Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbooks, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that ____.

Computers are very important to modern life.Many people think that in the future computers will be used a lot in everyday life.It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet.There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers.The Internet will be used to play games，see films and buy food.Most telephone calls will be made by computers，too.

Some people are glad about those new ways of shopping and communicating.Others do not think that computers will replace our old ways.

Let’s look at books，for example.Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper.Instead，we will buy and read books using computers.We will read texts on small pocket computers.The computers will keep many different books in them at the same time.We won’t need to turn lots of pages and paper will be saved.Computerized (计算机化的) books will be used more and more.

Is Internet shopping such a pleasure as going to the shop？Many people say it is not.It is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy.It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers，because paper books will perhaps be more friendly.Maybe computers won’t change these two habits.

1．In the first paragraph，it is thought that people will use computers for________.

A．playing games，shopping and making telephone calls

B．making telephone calls，having meals and seeing films

C．seeing films，buying food and going for holidays

D．playing games，making telephone calls and seeing the doctor

2．Which reason for using computerized books is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Computerized books won’t be very expensive.

B．Computers can keep many different books in them.

C．We won’t have lots of pages.

D．We won’t need any paper.

3．The fourth paragraph tells________.

A．about the old and new ways of shopping and communicating

B．if the Internet will change our habits

C．about computerized books

D．about future uses of computers

4．The best title for this passage is________.

A．Computers Will Replace Shops and Books

B．Computers in the Future

C．Computers Will Do Everything for Man

D．How Computers Change Our Habits

Some things can carry(携带) messages, for example, a sign（标志） at the bus stop helps you to know which bus to take. Signs on the door tell you where to go in or out. Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time?

People can communicate on many other ways. An artist can use his drawing to tell about beautiful mountains, about the blue sea and many other things. Books are written to tell you about all the wonderful things in the world and also about people and their ideas.

Books, magazines（杂志）, TVs, radios（广播） and films all help us to communicate（交流） with others. They all help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.

1. What can help you if you want to know which bus to take?

_______________________________________________

2. What do the signs on the door do?

______________________________________________

3. People can communicate in many other ways, can’t they?

_______________________________________________

4. What can help us to communicate with others?

_______________________________________________

5. What do they help us to do?

_______________________________________________