
The Art of Power
| Read it For: The depth with which this book is written is commendable. It is noted that the work done by Meacham in this book puts you inside Jefferson’s head and makes you understand what it would be like to be Jefferson. Don’t Read it For: While this book shows the genius of Jefferson, it can come off as bias, showing Jefferson in a very positive light and his opponents in a very negative light. |
A.“Jefferson and His Time” | B.“American Sphinx” | C.“The Art of Power” | D.none of the above |
A.learn how Thomas got through his childhood in details |
B.understand why Thomas’ words and deeds were not always matched |
C.know how ordinary people criticize or idolize him |
D.learn how Jefferson formed the world around him and addressed situations |
A.may feel bored while they are reading it |
B.cannot get a complete description of Thomas’ life |
C.learn Thomas’ political life mainly from historians’ perspective |
D.cannot get an objective point of view about Thomas’ gift |
8 . During my first decade in prison, I busied myself with exercising and hanging out in the big yard. I hardly grew as a person. It wasn’t until I began college in prison in my 30s that I started to realize my full potential.
Through my journey in college, I became a keen reader and writer, striving to escape prison life by expanding my mind beyond the toxic (有毒的) environments I’d been confined to. I started studying feminism and restorative justice. One concept that really hit home for me was toxic masculinity (男子气概). I come from an abusive home and a neighborhood consumed by gangs, drugs and gun violence. I wanted to understand better why I had used violence to solve my problems.
I have found, however, that strangers stand between me and many of the books I want to read.
Books, like everything an imprisoned person receives— personal mail, emails, photos, news and education materials — are evaluated by prison officials and rejected or shared with us. Corrections departments typically claim they ban books that contain sexual content, racial hatred or depictions of violence, criminal activity, anti-authority attitudes or escape. In practice, PEN America wrote in a 2019 report on prison book restriction policies, the restrictions “have been wide-ranging, from perverse to absurd to constitutionally troubling, with bans being applied in ways that are against logic.”
In Texas, books by Alice Walker, Pablo Neruda and even the former senator Bob Dole have been banned. Throughout the country, prison officials have rejected or tried to ban books about biology (too much nakedness in the anatomical drawings), the Holocaust (some of the victims were pictured naked), sketching, dragons and even the moon (it could “present risks of escape,” according to one New York prison). At one point, Colorado prison officials blocked a prisoner from reading two of President Barack Obama’s memoirs because they were “potentially harmful to national security,” although they later reversed that decision.
Claiming such bans are necessary for the safety and security of prisons seems ridiculous. If anything, many banned books could contribute to a safer environment in prisons and in the societies imprisoned individuals are released into. Practically every author I have encountered while in prison, from Don Miguel Ruiz to Angela Y. Davis, has played a role in my efforts to grow and become a better person— someone who can live in society by adding to it, as opposed to taking from it.
Without college and without access to books and materials that expanded my mind beyond the razor wire (钢丝网) and towering concrete walls, I might still be wasting my time on the yard. My worldview would still be dictated by toxic masculinity and the violence and harm that surround it. That’s not who I want to be when I leave this prison. It’s not who I want to see sent back into society.
1. Why did the author turn to violence when he was young?A.Because his parents and neighbours told him to do so. |
B.Because he had read a lot of books about hatred and violence. |
C.Because he had been bullied a lot by peers during his childhood. |
D.Because the environment where he grew up was filled with violence. |
A.Some books may post threats to national security. |
B.Some books may lead to extreme religious behaviour. |
C.Some pictures may contain sexually inappropriate content. |
D.Some books may potentially encourage prisoners to escape. |
①to broaden the prisoners’ horizon ②to prevent prisoners from escaping
③to encourage prisoners to contribute to society ④to reduce violent behaviour
A.①②③ | B.①③④ | C.①②④ | D.②③④ |
A.Reading books is important for a teenager’s growth. |
B.Toxic masculinity is harmful to a person’s growth. |
C.It is unreasonable for authorities to restrict reading for prisoners. |
D.It’s never too late to realize one’s academic potential even in prison. |
9 . Background noise—like the chatter in a coffee shop or the drone of passing traffic—might slow our reading speed, but according to a study of Russian readers, it doesn’t
“Overall, previous studies reported a harmful effect of both auditory and visual noise on reading fluency and
One of the language processing theories examined was the noisy channel model, which proposes that our brain deals with noise by looking at the meaning of
The second theory is the good enough model; that’s when our brains aren’t analyzing every single detail of a text but instead only grabbing enough words for a ‘good enough’ understanding. By focusing less on the precise words, our brains can
To see how reading was affected by noise
“In both experiments, we observed that longer total reading time was
There’s a lot going on in this study, but overall it’s a bigger win for the good-enough language processing theory and an indication that auditory and visual noise doesn’t make us
With so many variables to measure in terms of what’s being read and what the
A.reinforce | B.estimate | C.affect | D.interpret |
A.First of all | B.For example | C.Above all | D.To start with |
A.context | B.efficiency | C.comprehension | D.device |
A.evaluated | B.identified | C.established | D.employed |
A.individual | B.different | C.new | D.unfamiliar |
A.confirm | B.imply | C.refer | D.infer |
A.exploit | B.spare | C.commit | D.consume |
A.on account of | B.regardless of | C.in regard to | D.in contrast to |
A.make up for | B.live up to | C.catch up with | D.put up with |
A.declined | B.shrank | C.expanded | D.increased |
A.embarrassing | B.depressing | C.puzzling | D.annoying |
A.associated | B.compared | C.replaced | D.mixed |
A.take | B.set | C.rely | D.base |
A.accompanying | B.strange | C.deafening | D.distant |
A.Therefore | B.However | C.Instead | D.Otherwise |
A.The novel is much too long. | B.The novel is very interesting. |
C.He seldom reads such a novel. | D.He hasn’t read the novel yet. |