From good reading we can get pleasure, companionship, experience, and instruction. A good book may absorb our attention so completely that for the time being we forget our surroundings and even our identity. Reading good books is one of the greatest pleasures in life. It increases our contentment when we are cheerful, and lessens our troubles when we are sad. Whatever may be our main purpose in reading, our contact with good books should never fail to give us enjoyment and satisfaction.

With a good book in our hands we need never be lonely. Whether the characters in it are taken from real life or are purely imaginary, they may become our companions and friends. In the pages of books we can walk with the wise and the good of all lands and all times. The people we meet in books may delight us either because they resemble (相像) human friends whom we hold dear or because they present unfamiliar types whom we are glad to welcome as new acquaintances(熟人). Our human friends sometimes may bore us, but the friends we make in books need never weary us with their company. By turning the page we can dismiss them without any fear of hurting their feelings. While human friends desert us, good books are always ready to give us friendship, sympathy, and encouragement.

Of all the gifts from reading books, the most valuable one is experience. Few of us can travel far from home or have a wide range of experiences, but all of us can lead varied lives through the pages of books. Whether we wish to escape from the seemingly dull realities of daily routines or whether we long to visit some far-off place, a book will help us when nothing else can. To travel by book we need no bank account to pay our way; no airship or ocean liner or stream-lined train to transport us; no passport to enter the land of our heart's desire. Through books we may get the thrill of hazardous adventure without danger. We can climb high mountains, brave the perils (危险) of an Antarctic winter, or cross the scorching sands of the desert, all without hardship. In books we may visit the studios of Hollywood; we may mix with the merry crowds of the Paris boulevards; we may join the picturesque peasants in an Alpine village or the kindly natives on a South Sea island. Indeed, through books the whole world is ours for the asking. The possibilities of our literary experiences are almost unlimited. The beauties of nature, the enjoyment of music, the treasures of art, the triumphs of architecture, the marvels of engineering, are all open to the wonder and enjoyment of those who read.

1.Why do we sometimes forget our surroundings and even our identity while reading?

A. No one is trying to disturb you there.

B. All is so quiet and calm around you.

C. The book you read is so fascinating.

D. Our life is just far from satisfactory.

2.What makes people like their acquaintances in books even more?

A. They are just like our human friends.

B. They are unfamiliar types we like.

C. They will never ever abandon us.

D. They will never hurt our feelings.

3.The word “hazardous” means ______.

A. “unexpected” B. “dangerous”

C. “imaginary” D. “unusual”

4.“... the whole world is ours for the asking” means that we can____________.

A. experience the whole world just by reading

B. get anywhere in the world only by asking

C. make a trip around the world free of charge

D. actually possess everything in this world

5.What is the most suitable title for this passage?

A. Reading and traveling

B. Experiencing the world

C. Traveling with books

D. Gifts from reading

Son’s Help

Mr. Lang worked in a factory. As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much. His wife was an able woman and did all the housework. When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home. So he had enough time when he had a holiday. A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon. So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling. He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on. His wife told him not to do it but he didn’t listen to her. She had to tell the police. He and his friends were punished for it. And he was hardly sent away. After he came out of lockup(拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him. It was New Year’s Day. Mr. Lang didn’t go to work. He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again. He called his friends and they came soon. But they were afraid the police would come. He told his five-year-old son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside. They waited for a long time and didn’t think the police would come and began to gamble. Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen. ―“I saw there weren’t any policemen outside, daddy,” said the boy, ―“so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”

1.Mr. Lang was paid much because _______.

A.he worked in a factory

B.he had a lot of work to do

C.he had worked there for a long time

D.he was a driver

2.Mrs. Lang did all housework because _______.

A.she wouldn’t stop her husband gambling

B.she couldn’t find any work

C.she thought her husband was tired

D.her husband spent all time in gambling

3.The woman had to leave Mr. Lang because _______.

A.he wouldn’t stop gambling

B.he had been put into lockup

C.he was hardly sent away by the factory

D.he didn’t love her any longer

4.Which of the following is right?

A.The boy thought his father needed some policemen.

B.The boy hoped his father would stop gambling soon.

C.The boy hoped his mother would come back.

D.The boy hoped his father would be put into lockup again.

Papa, as a son of a dirt-poor farmer, left school early and went to work in a factory, for education was for the rich then. So, the world became his school. With great interest, he read everything he could lay his hands on, listened to the town elders and learned about the world beyond his tiny hometown.“There’s so much to learn,” he’d say. “Though we’re born stupid, only the stupid remain that way.” He was determined that none of his children would be denied (拒绝) an education.

Thus, Papa insisted that we learn at least one new thing each day. Though, as children, we thought this was crazy, it would never have occurred to us to deny Papa a request. And dinner time seemed perfect for sharing what we had learned. We would talk about the news of the day; no matter how insignificant, it was never taken lightly. Papa would listen carefully and was ready with some comment, always to the point.

Then came the moment—the time to share the day’s new learning.

Papa, at the head of the table, would push back his chair and pour a glass of red wine, ready to listen.

“Felice,” he’d say, “tell me what you learned today.”

“I learned that the population of Nepal is ....”

Silence.

Papa was thinking about what was said, as if the salvation of the world would depend upon it. “The population of Nepal. Hmm. Well….” he’d say. “Get the map; let’s see where Nepal is.” And the whole family went on a search for Nepal.

This same experience was repeated until each family member had a turn. Dinner ended only after we had a clear understanding of at least half a dozen such facts.

As children, we thought very little about these educational wonders. Our family, however, was growing together, sharing experiences and participating in one another’s education. And by looking at us, listening to us, respecting our input, affirming our value, giving us a sense of dignity, Papa was unquestionably our most influential teacher.

Later during my training as a future teacher, I studied with some of the most famous educators. They were imparting what Papa had known all along—the value of continual learning. His technique has served me well all my life. Not a single day has been wasted, though I can never tell when knowing the population of Nepal might prove useful.

1. What do we know from the first paragraph?

A. The author’s father was born in a worker’s family.

B. Those born stupid could not change their life.

C. The town elders wanted to learn about the world.

D. The poor could hardly afford school education.

2. The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to “________”.

A. one new thing B. a request

C. the news D. some comment

3. It can be learned from the passage that the author________.

A. enjoyed talking about news

B. knew very well about Nepal

C. felt regret about those wasted days

D. appreciated his father’s educational technique

4. What is the greatest value of “dinner time” to the author?

A. Continual learning.

B. Showing talents.

C. Family get-together.

D. Winning Papa’s approval.

5. The author’s father can be best described as ________.

A. an educator expert at training future teachers

B. a parent insistent on his children’s education

C. a participant willing to share his knowledge

D. a teacher strict about everything his students did

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