Good readers know that reading isn’t just about knowing words—it’s a way of thinking. Some readers think before, during and after reading. Here are some suggestions that may be of some help.
Think before you read. Before you read the text, ask yourself the questions that why you are reading it and what you want to get from it. Answering the questions will help you choose what words you need to know and what words you can skip or scan.
Think while you are reading. Can you get the meaning of the text without looking up new words in a dictionary? Are there any clues (线索)in the text? A text will often give examples that may help you understand what some of the words mean, let’s take the following sentence for example.
Many large Russian cities such as Chelayabinsk and Irkutsk, have taken steps to protect their culture.
The words “Chelyabinsk”and”Irkutsk” may be new to us, but the sentence tells us that they are examples of_____________
Think after you read. Do you understand the text? What is the main idea of the text? Can you guess the meaning of the new words? Which words do you need to look up? Is the text too easy or too hard for you?
If you practice reading and thinking in this way, you will become a smarter reader and you will learn more, faster and better.
This passage is probably taken from
| A．a newspaper for general readers | B．a magazine for language teachers |
| C．a book for language learners | D．an advertisement for a new book |
Which of the following can best be put in the blank in the passage?
| A．countries | B．mountains | C．rivers | D．cities |
The author of the passage mainly advises that .
| A．we should think before, while and after reading a passage |
| B．we’d better look up every new word in a dictionary |
| C．we should learn to guess the meanings of new words |
| D．the clues in a passage should be made use of |
“Last week,” Dr. P said “I was invited to a doctors’ meeting at the R. Hospital. In one of the rooms a patient, an old man, got up from his bed and moved slowly towards me. I could see that he hadn’t long to live, but he came up to me and placed his right foot close to mine on the floor.”
“Frank!” I cried with surprise. He couldn’t answer as I knew, but he tried to smile, all the time keeping his foot close to mine.
My thoughts raced back more than thirty years—to the dark days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The scene was an air-raid shelter (防空洞), in which I and about a hundred other people slept every night. Among them were Mrs. West and her son Frank, who lived nearby. Sharing wartime problems, we got to know each other very well. Frank interested me because he was not normal (正常的). He had never been normal, ever since he was born. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had less of a mind than a baby has. Mrs. West, then about 75, was a strong, able woman, as she had to be of course, because Frank depended on her completely. He needed all the attention of a baby.
One night a policeman came into our shelter and told Mrs. West that her house had been all destroyed. That wasn’t quite true, because the West went on living there for quite some time. But they certainly lost nearly everything they owned.
When that kind of thing happened, the rest of us helped the unlucky ones. So before we separated (分别) that morning, I stood beside Frank and measured my right foot against his.
They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a spare pair of shoes to the shelter for Frank. As soon as he saw me, he came running—and placed his right foot against mine. After that, he always greeted (问候) me in the same way.How did Dr P know that the patient was Frank?
| A．He was told that Frank was in the hospital. |
| B．He was invited to study Frank’s illness. |
| C．Frank greeted him in a special way. |
| D．Frank’s name was written on the door. |
When and where did Dr. P first meet Frank?
| A．At the R Hospital about ten days before. |
| B．In an air-raid shelter during the war. |
| C．In Mrs. West’s house in 1941. |
| D．In London after the West’s’ house was destroyed. |
The unlucky ones mentioned by the doctor were __________.
| A．those who suffered from illness. |
| B．those who were killed during the war |
| C．those who slept in the air-raid shelter. |
| D．those whose homes were destroyed in air-raids |
Dr. P placed his foot against Fran’s before he left the shelter.
| A．to find out if Frank could put on his shoes |
| B．to be friendly towards Frank |
| C．to see if Frank’s feet were normal |
| D．to teach Frank to greet people in a special way |
Why did Dr P say that Mrs West had to be a strong, able woman?
| A．She was over 75. |
| B．She needed all the attention of a baby. |
| C．She had to give care and thought to her son as to a baby. |
| D．She lost nearly everything in the war. |
Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food , get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.
Proper nutrition is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”(燃料).Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein, like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.
Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality .Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.
Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命).Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.
If everybody, were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.According to the passage,_________.
| A．we should always keep fit |
| B．if we were healthy, we could spend our days in doing things with less sleep |
| C．one can eat a lot to stay in good shape |
| D．one needn't take any exercise if he is healthy |
In order to keep good health, ___________ .
| A．we should eat a lot of sweets |
| B．one needs a large amount of fat |
| C．people should eat according to the foods nutrition |
| D．we must try to sleep now and then |
Eating more and sleeping less________.
| A．can keep healthy |
| B．is no good for you |
| C．gets you more energy |
| D．will keep your personality |
The writer explains ________in this passage.
| A．how to eat |
| B．the importance of doing exercise |
| C．how to keep healthy |
| D．what to eat |
The title of the article should be___________ .
| A．Eating and Exercising |
| B．How Vitamins Work in Man's Body |
| C．Staying Healthy |
| D．Sleeping Well |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize (强调) the importance of relationship building to a greater or less degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”,usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countires--- like the UK or France--- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected may speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realised that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural diffeerences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (多元文化环境)will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.In some countires, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ___________.
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that ______.
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life |
| B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognizing different values |
| D．By speaking each other’s language. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment |
| B．Cross-Cultural Differences |
| C．How to Understand Each Other |
| D．How to Build Up a Relationship |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（灾祸）.People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions （反应）toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their .
| A．cultural values | B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences | D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to buy their products. |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red | B．Green. | C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences |
| D．The Meaning and Function of Color |
Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise with our mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other’s minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animal. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing, Birds can fly thousands miles by observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature’s talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it’s an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not that we don’t have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling(直立的) fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skill? Biologist can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn’t tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history.According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted(认为理所当然) is________.
| A．our ability to use language |
| B．the miracle of technology |
| C．the amazing power of nature |
| D．our ability to make noises with mouth |
What feature of “body language” mentioned in the passage is common to both human and animals?
| A．Lifting heads when sad. |
| B．Keeping long faces when angry. |
| C．Bristling hair when ready to attack. |
| D．Bowing heads when willing to obey. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
| A．Body language is unique to humans. |
| B．Animals express emotions just as humans do. |
| C．Humans have other powers of communication. |
| D．Humans are no different from animals to some degree. |
This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．the development of body language. |
| B．the special role humans play in nature |
| C．the power to convey information to others |
| D．the difference between humans and animals in language use |