1 . How to read more and learn more

Today, more and more Chinese people enjoy sending and receiving messages on the phone. It can help them to get the latest news and communicate with friends. But I think I should read more books besides the textbooks, the more, the better. It can open my eyes and improve my language skills.     1     Do you know how to read more and learn more? Here are some tips for you.

◆ Clear your purpose for reading

    2     Most people read for two main reasons, pleasure or knowledge. Clearing about your reading purpose can not only help you choose the books you really need to read, but also remind you why reading the book is important to you, so you will keep reading and complete the book faster.

◆    3    

No matter what you are reading, it is important to enjoy what you read. Your friends may tell you the books they love, but those books might not necessarily be the ones you enjoy.

◆ Give up books that you don’t enjoy

You may have chosen books that you are interested in, and they are right to your purpose. But while you are reading them, there may still be some books that you don’t enjoy reading. Whenever you realize that you aren’t enjoying the book you are reading, give it up.     4    

◆ Set a reading goal

It is interesting that I read the books borrowed from libraries faster than those I bought. The reason is the books I bought don’t have a due date! I don’t need to return those books.     5     Before you read each book, ask yourself what time you need to complete this book by.

4 . A second-grade education has not stopped garbage collector Jose Gutierrez from bringing the gift of reading to thousands of Colombian children. Gutierrez started rescuing books from the trash almost 20 years ago. He was driving a garbage truck at night through the country’s wealthier neighborhoods. The discarded (丢弃的) reading material slowly piled up. And now the ground floor of his small house is a makeshift (临时的) community library with about 20,000 books ranging from chemistry textbooks to children’s classics.

He says books are luxuries (奢侈品) for boys and girls in low-income neighborhoods such as his. New reading material at bookstores is too expensive. There are 19 public libraries in Bogota. It is a city of 8.5 million people. But the libraries tend to be located far away from poorer areas. “This should be in each corner of every neighborhood, in all the towns and all the rural areas,” says Gutierrez. “Books are the poor children’s lifesavers. And that is what Colombia needs.”

The 53-year-old Gutierrez has a love of reading that he says comes from his mother. She always read to him even though she was too poor to keep him in school. Up to now he has traveled to book fairs in Mexico and Chile to share his experience of starting a library with discarded reading material. And his fame as Colombia’s “Lord of the Books” has also brought him thousands of donated books.

Gutierrez is an enthusiastic reader of works by authors such as Leo Tolstoy, Victor Hugo and Mario Vargas Llosa. He says he does not reject technology that allows books to be read digitally. But he prefers to read the printed word on paper. “There is nothing more beautiful than having a book in your pocket, in your bag or inside your car.” he says.

Last week, I read the book about how successful persons started their careers and succeeded. They met a number of difficulty and problems, such as lacking money and experience and arguing with their co-workers, they were not afraid of restarting again. Though they met many problems, some of that were even bigger than they could imagine, they still insist on what they had believed. They were unbeatable, so they succeeded in eventually. This book impresses me deep. Besides, from them stories, I learn that I should ever give up achieving my dreams no matter what happens. I wish my friends could read the book and get inspiring, too.

9 . Reading is essential but how can one choose the right books to read and where can one find them? A few famous people may give you some helpful tips.

● Read books from past eras.

    1     Otherwise, you’d be “completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of your times,” just as Albert Einstein put it. “Somebody who reads only newspapers and books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who dislikes eyeglasses,” he said.

●     2    

Reading too wide a variety in too short a time would keep the teachings from leaving a lasting impression on you. Seneca the Younger, a first-century Roman philosopher, suggested that “you must linger (流连) among a limited number of master thinkers, and digest their works, if you would obtain ideas which shall win firm hold in your mind.”

● Shop at secondhand bookstores.

Virginia Woolf believed the works in secondhand bookstores have an attraction which the usual volumes of the library lack. Browsing through these books gives you the chance to run into something that wouldn’t have risen to the attention of librarians and booksellers.     3    

● Check out authors’ reading lists.

In his 1940 guide How to Read a Book, American philosopher Mortimer J. Adler talked about how to choose books. He attached importance to those that other authors consider worth reading.     4     Mortimer wrote that “one way to understand them is to read the books they read.”

● Make the final decision by yourself.

    5     It’s you yourself who should choose what, how and when to read. Theodore Roosevelt recommended choosing books on subjects that interest you and letting your mood guide you to your next great read.

10 . Young readers will discover dinosaurs, stars, explorers, landmarks (地标) and more in the following maps and travel books chosen by Vivien Godfrey, head of Stanfords.

Maps Special Edition, £25

This book was already popular in our children’s area and has been made even better with this special edition, which includes 16 new maps. The collection of 68 maps takes you through 58 countries and six continents. It is packed with illustrated (插画的) information, which includes famous historical figures, local dishes, some festivals, wild animals and landmarks.

Maps of the United Kingdom, £17.99

We made Maps of the United Kingdom first available at the Stanfords store in London. Technically aimed at children, it contains lots of information and facts. It’s very well put together, especially when it comes to choosing the seven famous people with a connection to their special place: Philip Pullman, for example, is associated with Norfolk.

Harry Potter’s London: The Film Location Walk, £3.99

Harry potter’s London is a map that covers information on three walks taken in the best of the central London locations in the hugely popular films. The walks cover Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Bridge via Trafalgar Square, and King’s Cross, with its famous Platform 9¾.

Usborne First Sticker Book Flags, £5.99

Learn the flag of every country in the world by placing the flag stickers on the correct countries on the maps. This contains interesting facts about countries and why certain flags have their particular designs. There are fun questions throughout, including, “Some African flags have a diagonal stripe (对角条纹). How many can you find?”.