1 . Napoleon Bonaparte by Emil Ludwig (German1881~1948)

Napoleon Bonaparte is an extraordinary statesman, strategist, the founder of the French First Empire. This biography was written by famous German writer Emil Ludwig, and there’s no doubt that the book is a great success. The writer uses his own writing style to show the charming character of Napoleon to the readers of the book.

Cao Xueqin Biography by Li Jianshu, 2009 (Chinese edition)

The book tells the life story of the novelist Cao Xueqin — author of The Dream of the Red Mansions. Cao was born to a rich family but suffered great poverty for most of his life. He drew on his life experiences to write his famous novel, which was published after his death.

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, 1903

Even though Keller wrote this autobiography when she was only 22 years old, it is considered a great book in American literature. It tells about her dark and silent childhood, and how her teacher — Anne Sullivan opened up a new world to her by teaching her how to communicate.

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, 2011

Isaacson interviewed Steve Jobs over forty times, and interviewed hundreds of Jobs friends, relatives, and rivals to sum up Jobs’ remarkable life. The result is an interesting story of a man driven to succeed and driven to make perfect products.

1. Which of the four books is written by Chinese edition?

A．Cao Xueqin Biography.	B．The Story of My Life.
C．Steve Jobs.	D．Napoleon Bonaparte.

2. For which of the four books does the writer have much research work on the target person?

A．Cao Xueqin Biography.	B．The Story of My Life.
C．Steve Jobs.	D．Napoleon Bonaparte.

3. Which of the four books mentions the help of a specific person?

A．Cao Xueqin Biography.	B．The Story of My Life.
C．Steve Jobs.	D．Napoleon Bonaparte.

2 . Here are some of the best nonfiction books of recent years.

Somebody’s Daughter

$ 16 at Amazon

Ashley C. Ford talks about growing up as a black girl in Indiana, dealing with poverty, the complexities of adolescence, and a tense relationship with her mother. She often wished that she could express her feelings with her father, but failed for reasons she didn’t know. Until one day — after going through a heart-broken experience with a boy, which she kept from her family — her grandmother told her. And what she learned turned her entire world upside down.

Crazy Stories About Racism

$ 14 at Amazon

New York-based comedian Amber Ruffin, along with her sister Lacey Lamar, shares their everyday experiences about their bad conditions. It gets especially bad for Lacey who still lives in their home state of Nebraska, and is a start for these ridiculous but all-too-real encounters (遭遇).

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain

$ 25 at Amazon

If you want to get in touch with your creative side, this book might just be the trick. As the title suggests, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain is a literary master class that takes readers into the mind of Booker Prize-winning author George Saunders. He discusses what makes great stories, how they work, and what they say about ourselves and today’s world.

All In

$ 21 at Amazon

Sports legend Billie Jean King writes a self-portrait that talks about the highs and lows of her amazing tennis career, her work in activism, and the ongoing fight for social justice and equality.

1. What is special about Somebody’s Daughter?

A．It tells a girl’s relationship with parents.	B．It tells a confused girl.
C．It tells a girl’s education.	D．It describes a girl’s secret.

2. What can we get from A Swim in a Pond in the Rain?

A．The steps of writing a good story.	B．The secret of George Saunders’ success.
C．The situations of the present society.	D．Experiences of swimming in a pond.

3. Which describes a sport career?

A．All In.	B．Somebody’s Daughter.
C．A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.	D．Crazy Stories About Racism.

3 . Technology seems to discourage slow, immersive reading. Reading on a screen tires your eyes and makes it harder for you to keep your place. Online writing tends to be more skimmable and list-like than print. The cognitive neuroscientist Mary Walt argued recently that this “new norm” of skim reading is producing “an invisible, game -changing transformation” in how readers process words. The neuronal circuit that sustains the brain’s capacity to read now favors the rapid absorption of information.

We shouldn’t overplay this danger. All readers skim. From about the age of nine, our eyes start to bounce around the page, reading only about a quarter of the words properly, and filling in the gaps by inference. Nor is there anything new in these fears about declining attention spans. So far, the anxieties have proved to be false alarms. “Quite a few critics have been worried about attention spans lately and see very short stories as signs of cultural decline,” the American author Selvin Brown wrote. “No one ever said that poems were evidence of short attention spans.”

And yet the Internet has certainly changed the way we read. For a start, it means that there is more to read, because more people than ever are writing. And digital writing is meant for rapid release and response. This mode of writing and reading can be interactive and fun. But often it treats other people’s words as something to be quickly harvested as fodder (素材) to say something else. Everyone talks over the top of everyone else, desperate to be heard.

Perhaps we should slow down. Reading is constantly promoted as a social good and source of personal achievement. But this advocacy often emphasizes “enthusiastic” “passionate” or “eager” reading, none of which adjectives suggest slow, quiet absorption. To a slow reader, a piece of writing can only be fully understood by immersing oneself in the words and their slow comprehension of a line of thought.

The human need for this kind of deep reading is too tenacious for any new technology to destroy. We often assume that technological change can’t be stopped and happens in one direction, so that older media like “dead-tree” books are kicked out by newer, more virtual forms. In practice, older technologies can coexist with new ones. The Kindle has not killed off the printed book any more than the car killed off the bicycle. We still want to enjoy slowly. formed ideas and carefully-chosen words. Even in a fast-moving age, there is time for slow reading.

1. Selvin Brown would probably agree that ________.

A．poetry reading is vital to attention spans

B．the gravity of cultural decline is urgent

C．fears of attention spans are unnecessary

D．online writing harms immersive reading

2. What is TRUE about digital writing?

A．It demands writers to abandon traditional writing modes.

B．It leads to too much talking and not enough deep reflection.

C．It depends heavily on frequent interaction with the readers.

D．It paves the way for enthusiastic, passionate or eager reading.

3. What does the underlined word “tenacious” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Deep-rooted.

B．Fast-advanced.

C．Slowly-changed.

D．Rarely-noticed.

4. Which can be the best title for this article?

A．The Wonder of Deep Reading

B．Slow Reading is Here to Stay

C．The Internet is Changing the Way We Read

D．Digital vs Print: A Life-and-Death Struggle

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does the man like doing?

A．Writing books.

B．Reading news online.

C．Reading magazines.

2. How long does it take the man to finish reading a book?

A．A month.

B．Two months.

C．Three months.

5 . For a long time, I kept a selection of books on a shelf next to my bed that I called my “heart books”. To qualify for a place on the shelf, a book had to be not only one I loved, but one that mattered. There was one book that never made it onto that shelf, though I read it in high school: Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg.

I can still remember the day I bought it. It was summer and I must have been 14 or 15. Desperate to get out of my house, I rode my bike into town and walked into the bookstore. I was going through the shelf of books on writing and it caught my eye. I picked it up, read a few pages, and bought it. Then I took it with me to a park, read the first few chapters, and opened my notebook to write.

It’s a fairly straightforward writing book. Goldberg’s method is simple: you choose a topic, set a timer, and write for 10, 15, or 20 minutes without picking up your pen. Free writing, timed writing, writing topics: anyone who has taken a creative writing class may have encountered these things. It’s not earth-shattering. There was nothing particularly new or unusual about the book so I can’t say why it attracted me so much. But it changed everything. I went from being someone who enjoyed writing to being a writer.

During my teen years and early twenties, following Goldberg’s method was at the core of my identity. No matter where I was or what I was doing, I filled notebooks. When I eventually started writing fiction, I did the same thing. The “I” in my notebooks became someone else, but I held to the same practice.

This writing practice led me to a writing group in Boston. It led me to my current career. It led me, in so many ways, to myself. Becoming a writer allowed me to become so many other things: an activist, a business owner, a farmer, a baker... Writing is where I found my confidence. It was where I became curious about the world. From that, everything else has followed.

1. How did the author encounter Writing Down the Bones?

A．By following a selection of “heart books”.

B．By referring to a book list about writing.

C．By recommendation of Natalie Goldberg.

D．By seeking writing books on a bookshelf.

2. What does the word “earth-shattering” underlined in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Trivial.

B．Remarkable.

C．Appropriate.

D．Amusing.

3. What can we infer about Writing Down the Bones?

A．It inspired the author to be a writer.

B．It was the first novel the author read.

C．It made the author start to love writing.

D．It is one of the books the author reads most.

4. Which of the following is answered by the last paragraph?

A．What is the author’s life like right now?

B．What did the author do in the writing group?

C．How has the writing practice shaped the author?

D．Why did the author give up the writing practice?

7 . As we close out the final days of this year, treat yourself to a deliciously distracting new book —a book that you can dip into and out of throughout the holidays. Read up, rest up, and enjoy yourself.

Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and beyond

A must-have guide for yoga-loving mamas, Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond offers helpful relaxation techniques and breathing exercises that are tailored to each pregnant woman. The book also lays out valuable techniques for labor and staying in touch with your body as it continuously changes.

Mindfulness Activities for Kids

We could all use a little more peace in our lives. Uniquely suited for children and parents to do together, the 40 mindfulness exercises recommended here —from pausing to fully enjoy a tasty sandwich to taking chalk walk together—will not only teach children calm and gratitude, but also bring grown-ups and their littles closer together.

Before She Disappeared

Frankie Elkin is a recovering alcoholic who devotes her time to solving cold cases, especially those involving people of color. A new investigation brings her to Boston, searching for a Haitian teenager who disappeared months ago. But as Frankie starts asking questions, someone else will stop at nothing to keep the answers hidden.

Oak Flat

Lauren Redniss’ Oak Flat tells the story of the land near the San Carlos Apache Reservation through an Apache family fighting to protect the land which the U. S. government and two world-power mining enterprises are attempting to seize and destroy for its copper resources. Visually striking and deeply reported, Oak Flat tells a larger story of endless westward expansion and native resistance.

1. Which book can help to improve family relations?

A．Oak Flat.

B．Before She Disappeared.

C．Mindfulness Activities for Kids.

D．Yoga for Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond.

2. What do we know about the book Oak Flat?

A．It’s a brief account of mining enterprises.

B．It centers on an Apache family’s struggle.

C．It sings high praise of the US government.

D．It supports westward expansion and native resistance.

3. Who are the target readers of the four books?

A．Teenagers.

B．Men.

C．Kids.

D．Grown-ups.

8 . Wildwood School Library Guide

This is will offer you some information about our school library. You can use this guide to help your kids use our library.

Service hours: 3.00pm-5:30 pm on school days;8: 30 am-11:00 am on weekends On school days, your kids may borrow or return books during opening hours only when his classroom teacher allows him to. At the weekend, our library is open to both you and your kids.

Borrowing: Each student can borrow one or two books at a time: More books can be borrowed only for class reading activities and school research.

Returning: Books borrowed from the library can be kept for 15 school days. The books must be returned before the due date or the kids can’t borrow other books.

Damaged or Lost Books: When a book is returned in a damaged condition, the kid will have to pay three dollars for the damage. Full price must be paid if a book is lost. We encourage students to carry their library books in plastic bags to protect them from rainy weather.

Please call us at 3362-1323 for more information.
1. How much money must be paid when a student loses the book he borrows?

A．Three dollars	B．Full price of the book
C．Half the price of the book	D．Twice the price of the book

2. For whom is the School Library Guide?

A．Teachers from Wildwood School.	B．Workers in Wildwood School Library.
C．Visitors to Wildwood School	D．Parents of the Wildwood School Students

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The library is open for two and a half hours every day.

B．Students parents can go to the school library on weekends.

C．Students can go to the library during opening hours as they like.

D．Students can keep the books that they borrow for fifteen school days.

9 . 假如你是高二的学生李华，你的笔友Tom对中国传统文化很感兴趣，他来信让你推荐适合的中国读物。请根据下面的要求给他写一封回信，内容包括：
1.推荐读物的名称及内容;
2.推荐理由;
3.邀请他来中国体验文化。
注意：
1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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