I used to think of myself as a person learned in books, but my bookshelves told a different story. Apart from a few Indian novels and an Australian book, my literature collection only consisted of British and American titles. Worse still, I couldn’t ever found anything in translation. My reading was limited to stories by English-speaking authors.
So, at the start of 2012, I set myself the challenge of trying to read a book from every country in a year to find out what I was missing.
With no idea where to get those books, I was unlikely to find publications from nearly 200 nations on the shelves of my local bookshop, so I decided to ask the readers all over the world for help. I created a blog called A Year of Reading the World and put out an appeal for suggestions of titles that I could read in English.
The response was amazing. People all over the world were getting in touch with me, offering ideas and book lists. Some posted me books from their home countries. In addition, several writers, like Turkmenistan’s Ak Welsapar and Panama’s Juan David Morgan, sent me unpublished translations of their novels, giving me a rare opportunity to read works unavailable in Britain. Even with such an extraordinary team of bibliophiles(爱书者) behind me, however, sourcing books was no easy task. With translations making up only around 4.5 per cent of literary works published in the UK, getting English versions of stories was tricky.
One by one, the books from the countries on the list filled my heart with laughter, love, anger, hope and fear. Lands that had once seemed exotic and remote became close and familiar to me. At its best, I learned, reading makes the world real.The author realized she was not a learned person when she found ________.
| A．she could do nothing but read books |
| B．she had never been to Indian and Australian |
| C．she didn’t have any translated books. |
| D．she could only read simple English stories |
What was the challenge the author set for herself?
| A．Reading books from nearly 200 countries in a year. |
| B．Creating a blog to offer help to other readers. |
| C．Looking for publications to publish her own books. |
| D．Giving some suggestions on learning English. |
Which of the following is NOT the help from people around the world?
| A．Offering book names. | B．posting local books |
| C．Giving financial supports | D．Sending unpublished translations |
It was not easy to find the books mainly because ________.
| A．the readers were unwilling to offer help |
| B．there were too few translations in the UK |
| C．the author had no time and no chance to do it |
| D．the writers didn’t want to publish their books |
Come for Dinner by Leslie Revsin
Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner. Revsin, the former owner and chef of Manhattan’s Restaurant Leslie, offers a collection of over 150 recipes designed for small get-togethers of friends and family. There are various ethnic dishes that draw from Asia，the Mediterranean, Latin cultures and more. Revsin believes cooking at home provides the opportunity to connect with friends and family on a good level.
Retro Beach Bash by Linda Everett
Grab your beach blanket and your surfboard — it’s time for a beach party! With more than 100 recipes (菜谱) for beach picnics and barbecues, Retro Beach Bash, is the beach lover’s companion for fun in the sun.
Half information and half cookbook, you can browse the pages that are filled with beach fun tips and advice. The second half of this book is a cookbook, complete with delicious picnic and grilled foods to satisfy every taste on the beach.
Entertaining Edibles by Sidney Escowitz
You’ve seen them decorating plates at restaurants, admired them at weddings, and expressed great surprise at the chefs who designed them — and now you can produce them at home.
Sidney shares lots of practical tips that will give your finished food sculptures a professional look and send you on your way towards creating your own original works of food art.
Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Olivier Said
If you’re a fan of Spanish Tapas bars, this book is a must-have for your library. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll still want this book if you’re a fan of Tapas bars, only for the lively discussions of the cheeses of Spain along with other Spanish wines and spirits.If you want to prepare a delicious dish for your family at home, you’d better choose _____.
A. Entertaining Edibles B. Retro Beach Bash
C Recipes from a Tapas Bar D. Come for Dinner Retro Beach Bash tells us _____.
| A．how to make picnics on the beach | B．how to repair your surfboard |
| C．how to make Spanish wines | D．how to satisfy your taste at home |
Who can tell you how to make the works of food art?
| A．Leslie Revsin. | B．Linda Everett. |
| C．Sidney Escowitz. | D．Olivier Said. |
The books mentioned in the text are mainly about _____.
| A．people | B．traveling | C．cooking | D．sports |
In so many ways, cyberspace(网络空间) mirrors the real world. People ask for information, play games, and share hobby tips. Others buy and sell products. Still others look for friendship, or even love.
Unlike the real world, however, your knowledge about a person is limited to words on a computer screen. Identity and appearance mean very little in cyberspace. Rather, a person’s thoughts—or at least the thoughts they type—are what really count. So even the shyest person can become a chat-room star.
Usually, this “faceless” communication doesn’t create problems. Identity doesn’t really matter when you’re in a chat room discussing politics or hobbies. In fact, this emphasis on the ideas themselves makes the Internet a great place for exciting conversation. Where else can so many people come together to chat about their interests?
But some Internet users want more than just someone to chat with. They’re looking for serious love relationships. Is cyberspace a good place to find love? That answer depends on whom you ask. Some of these relationships actually succeed. Others fail miserably.
Supporters of online relationships claim that the Internet allows couples to get to know each other intellectually first. Personal appearance doesn’t get in the way.
But critics of online relationships argue that no one can truly know another person in cyberspace. Why? Because the Internet gives users a lot of control over how others view them. Internet users can carefully craft their words to fit whatever image they want to give. And they don’t have to worry about what their “faceless” communication is doing for their image. In a sense, they’re not really themselves.
All of this may be fine if the relationship stays in cyberspace. But not knowing a person is a big problem in a love relationship. With so many unknowns, it’s easy to let one’s imagination “fill in the blanks.” This inevitably leads to disappointment when couples meet in person. How someone imagines an online friend is often quite different than the real person.
So, before looking for love in cyberspace, remember the advice of Internet pioneer Clifford Stoll: “Life in the real world is far richer than anything you’ll find on a computer screen.”
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)We learn about a person in cyberspace only through _________________.
Why is the Internet a great place for exciting conversation?
What makes online love relationship often fail?
From the passage we can learn that the writer __________________________ looking for love on the Internet.
Holding a cell phone against your ear or storing it in your pocket may be dangerous to your health. This explains a warning that cell phone manufacturers include in the small print that is often ignored when a new phone is purchased. Apple, for example, doesn’t want iPhones to come closer to you than 1.5 centimeters; Research In Motion, BlackBerry’s manufacturer, recommends 2.5 centimeters.
If health issues arise from cell phone use, the possible effects are huge. Voice calls - Americans chat on cell phones 2.26 trillion(万亿)minutes annually - earn $109 billion for the wireless carriers.
Devra Davis, an expert who has worked for the University of Pittsburgh, has published a book about cell phone radiation, “Disconnect.” The book surveys scientific research and concludes the question is not settled.
Brain cancer is a concern that Ms. Davis examines. Over all, there has not been an increase in its incidence since cell phones arrived. But the average masks an increase in brain cancer in the 20-to-29 age group and a drop for the older population.
“Most cancers have multiple causes,” she says, but she points to laboratory research that suggests low-energy radiation could damage cells that could possibly lead to cancer.
Children are more vulnerable（易受伤的）to radiation than adults, Ms. Davis and other scientists point out. Radiation that penetrates only five centimeters into the brain of an adult will reach much deeper into the brains of children because their skulls are thinner and their brains contain more absorptive fluid（易吸收的液体）. No studies have yet been completed on cell phone radiation and children, she says.
Henry Lai, a research professor in the bioengineering department at the University of Washington, began laboratory radiation studies in 1980 and found that rats exposed to radiation had damaged DNA in their brains.
Ms. Davis recommends using wired headsets or the phone’s speaker. Children should text rather than call, she said, and pregnant women should keep phones away from the abdomen（腹部）.According to Ms Davis, brain cancer increase ____.
| A．among children | B．among old people |
| C．in the twenties | D．among pregnant women |
Why do children easily be affected by radiation?
| A．Because they haven’t grown up. |
| B．Because they are too young to protect themselves. |
| C．Because they use cell phones more often than adults. |
| D．Because their skulls are thinner and their brains are easily hurt. |
What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
| A．Pregnant women should keep cell phones away. |
| B．People should use cell phones in the correct way. |
| C．If you are a child, you’d better text than make phone calls. |
| D．When you use a cell phone, use a wired headset or the phone’s speaker. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Be careful when using cell phones. |
| B．Don’t hold your cell phone against your ear. |
| C．Rats exposed to radiation have damaged DNA in their brains. |
| D．Low-energy radiation could damage cells that could lead to cancer. |
Wherever she goes, Molly leaves her mark. Without saying a word, she speaks to people with her kind eyes. Even when she walks away, she leaves an impression．Molly's mark is a smile, stamped into the ground by the horseshoe at the bottom of her false leg．
A few years ago, Molly was badly attacked by a dog．The dog bit all four or Molly’s legs and left large cuts in her face. Molly's owner, Kate Harris, took her to an animal hospital．Doctors there were able to save Molly’s life, but soon one of her legs became very infected(感染).
At first, doctors thought Molly would have to be put to sleep．But Molly changed their minds. This pony, doctors noticed, shifted her weight, and rested her good leg from time to time. Doctors knew t hat Molly had amazing intelligence, and that she wanted to live.
Several doctors operated on Molly, and removed her infected leg. A false leg was made for her. The leg was a hollow cast with a pole at the bottom for balance. Doctors gave Molly a special horseshoe at the bottom of the leg. This horseshoe she had had a stamp of a smile face in it!
After the operation, Molly walked around on all four legs, as if nothing had ever happened to her! Now, with every step she takes, she stamps a smile in the dirt．But she leaves her m ark in other ways, too.
Kaye Harris took Molly to the false leg center. There were children there who, like Molly, had artificial arms or legs. They were amazed to see a pony with a false leg. Molly made them smile and gave them hope. Soon, Molly began to visit schools, nursing homes, army bases and hospitals. A book was even written about Molly!Molly is the name of a__________.
| A．dog | B．horse | C．parent | D．child |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Molly can speak to people in kind words. |
| B．Kay Harris took Molly to a children’s hospital after the attack. |
| C．In the beginning, doctors had planned to end Molly’s life. |
| D．Molly sometimes leaves smiling marks on people’s faces. |
What is unique about Molly?
| A．Molly has a false leg with a horseshoe shaped like a smiling face. |
| B．Molly ran a race and won the first prize. |
| C．Molly often visits places such as schools and parks. |
| D．Molly has become a symbol of hope for people of all ages. |
Squirrels often communicate with whistles, chirps and chucks, which sound like the word “chuck”． Whistles and chirps are like the sounds that many birds make．Now scientists have translated some of their squirrel-speak．
Hare, a professor of zoology at the University of Maniloha in Winnipeg, and his team managed to record squirrels' alarm calls．The researchers studied the sounds and then played them back to 60 wild squirrels, which the scientists approached individually with a video recorder to capture(抓拍）their reponses．Some squirrels lifted their heads up and became．Alert(警惕的）．Creatures that were more frightened simply ran for their lives and dived into caves．
"In effect then, whistles that mix with chucks say 'there's an enemy of average threat that's here', and whistles without chucks say 'there's an enemy of seemingly average threat around here somewhere', while pure chirps say, 'I'm hiding here because there's an immediate danger．' " Hare told．Discovery News．
Hare and some other researchers believe such sounds arc part of an advanced language that develops just as all other communication systems．
Although squirrels risk their lives when they call out to warn others of threats, other squirrels might admire this behaviour, thus increasingly the caller’s social status, like humans who look up to heroes. Hare added that other animals, such as birds, probably understand at least some squirrel language, since they also may benefit from the alarm calls.
In fact, another Canadian study found that deep-voiced, black-capped chickadees have their own language too．According to certain research, there are a lot of tidings in chickadees' calls, such as directing fellows' activities, keeping in contact between mates, and raising alarms．
While chickadees and other birds are often welcomed into gardens by homeowners, squirrels are frequently viewed as pests(害兽）. Hare wishes a greater understanding of the complex social lives and communication systems of squirrels will provide “hope that humans will gain a greater appreciation and stop doing harm to these animals”.The text mainly talks about
| A．the study on the language of squirrels |
| B．the comparison between squirrels and chickadees |
| C．the calling for the protection of squirrels |
| D．the ways for squirrels to escape from their enemies |
If a squirrel is in a very dangerous situation, it would probably make ____．
| A．whistles with chucks | B．pure chirps |
| C．whistles without chucks | D．repeated chucks |
The underlined word “tidings” in pardgmph 6 probably means ____．
| A．difficulties | B．poises | C．messages | D．languages |
What can be learned from this text?
| A．Squirrels communicate with cach other as humans do. |
| B．Some squirrels understand the recorded alarm calls. |
| C．Other animals also well understand the language of squirrels． |
| D．Birds such as chickadees don’t have their own language． |