1 . Sometimes a book comes along that isn’t just “interesting” or “well done”— it’s a book where it seems like the author looked into your brain and wrote a book specifically for you. A book like that for me was released this week. It’s called 100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet, written by editor Pamela Paul.
Paul lists 100 things we used to do that the Internet has either changed or taken over completely: writing letters, print newspapers, the joys of being bored, and not having all the knowledge in the world in your pocket.
As I’m a longtime accumulator of random knowledge, certain entries on the list—Being the Only One, Figuring Out Who That Actor is—hit me where live; remembering detailed facts is no longer nearly as impressive when everyone has the capability to find the answer in seconds.
On and on the list goes, with every minor shift adding to the pile. What this book does so well is illustrate the growth of that pile; while any individual item might be no big deal, the collected set is significant. It’s a list of ways in which the world now is different from the world then.
Obviously, Paul isn’t saying that everything back then was better. Time marches on, after all. and it’s tough to argue against the many benefits that the Internet has brought into our lives. But that isn’t really the point. It’s not about whether it used to be better. It’s that it used to be different.
100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet is a fun read for those of us who share some of Paul’s memories and experiences. We remember what it was like and we like to remember. The landscape has shifted, and no doubt it will shift again as technology’s advancement continues apace. This book serves as a reminder of the simple truth that when gains are made, sometimes something is lost.
1. What is the purpose of the text?| A．To review and recommend a good read. |
| B．To comment on the effect of the Internet. |
| C．To argue for the viewpoint of a new book. |
| D．To urge the readers to value what they have. |
| A．Maps and Eye Contact. |
| B．E-pay and Compact Disks. |
| C．Postcards and Homeschooling |
| D．Bad Photos and Washing Machines. |
| A．Prove what I’m good at. |
| B．Introduce how I grew up. |
| C．Describe the place I live in. |
| D．Speak out what is on my mind. |
| A．Things in the past are better. |
| B．There’re no gains without pains. |
| C．The internet is a double-edged sword. |
| D．Technology is constantly changing the world. |
2 . “In time, we will put our eyes to this light and see that these people are the peers of nature. And forgivingly, when they appear we will lift up our song and sing, and say we cannot praise too much of any single thing.” It may read like poetry, but these lines weren’t composed by a poet — they were written by an artificial intelligence (AI).
It appeared in early December on the face of the UK Pavilion (展馆) at Expo 2020 in Dubai, and it was created from a single word chosen by a visitor to the pavilion, which was then fed to an AI that had previously been trained with millions of lines of poetry. The result forms part of a “Collective Message” — a continuous poetry shown on the bar screens arranged in a circle at one end of the cone-shaped (锥形) pavilion, which was designed by Es Devlin, a British artist whose previous works includes stage sets for the London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony. She is the first female designer of a UK pavilion since the Expo started in 1851.
Devlin’s inspiration to create Collective Message came from famed scientist Stephen Hawking. In 2015, three years before his death, he approved a competition in which people were invited to submit a potential message for an advanced alien civilization, with the goal of meaningfully representing mankind and our planet.
In a similar way, visitors to the pavilion are encouraged to send a message to the AI and acknowledge the role that AI plays in our lives. “We don’t want this thing just to be like a museum with lots of different exhibits, and we really want something that visitors could engage with,” says Stuart Bradbury of creative agency Avantgarde, “The AI was created specifically for this project, many AI experts and social organizations, including the Poetry Archive, the Poetry Society and the Scottish Poetry Library, worked with developers to train and improve AI output over six months, and we think we’ve created something really special.”
1. Who is the designer of the Collective Message?| A．Stephen Hawking. | B．Stuart Bradbury. |
| C．Es Devlin. | D．Poetry Archive. |
| A．To introduce the theme of the Expo 2020. |
| B．To popularize the world-famous scientist. |
| C．To state the source of inspiration for this project. |
| D．To increase the authority of the design of the pavilion. |
| A．Es Devlin is the first female artist in British history. |
| B．Es Devlin is as well known as Stephen Hawking. |
| C．All visitors acknowledged the role that AI plays in their lives. |
| D．The AI had been previously trained with millions of lines of poetry. |
| A．Creative inspiration is everywhere. |
| B．Visitors are encouraged to compose poems. |
| C．Poems written by a computer light up the UK Pavilion at Expo Dubai. |
| D．An AI that can write poems was created successfully. |
3 . Are you struggling to find reading materials for your kids? You can try these books.
Johnny Catching Fire
By Aaron Allen
www. xlibris. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$22. 99 | $16. 99 | $3. 99
Johnny somehow gets the strength of super power. Now, he must decide whether to use his power for good or to get even with those who played tricks on him. Young readers can be inspired to think about the choice of life. To forgive? Or the other way around?
The Unequal Twins
By Sylva Kanderal
www. xlibris. com
Hardback |Paperback | E-book
$28.99 | $16.99 | $3.99
What if …the twins Ava and Zoe, who could hardly be distinguished from each other visually and who could not have been more different in character, had to go through severe envy, jealousy, and hate? Where does that road lead to? To a total loss of their connection, or are they finding the lost path to each other again?
How to Help Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be
By Pam Grewall
www. iuniverse. com
Hardback | Paperback | E-book
$23.99 | $13.99 | $3.99
This self-improvement book offers a simple handbook to help kids recognize their strengths and weaknesses and understand how to make their own destiny.
Quotes from the Quiver
By Dante P. Galiber, MD, FACC
www. authorhouse. com
Hardback | Paperback|E-book
$43.99 | $22.99 | $3.99
Inspired by time, space, and human interaction, this collection offers a series of original and thought-provoking ideas and quotations designed to uplift and enlighten young readers.
1. Which book mentions a teenager’s super power?| A．The Unequal Twins. |
| B．Johnny Catching Fire. |
| C．Quotes from the Quiver. |
| D．How to Help Yourself to Be Who You Want to Be. |
| A．$28.99. | B．$36.98. |
| C．$43.99. | D．$7.98. |
| A．They are designed to inspire young readers. |
| B．They help readers to understand adulthood better. |
| C．They help kids recognize their strengths and weaknesses. |
| D．They provide quotations to uplift and enlighten people. |
4 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
While English speakers look back to the time of Shakespeare and Milton 400 years ago as a Golden age, Chinese look back far
A key feature of Chinese poetry is
Amazing 48, 000 poems have survived from the many Tang dynasty poets. After the Tang, poets struggled
Many poems contain specific events from Chinese history, and that makes understanding these poems
6 . "My Best Teacher Ever" Contest（竞赛）
Essay（文章）Topic
Who was/is your best teacher ever? What makes him or her the best?
Contestant
The contest is open to all students.
Word: not more than 300
Essays will be judged on the following criteria（标准）by Readers editorial staff（工作人员）:
•originally, creativity﹣﹣﹣40 percent
•clarity of presentation﹣﹣﹣40 percent
•grammar, punctuation, spelling﹣﹣﹣20 percent
Contest Deadline （最后期限）
Entries must be postmarked on or before April 26,2020,or mailed by EST on that date. Email your entry with attached essay and entry information to web﹣contest@readers.com or mail your entry with attached entry form to this address:
Readers Publishing My Best Teacher Ever Contest
Attn: Anne Flounders 44 South Broadway, 18th Floor White Plains, NY 10601
Prizes
Winning students will win a $50 gift card and may have their essays published on readers. com. Winning essays will be announced on May 7, 2020, on readers. com and winners will be told directly.
1. Essays will be judged on the following criteria EXCEPT________.| A．punctuation | B．creativity | C．presentation | D．handwriting |
| A．should have a total of 300 words at least | B．can't have any mistakes in grammar |
| C．should be mailed on or before April 26, 2020 | D．will be judged by some best teachers |
| A．will be given $50 in cash | B．may have your essay published online |
| C．will be told of your success online | D．can have the Readers magazine for free |
7 . The Middler
by Kirsty Applebaum
Eleven-year-old Maggie lives in Fennis Wick, enclosed and protected from the outside world. Her brother Jed is the eldest, a hero. Her younger brother is Trig—everyone loves Trig. But Maggie's just a middler； she is left behind. In this book, we experience the sadness of being the forgotten middle child, the child with no voice, even in her own family.
Dennis in Jurassic Bark
by Nigel Auchterlounie
Beanotown is in trouble again, and this time the danger is Jurassic! Dennis， latest adventure is filled with fun, including Vikings, Victorians and soon, along with puzzles for you to finish. Can you help Dennis save Beanotown from the prehistoric invasion?
Little Book for Big Changes
by Karen Ng and Kirsten Liepmann
Including more than 100 activities, try-outs, games, puzzles and tips, Little Book for Big Changes offers fun and creative ways to bring people together to help change the world. Understand more about big problems in the world such as inequality and climate change, and be empowered to help make the world a better place.
The Saga of Erik the Viking
by Terry Jones
In this illustrated story, Erik the Viking sets out with his trusty team of men in search of the land where the Sun goes at night. On his journey, he will meet adventures that will put his courage to the test.
1. Who told a story about an unseen child in a family?| A．Terry Jones. | B．Kirsty Applebaum. |
| C．Nigel Auchterlounie. | D．Karen Ng and Kirsten Liepmann. |
| A．The Middler. | B．Little Book for Big Changes. |
| C．Dennis in Jurassic Bark. | D．The Saga of Erik the Viking. |
| A．It is about two people. | B．It is an adventure book. |
| C．It has pictures inside to help kids read. | D．It teaches kids to care for the world. |
