Guo Liqin, 24, works as a primary school teacher in a distant area in Yunnan Province. The Internet offers him the latest news and entertainment from the outside world. And many people like him also depends on the online libraries for the free literature(文学) reading.
A survey in China last year found the online literature is the biggest growth area of Internet entertainment.
Reading for free is also popular in other countries. See what solutions other countries are taking.
Public Libraries
In countries such as Germany, Canada, and the UK, governments pay the authors to have their books in public libraries.
The pay is different from country to country. Some pay according to how many times a book has been borrowed; others pay according to whether the library has bought the book or not.
Google Books
Google Books allow users to see some free parts before buying them.
The author can choose to make from 20% to 100% of the book’s content(内容) for free reading . But you can see a full view of books that are out of copyright(版权).
E-magazines
E-magazines are usually about pop culture, and make money through advertisements. The writers are usually paid by the numbers of words they write.
Digital Library
There are many free online libraries of books which are no longer in copyright.
American and European websites offer classic(古典的) literature and non-fiction texts like dictionaries for download in different languages.Guo Liqin depends on for free reading.
| A．online libraries | B．city bookstores | C．school libraries | D．borrowing books |
From the passage we know other countries are taking solutions for reading for free.
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
In some countries, the authors are paid by to have their books in public libraries.
| A．advertisements | B．readers | C．governments | D．the word numbers |
Google Books and Digital Library allow users to read the full books .
| A．which are out of copyright | B．which are in copyright |
| C．which are about pop culture | D．which have some free parts |
The best title of the passage is .
| A．Enjoy Reading | B．Learn How to Read |
| C．The Importance of Reading | D．How to Read for Free |
Culture UK： Bristol
Chocolate!
The first chocolate bar in the world was created in Fry's， a company in Bristol． Joseph Fry invented the delicious treat around the year 1720． Fry's also produced the first chocolate Easter egg in the UK in 1873． The company continues to produce chocolates and sweets to this day．
Balloon Festival
The Bristol Belle was the first modern hot﹣air balloon in Western Europe and was developed and built in 1967． The Bristol International Balloon Festival is held every summer in the city， and is Europe's biggest hot﹣air balloon event．
（3）
According to a new study， Bristol is the UK's most musical place， with the biggest number of musicians among the population． It's well﹣known for giving birth to the trip﹣hop scene in the 1990s． Its multicultural（多元文化的）population has really influenced the sounds of the Bristol music scene．
Famous people
JK Rowling
J．K． Rowling was born and brought up in Chipping Sodbury， just outside Bristol． It is said that she invented her famous character Harry Potter after meeting a young boy named Ian Potter in the village where she grew up．
Banksy
Banksy is a graffiti artist local to Bristol． He is famous all over the world for his street art． Some of his pieces have been sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds． Many Hollywood pop stars and famous people love to collect his work．
（1）What does Fry's produce？
（2）What can people see every summer in the sky of Bristol？
（3）Please give a title in English for Paragraph 3． （In no more than FIVE words．）
（4）Is Ian Potter an invented character or a real person？
（5）What is Banksy well﹣known for？
|
Dear Mr. Scott， I expect you may be slightly surprised to receive a letter from your next﹣door neighbor， but I have to raise a theme that it will be easier for me to discuss in writing． You may have noticed that I have a line of apple trees running along the fence（栅栏）that separates our two gardens． You may also have felt happy when you see your two children sitting on your grass by the fence． And you may also have noticed that my apple trees bend over the fence and seem to look down at your children with interest． It is only natural that your children should sometimes seem to return that interest． And it is quite legal（合法的）for them to show that interest by picking all the apples that hang over on your side of the fence． But to tell you the truth， Mr. Scott， I am tired of seeing your children， day after day， destroy the branches of every one of my apple trees． And it seems that a war has been fought on one side of my apple trees． Besides， I am more tired of waking up on these fine autumn mornings to find even the apples on MY side of the fence much less in number． I know this too is the work of your children， since last night I was woken at midnight by the noise they were making when climbing one of my trees， and （as they may have told you） I drove them away． Yours sincerely， Becky Aldrin |
（1）What is this？
A． A complaint letter．
B． An invitation letter．
C． A thank﹣you letter．
D． A recommendation letter．
（2）Which season was it？
A． Spring．
B． Summer．
C． Autumn．
D． Winter．
（3）What did the two children do last night？
A． They sat on the grass．
B． They ran along the fence．
C． They destroyed the branches．
D． They climbed an apple tree．
（4）How was Becky Aldrin when she wrote this letter？
A． Polite but serious．
B． Surprised but happy．
C． Angry and rude．
D． Tired and uninterested．
（5）What did Becky Aldrin wish Mr. Scott to do next？
A． Be kind to his neighbour
B． Make friends with his children．
C． Have a talk with his children．
D． Grow apple trees in his garden．
Martina looked out of the window． A robin was singing a lively song in the tree． At this time， Grandpa， who lived with the family since Grandma had died， came in． He looked at the floor as if looking for something． He said， "When the robin sings…" he stopped， trying to remember what he had started to say．
"Spring is here，" Mum finished the sentence． "And I'm thinking of our spring cleaning，" Mum suggested． "Martina， you can help me， right？" Martina agreed unwillingly．
They cleaned the house． They cleaned upstairs， downstairs， inside， outside， until everything was clean． Then Mum pointed to Grandpa's sofa and shouted． "That old sofa has got to go． We'll buy Grandpa a new one．"
It was true and Martina had to agree． The sofa was really old． As they tried to move the sofa， Grandpa stood in their way． "You can't take my sofa，" he shouted．
"It's old，" Mum said． Grandpa tried to push his sofa back into place． "We'll buy you a new one，" Mum promised．
"I don't want a new one，" Grandpa insisted． Mum let go of the sofa． "We'll talk about it tonight when John gets home．" John， Martina's dad， was still at work．
"Why don't you let us take away the sofa？ It's too old!" Martina asked when the family were having supper． Grandpa shook his head and said， "I sat in this sofa， with your grandma right here， when I asked her to marry me． It was so long ago， but when I sit in this sofa and close my eyes I feel she is near．"
"It's amazing，" Martina thought， "how Grandpa can remember things from the past． These days he forgets almost everything．"
The old man smiled to Martina and went on． "And the night your father was born， I sat in this sofa． I was nervous when they placed the little baby into my arms．"
"I think I'm beginning to understand，" Martina said． "Many years later，" Grandpa continued， "I sat in this sofa when the doctor called and told me that your grandma was ill． I was lost without her， but the sofa gave me the comfort．"
"I do see now，" Martina looked at Grandpa． "This is not just an old sofa． This sofa is more like a friend．" "Yes，" Grandpa added． "We've got through a lot together．" The whole family agreed that the living room would be boring without the old sofa．
（1）What is a robin？
A． A bird．
B． A cat．
C． A fish．
D． A worm．
（2）What was Grandpa like these days？
A． Careless．
B． Impatient．
C． Organized．
D． Forgetful．
（3）Who was "the little baby" in Paragraph 9？
A． Martina．
B． Martina's dad．
C． Martina's mum．
D． Martina's uncle．
（4）What's the best title for this passage？
A． Martina's wish
B． A spring cleaning
C． A happy family
D． The old sofa
Every morning， millions of people in China do Tai﹣chi． It is popular with women and men． Tai﹣chi is a good kind of exercise for old people． It is good for the body and for the mind． It is healthy and relaxing． Tai﹣chi is from China． It is hundreds of years old． Tai﹣chi is a "soft" martial art（武术）．That means it is slow and calm．
There are also "hard" martial arts． Shaolin Kung﹣fu， for example， which has a history of over 1，500years， is a "hard" martial art． It is fast and dangerous． You have to be very fit and strong to do "hard" martial arts．
In Beijing， Master Li Yu is teaching Shaolin Kung﹣fu to thirty young students， three of whom come from abroad． "Shaolin Kung﹣fu is difficult，" said Li Yu． "You must practise every move many times．"
Sports like football and basketball are also popular in China． But martial arts like Tai﹣chi and Kung﹣fu are part of Chinese culture and history．
（1）How many types of martial arts does this passage tell us？
A． Only one．
B． Two．
C． Three．
D． Four．
（2）What is Master Li Yu teaching？
A． Tai﹣chi．
B． Shaolin Kung﹣fu．
C． Football．
D． Basketball．
（3）Which sentence is TRUE according to the passage？
A． It is easy to learn Shaolin Kung﹣fu．
B． Men like Tai﹣chi better than women do．
C． Tai﹣chi has a shorter history than Shaolin Kung﹣fu．
D． People must be very healthy and strong to do Tai﹣chi．
My father was German， but he Worked in England． He married my mother， who was English． Her family name was Robinson， so when I was born in 1632， in England， they called me Robinson， after her．
My father did well in his business and I went to a good school． He wanted me to get a good job， and live a quiet， pleasant life． But I wanted adventure and an exciting life．
"I want to be a sailor and go to sea"， I told my mother and father． They were very unhappy about this．
"Please don't go． "my father said， "You won't be happy you know． Sailors have a difficult and dangerous life． "and because I love him， and he was unhappy， I tried to forget about the sea．
But I couldn't forget， and about a year later， I saw a friend in town． His father had a Ship and my friend said to me，" we are sailing to London tomorrow． Why don't you come with us？"
On September 1st， 1651， I went to Hull and the next day we sailed for London．
But， a few days later， there was a strong wind． The sea was rough and dangerous， and the ship went up and down up and down． I was very ill， and was very afraid．
"Oh， I don't want to die!" I cried，" I want to live! If I live， I will go home and never go to sea again!"
The next day the wind stopped， and the sea was quiet and beautiful again．
"Well， Robinson，" my friend laughed，" How do you feel now？ The wind wasn't too bad．"
"What!" I cried． "It was a terrible storm．"
"Oh， that wasn't a storm， "my friend answered， "just a little wind． Forget it， come and have a drink．"
After a few drinks with my friend， I felt better． I forgot about the danger， and decided not to go home． I didn't want my friend and family to laugh at me!
I stayed in London for some time， but I still， wanted to go to the sea． So， when the captain（船长）of a ship ask me to go with him to Guinea in Africa， I agreed， And so I went to the sea for the second time．
It was a good ship， and everything went well at first， but I was very ill again． Then when we were near the Canary Islands， a Turkish pirate（海盗）ship came after us． They were famous thieves of the sea at that time． There was a long， hard fight， but when it finished， we and the ship were prisoners． The Turkish captain and his men took us to Sallee in Morocco． They wanted to sell us as slaves（奴隶）in the market． But in the end， the Turkish captain decided to keep me for himself， and took me home with him． This was a sudden and terrible change in my life． This Turkish captain was now my master．
（1）Why did Robinson forget about the sea at the beginning？
A． Because he had no money to own a ship．
B． Because he hasted to live a dangerous life．
C． Because he wanted to make his parents happy．
D． Because he looked forward to getting a good job．
（2）Which is the right time order of what happened in the story？
a． One of Robinson's friends invited him to sail to London．
b． The Turkish captain took Robinson home．
c． A captain asked Robinson to go with him to Guinea．
d． Robinson drank with his friend．
e． A long and hard fight happened．
A． a﹣d﹣c﹣e﹣b
B． d﹣a﹣c﹣e﹣b
C． a﹣c﹣b﹣e﹣d
D． d﹣c﹣a﹣b﹣e
（3）What did Robinson think of his sea journey？
A． Everything was fine
B． The sea was quiet all the time
C． The wind was weak
D． Sea life was dangerous at times
（4）Who took Robinson to Sallee in Morocco？
A． the Turkish Captain
B． his friend
C． the captain of a ship
D． his father
（5）What can we infer（推断） from the passage？
A． Robinson wanted to serve the Turkish captain．
B． Robinson lived happily with the Turkish captain．
C． Robinson became a slave to the Turkish captain．
D． Robinson made friends with the Turkish captain．