1 . As a college student in Boston, I formed the habit of buying used books. I enjoy the hunt, the good price and the unrecognized treasures. I find old textbooks, ex-bestsellers, and books on subjects I’ve never heard of but now I must learn all about. I don’t search for rare books, first editions, or leather-bound editions but books that are worth reading.
Rereading, for me, is a pleasure during retirement. The theater and the concert hall become less appealing to me, along with crowds. Staying alone and reading books have become extremely important to me. Literature needs the flesh of experience to have its full effect. Different books offer me insights and ways of expressing that stuck in my mind as grains of sand in an oyster — now shine like pearls. My taste in books improves with age.
While packing for a move, which occurs at intervals of five to seven years, I clear my shelves and pick my books. I abandon a few, later regret my decisions, and look for them again. Several years ago, I got rid of books related to my job — architecture. Some were design guides, reference books, product catalogs, and things that went out of date. Some were historical or centered on a period or an architect. These had given me many hours of pleasure. Will I ever open their covers again? Certainly. I held on to the red bulk of Sir Banister Fletcher’s A History of Architecture and books on Paris, Rome, and Boston.
I gave away drafting equipment and instruments. I threw out rolls and rolls of paper, and old drawings of projects completed long ago, some of which had even been damaged. This time, I stay put in a cottage that suits my status and I’ve moved on in spirit. No doubt I will acquire more used books and throw away more books as passions grow and fade, like feathers changing with the seasons.
1. What does the author consider most important when choosing used books?A.Their appealing covers. | B.Their reasonable prices. |
C.Their collection value. | D.Their excellent content. |
A.He has a deeper understanding of reading. | B.His attitude towards work changes. |
C.His communication skills improve. | D.He has a small circle of friends. |
A.To show some books are worth rereading. | B.To explain his love for architecture. |
C.To suggest we avoid making poor decisions. | D.To recommend Sir Banister Fletcher’s books. |
A.He decides to stop throwing away used books. | B.He will read more books that suit his interests. |
C.He will enlarge his collection of used books. | D.He is bad at using advanced drafting equipment. |
2 . Maybe, you are one of those who just paid a visit to a library several years ago. If so, you may be surprised to learn that libraries have changed for the better.
Check out a book. While libraries still loan out (出借) books, you’ll find it easier to get a copy of whatever you’re looking for, thanks to cooperation among the area libraries.
Search for other items. The library is now a multimedia zone, loaded with information in many forms. You can borrow movies on DVDs, music on CDs, and popular magazines.
Join targeted reading groups. Libraries will often hold reading-group sessions for various age groups.
A.Set up a library in your own style |
B.Some libraries even supply toys and games |
C.There are some most popular libraries in the world |
D.Start a business using the help of your local library |
E.It’s been years since they were dusty little rooms with books |
F.Perhaps you’d like to learn a language or improve your English |
G.Via such networks, libraries share their books through the use of delivery vehicles |
3 . In a world of constant noise, endless choices, and great complexity, the desire for simplicity has become a necessity. The book “Yes Means Yes, Everything Else Means No,” by Bruce Mullen, digs into the deep philosophy of simplicity in decision-making. The interesting title tells readers to grasp the art of clear choices. The book recommends us to put our energies into the definite “Yes” and avoid from weakening our efforts with the less important details.
Simplicity in decision-making stresses clearness and efficiency while making choices. In a world filled with information overload, using simplicity can lead to better results. When faced with complex decisions, individuals or organizations often struggle to deal with plenty of data, leading to imperfect choices.
By accepting simplicity, decision-makers aim to get the key information, focus on the most related factors, and avoid unnecessary details. This approach encourages us to pick out the main aims, enabling quicker evaluations and conclusions.
Through his personal experiences, Mullen felt the power of simplicity, leading him to make better decisions. This book can also be applied to business planning. Mullen’s exploration into the phrase “yes means yes” showed the importance of clear intention in negotiating life’s crossroads.
Basically, “Yes Means Yes, Everything Else Means No” is more than just an exploration of simplicity in theory; it’s a practical guide to improve decision-making skills. The author doesn’t only promote the philosophy but equips readers with the skills they need to carry it out effectively. From techniques to prioritize (优先) tasks to methods for removing distractions, the book offers practical tools for simplifying the decision-making process. For those seeking to live a life with a clear purpose, this book is a guiding light among the fog of indecision.
1. What is “Yes Means Yes, Everything Else Means No” mainly about?A.It encourages us to live a simple life. | B.It tells us the importance of more choices. |
C.It focuses on how to make a good decision. | D.It offers a workable approach to reducing noise. |
A.Missed opportunities. | B.Mental stress. |
C.Overloaded information. | D.Heated discussions. |
A.Cutting down. | B.Getting through | C.Telling apart. | D.Making up. |
A.Unclear. | B.Doubtful. | C.Pessimistic. | D.Positive. |
4 . Every year—for more than 15 years running—Amazon editors come together to decide on the Best Books of the Year. Below are the top 4 picks, along with quotes from the editors.
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
“Though divided by centuries, three women, who share a unique connection to the natural world and to one, another, tell their amazing stories of coldness, danger, and survival in a beautifully written novel that is an impressive read.” —Seira Wilson
Happy Place by Emily Henry
“Emily Henry’s latest has all the feels!More than your standard second-chance romance, Happy Place is about the beauty, pain, and joy that come with biological families, chosen families, growing up and apart, and how—as adults—we deal with this thing called life.”—Kami Tei
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
“Please get ready. This true story of violence and murder, adventure, and ambition on the high seas is a page-turner. You can almost feel the salt stuck on your skin as the ship and its noisy shipmen fight against the bad weather and each other for becoming rich and famous. David Grann,once again, has made history come alive.” —Al Woodworth
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See
“I will not soon forget Lady Tan. A historical story grounded in women, medicine, and tradition, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women is heart-touching, and I found myself underlining throughout this inviting read.” —Kami Tei
1. What is Happy Place mainly about?A.Adventures of adults. | B.Connection to nature: |
C.Mixed feelings of life. | D.Challenges of growing up. |
A.Ann Napolitano. | B.Emily Henry |
C.David Grann. | D.Lisa See |
A.They are set in history. | B.They are about women. |
C.They cover several centuries. | D.They focus on dangers of life. |
5 . How to Host a Book Swap
If you love the written word, you probably have a pile of books somewhere in your home.
Send out invitations. A formal invitation should include the address, date and duration. A 2 to 3 hour party gives everyone a chance to enjoy the time and leave happy.
Provide enough space. Some people use one large dining table and start piling up books when they run out of space.
Make it a party. When you’re in the planning stages, think party and you’ll be one step ahead of the game.
A.Organize books by types. |
B.Prepare different kinds of books. |
C.Offer food that’s easy to eat in a bite or two |
D.However, the area around the book table may be small. |
E.But there’s always a new book around that interests you. |
F.Actually, a couple of tables can take care of the problem. |
G.It’s also a good idea to limit the number of books guests bring |
6 . This year’s best books for children address sadness and fear while celebrating love, strength, hope and joy.
The Big Dreaming
Michael Rosen and Daniel Egneus
Two bears are preparing for the Big Sleep, but Little Bear worries they won’t have enough dreams to last the winter. He sets out on a dangerous journey, from which he returns with stored visions of happiness, homecoming and hope.
A Way to the Stars
David Almond and Gill Smith
This is a story of the love between parent and child. When Joe is eager to reach the stars, his dad is fully on board. Together they build a tower, even a rocket(火箭), without success. But every time they laugh and try again, until Joe finally achieves his dream.
A Really Short Journey Through the Body
Bill Bryson
For children over 8 who love science, it is adapted for children by science journalist Emma Young. It is a sure-fire winner, especially among those who enjoy humorous writings.
Oscar’s Lion
Adam Baron
In this story illustrated(插图) by Benji Davies, Oscar is alarmed to discover that his parents have disappeared and that a large lion appears. But has he really eaten Oscar’s parents? This unusual story of love, sadness and family ties will particularly attract children who are coming to terns with loss.
1. What does Joe want to do?A.Build a small tower. | B.Set foot on stars. |
C.Have a sound sleep. | D.Take part in winter games. |
A.Bill Bryson. | B.Emma Young. |
C.Adam Baron. | D.Benji Davies. |
A.They deal with sadness. | B.They are about a journey. |
C.They are for children. | D.They are from one writer. |
7 . In 2000, a group of innovators in Denmark came up with a different kind of library —the Human Library. It has since transformed into a global phenomenon where “readers” can check out a human “book”. Each “title” offers an opportunity for dialogue over difficult questions, a process which the library hopes will help us all “un-judge” one another.
The first human library was organized by Ronni Abergel, his brother, and two colleagues. As a four-day event at a festival, the project was experimental. However, over a thousand readers came to read the human books available. The books themselves were chosen to represent often misunderstood groups. The initial library was a success leading to the foundation of the Human Library Organization, which has since carried on the lending of human books.
People can be part of the Human Library in two ways. One can volunteer to be a book and to offer first-hand knowledge of an experience or identity. Among the Human Library are books entitled “Alcoholic,” “Depression,” and so on. While these titles may seem simple and direct, the Human Library hopes readers will pick a topic but come to know the book for so much more than just the cover and title. Volunteer books agree to share their experiences — a commitment which requires patience, empathy (共情), and a level of comfort in sharing.
Another way to experience the Human Library is as a reader. Readers check out books for a certain amount of time. While being respectful, the library create s a space where readers can listen to the stories of books. Readers are encouraged to ask the difficult questions they always wondered but never had a chance to ask. Specifically, the library hopes it will be “a place where people who would otherwise never talk find room for conversation.”
The Human Library Organization today holds pop-up events around the world and even has permanent borrowing locations in several cities. They also work with companies as a rather unique provider of diversity and inclusion training.
1. What can we learn about the first human library?A.It was well received. | B.It had only four workers. |
C.It was misunderstood. | D.It was a weekly project. |
A.Eagerness to learn. | B.Painful experiences. |
C.Willingness to share. | D.Remarkable achievements. |
A.By creating a space for them to talk freely. |
B.By encouraging them to open up to strangers. |
C.By showing them how to be respectful of others. |
D.By teaching them to solve difficult questions alone. |
A.The origin of the Human Library | B.How to manage a Human Library |
C.Borrowing people instead of books | D.How to get along with human books |
8 . Some libraries use unique architecture to encourage visitors to settle down with a new book, or use roving (流动的) libraries to bring books to hard-to-reach populations. However they achieve it, these novel libraries are keeping the magic of reading alive.
Macquarie University Library (Sydney, Australia)Featuring a green roof, this building, made from recycled materials, was designed to imitate the look of a eucalyptus tree. It is also an art form, using robot cranes to bring requested books to the front desk.
The Camel Library Service (North Eastern Province, Kenya)To deal with low literacy rates in the desert of Kenya, the government created a roaming library composed of nine camels bringing books to villages. The library travels four days a week serving the region’s disadvantaged people.
Bishan Library (Singapore)With glass pods of various colors sticking out of the building randomly, this library, built in 2006, is meant to create comfortable yet airy nooks (角落) for reading throughout the building. At the same time, a more wide-open children’s room on the basement level invites interaction while preventing noise from filtering (过滤) upward.
Seikei University Library (Tokyo, Japan)Libraries are usually known for their quiet atmosphere, but this one encourages conversation. Pritzker Prize-winner Shigeru Ban designed the library with space-age, free-standing soundproofed pods (系统) to respect those who need uninterrupted study, while also being beneficial to other methods of learning; they serve as perfect spots for study groups and lively discussions.
1. Who would probably choose to visit Macquarie University Library?A.Animal lovers. | B.Talkative people. |
C.Noisy children. | D.Environmental protectors. |
A.Bishan Library. | B.Seikei University Library. |
C.Macquarie University Library. | D.The Camel Library Service. |
A.They ban lively group discussions. | B.They have special sound-proof design. |
C.They provide a space for kids to read. | D.They win prizes for designing in architecture. |
9 . For Grandparents Day or any day, a free and easy gift is to give one of these books to a beloved nana (奶奶) or grandpa and read the book together with the grandchild.
Nana Akua Goes to School by Tricia Elam Walker
Zura feels nervous about Nana Akua visiting her school for Grandparents Day because Nana has permanent African tribal marks on her face. When the day arrives, Akua explains that she is from Ghana and the marks were a gift from her parents and she feels proud to wear them. She shows the class a quilt filled with other symbols from Ghana and each child gets to pick a symbol they love to wear on their face with face paint.
Tiny, Perfect Things by M. H. Clark
Celebrate the wonders of ordinary, small things as a girl and her grandfather take a walk to notice all the tiny and perfect things; things like a yellow leaf, a snail, a red bottle cap, a flower growing through a sidewalk crack…When they arrive home, the little girl excitedly shares about the wonders she saw.
Nana in the City by Lauren Castillo
The boy doesn’t like the city where Nana lives, because he thinks it’s loud and scary. Nana gives him a fancy red cape that makes him feel very brave. And he and Nana walk through the city, discovering all that is wonderful about it.
I Love You Mucho Mucho by Rachel Más Davidson
Rosie visits her nana, but she forgets Nana doesn’t speak English. How will they communicate? First, they start with food. Then they do art together and take a walk. Nana says a word in Spanish and Rosie says the word in English. No matter what, their love is a language of its own that doesn’t need words.
1. What might Zura worry about?A.Her nana is looked down upon. | B.Her nana fails to visit her school. |
C.Her nana’s explanation is unconvincing. | D.Her nana is too proud to wear the marks. |
A.Nana Akua Goes to School. | B.Nana in the City. |
C.Tiny, Perfect Things. | D.I Love You Mucho Mucho. |
A.Love truly matters a lot. | B.We should communicate in English. |
C.Body language is important. | D.We should learn multiple languages. |
10 . Food books can bring a culture to life. The following food books are bursting with delicious food, as well as entertaining and engaging storytelling.
Pierre Thiam’s latest book aims to share everyday, easy-to-cook recipes like baked ginger-chili plantain kelewele. He explains how so many dishes and ingredients from the American South and other regions can trace their origin to West Africa. The 80 recipes are accessible and present a range of traditional and modern takes on the cuisine. | |
Fuchsia Dunlop’s book examines classic Chinese dishes, like mapo tofu, soup dumplings and Dongpo pork. This book includes history, philosophy, cooking techniques, and Dunlop’s on-the-ground research conducted over three decades to present a fascinating exploration of this ever-changing cuisine. | |
Tamar Adler seeks to make leftovers more appealing and lower food waste in the process with her latest book, which contains around 1,500 recipes. This isn’t what you’d call a beautiful coffee table-style cookbook — it’s practical and the creative secrets within are truly mind-blowing. | |
Natasha Pickowicz is an innovative chef. More Than Cake is her first cookbook, full of invaluable tips like how to build a layer (层) cake. Aside from great baking recipes, this cookbook tries to live up to its name by sharing how baking can provide so much more than just tasty sweets — it can give community, purpose, joy and love. |
1. Who explores Chinese food culture in the cookbook?
A.Pierre Thiam. | B.Fuchsia Dunlop. |
C.Tamar Adler. | D.Natasha Pickowicz. |
A.They are the writers’ latest books. | B.They advocate lower food waste. |
C.They have the same number of recipes. | D.They aim to share West African dishes. |
A.Simply West African. | B.Invitation to a Banquet. |
C.The Everlasting Meal Cookbook. | D.More Than Cake. |