[2015北京学年度第一学期开学] An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

  In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all,the programme allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus,as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起) the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book" project in 1998. Her original programme used author visits,study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book,but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities,and even to Hong Kong.

  In Chicago,the mayor appeared on television to an?nounce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book,One Chicago" programme. As a result,reading clubs and neighbourhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US,stories emerged of par?ents and children reading to each other at night and stran?gers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.

  The only problem arose in New York,where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in mediumsized cities or large towns,where a greater sense of unity can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point,putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than the discussion about a book itself.

  Ultimately as Nancy points out,the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book,but by how many people are enriched by the process or have en?joyed speaking to someone with whom they would not oth?erwise have shared a word.

14. What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

   A. To invite authors to guide readers.

   B. To encourage people to read and share.

   C. To involve people in community service.

   D. To promote the friendship between cities.

15. According to the passage,where would the project be more easily carried out?

   A. In large communities with little sense of unity.

   B. In large cities where libraries are far from home.

   C. In mediumsized cities with a diverse population.

   D. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached.

16. The underlined words "shared a word" in Paragraph 5 probably mean "      "

   A. exchanged ideas with each other

   B. discussed the meaning of a word

   C. gave life experience

   D. used the same language

17. According to Nancy,the degree of success of the pro?ject is judged by       .

   A. the careful selection of a proper book

   B. the growing popularity of the writers

   C. the number of people who benefit from reading

   D. the number of books that each person reads

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