World Reading Day was set up by the UNESCO in 1995 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor great writers, for example, William Shakespeare, born or dead on that day.

Many countries celebrated World Reading Day. Take the UK as an example, on that day, millions of schoolchildren can buy books of special price, a much lower price than usual, in any bookstore. It has been done every year since 1998. World Reading Day 2010 in the UK will take place on Thursday 4th March. Please note that this date applies to the UK and Ireland only. The initiative is so well established in schools there that they want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading. Most other countries hold World Reading Day on 23 rd April every year.

World Reading Day is also celebrated in China. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, an avid reader, does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Reading Day 2009 he encouraged citizens to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. “Books cannot change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading.”

       Reading can benefit people in many ways. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English.

       “Reading makes a full man” (Bacon, 1597). Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the out side world and perfect us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day.

Which of the following statements about World Reading Day is TURE?

       A．It was set up to encourage people to learn English.

       B．China also celebrates it on 4th March every year.

       C．It is also the same day as some great writers was born or died.

       D．Only since 1998 has the UK begun to celebrate it.

An avid reader is a person who              .

       A．loves reading   B．never reads      C．does little reading    D．hates reading

According to the passage, reading can help people EXCEPT        .

       A．learn a foreign language better       B．know more about culture

       C．improve your memory greatly D．know more about the outside world

What’s the best title for the passage?

       A．World Reading Day in the UK       B．Reading makes a full man

       C．World Reading Day in China  D．World Reading Day and Reading

World Reading Day was set up by the UNESCO in 1995 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor great writers, for example, William Shakespeare, born or dead on that day.
Many countries celebrated World Reading Day. Take the UK as an example, on that day, millions of schoolchildren can buy books of special price, a much lower price than usual, in any bookstore. It has been done every year since 1998. World Reading Day 2010 in the UK will take place on Thursday 4th March. Please note that this date applies to the UK and Ireland only. The initiative is so well established in schools there that they want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading. Most other countries hold World Reading Day on 23 rd April every year.
World Reading Day is also celebrated in China. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, an avid reader, does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Reading Day 2009 he encouraged citizens to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. “Books cannot change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading.”
Reading can benefit people in many ways. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English.
“Reading makes a full man” (Bacon, 1597). Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the out side world and perfect us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day.
【小题1】Which of the following statements about World Reading Day is TURE?

The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space showed it as a solid ball covered by brown land masses and blue-green oceans. We had never seen the Earth from that distance before. To us, it appeared as though the Earth had always looked that way and always would. Scientists now know, however, that the surface of the Earth is not as permanent as we had thought.

Scientists explain that the surface of our planet is always moving. Continents moves about the Earth like huge ships at sea. They float on pieces of the Earth’s outer skin. New outer skin is created as melted rock pushed up from below the ocean floor. Old outer skin is destroyed as it rolls down into the hot area and melts again.

Only since the 1960s have scientists really began to understand that the planet Earth is a great living machine. Some experts have said this new understanding is one of the most important revolutions in scientific thought. The revolution is based on the work of scientists who study the movement of the continents—a science called plate tectonics.

The modern story of plate tectonics begins with the German scientist Alfred Wegener. Before World War One, Wegener argued that the continents had moved and were still moving. He said the idea first occurred to him when he observed that the coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He proposed that the two continents might have been one and then split apart.

Wegener was not the first person to wonder about the shape of the continents. About 500 years ago, explorers thought about it when they made the first maps of Americas. The explorers noted the east coast of North America and South America would fit almost exactly into the west coast of Europe and south Africa. What the explorers did not do, but Wegener did, was to investigate the idea that the continents move.

What does the writer mainly tell us in the passage?

A. The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space.

B. Human’s recognition of the earth’s surface.

C. The German scientist Alfred Wegener.

D. The early explorers’ discovery.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. We didn’t see the Earth from far away until we saw the picture taken in the space.

B. Our ancient thought that the surface of the earth is still.

C. Alfred Wegener was not the first person to investigate the idea that the continents move.

D. The coastline of India and Africa fit together.

The last word of the third paragraph “tectonics” mean “________”.

A. study of construction

B. study of architecture

C. earth surface

D. structural geology

What did the explorers find?

A. The coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together.

B. The coastlines of North America and Africa could fit together.

C. The east coastlines of North America and the west coast of Europe could fit together.

D.The coastlines of North America and India could fit together.

We should unite, for no country _____can solve the problem of the pig flu.

A.alone；for          B.lonely; because     C. only; since         D. simply; as

The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space showed it as a solid ball covered by brown land masses and blue-green oceans. We had never seen the Earth from that distance before. To us, it appeared as though the Earth had always looked that way and always would.   Scientists now know, however, that the surface of the Earth is not as permanent as we had thought.

Scientists explain that the surface of our planet is always moving. Continents moves about the Earth like huge ships at sea. They float on pieces of the Earth’s outer skin. New outer skin is created as melted rock pushed up from below the ocean floor. Old outer skin is destroyed as it rolls down into the hot area and melts again.

Only since the 1960s have scientists really began to understand that the planet Earth is a great living machine. Some experts have said this new understanding is one of the most important revolutions in scientific thought. The revolution is based on the work of scientists who study the movement of the continents—a science called plate tectonics.

The modern story of plate tectonics begins with the German scientist Alfred Wegener. Before World War One, Wegener argued that the continents had moved and were still moving. He said the idea first occurred to him when he observed that the coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. He proposed that the two continents might have been one and then split apart.  

Wegener was not the first person to wonder about the shape of the continents. About 500 years ago, explorers thought about it when they made the first maps of Americas. The explorers noted the east coast of North America and South America would fit almost exactly into the west coast of Europe and South Africa. What the explorers did not do, but Wegener did, was to investigate the idea that the continents move.

4. What does the writer mainly tell us in the passage?

A. The first breath-taking pictures of the Earth taken from space.

B. Human’s recognition of the earth’s surface.

C. The German scientist Alfred Wegener.

D. The early explorers’ discovery.

5. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. We didn’t see the Earth from far away until we saw the picture taken in the space.

B. Our ancient thought that the surface of the earth is still.

C. Alfred Wegener was not the first person to investigate the idea that the continents move.

D. The coastline of India and Africa fit together.

6. The last word of the third paragraph “tectonics” mean “________”.

A. study of construction                             B. study of architecture        

C. earth surface                                         D. structural geology

7. What did the explorers find?

A. The coastlines of South America and Africa could fit together.

B. The coastlines of North America and Africa could fit together.

C. The east coastlines of North America and the west coast of Europe could fit together.

D. The coastlines of North America and India could fit together.