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 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What will Adam do in the next two months?

A．Perform some shows.

B．Write a new book.

C．Share stories with fans.

2. What does Adam say about Ramble Book?

A．It tells stories in the 1990s.

B．It is mainly in a funny style.

C．It becomes a best-seller in 2021.

3. When was The Adam and Joe Show played on TV?

A．From 1991 to 1994.

B．From 1994 to 1996.

C．From 1996 to 2001.

4. Where did Adam meet Joe Cornish?

A．At Paris College.

B．At Oxford University.

C．At Westminster School.

3 . This Mother’s Day we asked a handful of children’s book experts and writers which stories and characters come to mind when they think about motherhood.

Runaway Bunny

by Margaret Wise Brown

Since it was first published in 1942, Brown’s Runaway Bunny has never gone out of print. It is pretty much a work of genius! Brown opened the door for parents to feel like they’re reading a story about love and caring about their children while the children are exploring their own individual identity and how close they are or separated they are from the adults in their lives.

Brown Angels: An Album of Pictures and Verse

by Walter Dean Myers

It is a collection of photographs Myers collected over the years. Myers writes, “Seeing their faces scrubbed and beaming and them dressed in their Sunday best makes me think about the hardworking parents and grandparents who have taken time to take care of their children.”

Mommy’s Hometown

by Hope Lim

This story is about a boy and his mother’s trip to her childhood home in Korea. The boy discovers the town is not how he imagined it would be. Mommy’s Hometown starts from the specific lens (镜头) of Korean culture, but has the universal feature of memory and perception.

Happy Dreams, Little Bunny

written and illustrated by Leah Hong

Happy Dreams, Little Bunny is ”a next-generation Runaway Bunny.“ Through a gentle dialogue, it guides us to find peace in our imagination and to grow in autonomy and independence.

1. Which statement of Runaway Bunny is NOT correct?

A．It has been published for 80 years.

B．It is appreciated widely.

C．It will separate adults and children.

D．It can help kids to find their individuality.

2. Whose book is the best choice for a photograph fan?

A．Margaret Wise Brown.	B．Walter Dean Myers.
C．Leah Hong.	D．Hope Lim.

3. What do these books have in common?

A．They all have no pictures.

B．They are all about Korean culture.

C．They all have gentle dialogues.

D．They are all suitable for moms and kids.

4 . “The Road Not Taken” appears as a preface to Frost’s Mountain Interval, which was published in 1916 when Europe was engulfed in World War I; the United States would enter the war a year later. Frost wrote this poem at a time when many men doubted they would ever go back to what they had left.

Actually, Robert Frost wrote “The Road Not Taken” as a joke for a friend, the poet Edward Thomas. When they went walking together. Thomas was habitually indecisive about which road they ought to take and when looking back often regretted that they should, in fact, have taken the other one. Soon after writing the poem in 1915. Frost complained to Thomas that he had read the poem to an audience of college students and that it had been “taken pretty seriously... despite doing my best to make it obvious by my manner that I was fooling. ... It is my fault.” However, Frost liked to make jokes, “I’m never more serious than when joking.”

Indeed, shortly after receiving this poem in a letter, Edward Thomas’s Army was sent to Arras, France, where he was killed two months later. When Frost sent the poem to Thomas, Thomas initially failed to realize that the poem was about him. Instead, he believed it was a serious reflection on the need for decisive action.

Frost was disappointed that the joke fell flat and wrote back insisting that the sigh at the end of the poem was “a mock sigh, hypo-critical for the fun of the thing.” The joke made Thomas angry; Thomas was hurt by this characterization of what he saw as a personal weakness — his indecisiveness, which partly sprang from his paralyzing depression. Thomas warned Frost that most readers would not understand the poem’s playfulness and wrote, “I doubt if you can get anybody to see the fun of the thing without showing them and advising them which kind of laugh they are to turn on.” Edward Thomas was right, and the critic David Orr has referred to “The Road Not Taken” as a poem that “at least in its first few decades came close to being reader-proof.”

1. What did the college students think of the poem?

A．It fooled them.	B．It deserved high praise.
C．It confused them in a manner.	D．It concerned something serious.

2. How did Edward Thomas react to the poem when receiving it?

A．He felt so hurt by it as to go to Arras.	B．He wrote back to criticize its mock sigh.
C．He doubted if anybody could see its fun.	D．He thought it relevant to the situation then.

3. What does the critic David Orr mean by saying “The Road Not Taken ... came close to being reader-proof”?

A．Readers were forbidden from reading the poem.

B．Readers didn’t know who to laugh at in the poem.

C．Readers might fail to appreciate the teasing in the poem.

D．Readers couldn’t appreciate the beauty described in the poem.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Poem Over-interpreted	B．Friendship revealed by a Poem
C．Fun of Rereading a Classic Poem	D．The Secret to Understanding a Poem

5 . If you want to improve your English through reading original English works, here are some recommendations.

Charlotte’s Web

By E. B White

This is a lovely novel that all age groups can understand. Aimed at native English speaking children, there are many adults who still say this famous book is their favorite. This is part of the national curriculum in many schools around the world, so it’s quite possible this book will also come up in conversation. You can almost guarantee that the majority of native English speakers have read this book at least once.

The Outsiders

By S. E. Hinton

This short novel is perfect for EFI learners. It has modern themes and typical teenage issues that people around the world have experienced. There are very few cultural notes in this, which means you don’t need much background information. The sentences are short and easy to understand. The vocabulary is also very easy. You should be able to read this book without difficulty.

Number the Stars

By Lois Lowry

This is a realistic novel. It is based on history. Unlike other historical literature, it’s easy to understand. If you already know a lot of information about World War II, this might be an interesting book for you. It’s not recommended if you don’t know too much about the World Wars. In this case, you will be focusing on trying to understand the facts too much so you will not enjoy the book as much.

Thirteen Reasons Why

By Jay Asher

This story take place in the present, which means the writer writes using simple grammar. ”All sentences are short and the vocabulary is relatively easy. The interesting grammar and short paragraphs make this a quick and easy book for ESI learners. This is an award-winning book and on New York Times best book list, so it is worth a read.

1. Which book had you better avoid reading if you don’t know too much about history?

A．Charlotte’s Web.

B．The Outsiders.

C．Number the Stars.

D．Thirteen Reasons Why.

2. Which books are perfect for a foreigner to learn English?

A．Charlotte’s Web and The Outsiders.	B．The Outsiders and Thirteen Reasons Why.
C．Thirteen Reasons Why and Number the Stars.	D．Charlotte’s Web and Number the Stars.

3. What do the four novels have in common?

A．All of them are designed for children.	B．All of them are easy to understand.
C．All of them are award-winning books.	D．All of them have modern themes.

6 . If having to make a choice between reading an e-book and a printed book, which would most people choose? Some would go for an e-book while some still prefer the hard-printed book.

Undoubtedly, e-books do have benefits. Firstly, changes to an electronic publication are relatively easy to make. They are quicker to obtain. E-books are more easily updated. The printed books on many subjects can become outdated very quickly. Secondly, e-books can be easily and quickly kept up to date. You usually get far more than just the e-books. Most e-books are sold with bonuses and related information that usually do not come with the purchase of a printed book. Moreover, they take up less space. Instead of a big library, you can fit literally thousands of books on your computer. It also makes it easier to share this information with families and friends.

For nearly twenty years, additionally, futurists have been predicting the development of printed books. The conventional view has been that digital e-books are on the verge of replacing paper books. However, this has not been the case. A printed book has its advantages too. Firstly, it is an object that can be carried and used alone. It needs no electric outlet (插座), no batteries, nothing. Secondly, e-books will always require some forms of support that the printed book does not need.

I believe that the online publishing has not taken off because people want real books. What is being published online more and more are pamphlets (小册子) and things that really do not need to be in print. These are stuff that people throw away afterward. More often, people do not want to read a book on the computer. What could be better than a paper book? It lasts a long time. These books are designed to last a long time without disappearing.

To sum up, there is no denying that the printed book is still very much preferred over its digital cousins. Reading electronic publications is just not the same when it comes to books. People are still very interested in real books and notebooks.

1. What can we know about an e-book?

A．It will never be out of date.	B．It always gives you an added bonus.
C．It can deliver information quickly.	D．It has taken the place of printed books.

2. Which statement would futurists probably agree with?

A．Printed books will disappear.	B．Printed books can be used alone.
C．E-books have many restrictions.	D．E-books have no drawbacks.

3. What is one cause of the failed online publishing?

A．The low demand for book industry.	B．The expectations from people.
C．The guidance of policy.	D．The desire for the printed books.

4. What does the author think of the future of the printed book?

A．Hopeless.

B．Unpredictable.

C．Costly.

D．Promising.

7 . This year we had kids and caregivers in mind. So here are some favorite books for kids picked by readers and expert judges to while away the hours at home.

The Snowy Day

－by Ezra Jack Keats

One morning, a little boy in Brooklyn wakes up to a changed world - shining with fresh snowfall. Young Peter is black.Author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats was white,but his sensitive description of a child's first experience with snow won the Caldecott Medal and was embraced by parents and children of all colors. (For ages 0 to 2)

Dreamers

－by Yuyi Morales

Yuyi Morales was born in Mexico and came to America with her baby boy in 1999. She builds that experience into a poetic praise for the immigrant experience - for learning a new life and language and for the dreams, hopes and talents immigrants bring to the USA.(For ages 4 to 8)

Hidden Figures

－by Margot Lee Shetterly and Laura Freeman

Margot Lee Shetterly adapts her groundbreaking book about Black female mathematicians at NASA for young readers, with illustrations by Laura Freeman. A great pick for any future mathematician or astronaut.(For ages 4 to 8)

Wells&Wong Mysteries

－by Robin Stevens

Best friends Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong do what any ambitious young women at boarding school would do: They form a detective agency and quickly run up against their first real case when Hazel finds the body of their science teacher on the gymnasium floor.

(For ages 10 and up)

1. Which writer is an award winner?

A．Ezra Jack Keats.	B．Yuyi Morales.
C．Margot Lee Shetterly.	D．Robin Stevens.

2. Which book is suitable for those who love detective stories?

A．The Snowy Day.	B．Dreamers.
C．Hidden Figures.	D．Wells &Wong Mysteries.

3. What do Dreamers and Hidden Figures have in common?

A．The way they are created.	B．The authors’ experiences.
C．The ages of the potential readers.	D．The theme they try to convey.

8 . On Feb. 19, the same day Harper Lee passed away, the world lost another literary giant. He was 84-year-old Umberto Eco, an Italian writer, whose masterpiece The Name of the Rose won him international fame when it was published in 1980. The novel sold more than 10 million copies in about 30 languages and was made into a movie in 1986 starring British actor Sean Connery.

A USA Today obituary (讣告) thus describes: “Eco was an author of books ranging from novels to scholarly books to essay collections; Eco was enthusiastic about the obscure as well as ordinary daily life; As a scholar, critic and novelist, he also did research on the mysterious theory of semiotics-the study of signs and symbols in language and the technical languages of the Internet.

The Name of the Rose can be seen as a much more complicated version of US writer Dan Brown’s popular novel The Da Vinci Code. The book is set in a 14th century Italian Monastery (修道院) where monks are being murdered one by one in terrible manners. Two monks who travel to the monastery try to solve the murders. The book’s mystery develops around a complex-designed library and a lost Aristotle’s book on comedy.

Although the novel is full of Latin phrases and devotes many pages to analysis of Christian beliefs and ancient philosophy, it’s a fascinating detective thriller.

Eco also wrote some harsh literary criticism. He once wrote that “books always speak of other books, and every story tells a story that has already been told”.

1. What can we learn about The Name of the Rose?

A．It earned Harper Lee worldwide reputation.

B．It featured the main character Sean Connery.

C．It was translated into no more than 30 versions.

D．It had its film adaptation following the book’s publication.

2. From the USA Today obituary, which of the following can be inferred?

A．Eco not only wrote novels but also some dramas.

B．Eco was merely interested in ordinary daily life.

C．Eco was an expert in the Internet.

D．Eco was more than a novelist.

3. What does the book The Name of the Rose describe?

A．A story copied from the novel The Da Vinci Code.

B．Chain murdering in an Italian Monastery.

C．A long-lost ownerless book.

D．A complex-designed library.

4. What does the underlined quote said by Eco imply?

A．Stories are far from reality.	B．Creativity is hard to come by.
C．Some books are well worth reading.	D．Writers need to polish their language.

9 . From the ancient Chinese stories, to the stories in the medieval cathedrals（中世纪的教堂）in the west, it is perfectly clear that there is strong pleasure and meaning to gain from stories told through images or pictures. People are lucky enough to have had books with both pictures and words when they were children.    1    .

After the world wars, the cheap books without pictures were everywhere and it made reading books illustrated with pictures for adults a very luxurious thing. Somehow, pictures had also come to seem childish or strange.    2    Just as the ever-increasing popularity of the graphic novel（连环画小说）suggests, works both words and pictures are regarded as classics.

    3    In fact the former develops from the latter. Early writing systems such as those in Egypt and China: things in the world were expressed in written form by drawing special pictures.       4    In some languages, the sound associated with an image are separated from its original meaning.

What is the use of a book without pictures? Very little, it turns out, particularly if we consider that pictures are buried within the very symbols used to write words. As for a picture book for adults, author Tokarczuk sweeps away all doubts. She adores the picture book.    5    This kind of story is able to get through to anyone – regardless of age, cultural differences or level of education. It’s hard to disagree.

A．Because it is hard to read books with pictures.

B．And yet readers love stories told through pictures.

C．However, words and pictures are not always connected.

D．Text and picture, after all, are not so far apart.

E．For her it is a powerful, old way of telling a story.

F．Adults are thought foolish to read such books.

G．They often remember the pictures as clearly as the words.

10 . 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。

By 1972, Lonely Planet founders Tony and Maureen Wheeler     1     (complete) a life-changing journey from London to Australia, and written a booklet about a portion of it: Across Asia on the Cheap. As they sat in     2     Italian restaurant tasting a few glasses of wine, they tried to dream up the name for     3     (they) new publishing company.

“Once while travelling across the sky,” said Tony,     4     (repeat) the lyrics to the song Space Captain, as sung by Joe Cocker, “this lonely planet caught my eye.” The correct words were actually “lovely planet”,     5     somehow “lonely planet” stuck… and here we are today.

Our hippy-era name must never have sounded     6     (suitable) than it does right now, if your passion for travel     7     (contain) as you avoid mixing with others. I’m so glad we can deliver you some much-needed mental escapism with this issue: to transport you between the     8     (place) and people we hope you’ll soon be encountering in person again.

Let me finish my speech by saying thank you     9     my happy and highly creative team,     10     good humour and spirit of adventure I’ve so appreciated all these years.