1 . On today’s blog post, I’ll be talking about my favorite magazines. I love reading books & magazines, and I’m learning so many useful tips about healthy living, daily life, etc.

Women’s Health

Women’s Health has a unique content. You can find various interesting information about healthy living or exercises you can do at home. I also love their writers because they explain every topic so simple that you can even understand biological articles.

Healthy Food Guide

I totally recommend it to everyone because it has lots of useful information about being healthy during your daily life. In this magazine, you can find articles about foods you often eat but don’t have much idea what it contains or if they’re healthy. If you are searching for new diets, this magazine gives you all the information.

Time Out

Time Out is a well-known magazine and it’s free in my city. Every time I see a Time Out magazine, I get it because it has lots of useful tips. I got Time Out London when I was in London, and I discovered new restaurants, galleries, museums, and events. This magazine has various information about the city life. For example, it gives you the events that are happening near you. It gives you tips for the railway stations and other transportation choices.

La Cucina Italiana

If you love cooking Italian food, this magazine is for you! It has lots of recipes and also restaurant reviews. You can also find popular restaurants near you in this magazine. I’ve also read articles by famous chefs from my city.

1. What can we find in Healthy Food Guide?

A．Ways to keep fit.	B．Tips on cooking.
C．Different eating habits.	D．Information of new restaurants.

2. What can we read to find comments on restaurants?

A．Time Out.

B．Women’s Health.

C．Healthy Food Guide.

D．La Cucina Italiana.

3. What can we learn about the author?

A．He lives in London.	B．He loves and enjoys life.
C．He often goes travelling.	D．He likes collecting recipes.

2 . The Last Greatest Magician in the World

In this book, we can learn about the wonderworker Howard Thurston. During his life, Thurston successfully made changes in entertainment. His magic show is regarded as the one that inspires our memories.

Author: Jim Stein Meyer Length: 384 pages Publication Date: Feb. 3, 2011

Beholders: A World Without Heroes

Jason Walker lives a peaceful life until one day he falls through a hole and ends up in a new foreign world. In Lydian, the people dress and behave differently, living in fear of their Emperor Surratt. But during Jason’s search for a way home, he learns of a magical word that could kill Surratt and becomes the hero he has never imagined.

Author: Brandon Mull Length: 464 pages Publication Date: Feb. 15, 2011

Life

With his honesty, Keith Richards brings us the story of a life we all have longed to know more of. Its hard to imagine a famous persons biography is as easy to drink in as Keith Richards life. The books content agrees with the rhythm of his voice so much that reading his tale is like sharing a cup of beer with an old friend.

Author: Keith Richards Length: 576 pages Publication Date: Oct. 26, 2010

The Monkey and the Monk

The famous translation of The Journey to the West is popular with English-speaking audiences. The book shows the novels most exciting and meaningful parts without taking anything away from their true spirit. Moreover, with a new form, this translation is sure to attract more fans.

Author: Anthony C. Yu Length: 528 pages Publication Date: Nov. 15, 2006

1. What kind of book is Beholders: A World Without Heroes？

A．A life guide.	B．A biography.
C．An adventure novel.	D．An educational book.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Keith Richards？

A．Honest.	B．Simple.
C．Hardworking.	D．Generous.

3. Which of the following books came out in 2010？

A．The Last Greatest Magician in the World.

B．Beholders: A World Without Heroes.

C．Life.

D．The Monkey and the Monk.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China is gaining greater attention of Egyptians. Egyptian book lovers treated     1     ( them ) with hundreds of titles on China during the 53rd Cairo International Book Fair, a major cultural event in the Egyptian capital     2     ran from Jan. 26 to Feb. 7.

More than 600 Arabic (阿拉伯语) books     3     ( translate ) from Chinese were on display in the pavilions of Bayt Al-Hekma Cultural Group, a local publishing house mainly devoted to the Arabic translation of Chinese books.

“Our main goal is     4     ( be ) a cultural bridge between the Arab and the Chinese cultures,” said Ahmed al-Saeed, CEO of Bayt Al-Hekma, during     5     two-week cultural feast.

Featured publications included books on China’ s history, literature, culture, geography and economy, and     6     ( dictionary ), as well as best-seller Chinese children’s books     7     Arabic. The language books     8    ( publish ) by Egypt’ s Bayt AI-Hekma Cultural Group with its Chinese partner Peking University Press.

The     9     ( rise ) number of Egyptian students of the Chinese language and the close political,     10     ( society ), and economic ties between Egypt and China are behind the growing attention to China among local readers.

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Who is Julia Ann?

A．A gardener.

B．A flower chaser.

C．A program hostess.

2. What’s Mr. Dowis’ book about?

A．Journeys of discovery.

B．Appreciation of beauty.

C．Planting flowers in the garden.

3. What happened to the man five years ago?

A．He fell in love with a great book.

B．He started his career as a photographer.

C．His name appeared in the morning news.

4. What’s most appreciated by the readers?

A．The illustrations.

B．The exciting stories.

C．The attitude of writer.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Shu Lin’s Grand pa, a children’s picture book     1    (illustrate) by British-Chinese artist Yu Rong, was on show at the London Book Fair on Tuesday, sparking heated discussions about how to better tell Chinese     2    (story) to international readers.

This book tells a story about Shu Lin, a Chinese immigrant (侨民) girl,     3     finds it hard to gain acceptance in her new school, until her grandfather saves the day. The book creates a painting style that is both classical     4     modern.

Shu Lin’s Grand pa, published in     5    (China) and in English, was listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal this year.

Nowadays, many across the world     6    (be) eager to learn about China through stories about Chinese civilization and contemporary China. At the London Book Fair on Tuesday, Chinese children’s bestsellers staged a brainstorming event on how to bring Chinese-themed books     7     the world audience.

“The rich illustrations combined with the celebration of Chinese culture which Shu Lin’s Grand pa represents made for a thought-provoking read: It has     8    (real) given me the desire to visit China, in particular to explore the     9    (tradition) ink artwork,” said Marianne Simon, an MA (文学硕士) student     10    (major) in publishing and creative writing at Kingston University.

6 . The Internet, search engines, virtual worlds. Have you ever got the feeling that you’re living in a science fiction?

Well, indeed you are.

For more than a century, inventors have been driven to create what sci-fi writers have imagined long before. Buck Rogers inspired a generation of scientists excited about space exploration. Ray Bradbury predicted home-theater systems. William Gibson dreamed up the Internet while writing Neuromancer on a typewriter. Not long after him, Neal Stephenson predicted virtual worlds in his 1991 novel Snow Crash. One of his readers was Philip Rosedale, who loved it so much that he wanted to build a virtual world based on it.

By the late 1990s, technology caught up to the novel, and Rosedale built the virtual world Second Life based on the “Metaverse” from the novel. With 1 million active users, Second Life offers virtual shops, bars, houses and even virtual television studios with virtual celebrities (名人) on virtual talk shows.

“I think it is pretty much what I imagined,” Stephenson says. “I just shoot for the stars, while he makes great things happen.”

But Snow Crash is a dark book. The world in the novel is filled with criminals, violence and environmental problems.

“Science fiction not only puts stars in our hands, it also helps us see the meaning of our work,” Philip Rosedale admits. “It makes it possible for us to see what all of our efforts could eventually lead to.”

In fact, most science fiction authors admit that their work is usually cautionary (警示性的). “While the inventors are rushing ahead and excited about this possibility or that possibility, we’re always standing there warning, ‘Hang on just a second. Let’s think about this a little more’” author William Gibson says. “But most of them will ignore you because they think they already know all things about any given hot topic of the day. But if you can convince them that you’re talking about a planet millions of miles away and hundreds of years in the future or the past, you can actually get them to examine more closely what’s going on right now.”

1. Who was inspired by Neal Stephenson’s work?

A．Buck Rogers.	B．Ray Bradbury.
C．William Gibson.	D．Philip Rosedale.

2. What does Neal Stephenson say about Second Life?

A．It is a very violent virtual world.

B．It is not based on his fiction strictly.

C．He is satisfied with the “Metaverse”.

D．More activities should be added to it.

3. What does William Gibson mean in the last paragraph?

A．Sci-fi writers are much wiser than inventors.

B．Most inventors do not respect sci-fi writers.

C．Sci-fi can help inventors to think more carefully.

D．People can easily get excited about the inventions.

4. In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A．Book review.	B．Technology.
C．Economy.	D．Psychology.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Chinese Nobel Prize winner Mo Yan opened a WeChat public account, reaching hundreds of thousands of followers.

The account named “Mo Yan”     1     （update）every week. On Monday night, Mo     2     （thank）his readers and followers in a video to celebrate the 100th day. When     3     （ask）how he felt communicating with young people, Mo said that his heart was filled with young people's     4     （view）on life, the world and history. “To my delight, I've become     5     （young）in spirit than before.” Mo said.

The articles published on the account cover many topics, some of     6     talk about literature and how to overcome difficulties in life, while others touch more ordinary subjects like pets and his personal experiences.

Writing has often been mentioned in articles. Many people asked Mo about his methods and suggestions on writing. Mo told them not to be worried and that writing is     7     lifetime job. They can take writing novels like writing letters to their families at the beginning.

Most of his followers consider that the writer is     8     （humor）and easy-going. “He did give me many useful suggestions on     9     （get）along with parents and even my choice of life. I am longing to make friends with him as I feel he is so close     10     us,” one netizen surnamed Yu told the Global Times on Tuesday.

8 . It's the most wonderful time of the year! The winter holidays are the perfect chance to get comfortable with a good book, and luckily we have some best sellers right now. We're sure you'll find what you're looking for.

Sunday Funday by Katherine Hallgan

Hardback, $20 (10 percent off with membership)

A great book full of seasonal activities that families and friends can enjoy together. From gardening projects to creative hand-made things and warming winter recipes (食谱), there's something for everyone, whatever the weather.

The History of the World in 100 Animals by Simon Barnes

Hardback, $16.99

This beautifully pictured book explores the good relationship between humans and animals, from bees to chimpanzees (黑猩猩) who share more than 90% of our DNA. If you are crazy about animals, this is the book for you.

Accidentally Famous by David Baddiel

Paperback, $12.99

Nothing amazing ever happens to Billy Smith but when TV workers visit his school he becomes popular, but as everyone knows, being famous comes with a price. David Baddiel's laugh-out-loud book asks what life would be like if everyone suddenly knew your name.

Eddie Albert and the Animal Gang by Paul O'Grady

Paperback, $15

This action-filled adventure from TV favourite Paul O'Grady follows a young boy with a very special gift—he can talk to animals! On a trip to Amsterdam, Eddie meets a monkey in danger and rescues the young creature with the help of his animal friends.

1. What is the member price for Sunday Funday?

A．$20.

B．$19.

C．$18.

D．$10.

2. Which book is about the price of being famous?

A．Sunday Funday.	B．Eddie Albert and the Animal Cang.
C．Accidentally Famous.	D．The History of the World in 100 Animals.

3. What do the books by Simon Barnes and Paul O'Grady have in common?

A．They are published in hardback.	B．They stress harmony with animals.
C．They are full of beautiful pictures.	D．They speak of famous TV persons.

9 . Joseph Conrad, a famous English novelist, said that his goal as a writer was “to make you hear, to make you feel, and above all, to make you see. That, and no more, is everything.”     1     Often it leaves a single sharp impression to be turned over and over in the mind. After finishing the story, the reader should have something to think about: the humor of life, its ironies, or the unpredictability of human behavior.

    2     The first and most obvious level is conveyed through the plot. Plot refers to the sequence of events, to the actions of the characters and the situations in which they are involved. To explain the plot, then, is to tell what happened in the story and to whom. In some short stories, plot is the dominating element. In other short stories, plot plays a very minor role.

In Hemingway’s story, The Old Man and the Sea, however, we must approach the content on another level.     3     To understand and appreciate the story, the reader must be able to identify its general topic or theme. The next step is to identify the device by which the author comments on this theme.     4    

Readers cannot appreciate a short story fully unless they react not only to what has been said but also to how it has been said.     5     Style grows out of the writer’s own personality and can be seen in the choice of words and phrases, the arrangement of sentences, the rhythm and tone. Structure refers to the architecture of the story, the way in which the details are selected and arranged to produce the desired effect.

A．They must look for style and structure.

B．In complex stories, careful readers may not always agree with the author.

C．The impact on the reader comes from the sudden and unexpected response.

D．A good short story tries to give the reader a sense of the actual experience.

E．Finally, the reader should be able to explain the insights which the author has given into the theme.

F．The impact of the story comes from the insight it gives us into the needs and desires of youth and old age.

G．In order to read a short story with full understanding, the reader must approach the content on two levels.

10 . Four Seasonal Best-Sellers Online

Are you among the parents who are seeking books for your children during the coming winter vacation? The following seasonal best-sellers may be on your list of choices.

Salt

Salt, in which Helen Frost tells a story about friendship between Anikwa and James, was set in a time of war. Anikwa and James spent their happy days together in the forests of the Indiana Territory until facing the cruel war. As a children’s literature, it was once considered as a Kirkus Reviews Best Book in 2013.

Now

Now was set in the present day. This is the final book in Morris Gleitzman’s series that began with Once, continued with Then and Now. In the novel, Felix, a successful man with painful memories of his childhood recalls his time with his granddaughter Zelda. It has been popular with teenagers since it came out. Now is one of Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Books of 2012.

Green

Die-cut (模切的) pages bring surprise after surprise in this magical new book. How many kinds of green are there in the world? Laura Vaccaro Seeger shapes a respect to a single color that will delight and quite possibly shock you. Green was considered as Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book of 2012 and a 2013 Caldecott Honor Book.

Holes

In this wonderfully creative novel, Louis Sachar makes up a puzzle about Stanley Yelnats, a boy who was sent to juvenile detention center (少年管教中心) Camp Green Lake, and forced to dig a hole a day, five feet across in the hard earth of the dried-up lake bed. It is a darkly humorous tale. The book wins the Winner of the National Book Award and was one of the best sellers among children.

1. Who is the author of the book Salt?

A．Helen Frost.	B．Anikwa.
C．Stanley Yelnats.	D．Louis Sachar.

2. What do we know about the book Green?

A．It tells a serious but funny story.

B．It describes different kinds of one color.

C．It talks about friendship in the period of war.

D．It is one of the series by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

3. What do the four books in the text have in common?

A．They are set in modern times.

B．They share the same honor as each other.

C．They don’t sell as well as first published.

D．Their readers are mostly children.