Directions: Read the following passage. Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.

I’m not a fast reader and I don’t read as much as many other people, but reading is something I enjoy. It opens new worlds to me and widens my perspective(洞察力,眼力).

Recently I found Kobo，an online book store that allows me to buy e-books and read them on a device of my choice. I’m a girl living in Indonesia, where e-books are not available and I had to buy physical books from Amazon in the past. There are two problems with it:

Shipping cost. Since I live far away from the United States, it costs a lot to ship a book. Shipping costs almost as much as the book itself.

Shipping time. It takes about three weeks for the books to arrive through postal mail.

Now with Kobo, I can eliminate those two problems. Not only does it cost less time and money to get the books, but also I prefer to read e-books this way than reading physical books. Here are three reasons why:

I can easily bring the books everywhere. Since all the books are in my iPod touch, I can simply put the device into my pocket and bring it everywhere I go.

The size is smaller. The size of the iPod Touch is smaller than a physical book. This makes reading more convenient for me.

I can read in any position I want. The iPod has a light source, so I can read when I am in darkness. This means that I can read in practically any position and condition.

One more advantage I haven’t mentioned is space. Physical books take space, but e-books don’t.

1.Why does the author like reading? (no more than 11 words)

_____________________________________________________

2.What are the problems with buying physical books from Amazon? (no more than 9 words)

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3.How can the author read when she is in darkness? (no more than 6 words)

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4.What’s the author’s attitude towards e-books? (no more than 1 word)

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－Are you coming to Jeff's party?

－I'm not sure. I ________ go the concert instead

[　　]

I go the __________ centers every other day, because I want to lose weight.

The clock struck eleven at night. The whole house was quiet. Everyone was in bed except me. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”.
I was going to have my examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer. In fact I dared not.
The clock struck twelve. “Oh, dear!” I cried. “Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy.
The clock struck one. I was quite desperate now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them. A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
【小题1】 The underlined word “wretched” in Paragraph 3 probably means ____________.

I was successful at my job. I worked very hard, but it 36  me and my family a fabulous (极好的) lifestyle. I’d worked for the same company for twenty years and had worked my way up to department director.  37 , one afternoon last May, I was called to the office, and it was  38  explained to me that they were letting me go. I just sat there  39  they talked on and all I could think was, “I’ve  40 .”  I’d been so well respected, but  41  I was of no value.
For six weeks, I was in a very  42  place. I wandered around my house like a zombie (僵尸). I could 43 things needed doing, but would not do anything. My beliefs in looking forward and seeing the positive (积极的) in everything  44  me.
Then, in late June, my youngest son’s football team made the city cup final. The year before, he’d been very sad when I  45  the same final, so he was  46  when I told him I’d go. Not only did they win, but the look on his face as he saw me  47  him on was unbelievable, From then on, I spent the summer enjoying my some and their passions (激情). I attended match after match and performances of my elder son’s band — I  48  went to another city to watch him play. These moments were so  49 . My life had been so much devoted to  50  for so long, and I felt  51  that my sons were happy to welcome me into their world.
 52 , being unemployed gave me back a sense of purpose --- I was someone’s mum! I felt a sense of being  53  Again. Now I feel more positive about my professional  54  and I’m getting on better with my family than I ever have. Losing my job made me realize just how  55  it is to achieve real balance in life.