1 . Reading is not just an important professional skill. It is also a way to enjoy informative, creative, and inspiring works of literature that enrich our life experiences. Like any skill worth mastering, a reading habit requires time to develop.     1    

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When you read, read for the main idea of each paragraph, along with its supporting reasons. When you are building up reading skills, it can be helpful to read with a pencil in hand to take notes or underline the key idea of each paragraph.

Look up unfamiliar words

It is quite normal to meet with some unfamiliar words when reading. Merriam Webster online is a wonderful and thorough resource for defining unfamiliar words.     3     When you reach a good stopping point, return to each word and look it up, re-reading the sentence it appeared in. This helps understand the word and its usage in case there are different meanings.

Become familiar with literary devices

Particularly if you are a fan of novels and short stories, becoming familiar with common literary tools like metaphor, simile, parallel structure and personification is an important part being a better reader.     4    

Don’t rush

Reading for learning and enjoyment is never a sprint (冲刺). Instead, take your time, advance your skills and their development at your own pace.     5     Each day, as you read, your mind will take the reading skills it learned before and apply them again, often with greater efficiency.

4 . 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.

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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.

6 . The world is full of great books, just waiting to be read. How can you pick one you'll really like? Here are some tips：

Depend on your hobby. If you have a favorite hobby, look for books about that activity.    1    You're more likely to enjoy reading a book if you're already interested in its subject.

Choose fiction or nonfiction.    2    Those are called fiction books. These books can transport you to another world or help you imagine something beyond your own experience. Nonfiction books tell stories using facts, but that doesn't mean they're boring. Nonfiction books can bring to life everything from the first trip to the moon to what it's like to explore the deepest oceans.

    3    Your local library is a great place to find books that you love. Tell a librarian about your interests, and the librarian can help you find other books that you're sure to love. Your teacher is another good person to ask.

Find a family favorite. What was your mother’s favorite book when she was your age? What's about your father's? Ask them and give it a read. Then you can talk about what they like about it and share your thoughts.    4    

Launch a book exchange.    5    It's always fun to see what your friends are reading. Even if they're not exactly bookworms, you can all encourage each other to read and share books and authors you like. You also can look for book exchanges in your area. It's a great way to build your personal library for free!

7 . Three in five people in the UK hold a library card. For some, they’re a shelter from the stresses of day-to-day life.     1     If you’re considering joining your local library, now is the time to do so. And if you need any more encouragement, here are several reasons why you should.

Most libraries in the UK allow members of the general public to come and go as they like.     2     You can also take out a library card and borrow books for free, although you will inevitably face a fine for late returns.

    3     Imagine just how many books you have at your fingertips with a library card? There are lots of modern ones, as well as originals, and you can continue to expand your learning and vocabulary all the time. It’s a priceless experience, especially for kids, and also a great way to level the educational playing field.

Libraries develop with times. They have changed greatly since decades ago.     4     Some libraries have apps so you can see when your books are due back and even reserve books in some cases. There are also libraries which let you access books in digital formats on your mobile device — pretty cool.

Libraries are one of very few spaces left in towns and cities where members of the public can come together and actually be and feel like a community. They have notice boards to offer services like exercise classes or learning centers.     5    

8 . Reading books is one of the best hobbies. It not only helps you pass your time but also helps you increase your knowledge in a meaningful manner.     1     Here we will give you a few tips that can help you.

● Fall into the habit of borrowing books to read.

This is a very old school practice but still it can be highly effective. When you borrow a book, there is obviously a deadline set.     2    

● Read everywhere.

Keep a book in your bag and read it anywhere you go. This will help you to pass your time in a very productive manner.     3     Anyway, you can read your book 24 hours a day.

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This can easily be described as a new school technique. You can read out to your brother or sister and this will enable you to finish your book as well as increase the knowledge and understanding of your brother or sister.

● Choose your books very carefully.

    5     Thus choose your books very carefully in order to enjoy your time and also finish your book effectively. If you choose a good book that can keep you interested for a longer period of time, there is no way that you are going to leave it incomplete.

9 . One day when I was 12, my mother gave me an order: I was to walk to the public library, and borrow at least one book for the summer. This was one more weapon for her to defeat my strange problem—inability to read.

In the library, I found my way into the “Children’s Room”. I sat down on the floor and pulled a few books off the shelf at random. The cover of a book caught my eye. It presented a picture of a beagle. I had recently had a beagle, the first and only animal companion I ever had as a child. He was my “secret sharer”, but one morning, he was gone, given away to someone who had the space and the money to care for him. I never forgot my beagle.

There on the book’s cover was a beagle which looked identical(相同的) to my dog. I ran my fingers over the picture of the dog on the cover. My eyes ran across the title, Amos: the Beagle with a Plan. Unknowingly, I had read the title. Without opening the book, I borrowed it from the library for the summer.

Under the shade of a brush, I started to read about Amos. I read very, very slowly with difficulty. Though pages were turned slowly, I got the main idea of the story about a dog who, like mine, had been separated from his family and who finally found his way back home. That dog was my dog, and I was the little boy in the book. At the end of the story, my mind continued the final scene of reunion, on and on, until my own lost dog and I were, in my mind, running together

My mother’s call returned me to the real world. I suddenly realized something: I had read a book, and I had loved reading that book. Everyone knew I could not read. But I had read it. Books could be incredibly wonderful and I was going to read them.

I never told my mother about my “miraculous(奇迹)” experience that summer, but she saw a slow but remarkable improvement in my classroom performance during the next year. And years later, she was proud that her son had read thousands of books, was awarded a PhD in literature, and authored his own books, articles, poetry and fiction. The power of the words has held.

10 . How are you and your family going to celebrate Earth Day? It’s a great day to get outside and ride a bike, but there are other ways you could spend the day. Here are four books. You can learn more about the earth and the animals that make the world a special place to live in.

The Busy Beaver, by Nicholas Oldland

Beaver is very, very busy, and he doesn’t always think carefully. As a result, he makes a mess of the forest and ends up in hospital. Finally, he realizes how careless he’s been and decides to make things right when he returns to the forest.

Lessons from Mother Earth, by Elaine Mcleod

Five-year-old Tess is visiting her grandmother and, for the first time, she visits the garden. Along the way, Tess’s grandmother tells her the rules of the garden, “You must always take good care of our garden. Never throw rubbish around. There is plenty for everyone to share if we don’t destroy the soil.” The story is beautifully told as a caring conversation between a child and her grandmother.

Luz Sees the Light, by Claudia Davila

When Luz’s community (社区) experiences a series of black-outs (停电), she quickly comes to understand the need to save energy and find other ways of doing things. With the help of her friends and neighbors, she creates a community garden and park that everyone can use. The book attracts many young readers.

The Lorax, by Dr Seuss

A young boy learns of the role of the Lorax as protector (保护者) of the trees, and how his home became polluted. The book contains memorable forestry conservation (森林保护).