Everyone needs a break, and vacations are not meant for serious study. Instead, they’re a great way to take a break and enjoy a good book. The Spring Festival is coming up so this is the perfect time to discuss some great English language literature to take on a long train journey or while you’re hanging out with the family.

Before getting into the recommendations, we need to determine your English reading comprehension level so you don’t pick a book which is so challenging that it’s stressful or so simple that it’s boring.

If you’re at the beginner level, there are two options: reading a children’s book or reading a book that you’ve read in Chinese translation. This will help you get over any unfamiliar words or phrases, since you’re already familiar with the story. If you’re at the intermediate level, popular books like pop fiction, mysteries and thrillers are good options, as they’ll be guaranteed page turners and that will increase the possibility of your getting all the way through the book. For advanced readers, science fiction, classic works of literature or contemporary prize winners （Booker, Nobel, Pulitzer） are good options.

The most important thing is to pick a book that you’re really interested in. When I pick up a new book in Chinese, the first few chapters are always really hard to get through, as I have to get accustomed to the way the individual author uses the language. But after the first few chapters, things get a lot easier, especially if I get involved in the story. Some of my favorite Chinese-language eye candy are books that are series like Brothers by Yu Hua or The Dancer by Hai Yan. I like them because there’s always a lot of action and story development to keep me involved, which helps me make it through those first few chapters.

Another great way to keep yourself motivated over the holiday is to find a friend who’s interested in reading the same book. You can make goals that you both want to achieve and discuss plot lines or vocabulary issues with each other by SMS or e-mail. I’m currently doing that with my friend Laura. We’ve been doing this since we were classmates in Chinese at college.

Some quick recommendations: Harry Potter, start with the first book and go on from there; the Narnia series; anything by US writer Michael Crichton or British writer Agatha Christie; and if you like horror, US writer Stephen King is always unusual and fun. But really you should just find a topic or author that you’re interested in, and the rest will go from there. Happy reading!

－from 21st Century （January 21, 2009）

根据横线上的首字母提示或括号内的汉语提示完成句子。每空一词，请将答案写在答题卡上的规定位置。

After our early morning wake-up, we are still a couple of
hours away from the overlooks.It is pitch black.I can feel the
heavy humid fog left behind my last night's rain. This is why
the tour memo listed "flashlight". Unfortunately; the majority
of our hiking party of nine must have missed the memo, so we
have only four flashlights between us.
An hoar later,we are on the trail. It is dark, foggy, wet and the rocks are alippery.We alternate places between the flashlights "haves" and "have-nots". As we march, the only voices heard are from the "haves": "Step up, step down, watch out for the rock on your left."
We reach Intipunku with only 15 minutes to spare. The view at sunrise is not what we were told in the travel brochures. Three feet in front of our faces is a white substance called "fog".
As we walk towards the Machu Picchu ruins, my anticipation is mounting. When will the fog lift? Slowly, as if someone is cranking up a curtain, Huayna Picchu begins to appear,overlooking Machu Picchu. First there are fleeting glimpses, and then finally, there is, in its full splendor.
When I envisioned going to Machu Picchu, I always thought of mysterious ruins and the famous postcard picture looking toward Huayna Picchu. But there is more to this man-made / natural wonder of the World. It is the adventure of getting there. I knew I wanted to experience the feel of the Inca culture and the energy of this sacred valley, I also knew I didn't want to take the train, but needed to hike. Depending on your starting point,the Inca Trail is 25 to 33miles of semi-arid desert, breathless mountain passes and stunning tropical cloud forest. Our hike took us four nights and 25 miles to finish.
Our local guide MaurO keeps telling us "no worries, the hike is 90 percent mental and only 10 percent physical. "I am not convinced that the physical percentage is correct, but I definitely become more and more excited as we are now getting closer to Machu Picchu.By getting myself into good shape, running 20 miles and hiking a 500-foot-high hill five to seven times per week before I left for Peru, I was able to enjoy the beauty of the hike and not worry much about aching muscles and lungs.
【小题1】 About flashlights, which of the following statements is true?

“Hey, Jenna, do you think we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two?” I asked my friend．It was clear that she was wondering where I had come up with such a question．Losing Jenna would be like losing a very close sister．We hung out together．We gave each other advice．

         “Of course, we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two.” Jenna announced loudly．

         The next year, in the fourth grade, we met Jamie．The three of us soon became close friends．We played together almost every day．I thought even time couldn’t pull us apart, but I was sadly mistaken．

         The three of us started fighting a lot．Before Christmas, we had a really big fight, and Jamie and Jenna were against me, both saying I was bossy．I felt helpless and lonely．I thought Christmas would be horrible!

         I was surprised when Jenna came to my house and gave me an awesome Christmas card she had made for me．I was so sure that she was still disappointed with me．

         “Wow, ” I said, breaking the silence as we stood on either side of my front door．“Thanks．”

         “Okay…well…I have to go,” she said softly．

         “Okay．See you later then…” and I closed the door．

         “Who was that at the door?” my mum asked．

         The card started off with “Merry Christmas”, but then it said, “I am so glad we’re friends．I am sorry about what I said when we were fighting．A fight won’t stop us from being friends．Besides, we said we were going to be friends even when we’re eight-two．”

         I stopped reading and started laughing．I couldn’t believe I had forgotten what she said that day in her backyard．I couldn’t believe I had been so selfish in making my friends feel sorry for me that I had forgotten about real friendship．

1.How would the author and Jenna get along with each other after Christmas?

A．They would be close friends again．

B．They would not speak to each other．

C．They would lose touch with each other．

D．They would go on fighting with each other．

2.The underlined sentence “I was bossy” in the fourth paragraph means “_________”．

A．I looked like a boss      B．I acted as a boss

C．I was fond of giving orders  D．I was fond of fighting

3.Which of the following is the right time order according to the passage?

a．Jamie became our friend．

           b．I felt lonely and unhappy．

           c．Jenna, Jamie and I fought a lot．

           d．Jenna brought me a Christmas card．

           e．I was sorry for what I did to her．

           f．Jenna and I promised to be lifelong friends．

A．f a b c e d          B．a c f b d e        C．a b c f e d   D．f a c b d e

4.The author was delighted when she read the card from Jenna because _________．

A．what Jenna wrote was funny

B．Jenna would be her friend again

C．she was happy about the coming Christmas

D．she was happy to receive a Christmas card

“Hey, Jenna, do you think we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two?” I asked my friend. It was clear that she was wondering where I had come up with such a question. Losing Jenna would be like losing a very close sister. We hung out together. We gave each other advice.
“Of course, we’ll still be friends when we’re eighty-two.” Jenna announced loudly.
The next year, in the fourth grade, we met Jamie. The three of us soon became close friends. We played together almost every day. I thought even time couldn’t pull us apart, but I was sadly mistaken.
The three of us started fighting a lot. Before Christmas, we had a really big fight, and Jamie and Jenna were against me, both saying I was bossy. I felt helpless and lonely. I thought Christmas would be horrible!
I was surprised when Jenna came to my house and gave me an awesome Christmas card she had made for me. I was so sure that she was still disappointed with me.
“Wow, ” I said, breaking the silence as we stood on either side of my front door. “Thanks.”
“Okay…well…I have to go,” she said softly.
“Okay. See you later then…” and I closed the door.
“Who was that at the door?” my mum asked.
The card started off with “Merry Christmas”, but then it said, “I am so glad we’re friends. I am sorry about what I said when we were fighting. A fight won’t stop us from being friends. Besides, we said we were going to be friends even when we’re eight-two.”
I stopped reading and started laughing. I couldn’t believe I had forgotten what she said that day in her back yard. I couldn’t believe I had been so selfish in trying to get even and making my friends feel sorry for me that I had forgotten about real friendship.
【小题1】How would the author and Jenna get along with each other after Christmas?