Nora, a 17-year-old American, notices that when she has to do a paper for school and researches it on the Internet, she rarely reads a whole page and does deep reading. “I’ll read the beginning of a paragraph and then I'll skip(跳过) the rest,” she says.
While Nora's mother, Martha, loves sitting down with a good book and reading carefully, her daughter may be the wave of the future.
“Deep reading”, or slow reading, is a process in which people think carefully while they read. With most, that means slowing down --- even stopping and rereading a page or paragraph to really understand what the author is trying to say.
Last summer, Google CEO Eric Schmidt said he was concerned about what he sees as a decline(衰退)in slow reading. Instant messages and 140-character tweets(微博)appear to be reducing out ability to concentrate on a single idea or theme of a book, he told Foreign Policy Magazine.
It's easy to forget the benefits of deep reading in an age when anything worth doing is done fast. Experts warn that without deep reading, it is impossible to be an educated person of the world, a knowledgeable voter or even an imaginative thinker.
“If you want to have a deep relationship with a text and understand a complex idea, then slow reading is a preferred style. It is good for pleasure, too. It is not a rushed experience and you can lose yourself in a text,” said Canadian writer John Miedema, the author of the book Slow Reading.
US' Ohlone College English professor Cynthia Lee Katona says reading is a highly social activity that builds the mind and social connections. If you read, she says, you simply know more and have more to talk about with friends, partners and people you know.
Deep reading can also take a reader on a trip around the world even if they are sitting in a living room armchair, Katona says. Also, deep reading helps people develop thinking, writing and conversation skills.
“If you like beautiful things, authors put words together that are really beautiful and expressive,” she says. “If you want to write well--- and there are lots of reasons to express yourself clearly --- you should read.”The comparison(对比)between Nora and her mother's reading habits _______.
A.introduces the wave of future |
B.adds a lot of fun for readers |
C.explains what deep reading is |
D.calls attention to deep reading |
What leads to the decline of deep reading, according to Eric Schemidt?
A.The fast pace of modern society. |
B.The lack of desire for knowledge |
C.The weakening ability to concentrate. |
D.The wide use of instant messages and tweets. |
What does the underlined word “it ” refer to in paragraph 6?
A.A deep relationship. | B.A complex idea. |
C.Slow reading. | D.A preferred style. |
According to the article, Cynthia Lee Katona's opinion of deep reading is that _______.
A.it makes sure you a better paid job |
B.it makes you a better writer |
C.it is better than travelling |
D.it helps build better family relationship |
What is the main point of the article?
A.The importance of deep reading. |
B.How to improve reading skills. |
C.The benefits of different reading styles. |
D.The secrets of a knowledgeable person |
I’m Mary. I have a piece of good news to tell you. My parents bought a new flat in the centre of the city. The rooms are not big, but they are all comfortable. There are more rooms than our old flat. I am excited(激动) because I have my own bedroom. In the old flat, I share the bedroom with my sister.
My favourite room in the new flat is my bedroom. I can be alone (单独) in it. It is my own small world. I can listen to music, read comics and chat with my friends on the phone. I can also look for things on the internet and send e-mails to my e-friends.
Kitchen is my favourite room, too. I like helping my mother with the cooking. She is not only a good teacher but also a good cook. She often teaches me how to make some different dishes. She lived in Sichuan when she was a child. So she likes hot food and she can cook very delicious hot food. What’s Mary’s new flat like?
A.Big and comfortable | B.Small and not comfortable |
C.Big but not comfortable | D.Small but comfortable |
Mary can do the following things in the bedroom except(除了)__________.
A.play the piano | B.chat with her friends |
C.send e-mails | D.listen to music |
Which room does Mary like best?
A.The kitchen | B.Her bedroom | C.The sitting room | D.Both A and B |
What does Mary’s mother do?
A.A teacher | B.A cook | C.A housewife | D.A worker |
Where did Mary’s mother live when she was a child?
The old flat B. The centre of the city C. Sichuan D. The new flat
During the day we work and play; at night we sleep. Our bodies rest while we sleep. In the morning we are ready to work and play again. While we are asleep our bodies grow most. Children usually need more sleep. We can get our lessons better and we feel better too, when we have plenty of rest. Boys and girls need ten hours of sleep every night when they are eight or nine years old. Our bodies need lots of air when we sleep. If we do not get enough fresh(新鲜的)air, we’ll feel tired when we wake up. While in bed we must not cover our heads. If we do, our lungs(肺)will not get enough fresh air. If we open our windows at night we can have plenty of fresh air. Cool air is better then warm air. Boys and girls must get enough sleep if they want to grow and be strong.Our bodies grow most while we are __________.
A.eating | B.playing | C.sleeping | D.waking |
Which is the best air for us? __________
A.Hot air | B.Cool air | C.Warm air | D.Dry air |
Too little sleep makes us ________.
A.nappy | B.hungry | C.tired | D.grow |
How much sleep should boys and girls of nine years have every night? _________
A.Eight hours | B.Nine hours | C.Ten hours | D.Seven hours |
What do the lungs need most? ___________
A.Fresh air | B.Food | C.Rest | D.Exercise |
Kate is an English girl. She lives in a tall building in the city of London. There are sixteen floors in the building, and she lives on the tenth floor. She uses a lift(电梯) to go up and down. Kate studies in a middle school near her house and she works hard. She goes to school early. Every day she leaves her home at half past six. She walks to the lift, and it takes her down to the first floor. There is a bus stop near the building. Usually she takes No.7 bus to her school, but sometimes she goes on foot. It is only four kilometers to her school from the building. She gets to school at about seven twenty. Classes begin at eight. She goes to play games at three forty. She gets home at a quarter past five. She begins to do her homework at eight and finishes it at half past nine.Kate lives in a tall building ________ London.
A.near | B.in | C.outside | D.far from |
Her home is on the ______________ floor.
A.ten | B.third | C.tenth | D.twelfth |
She leaves ________ at six thirty.
A.her home | B.the building | C.the lift | D.the bus stop |
She goes to school ________.
A.by bus | B.by bike | C.on foot | D.A and C |
It takes her ________ to do her homework.
A.about an hour | B.about 100 minutes. | C.eighty minutes | D.one hour and a half |
A recent survey of 2000 parents in Britain showed that they are often afraid of science questions asked by their curious children only because they have no idea what the answer is. Here is a list of some simple questions that you can ask your parents to see if they know the answers.
Q: Why is the sky blue?
A: You probably know white sunlight is made up of seven colors. While it moves in a straight line when going through space, it starts to divide as it hits “raised area” in the atmosphere. The ones with longest wavelengths pass through easily. The blue , however , can be taken in by the gas molecules (分子) because it has a shorter wavelength , which in turn scatters (使分散) it in different directions. That’s why when you look up at the sky, it appears to be blue.
Q: Why does the moon sometimes appear during the daytime?
A: The simple answer to that is because just like any other object it is being lit (照亮) by the sun. As long as it is around 45 degrees or even 90 degrees off the sun, it will receive light and be able to be seen. The only time it is not able to be seen during its 28-day orbit (轨道) around the earth is when it is right between the earth and the sun. That’s because its back , which is not lit by the sun, is facing us.
Q: Where do birds/ honeybees go in winter?
A: While the bird part is quite easy, since a lot of them get together and travel, the honeybee part is likely to puzzle your parents. It turns out that these busy insects stop being that active when the temperature drops below 50°F. Instead ,they get together in the lower central area of the hive(蜂巢)and form a ball around their queen. This helps keep both warm enough to survive the cold winter months.
The sky looks blue mainly because the color blue in the sunlight_______.
A.has the longest wavelength among all the colors |
B.cannot be taken in by the gas molecules |
C.doesn’t hit “raised area” in the atmosphere |
D.cannot pass through space successfully |
How long can’t the moon be seen during the daytime in a month?
A.2. | B.28. | C.30. | D.31. |
What do honeybees choose to do when the temperature drops below 50°F?
A.They choose to be active in the wild. |
B.They choose to keep themselves warm. |
C.They choose to travel to a warm place. |
D.They choose to get together in the upper central area of the hive. |
What is NOT explained in the passage?
A.Why is the sky blue? |
B.Why is the moon able to be seen during the daytime? |
C.Why do birds travel in winter? |
D.Where do honeybees go in winter? |
The city of Yangzhou came into being at the Spring and Autumn Period ( about 500 AC ).
As the key transportation link at joint (连接处) place of the Great Canal(运河)( Beijing-Hangzhou) and Changjiang (Yangtze River), Yangzhou has been from the Sui Dynasty (600 AD.) an economically rich city, and then reached its top in the Tang Dynasty. At that time Yangzhou was a famous port and one of few biggest cities in East Asia.
With the improvement of the local economy and easy transportation way, there happened in the history a special local culture, which has an important place in Chinese culture. Many famous men of letters, poets, artists, scholars (学者), statesmen, scientists and national heroes in the history were born in, lived in or had connection with Yangzhou. Li Bai, one of the greatest Chinese poets visited and stayed in Yangzhou several times in his life and one of his famous poems about Yangzhou has been so popular that Chinese of all ages can sing it and has become a symbol of Yangzhou . Zheng Banqiao, a famous Chinese painting painter in the Qing Dynasty heading a group called “Eight Eccentrics”, had strongly influenced Chinese paintings. Wang Zhong and Yuan Yuan and some other scholars formed school of Yangzhou Scholars and achieved great success in the study of classic Chinese and writing. Zhu Ziqing, one of most famous modern Chinese writers and scholars, had always been proud of himself as a native of Yangzhou and thanked the city for being nourished (养育) by its rich culture. Quite a few other names you may come across frequently (频繁地) in the study of Chinese culture and history have connection with Yangzhou. Yangzhou was so attractive and important that many Chinese emperors in history had come specially to visit or check the city. Emperor Suiyang, who ordered to cut the Great Canal so that he could come more easily and quickly, died on his last trip to the city and buried (埋葬) here. Emperor Qianlong had come all the way from the north and visited the city nine times.
Which of following sentences is NOT right according to this passage?
A.Yangzhou joined the Great Canal (Beijing-Hangzhou) and Changjiang (Yangtze River). |
B.In the Tang Dynasty Yangzhou was a famous port and one of few biggest cities in Asia. |
C.Emperor Suiyang was buried in Yangzhou. |
D.Emperor Qianlong visited Yangzhou nine times. |
We can infer(推断)the poem mentioned in this passage by Li Bai is _______.
A.《赠汪伦》 | B.《望庐山瀑布》 |
C.《静夜思》 | D.《黄鹤楼送孟浩然之广陵》 |
Who influenced Chinese paintings a lot according to this passage?
A.Zheng Banqiao | B.Zhu Ziqing | C.Wang Zhong | D.Li Bai |
What’s the best title of the passage?
A.Yangzhou:An Economically Rich City |
B.Yangzhou:An Easy Transportation City |
C.Yangzhou:A Historical Culture City |
D.Yangzhou:A Famous Tour City |