1 . I can remember when my daughter Maggie, who is now six, used to crawl into my lap and say, “Daddy, read me a story.” Last year she announced, “Daddy, I’m going to read you a story.”
Maggie was a television child. When she first became conscious of anything beyond eating and sleeping, the TV set was right there, and it soon commanded her attention.
A few years ago, we were worried not only that we’d never get the children away from the set long enough to learn to read, but that we’d forget how to read ourselves. But in 1955 there was not only more reading than before TV, but more reading than ever before in history.
Clearly, reading has survived television as it has survived a lot of other things. When I was six, a wail went up about menaces (威胁) to reading at home: motor cars and cinema. When Maggie came along, there was television. The motorcar, the radio, the cinema and television do take up a lot of time.
Well, we’ve got more time. When my mother was a girl, people worked about 60hours a week. Now it’s 44. When Maggie grows up, it’ll be 30. And there’ll be numerous gadgets to do her housework. She’ll have to read. You can’t watch TV all day. At present Maggie is reading about Johnny Woodchuck. Ahead of her—and I’m a little envious—are her first brush with Black Beauty, Alice stepping through the looking glass, Huck and Jim drifting down the Mississippi, the emotional storms of Shakespeare, the spiritual agonies of Tolstoy. For reading isn’t all joy. Like life itself, it’s mixed with many moods, from ecstasy (狂喜) to despair. Maggie will learn to take the rough with the smooth, gathering from the ancient wisdom of long-dead genius a little fire to enrich her spirit.
And some day, if she’s lucky, she’ll get the biggest thrill of all, when a little girl climbs into her lap and announces, “Mummy, I’m going to read you a story.”
1. Which of the following things used to catch Maggie’s attention too much?| A．The motorcar. | B．The radio. | C．The cinema. | D．The television. |
| A．They face less working pressure. |
| B．There is more time available for reading. |
| C．Their parents encourage them more often. |
| D．They have a stronger desire for knowledge. |
| A．Her exposure to classic reading. | B．Her productive works in writing. |
| C．Her wild imagination in daily life. | D．Her spiritual reflection on the books. |
| A．Maggie has rich experiences. |
| B．Maggie has a good plan for reading. |
| C．Maggie will benefit a lot from reading. |
| D．Maggie is on the road to becoming a genius. |
| A．It is a blessing that reading can be passed down. |
| B．More girls like Maggie enjoy telling stories. |
| C．Maggie’s daughter brings her the biggest thrill. |
| D．Reading makes Maggie a fortunate girl. |
2 . Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity - but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的)，an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
1. What does the underlined word “currency” in paragraph 4 refer to?| A．Debt |
| B．Reward |
| C．Allowance |
| D．Face value |
3 . Reading is good for more than just entertainment.
Reading can boost intelligence
People who exhibit strong reading skills early in life grow up to be more intelligent. That was the finding of a study published in 2014 that measured the cognitive development of 1, 890 sets of identical twins. When two twins shared the same genes and home environments, early reading skills appeared to be the factor that decided which twin would be better at both verbal tests (like vocabulary( and non-verbal (like reasoning tests).
Reading helps increase empathy
Feel stressed at the end of a long day?
Even after you put down a book, the effects of reading it are still present in your brain. A 2013 study discovered that when people read books, their brains continue to behave differently hours and even days later. The brains of readers show increased connectivity in the left temporal cortex — the region responsible for language receptivity — even hours after they’ve stopped reading. This suggests that reading can train the mind and boost neural function through a process that’s similar to muscle memory.
| A．Reading improves your passion |
| B．Reading may change your brain |
| C．Since reading is of significance |
| D．Reading books doesn’t just make you smarter |
| E．Opening a book is a good way to wind down |
| F．Because reading ability is something that’s learned |
| G．Committing part of every day to reading books can make you smarter, kinder, and more relaxed |
Read the world in 193 books
I used to think of myself as a person learned in books，but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and an Australian book，my literature collection only consisted of British and American titles. Worse still，I hardly ever read anything in translation. My reading is limited to stories by English-speaking authors.
So，at the start of 2020，I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country of all 193 UN-recognized states in a year. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English. The response was amazing. Before I knew it，people all over the planet were getting in touch with ideas and offers of help. Some posted me books from their home countries.Others did hours of research on my behalf. In addition，several writers，like Turkmenistan's AkWelsapar and Panama's Juan David Morgan，sent me unpublished translations of their novels，giving me a rare opportunity to read works unavailable in Britain. Even with such an extraordinary team behind me，however，sourcing books was no easy task.
But the effort was worth it. As I made my way through the planet's literary landscapes，extraordinary things started to happen. Far from simply armchair travelling，I found I was inhabiting the mental space of the storytellers. I discovered，book packing offered something that a physical traveler could hope to experience only rarely: it took me inside the thoughts of individuals living far away and showed me the world through their eyes. More powerful than a thousand news reports，these stories not only opened my mind to basic information of life in other places，but opened my heart to the way people there might feel. And that in turn changed my thinking.
One by one, the books from the countries on the list that had begun as an intellectual exercise filled my heart with laughter，love，anger，hope and fear. Lands that had once seemed exotic and remote became close and familiar to me. At its best，I learned, fiction makes the world real.
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5 . A trip to the library was like a great journey to a different country. To get there, we had to walk a mile. But our weekly journeys to the library were a piece of perfection. I had around me at one time all the people I loved best-my father and mother and brothers and sister-and all the things I loved best-quiet, space, and books.
I read a lot of books about science: not the spaceships my brothers preferred, but the birds and bees-literally. I brought home a book of birds and searched the trees for anything other than robins (知更鸟). I went through a phase of loving books with practical science experiments and used up a whole bottle of white vinegar by pouring it on the sides of our apartment building to prove that it was constructed of limestone (石灰石).
One Saturday, as I wandered through the young adult section, I saw a title: Little Women, by Lousia May Alcott. I had learned from experience that titles weren’t everything. A book that sounded great on the shelf could be dull once you got it home.
So I sat in a chair near the shelves to skim the first paragraphs. I read and read and read Little Women until it was time to walk home, and, except for a few essential interruptions like sleeping and eating. I did not put it down until the end. Even the freedom to watch weekend television held no appeal for me in the wake of Alcott’s story. It was about girls, for one thing, girls who could almost be like me, especially Jo. I had found someone who thought and felt the way I did.
1. What can we say about the author’s family?| A．They were travel fans. | B．They were bookworms. |
| C．They were against watching TV | D．They held seminars in the library. |
| A．Her different attitudes towards nature. |
| B．Her experiments of science. |
| C．Her reason of studying birds and bees. |
| D．Her reading craze at one time. |
| A．Book titles might be misleading. |
| B．Science books are more interesting than arts books. |
| C．Repetitive reading is important. |
| D．All books need to be digested. |
| A．She was totally transformed. | B．It made her sleepless and tasteless. |
| C．She was heartbroken. | D．It kept her absorbed. |
6 . Like a tired marriage, the relationship between libraries and publishers has long been reassuringly dull. E-books, however, are causing heartache. Libraries know they need digital wares if they are to remain relevant, but many publishers are too careful about piracy and lost sales to co-operate. Among the big six, only Random House and Harper Collins license e-books with most libraries. The others have either denied requests or are reluctantly experimenting.
Publishers are wise to be nervous. Owners of e-readers are exactly the customers they need: book-lovers with money—neither the devices nor broadband connections come cheap. If these wonderful people switch to borrowing e-books instead of buying them, what then? Electronic borrowing is awfully convenient. Unlike printed books, which must be checked out and returned to a physical library miles from where you live, book files can be downloaded at home. Digital library catalogues are often browsed at night from a; comfortable sofa. The files disappear from the device when they are due. Awkwardly for publishers, buying an e-book costs more, than renting one but offers little extra value.
You cannot resell it, lend it to a friend or burn it to stay warm. Owning a book is useful if you want to savor (品尝) it repeatedly, but who reads “Fifty Shades of Grey” twice?
E-lending is not simple, however. There are lots of different and often incompatible e-book formats, devices and licences. Most libraries use a company called Over Drive, a global distributor that secures rights from publishers and provides e-books and audio files in every format. Yet publishers and libraries are worried by Over Drived market dominance, as the company can increasingly dictate fees and conditions.
Library boosters argue that book borrowers are also book buyers, and that libraries are vital spaces for readers to discover new work. Many were cheered by a recent Pewsurvey, which found that more than half of Americans with Horary cards say they prefer to buy their e-books. But the report also noted that few people know that e-books are available at most libraries, and that popular titles often involve long waiting lists, which may be what inspires people to buy.
So publishers keep adjusting their lending arrangements in search of the right balance. The story of the library e-book is a nail-biter.
1. What can be inferred from the first paragraph?| A．Libraries are eager to keep relationship with publishers. |
| B．Several publishers have sold e-books to most libraries. |
| C．Libraries care too much about piracy and book sales. |
| D．Most publishers hesitate to cooperate with libraries. |
| A．It can help save readers' expenses on devices and broadband connections. |
| B．It needs checking out and returning to the library via the Internet. |
| C．It enables readers to resell the book files or lend them to friends. |
| D．It has a time limit for the book files downloaded on the device. |
| A．It has the privilege to offer readers various brands of e-readers. |
| B．It distributes e-books and audio files to publishers. |
| C．Its market dominance threatens publishers and libraries. |
| D．It devotes itself to improving conditions of e-book market. |
| A．people with library cards have to wait to borrow popular e-books |
| B．E-books are accessible in libraries and full of exciting prospects. |
| C．more than half of Americans choose e-books over physical copies |
| D．the desire to collect a popular book inspires people to buy it |
7 . I will never forget one summer in my childhood. While walking in the attic（阁楼），I stepped on something and
Back up the stairs I dashed, but my brothers almost knocked me down as they ran right by me. When mama opened the door and
I felt really disappointed. I had thought I made a real
When I
So I spent quite much time on it and found
When I went to college, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations came with me. Over the years, I’ve kept my
The book discovered under those floorboards was,
| A．chewed | B．calmed | C．looked | D．fell |
| A．bent over | B．came across | C．picked out | D．broke in |
| A．defended | B．produced | C．seized | D．hid |
| A．yelled | B．whispered | C．admitted | D．complained |
| A．starred | B．stuck | C．lowered | D．lifted |
| A．simply | B．fortunately | C．honestly | D．angrily |
| A．back | B．on | C．up | D．down |
| A．difference | B．choice | C．comment | D．discovery |
| A．observed | B．slid | C．reached | D．argued |
| A．until | B．now that | C．unless | D．so that |
| A．surprise | B．regret | C．relief | D．disappointment |
| A．ordinary | B．disturbing | C．boring | D．interesting |
| A．boredom | B．comfort | C．honor | D．doubt |
| A．tended | B．offered | C．managed | D．hesitated |
| A．expect | B．expand | C．realize | D．imagine |
| A．embarrassed | B．satisfied | C．astonished | D．confident |
| A．advanced | B．false | C．various | D．original |
| A．come over | B．show off | C．refer to | D．pick up |
| A．avoid | B．respect | C．function | D．understand |
| A．considerately | B．indeed | C．normally | D．hopefully |
8 . Here are four books recommended by one of the most respected editors from Reader’s Digest. If you have time to dip yourselves into the books, they can surely offer much food for thought.
Face It
Debbie Harry
HARPERCOLLINS
Picture this: it’s the late 1970s and the punk music scene is starting to take hold. The band releases the album ParallelLines, which becomes the greatest hit. Everyone wants to attend her concert and some teenage girls even dream to be her. Now 75, Harry bares all about herself in Face It, starting from her childhood. Part shocking, this book is as humorous, moving and vigorous as its subject.
Scatterbrain
Henning Beck
NEWSOUTHBOOKS
If there is no obvious connection among what we see, the brain will substitute in the rest of the information without you even noticing, Beck says in the chapter Memory. In this “user’s guide for your brain”, he argues that mistakes are the keys to success. He combines science with brain-boosting advice and real-life stories to take the reader on a fascinating adventure through human memory.
You’ re Not Listening
Kate Murphy
PENGUINERANDOM HOUSE
When was the last time you listened to someone? Really listened without thinking about what you wanted to say next? And when was the last time someone really listened to you? Compared with talking, listening isn’t considered so important, argues journalist Kate Murphy, but she insists it is actually the more powerful position in communication. Her insights could transform your conversations, your relationships and your life.
The Right-Brain Work Out
Russel Howcroft with Alex Wadelton
PENGUIN
In 1968,1600 five-year-olds were given a creativity test. They were retested at ages 10 and 15 and their scores were compared against adults. While 98 per cent of five-year-olds were assessed in the “highly creative” range (genius level), only two per cent of adults could be considered “highly creative”. In The Right-Brain Work Out, the authors promise to re-train your brain to be more creative, using 70 questions to challenge you.
1. What can we learn from the passage?| A．Parallel Lines became a great success in the 1970s unexpectedly. |
| B．Face It mainly reveals things about the band to the general public. |
| C．Scatterbrain helps stimulate your brain to take more adventures. |
| D．Beck holds that the importance of mistakes shouldn’t be ignored. |
| A．Two tests were given separately to the subjects. |
| B．The effect of the brain exercise is clearly proved. |
| C．Some questions are designed to enhance creativity. |
| D．Genius kids reserve their creativity into adulthood. |
| A．Face It | B．Scatterbrain |
| C．You’re Not Listening | D．The Right-Brain Work Out |
Perfect if you like: taking pictures with your camera or phone.
What you’ll find inside: This magazine is full of colorful photos and very pleasing to look at.There are many tips and guides on how to take great pictures, and they are written in simple and easy-to-understand English though there are some technical camera terms.You feel like the writers are talking to you! You can impress your friends with your improved English and your new photography skills!
Fast Company
Perfect if you like: business and learning how successful companies work.
What you’ll find inside: Fast Company is one of the most approachable(易于理解的) magazines about business and companies.It has many interviews of successful people, as well as general news about interesting new companies.It does use a higher level of writing than what is usual for magazines, so give it a try first to make sure you can understand the articles.
Cricket and Cicada
Perfect if you like: excellent literature and short stories.
What you’ll find inside: Cricket and Cicada are literary magazines aimed at teenagers.Each issue is full of wonderful short stories and poems, and beautiful illustrations( 插 图 ).Even though these are technically(严格来说) children’s magazines, they are perfect for learning English because they have high quality writing.
Mental Floss
Perfect if you like: interesting trivia(小知识)and facts.
What you’ll find inside: What does outer space smell like? Why isn’t cat food mouse-flavored?
If you’re the kind of person who asks yourself these questions, you’ll love Mental Floss.Each issue is full of bite-sized trivia and mostly short articles with really interesting facts that you’ll want to share with others.
While the print edition of the magazine stopped publishing in 2016, you can still read Mental Floss online.Click here to get more information.
1. Which of the following is about business and companies?| A．Digital Photographer. | B．Fast Company. |
| C．Cricket and Cicada. | D．Mental Floss. |
| A．It focuses on drawing skills. | B．It can only be bought online. |
| C．It is intended for teenagers. | D．It is full of colorful pictures. |
| A．Fantastic Magazines for Learning English |
| B．Perfect Choices in Collecting Information |
| C．Interesting Books Full of Illustrations |
| D．Wonderful Facts about Literature |
10 . Teens and younger children are reading a lot less for fun, according to a Common Sense Media report published Monday.
While the decline over the past decade is steep for teen readers, some data in the report shows that reading remains a big part of many children’s lives, and indicates how parents might help encourage more reading.
According to the report’s key findings, “the proportion (比例) who say they ‘hardly ever’ read for fun has gone from 8 percent of 13-year-olds and 9 percent of 17-year-olds in 1984 to 22 percent and 27 percent respectively today.”
The report data shows that pleasure reading levels for younger children, ages 2-8, remain largely the same. But the amount of time spent in reading each session has declined, from closer to an hour or more to closer to a half hour per session.
When it comes to technology and reading, the report does little to counsel (建议) parents looking for data about the effect of e-readers and tablets on reading. It does point out that many parents still limit electronic reading, mainly due to concerns about increased screen time.
The most hopeful data shared in the report shows clear evidence of parents serving as examples and important guides for their kids when it comes to reading. Data shows that kids and teens who do read frequently, compared to infrequent readers, have more books in the home, more books purchased for them, parents who read more often, and parents who set aside time for them to read.
As the end of school approaches, and school vacation reading lists loom (逼近) ahead, parents might take this chance to step in and make their own summer reading list and plan a family trip to the library or bookstore.
1. What is the Common Sense Media report probably about?| A．Children’s reading habits. | B．Quality of children’s books. |
| C．Children’s after-class activities. | D．Parent-child relationships. |
| A．In paragraph 2. | B．In paragraph 3. |
| C．In paragraph 4. | D．In paragraph 5. |
| A．E-books are of poor quality. | B．It could be a waste of time. |
| C．It may harm children’s health. | D．E-readers are expensive. |
