1 . I have a special place in my heart for libraries. I have for as long as I can remember. I was always an enthusiastic reader, sometimes reading up to three books a day as a child. Stories were like air to me and while other kids played ball or went to parties, I lived out adventures through the books I checked out from the library.
My first job was working at the Ukiah Library when I was 16 years old .It was a dream job and I did everything from shelving books to reading to the children for story time.
As I grew older and became a mother, the library took on a new place and an added meaning in my life. I had several children and books were our main source(来源) of entertainment. It was a big deal for us to load up and go to the local library, where my kids could pick out books to read or books they wanted me to read to them.
I always read ,using different voices ,as though I were acting out the stories with my voice and they loved it !It was a special time to bond with my children and it filled them with the wonderment of books .
Now, I see my children taking their children to the library and I love that the excitement of going to the library lives on form generation to generation.
As a novelist, I’ve found a new relationship with libraries. I encourage readers to go to their local library when they can’t afford to purchase a book. I see libraries as a safe haven(避风港) for readers and writers, a bridge that helps put together a reader with a book. Libraries, in their own way, help fight book piracy(盗版行为) and 1 think all writers should support libraries in a significant way when they can. Encourage readers to use the library. Share library announcements on your social media. Frequent them and talk about them when you can.
1. Which word best describes the author’s relationship with books as a child?A.Cooperative. | B.Uneasy. | C.Inseparable. | D.Casual. |
A.Pleasure from working in the library. |
B.Joy of reading passed on in the family. |
C.Wonderment from acting out the stories. |
D.A closer bond developed with the readers. |
A.Sponsor book fairs. | B.Write for social media. |
C.Support libraries. | D.Purchase her novels. |
A.Reading: A Source of Knowledge |
B.My Idea about writing |
C.Library: A Haven for the Young |
D.My Love of the Library |
2 . 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. |
A.Act as role models for them. |
B.Ask them to write book reports. |
C.Set up reading groups for them. |
D.Talk with their reading class teachers. |
3 . I grew up on a university campus in eastern Nigeria.I was a(n)
What this demonstrates is how
Things
But
A.early | B.aimless | C.careful | D.poor |
A.instructors | B.neighbors | C.friends | D.characters |
A.snow | B.fruits | C.cuisine | D.weather |
A.disappeared | B.set | C.come out | D.gone down |
A.briefly | B.regularly | C.scarcely | D.easily |
A.convinced | B.puzzled | C.concerned | D.satisfied |
A.heroes | B.foreigners | C.Africans | D.children |
A.remained | B.changed | C.worsened | D.worked |
A.read | B.understand | C.find | D.keep |
A.in spite of | B.on behalf of | C.because of | D.instead of |
A.confusion | B.shift | C.block | D.activity |
A.realized | B.suspected | C.claimed | D.forgot |
A.take | B.exist | C.believe | D.major |
A.discovery | B.popularity | C.imagination | D.analysis |
A.classic | B.remarkable | C.whole | D.single |
4 . From cottages surrounded by impressive gardens to days spent exploring sandy beaches and deep woods filled with wildlife, in My Family and Other Animals, English writer Gerald Durrell provided a vivid account of his family’s time on the Greek island of Corfu in the 1930s.
Come for the arresting descriptions of Corfu landscapes and stay for Durrell’s laugh-out-loud tales of his unusual family. This book, Durrell wrote humorously in the introduction, “was intended to be a nostalgic(怀旧的)account of natural history, but in the first few pages, I made the mistake of introducing my family.”
Durrell, later known for his zoo keeping and the preservation of wildlife, was just a child during his family’s five-year stay in Corfu. He is 10-year-old Gerry in the book—curious, passionate about animals and a detailed storyteller of his strange family: his imaginative elder brother Larry with his literary ambitions, lovestruck sister Margo, sporty brother Leslie and his ever-calm, loving mother.
Durrell’s attention to detail is what makes the book so winning, with every sight, sound and smell of the island brought to life. One minute you’ll be laughing as Larry’s clever literary friends walk down to the daffodil-yellow cottage, the next you’ll be catching your breath as Durrell describes swimming at night in the Ionian Sea: “Lying on my back in the silky water, staring at the sky, only moving my hands and feet slightly, I was looking at the Milky Way stretching like a silk scarf across the sky and wondering how many stars it contained.”
My Family and Other Animals is quite difficult to classify, being one part travel, one part autobiography, one part natural history, and one part comedy, with a thread of descriptive language running throughout that sometimes raises it nearly to poetry.
As a real delight to read, it’s the perfect literary escapism for any adult or older teenager who is currently walking down a tough road in life.
1. Which word best describes Durrell’s life in Corfu?A.Diverse. | B.Busy. | C.Risky. | D.Tough. |
A.I just introduced my family by mistake. | B.I shouldn’t have introduced my family. |
C.I gave false information about my family. | D.I couldn’t help introducing my family. |
A.Durrell’s rich imagination. | B.Some interesting plots of the book. |
C.The book’s writing feature. | D.Some vivid descriptions of the island. |
A.To share an experience. | B.To introduce a writing style. |
C.To recommend a book. | D.To describe an unusual place. |
5 . There is no doubt that books have the power to change how people think about the world and the universe around them. These 3 astronomy books have had a significant impact on the way humans think about our place and purpose in the universe:
On the Heavens (about 350 BC) by Aristalle
Aristotle proposed a geocentric (以地球为中心的) model of the universe in the book. This work is significant as a master work of the Aristotelian worldview, a school of philosophy that dominated (支配) intellectual thinking for almost 2000 years.Eventually,almost everything in it was proven incorrect, but On the Heavens, which is still in print, provides a fascinating view of astronomical evolution.
The Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres (1543) by Nicolaus Copernicus
In this book, Copernicus argued that the Sun rather than the Earth lies in the center of the universe. The Earth moves as a planet around the Sun. The most important advantage offered by Copernicus was a vision of the universe as an integrated system, where all the planets move together in elegant harmony.
The Mechanism of the Heavens (1831) by Mary Somerville
Different from his book Physical Geography, this book was embraced as an important contribution to the understanding of celestial motion (天体运动). It became extremely valuable to both astronomers and students and it was used as a textbook for more than half a century. The book went through many revisions, keeping pace with astronomical developments over time. It proves that given the opportunity, women could match the men in science step for step.
1. What can we learn about the book On the Heavens?A.It is banned from printing. |
B.It mainly focuses on philosophy. |
C.It is used by many schools today. |
D.It has proven almost completely wrong. |
A.They revealed the truth of the universe. |
B.They are master works of the same era. |
C.They explored the center of the universe. |
D.They regard the universe as an integrated system. |
A.On the Heavens. |
B.Physical Geography. |
C.The Mechanism of the Heavens. |
D.The Revolutions of Heavenly Spheres. |
6 . Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website Book Crossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.
Members go on the site and register (登记) the books they own and would like to share. Book Crossing provides an identification number (识别码) to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.
Bruce Pederson, the managing director of Book Crossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. Book Crossing combines both.”
Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.
People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E— mails are then sent to the BookCrossers to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.
Book Crossing is part of a trend (趋势) among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual (虚拟).The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty—five countries.
1. Why does the author mention book groups in the first paragraph?A.To explain what they are. | B.To introduce Book Crossing. |
C.To stress the importance of reading. | D.To encourage readers to share their ideas. |
A.An adventure. | B.A public place. |
C.The book. | D.The identification number. |
A.Keep it safe in his bookcase. | B.Mail it back to its owner. |
C.Meet other readers to discuss it. | D.Pass it on to another reader. |
A.Online Reading: A Virtual Tour | B.Electronic Books: A New Trend |
C.A Book Group Brings Tradition Back | D.A Website Links People through Books |
7 . For some people, the warmest memories from childhood come from being read a great story.
A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics says reading aloud is so important that parents should start as soon as their children are born and continue to read aloud even after their children can read by themselves. They say parents should also point to and talk about pictures in books for infants (婴幼儿).
The company Scholastic is a major U. S. publisher of children’s books. Every two years, Scholastic publishes a report on American reading attitudes and habits. The 2015 report says only 31percent of children in the U. S. read a book for fun almost every day.
There are other methods that might help you with your studying.
A.Do children still read for fun? |
B.A book does not have to be serious to be good for kids. |
C.But reading to children does more than create warm memories. |
D.For young children, parents should ask questions about the book. |
E.Another way to develop a reading habit in children is to read to them. |
F.Scholastic also identifies some ways to develop a love of reading in a child. |
G.The Scholastic report also suggests permitting children to choose their own books. |
8 . The great philosopher Voltaire once said “Reading makes people see and think clearly.” If you want to be a better self, try the following books.
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is kind of a literary Rosetta Stone, the inspiration, basis, and model for so many modern novels. For a book written in the early 19th century, its modernity is surprising only until you realize that this is the novel that in many ways defined what a modern novel is.
A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals
From New York Times bestselling author Millie Marotta comes this gorgeous celebration of the animal kingdom. Highlighting the difficulty of 43 endangered species from around the world, the book takes readers on a trip through fresh water, oceans, forests, mountains, deserts, grasslands and wetlands while learning about rare and well-known animals and their habitats.
Patriarchy and Capitalism
Chizuko Ueno, a leading Japanese sociologist, feminist (女权主义) critic and public intellectual, has been a pioneer in women’s studies and the author of many books, including Patriarchy and Capitalism, which discusses the status of Japanese women.
Know My Name
Chanel Miller’s breathtaking memoir is praised to be the Best Book of the Year in People magazine. In this book, she recalls all her whole life. It’s a story of trauma (创伤) and transcendence (超越), shining with the courage required to move through suffering and live a full and beautiful life.
1. What is special about Pride and Prejudice?A.It has a long history. | B.It encourages readers. |
C.It defines modern novels. | D.It includes surprising plots. |
A.Know My Name. | B.Pride and Prejudice. |
C.Patriarchy and Capitalism. | D.A Wild Child’s Guide to Endangered Animals. |
A.A record about endangered animals. | B.A folk tale. |
C.A novel discussing female status. | D.An autobiography. |
1. 作品名称;
2. 阅读经历;
3. 对你的影响。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Classics and Me
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________10 . If you’ve reached the end of the year feeling as though you didn’t read enough, we’ve got you. Here are some of the best books of the year according to notable artists, image-makers and other cultural taste makers.
Emily Ratajkowski, model: Ghost Lover’“This collection of nine short stories probes into many of the same themes in Lisa Taddeo’s beloved ‘Three Women’, but discusses them in a sharper, more disagreeable way. She ruthlessly explores jealousy relationships between women, aging, revenge and, of course, desire. Taddeo never lets you come up for air -- making you laugh while simultaneously horrifying you all when you least expect it.”
Hans UIrich Obrist, artistic director: ‘I Always Knew’“This is a portrait of artist and writer Barbara Chase-Riboud, through the letters she wrote to her mother, Vivian Mae, between 1957 and 1991. In this remarkable title, Barbara Chase-Riboud tells her mother about her development as an artist, her love stories, and her trips around the globe, from Africa to China. In these memoirs (回忆录), Chase-Riboud frankly and passionately describes her aspirations, her ambitions and creative inspiration,while also showcasing love and tenderness to her mother.”
Avan Jogia, actor and director: ‘Who is Wellness For?’“‘Who is Wellness For?’ is a book that works as part social observation and part memoir. It explores the commercialization of healing and ritual and asks questions about the industry of wellness I found the read insightful, thoughtful, and unafraid. Wellness isn’t for anyone if it’s not for everyone.”
1. What sets “Ghost Lover” apart from “Three Women”?A.The focus on themes. | B.The setting of stories. |
C.The structure of books. | D.The tone of narration. |
A.Barbara Chase-Riboud. | B.Hans Ulrich Obrist |
C.Vivian Mae. | D.Avan Jogia. |
A.They bring laughter to readers. | B.They share the same writing type |
C.They center on the theme of love | D.They stand out as the best reads of the year. |