Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to send information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetable and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal English in biography(传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too, many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is the informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also the formal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you enjoy using it.We can find the introduction to a product in ___________.
A.part 1 | B.Part 2 | C.Part 3 | D.Part 4 |
Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
A.A letter of complaint. | B.A computer handbook. |
C.A letter of a friend. | D.A story of a president. |
What is the best title of the book?
A.Test Your Reading | B.Help with Your Writing |
C.Learn Different Kinds of English | D.Practise English in Different Ways |
When something goes wrong,it can be very satisfying to say,“Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late,but it’s not my fault;the car broke down.” It is probably not your fault,but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation,you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stop on for success.According to the passage, winners .
A.deal with problems rather than blame others |
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
C.have responsible and able colleagues |
D.blame themselves rather that others |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .
A.ask a more able colleague for help |
B.blame him for his lack of responsibility |
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem |
D.find a better way to handle the problem |
When problems occur, winners take them as
A.excuses for their failures |
B.barriers to greater power |
C.challenges to their colleagues |
D.chances for self-development |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.A Winner’s Problem. | B.A Winner’s Secret. |
C.A Winner’s Opportunity. | D.A Winner’s Achievement. |
One of the greatest warriors(勇士) of history, Genghis Kahn, came from the Mongolian people. He controlled many countries in Asia and Europe because of his bravery and leadership in battle. This time period was known as the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th and 14th centuries.
Genghis decided to go hunting one day and many of his warriors went with him. Genghis had his favorite hawk on his wrist. The hawk was trained to fly high in the air to look for game like deer, rabbits or wild birds. When his bird flew to the ground, Genghis would follow it and shoot the wild game with his arrows. It was his favorite hobby.
This particular day, game was hard to find. Toward evening, Genghis sent all the men home and decided to go another way by himself. He even let his hawk go, thinking it would fly home as well. He became thirsty so he stopped by some rocks where he noticed water was dripping. He took a cup from his pack and filled it slowly. When he put it to his mouth, he was surprised for his hawk came and spilled (使溅出) all the water in his cup.
He thought this was very unusual so he filled the cup again. The hawk rushed down and knocked the cup free from his hand. Genghis was now thirsty and angry. As he filled the cup a fourth time, he drew his sword to stop the bird interrupting him. As the bird flew down, Genghis killed it but his cup fell deep into the rocks in the scuffle (扭打).
He decided to crawl up the rock of the mountain to find the source of the water. He found a pool and noticed a huge poisonous snake was dead in the water. He realized the hawk had saved his life. His anger had caused him to kill his favorite bird. In his despair (绝望), he promised to make sure of everything before he would become angry again.This passage may most probably be found in _____.
A.a story book | B.a newspaper | C.a magazine | D.a guide book |
When the hawk tried to stop Genghis, he thought his hawk was trying to ____.
A.save him | B.bother him | C.help him | D.comfort him |
Which of the following is not TRUE according to the passage?
A.Genghis Kahn took up many countries because he was a brave and great leader. |
B.The hawk devoted its life in order to save Genghis Kahn from being poisoned. |
C.The snake was dead because it drank the water of the pool in the mountain. |
D.Genghis Kahn was so thirsty that he decided to look for the source of the water. |
What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
A.One should never act while thinking. | B.One had better not act before thinking. |
C.One must act when thinking. | D.One would act without thinking. |
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides. Following the rules, planning your next move and acting as a team member are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating (合作) .
Many children’s games have a practical side Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones, which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调)needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life. Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to ________.
A.be a team leader | B.obey the basic rules |
C.act as a grown-up | D.predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can________.
A.describe life in an exciting way |
B.turn real-life experiences into a play |
C.make learning life skills more interesting |
D.change people’s views of sporting events |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
A.It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
B.It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
C.It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
D.It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.
A.bring fun to poor kids |
B.provide soccer balls for children |
C.give poor kids a chance for a better life |
D.appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
Reading is the key to success in all school subjects. With a bit of creativity, you can help your child enjoy reading more, and encourage him to do more!
Buy or borrow a lot of “fun” books. Choose books that are slightly below his level of reading ability. Don’t forget what your child likes to do when choosing books for him. Don’t comment about the books. Simply leave the books lying on the table where your child is sure to see them. Computer games are not as harmful as most parents usually think them to be. Instead, you should take advantage of your child’s love of computer games to purchase those that require a lot of reading and avoid those that are simply computerized video games.
Buy your child a bedside reading lamp, or a tiny book light. Tell him that from now on, he must be in bed by a specific time (say 8:30) and that he can either sleep or read. Most kids will do anything else rather than go to sleep, so there’s a chance you’ll create a new bedtime reading habit.
Many children will read when they are sitting alone having a snack, or when they have a few minutes of unplanned free time. Put a box of books and magazines near the kitchen table so that reading material is available.
Often, once children learn to read independently, parents stop reading to them. This change of routine causes great sadness to a child who has come to love falling asleep as you read. Even a teenager will enjoy being read to if you pick books that interest him. Select books together, and make sure they’re ones you enjoy as well, so your enjoyment will come through as you read to them.
To make children become interested in reading, parents should _______.
A.choose books based on their interest |
B.tell them what they can learn from these books |
C.choose the easiest books for them to read |
D.always read books together with them |
Which of the following is NOT what parents are advised to do?
A.Pick the right computer games. | B.Reduce children’s sleeping time. |
C.Have reading material available. | D.Read to children when possible. |
What attitude do most parents hold towards children playing computer games?
A.Supportive. | B.Doubtful. | C.Negative. | D.Neutral (中立的). |
The main idea of the passage is to ________.
A.help children succeed in school subjects |
B.give parents advice on how to educate children |
C.remind parents of the importance of reading |
D.teach parents how to encourage children to read |
When my grandmother was raising me in Stamps, Arkansas, she had a particular routine(惯例)when people who were known to be whiners entered her store. My grandmother would ask the customer, “How are you doing today, Thomas?”
The person would reply, “Not so good today, Henderson. You see, it’s this summer heat. I just hate it. It just makes me tired. It’s almost killing me.’ Then my grandmother would stand calmly, her arms folded, and say, “Uh-huh, uh-huh.”
As soon as the complainer was out of the store, my grandmother would call me to stand in front of her. Then she would say the same thing she had said at least a thousand times, it seemed to me. “Jane, did you hear what so-and-so complained about?” And I would nod. Grandmother would continue, “Jane, there are people who went to sleep all over the world last night, poor and rich and black and white, but they will never wake again. Those dead people would give anything, anything at all for just five minutes of this weather that person was complaining about. So you watch yourself about complaining, Jane. What you’re supposed to do when you don’t like a thing is change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. Don’t complain.”
I have learned a lot from my grandmother. Her opinions always hit the nail on the head. Whining is not only impolite, but can be dangerous.
The underlined word “whiners” in paragraph 1 refers to those people who ________.
A.think little of themselves | B.enter a store regularly |
C.are afraid of hot weather | D.complain often |
From what the author’s grandmother said, we can infer that ________.
A.she tried to comfort the wh![]() |
B.she was impolite to the whiners |
C.she was against whining | D.she shared the whiners’ opinions |
The author’s grandmother told her to ________.
A.be sympathetic(同情) to the dead | B.treasure(珍惜)every moment of her life |
C.keep away from the whiners | D.get used to things she disliked |
What is the purpose of the author in writing the passage?
A.To show that complaining is not only rude but harmful. |
B.To tell us a story about her grandmother. |
C.To show how to live one’s life to the fullest. |
D.To tell us people’s different attitudes towards complaining. |