1 . Reading the Screen
The debate on literacy is one of the most heated in education. On the one hand, there is an army of people convinced that traditional skills of reading and writing are declining. On the other hand, a large number of progressives protest that literacy is much more complicated than a simple technical mastery of reading and writing. This second position is supported by most of the relevant academic work over the past 20 years. These studies argue that literacy can only be understood in its social and technical context. In Renaissance England, for example, many more people could read than could write, and within reading there was a distinction between those who could read print and those who could manage the more difficult task of reading manuscripts (手稿). An understanding of these earlier periods helps us understand today’s “crisis in literacy” debate.
It seems that there has been an overall decline in some aspects of reading and writing—you only need to compare the newspapers of today with those of 50 years ago to see a clear decrease in vocabulary and simplification of sentence patterns.
While reading a certain amount of writing is as crucial as it has ever been in industrial societies, it is doubtful whether a fully extended grasp of either is as necessary as it was 40 years ago. While print holds much of its authority as a source of topical information, television has increasingly taken this role. The ability to write fluent letters has been weakened by the telephone and research suggests that for many people the only use for writing, outside formal education, is making shopping lists.
The decision of some car factories to issue their instructions to mechanics as a video pack rather than as a handbook might end the automatic link between industrialization and literacy. On the other hand, it is also the case that ever-increasing numbers of people make their living out of writing, which is better rewarded than ever before. Schools are generally seen as institutions where books rule—films and recorded sound have almost no place, but it is not clear that this opposition is appropriate. While you may not need to read and write to watch television, you certainly need to be able to read and write in order to make programs. Those who work in new media are anything but literate. The traditional oppositions between old and new media are inadequate for understanding the world which a young child now encounters. There is evidence that children are mastering reading and writing in order to get on to the Internet.
Nevertheless, there is a crisis in literacy and it would be foolish to ignore it. To understand that literacy may be declining because it is less central to some aspects of everyday life is not the same as reluctantly accepting this state of affairs. The production of school work with the new technologies could be a significant stimulus to literacy. How should these new technologies be introduced into the schools? It isn’t enough to call for computers in every classroom. They will stand unused unless they are properly combined with the educational culture.
1. When discussing the debate on literacy in education, the writer notes that________.| A．children can read and write as well as they used to |
| B．academic work has improved over the last 20 years |
| C．there is evidence that literacy is related to external factors |
| D．people’s reading skills are more important than writing skills |
| A．The printed word is both gaining and losing power. |
| B．The car factories’ decision brings benefits to labors. |
| C．Those who do manual jobs no longer need to read. |
| D．New media offers the best career for the literate. |
| A．How to teach students the skills of reading and writing. |
| B．How to apply new technologies to classroom teaching. |
| C．Raising money to purchase technological equipment. |
| D．Managing the widely differing levels of literacy among pupils. |
| A．Modern communication has completely replaced writing letters. |
| B．New media has the potential to promote students’ literacy. |
| C．New technologies are inadequate for us to know about children’s world. |
| D．Current newspapers use more complicated sentence patterns than before. |
2 . 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 |
3 . Magazine Articles: More Valuable Than You May Think
Parents are often surprised when teachers suggest their children read magazines. Read on to learn about the benefits that reading magazines offers to young readers and how to introduce your children to the medium.
Magazine Benefits
Magazine articles can provide reluctant readers with a lively, breezy writing style that can inspire them to read more.
The articles in magazines are generally short, which allows a child to finish reading a feature article without losing interest due to a short attention span. The writing in magazines also tends to be easy to read, especially if it is a children's publication.
By allowing your child to read magazines at an early age, you are encouraging development of a useful skill.
Magazine Activities
Reading magazines as a family can be used to introduce each other to the various interests that each family member possesses. When your children are finished with their magazines, encourage them to pass their issue on to a sibling or other family member.
Once each family member has finished reading each magazine, you can use them for art and writing projects. These projects are for family members of all ages:
1. Cut out pictures to help your preschool and kindergarten children learn their alphabet, numbers, and colors.
2.
3. Clip pictures to create a collage. Many teenagers love using their artistic talents to collage.
| A．The format of magazines enables children to be exposed to a wide variety of subjects. |
| B．Magazines and newspapers provide adults with critical news. |
| C．Being exposed to magazines and newspapers benefits you a lot. |
| D．Keep interesting magazine pictures to give children story ideas. |
| E．Magazines are valuable assets for many people, but in particular to children. |
| F．Magazines and newspapers are expensive now but out of style. |
4 . We went to the T. B. Blackstone Library, not far from Lake Michigan. You could easily miss the building if you didn’t know what you were looking for. But once you were inside, you could never mistake it for anything else. We passed through two sets of heavy brass doors to the lobby of the library. And if we turned right then, we could see an alcove with tables; this led, in turn, to a big reading room with a gigantic and ancient globe that sat in front of the largest windows. I liked to look at Africa, with the coded colours of the different countries like the Belgian Congo and Rhodesia, and try to remember which countries were fighting to be free just as we were struggling for civil rights. I had heard Daddy talking about the struggle, arguing with the television as someone discussed it on a news show.
One Saturday, as I wandered through the young adult section, I saw a title: Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott. I could tell from looking at the shelf that she'd written a lot of books, but I didn't know anything about her. 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, and every bad book I brought home meant one less book to read until we went back in two weeks. So I sat in a chair near the shelves to skim the first paragraphs:
"Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.
"It’s so dreadful to be poor!" sighed Meg, looking down at her old dress.
"I don't think it’s fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all," added little Amy, with an injured sniff.
"We’ve got Father and Mother and each other," said Beth contentedly from her corner.
It was a good thing I’d already decided on some other books to take home, because I didn’t look through the rest of the section that day. 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 would 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. It seemed to me a shame that she wasn't Black; then our similarity would be complete. She loved to read, she loved to make up plays, she hated acting ladylike, and she had a dreadful temper. I had found a kindred spirit.
1. What can be learned about the author’s father according to Paragraph One?| A．He was uncomfortable discussing politics with his children. |
| B．He had strong feelings about the Civil Rights movement. |
| C．He did not approve of most news covered on TV. |
| D．He generally had a pessimistic world view. |
| A．books seem duller when read in libraries than when read at home |
| B．interesting books are often very dull in their first few paragraphs |
| C．novels are usually more interesting than nonfiction works |
| D．book titles can sometimes be misleading |
| A．convey the impact of an unexpected discovery | B．describe a young reader’s sense of history |
| C．illustrate the characters in the book | D．explain a child’s misunderstanding |
| A．challenge an interpretation | B．highlight some differences |
| C．stress a comparison | D．develop a disapproving opinion |
If you want to make sure that you understand this story as fully as possible, you might consider printing the article and reading it on paper. That is one of the findings of a recent study of research done on the differences between paper and screen reading.
Virginia Clinton, a professor of Education, Health and Behavior at the University of North Dakota, carried out the research examination. She found what she called a “small but significant” difference in reading text from screen versus paper.
Clinton’s examination found that reading from paper generally led to better understanding and improved a person’s performance on tests connected to the reading material. And, she found no major differences in reading speed between the two.
Such differences were notable only when the reading materials were expositive texts — or explanatory and based on fact. Clinton said she found no major difference when it came to narrative, fictional texts.
Clinton also found that paper readers usually have a higher recognition of how well they have understood a text than screen readers. This skill is called metacognition.
Clinton and other researchers have found screen readers often believe they understand a text better than they really do. And, they are more likely than paper readers to overestimate how well they would do on a test of the materials they have read.
She said, “We think that we’re reading the story or the book better than we actually are. We think we understand what we are reading better than how we are actually reading.”
Yet, this inflated sense of understanding, or overconfidence, is especially common among screen readers.
There are many possible reasons for such findings. Overconfidence of screen readers, for example, could be the result of a distracted, less focused mind.
Clinton said, “If you are enjoying the reading process, you’re going to be more involved. You’re going to be paying better attention. Preferences are a key issue here.”
Although her findings may support paper reading over screen reading, Clinton says she does not believe screen reading should be avoided.
Instead, she points to new and developing tools that can be used to improve a screen reader’s understanding and focus.
| A．Several studies show that people often think of paper materials as more important and serious. |
| B．A less focused mind on books may find its way to focus on screen. |
| C．In other words, paper reading was found to be more efficient. |
| D．Reader preference is also important, she said. |
| E．That is to say, paper and screen reading have no effect on one’s getting information. |
| F．The word “cognition” means the mental action of increasing knowledge and understanding. |
6 . “Deep reading” —as opposed to the often superficial reading we do on the Web —is an endangered practice, one we ought to take steps to preserve as we would a historic building or a significant work of art. Its disappearance would jeopardize(危及) the intellectual and emotional development of generations growing up online, as well as the preservation of a critical part of our culture: the novels, poems and other kinds of literature that can be appreciated only by readers whose brains, quite literally, have been trained to understand them.
Recent research in cognitive science and psychology has demonstrated that deep reading —slow, immersive, rich in sensory detail and emotional and moral complexity—is a distinctive experience, different in kind from the mere decoding of words. Although deep reading does not, strictly speaking, require a conventional book, the built-in limits of the printed page are uniquely helpful to the deep reading experience. A book’s lack of hyperlinks(超链接), for example, frees the reader from making decisions —Should I click on this link or not? —allowing her to remain fully immersed in the narrative.
That immersion is supported by the way the brain handles language rich in detail, indirect reference and figures of speech: by creating a mental representation that draws on the same brain regions that would be active if the scene were unfolding in real life. The emotional situations and moral dilemmas that are the stuff of literature are also vigorous exercise for the brain, propelling us inside the heads of fictional characters and even, studies suggest, increasing our real-life capacity for empathy (认同).
None of this is likely to happen when we’re browsing through a website. Although we call the activity by the same name, the deep reading of books and the information-driven reading we do on the Web are very different, both in the experience they produce and in the capacities they develop. A growing body of evidence suggests that online reading may be less engaging and less satisfying, even for the “digital natives” to whom it is so familiar. Last month, for example, Britain’s National Literacy Trust released the results of a study of 34,910 young people aged 8 to 16. Researchers reported that 39% of children and teens read daily using electronic devices, but only 28% read printed materials every day. Those who read only onscreen were three times less likely to say they enjoy reading very much and a third less likely to have a favorite book. The study also found that young people who read daily only onscreen were nearly two times less likely to be above-average readers than those who read daily in print or both in print and onscreen.
1. What does the author say about “deep reading”?| A．It serves as a complement to online reading. |
| B．It should be preserved before it is too late. |
| C．It is mainly suitable for reading literature. |
| D．It is an indispensable part of education. |
| A．It helps promote readers’ intellectual and emotional growth. |
| B．It enables readers to appreciate the complexity of language. |
| C．It helps readers build up immersive reading habits. |
| D．It is quickly becoming an endangered practice. |
| A．It ensures the reader’s cognitive growth. |
| B．It enables the reader to be fully engaged. |
| C．It activates a different region of the brain. |
| D．It helps the reader learn rhetorical devices. |
| A．Onscreen readers may be less competent readers. |
| B．Those who do reading in print are less informed. |
| C．Young people find reading onscreen more enjoyable. |
| D．It is now easier to find a favorite book online to read. |
7 . Have you ever noticed how the recital (叙说) of an adventure always finds ready audience? The man with a story of some stirring adventure always takes the floor Men will stop the most important discussion to listen. Women will forget to rock the cradle. Boys and girls will neglect any sport or game. Try it sometime and see how it grips all kinds and all ages. And the reason is that none of us ever really grows up. We are always boys and girls, a little older in years, but with the same nature—alert to the new, questioning, investigating, growing, living; stirred by martial music; thrilled by the sight of the fire-houses dashing madly down the street; lured by tales of subtle intrigue (阴谋)and splendid daring.
It would be sad if men and women ever lost this capacity to be attracted by tales of heroism. The man whose heart leaps for joy at the sight of a heroic deed is the man who will act the hero when his turn comes. No, the love of adventure will never be lost. It is a fundamental part of human nature, just as sentiment (感情) is.
So we reasoned that a magazine edited for this universal hunger of human nature for adventure ought to have a wide appreciation and appeal, and we decided to publish such a magazine and call it ADVENTURE.
It is published as a magazine wherein thousands of men and women can find adventure without being obliged to read through large amounts of stuff they care little about for the sake of getting a little they care a lot about, which is frankly made for the hours when the reader cannot work, or does not wish to, or is too weary to work and made for the reader’s recreation rather than his or her creative hours. If you care for stirring stories (and who does not?) —if you wish to get away for a brief time from the hard grind of the daily mill so that you can come back to it again with renewed passion and courage to walk through the knotty problems and nagging limitations, get a copy of Adventure.
You can get away for such a trip every month for 15 cents or you can get a season ticket entitling you to twelve trips for $1.50. No other kind of story in the magazine; just Adventure Stories. Fact-stories as well as fiction stories .If you don’t like that kind, don’t buy; but if you do like that kind, Adventure is sure to delight you.
1. Which of the following statement is TURE about man’s sense of adventure?| A．People are increasingly attracted by adventures as they grow. |
| B．The sense of adventure is rooted in a childhood curiosity. |
| C．Adventure stories are more attractive when told with sentiment. |
| D．Only children with curiosity grow into adults fond of adventures. |
| A．to draw a clear line between | B．to capture the attention of |
| C．to affect the way people think | D．to give equal treatment to |
| A．It reminds its work-burdened life driven readers of good old days. |
| B．It helps them regain their adventurous selves lost in tough life. |
| C．It offers a refreshing escape from long weary working hours. |
| D．It encourages them to face the toughness of life and work. |
| A．One can buy one copy for 15 cents. | B．Adventure is available one issue a month, |
| C．It contains fictional and true stories. | D．Season ticket holders can enjoy free tours. |
| A．To instruct publishers in how to produce a popular magazine. |
| B．To explore the psychological cause and impact of adventure. |
| C．To attract potential readers by giving the editorial philosophy. |
| D．To recommend to working people a refreshing way of recreation. |
8 . It's hard to imagine a person today who would not be able to recognize at least one of Charles Schulz's beloved cartoon characters.
For the older generation, the beloved Peanuts strip continues to run in newspapers worldwide today. For the younger generation, Snoopy merchandise was part and parcel of growing up. For even younger fans the 2015 Peanuts movie will make sure that the memory of Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy will not fade with time, like its pencil counterpart.
Peanuts is memorialized especially in Sonoma County California. The county is home to the Charles M. Schulz Museum, the well-known guardian angel of Schulz's memory. Schulz moved there in 1958 eight years after Peanuts made its debut in newspapers.
Although Schulz decided to put down lasting rots in the warm and sunny southwest, he often thought of his hometown of Minneapolis, Minnesota. He remembered that in his childhood, every sidewalk in front of every school had a sheet of ice at least ten feet long, worn smooth from the kids sliding on it. Just over ten years later, Schulz purchased an old ice rink and opened Snoop's Home Ice, the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, which bordered the property housing his studio. Whenever the snowy days of his childhood crossed his mind, Schulz was eager to allow his children to enjoy the hobbies he pursued in his youth, and encouraged them to pick up ice hockey and figure skating. That's why the cold winters in his drawings always remind people of the Midwest.
Schulz spent the last thirty years of his life on this property. He wrote in his studio, ate in the Warm Puppy Café at the ice rink and enjoyed, as he described it "hanging out." The artist passed away in his sleep on February 12, 2002, one day before his final original Sunday strip appeared in newspapers around the world.
The Peanuts strip follows the lives of children but they were by no means Schulz's target audience. Instead, Schulz holds the camera at a child's level and observes the truths of adult life from their perspective. Themes of love, loss and failure were throughout his work, all of which were inspired by events in his own life. It is Schulz's gentle, humorous explanation of the world's hash realities that ensures Peanuts will be preserved in years to come.
1. What does the underlined phrase in paragraph 2 most probably refer to?| A．The Peanuts strips that appeared in newspapers. |
| B．The Snoopy patterns printed on clothes. |
| C．The animated cartoon adapted from the Peanuts strips. |
| D．The original manuscripts drawn by Charles M. Schulz. |
| A．Depressed. | B．Creative. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Clever. |
| A．Schulz moved to Sonoma County because he hated the cold climate in his hometown. |
| B．Schulz's childhood experiences in his hometown inspired the winter scenes in Peanuts. |
| C．Schulz's life in Sonoma County was the main source of inspiration for his drawings. |
| D．Schulz opened an ice rink because his children enjoyed ice hockey and figure skating |
| A．Peanuts is popular with people of all ages around the world. |
| B．Schulz's hometown is the best place for Peanuts fans to memorize him. |
| C．Schulz created the Peanuts strip for his children |
| D．Peanuts reveals the truths of loss and failure through the eyes of adults. |
| Lift Ev’ry Voice Lillian M. Whitlow $34.99 hc / $23.99 sc / $3.99 eb Lillian M. Whitlow’s Lift Ev’ry Voice is a collection that consists of short life stories of several African-Americans in history who have provided America with their extraordinary gifts and talents in music, sports, art, literary works, theatre, politics and other areas. | It Came by Loss Bill McCausland $34.99 hc / $23.99 sc / $3.99 eb It came by Loss is a tale about Pete Gordon and his struggles after the death of his mother and his friend and how he was able to rise from these tragedies. |
| The Truth Won’t Help Them Now Joan Hunter and Steven Cobos $22.95 sc/ $3.99 eb Won’t Help Them Now is a fast-paced tale of murder and gangland intrigue, involving a gritty district attorney and a band of detectives on a quest to solve two separate crimes in 1939 Los Angeles. | “Through the eyes of the East” Inspirational poems Salma Hamid Hussain $27.99 sc Russain writes Through the eyes of the East in her hope to lead the younger generation in acquiring a spiritual perception in life. Her poems reflect traditional values pushed into the background by this world’s fast-changing landscape. |
*hc: hardcover
*sc: softcover
*eb: electronic business
1. Which of the following books only provides a printed version?
| A．Lift Ev’ry Voice |
| B．It Came by Loss |
| C．The Truth Won’t Help Them Now |
| D．“Though the eyes of the East” Inspirational poems |
| A．Bill McCausland | B．Lillian M. Whitlow |
| C．Salma Hamid Hussain | D．Joan Hunter and Steven Cobos |
10 . American writer A.N.DEVERS was at a rare-book fair in New York City in 2015 when she noticed a Joan Didion title selling for just $25. Then she saw the price tag of a novel by the equally famous Cormac McCarthy: about $600. “I realized we don’t value women’s work the same way we do men’s,” Devers says. “It’s depressing. But it’s also exciting, because I can do something about it.”
Three years later, after moving to London and joining the U.K.’s booming rare-book trade, Devers opened the red doors of her new bookstore, the Second Shelf. Located in a quiet courtyard off the busy streets of London’s Soho, the store almost exclusively stocks rare books by women (alongside a handful of male-authored books about women). The focus is modern fiction: Elizabeth Bowen novels, romances by Rosamunde Pilcher, poetry by Ntozake Shange.
Devers’ skill for finding overlooked jewels was polished during a childhood of Visits to yard sales in towns across the U.S., a result of her family’s following her father’s Air Force job. Some of her most sought-after recent finds were works by Miriam Tlali, the first black woman to publish a novel in South Africa. Devers hit on her 1975 debut in a charity store and quickly sourced and sold 15 more Tlali books.
In collecting these works, the Second Shelf is correcting a historical imbalance that has allowed women’s literary achievements to be eclipsed. Bookdealers have tended to be men; much of the trade’s early material was collected by “country gentlemen who ran estates and amassed libraries of books to show their wealth and intelligence,” Devers says. She argues that they’ve been like their peers in other male-led creative industries — including television, film and the news media — in that “they focus on themselves.”
That past contributes to a plain absence of women’s work among the books considered to be valuable cultural objects. In January, the Second Shelf went viral (走红) on Twitter after Devers pointed out that only nine books by women appeared in a list, produced by a trade website, of the 500 biggest sales at auction in the books-and-paper field last year. Even among more recently published works, a 2018 study found, titles by women are on average priced 45% lower than books by men.
In recent years, calls have gone out to read only books by women for a year and for universities to expand their curriculums. The observance of Women’s History Month in the U.S. has also made March a time for publishers to suggest fitting reading lists. Devers’ shop is the physical site of that movement challenging the current situation. “We’ve been taught to find value in something really narrow,” she says. “It’s time to explore something different.”
1. The first paragraph tells the readers _________.| A．why Devers named her shop the Second Shelf |
| B．how Devers was exposed to rare book trade |
| C．what motivated Devers to open the Second Shelf |
| D．where Devers first came across women’s literary works |
| A．fully exposed |
| B．partially concealed |
| C．seriously treated |
| D．roughly explained |
| A．The trade used to be dominated by men. |
| B．Women writers’ ideas conflict with the bookdealers’. |
| C．Males tend to be productive in the creative industry. |
| D．The majority of male readers don’t read modern fiction. |
| A．In recent years, university curriculums have emphasized books by women. |
| B．Women’s History Month has pushed women writers to be more productive. |
| C．More physical bookstores like Devers’ are needed to change the situation. |
| D．The Second Shelf is helping turn a page for women in literature. |
