Question

Speed-reading is a vital skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles and e-mails to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Bombarded（轰炸）with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly.

A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, where members meet in a café and turn off their smartphones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the Slow Reading Club isn’t exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement started by book lovers.

Slow readers, such as The Atlantic’s Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduce stress levels and deepens the ability to understand others.

Yet technology has made us less attentive readers. “Screens have changed our reading habits from the linear, left-to-right sequence, to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we hunt for important words and information, which leads to weaker comprehension than reading plain text. The Internet may have made us stupider,” says Patrick Kingsley from The Guardian.

Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted pattern, in a quiet environment free of distractions. Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly. “You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments–whenever you find yourself automatically starting your laptop to scan your favorite site for something to pass the time—you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said. “Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy. “

1.What’s the real purpose of the book club in Wellington?

A. To turn off its members’ smartphones.

B. To let its members relax in cozy chairs.

C. To make people share ideas about books.

D. To provide a quiet, relax environment for readers.

2.Slow reading has the following benefits except ________ according to Maura Kelly.

A. sharpening the mind B. reducing stress levels

C. broadening the view D. improving concentration

3.What Patrick Kingsley said suggests that ________.

A. the Internet slows our reading speed

B. the Internet is full of mistaken information

C. electronic devices have changed our reading patterns

D. electronic devices enable us to have a better understanding

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A. Time to Go Slow Reading B. Electronic Devices Takeover

C. Kindles for Readers D. Reading Matters More

Answer 1