You have probably heard it before, most likely from your English teacher. If you want to become a good writer, read good writing. Unluckily, you may not have understood what did good to you and even what you were supposed to get from that experience.

As you start reading a book, poem, or story, do so with no thought at all and the experience will improve your writing. Just read for pleasure to begin with, or to learn. As you progress through the work, think about whether it is “easy” reading or not. Do you become so interested in the subject and flow of the writing that you completely forget the person who wrote it, or does the composition sometimes call too much attention to itself through words and phrases that seem out of place or unexpected? The second situation is a chance to learn from the writer’s mistakes. In fact, the reader should not have to worry about how a writer does “his thing” ... he should be able to just enjoy and learn. Every time a word strikes you as poorly chosen, stop to consider why it has this effect. Also, do not spend a lot of time analyzing (分析) the passage but put more efforts in enjoying it from the whole.

Another thing I do, particularly with nonfiction (非小说) books, is to select a part to read as if it is a completely separate work. Once again, read as a common reader rather than a critic (批评家). For learning how words and phrases work together on the most basic level, however, nothing is more suitable than devoting yourself to reading poems. A poet is often trying to put a book’s worth of meaning and feelings into lines, and every side of the work shows a very close attention to craft (工艺).

As you can see, there is no simple way of reading to improve your writing. The key is not to make it boring. Select writers you admire or like most, and enjoy their works as anyone else would. As long as you are reading, you are improving yourself as a writer.

Choose the best answer to complete the passage.

You've just finished with middle school and you may start wondering, “What is high school like? Is high school a lot  32  middle school? Is it going to be hard to start out in a new place?"

Most high schools in America hold a freshman class  33  school actually starts. When you talk to people in the freshman class, you  34  that a lot of them are feeling just like you are, excited, maybe  35  afraid. Talking about a question of common interest with your classmates could start a new   36  .

The work in high school builds on what you  37  in middle school, and gives you more knowledge of many subjects. So you  38   feel that it's a bit more challenging. But these challenges can make you feel   39  . And there are many resources (资源）to use if you feel that the work is too much.

At the beginning of high school, you'll get to know it has more activities than middle school, such as clubs, music groups, and sports teams. These activities may      40   before or after school, or during your free time. 41  this, time management is an important skill in your 42  year.

Middle school teaches you the  43  of study and social skills while high school gives you the chance to learn 44  to be more independent (独立的).It's all right if you're nervous 45  . Just be patient and keep  46  . Once you've got used to your new independence, you can go farther than you ever imagined.

1.A. the same as       B. different from      C. helpful to

2.A. before           B. after              C. since

3. A. found           B. will find           C. have found

4. A. too             B. so                C. a little

5. A. hobby           B. friendship         C. topic

6.A. are learning      B. will learn          C. have learned

7.A. have to          B. should            C. may

8.A. more bored       B. less bored         C. less excited

9.A. take part         B. take up           C. take place

10.A. Because of       B. Thanks to         C. Instead of

11.A. first             B. second           C. third

12.A. aims           B. pleasure           C. ways

13.A. what           B. how              C. whether

14.A. at first          B. at last             C. at that moment

15.A. doing           B. studying           C. trying

根据短文内容按要求完成任务。（共30分，每小题2分）

No one is born knowing how to study. You need to learn a few study skills and then practice them. Here are six ways of studying smartly.

Listen carefully in class. When you listen carefully in class and take good notes, you are starting learning carefully. Are you sitting next to a loud person? Is it hard to see the blackboard clearly? Tell your teacher or parents about this kind of problems.

Take food notes. Not sure how to take notes? Start by writing down what your teacher says or writes on the blackboard during class. Try your best to write clearly so you can read your notes later.

Plan ahead （提前作计划）. It is bad to wait until Thursday night to study for Friday’s exam. You should plan ahead. Write down the date of your exam. You can plan what to do after school each day, and how much time to spend on each subject.

Break it up（拆开）。 When there’s a lot to study, it can help you to break things into units. If you have an exam on spelling words, break them up into five-word units and work on one or two different units each night.

Ask for help. Ask your teacher for help if you don’t understand something. If you’re at home, your mom or dad might be able to help.

Have a good sleep. A good sleep is good for your next day’s study.

1.How many ways to study smartly are there in the passage?

2.What is the first step(步骤) of starting learning and studying?

3.What could you do if you have a lot to study?

4.Who can you ask for help when you don’t understand something at school?

5.Do you think a good sleep is good for your next day’s study

Tony is reading an advertisement in a magazine.  It is about different evening classes or weekend classes.

The Learning Centre, Garden City

We have evening and weekend courses on ...

test preparation            friends and meeting people

jobs and making money     cooking and language learning

Some of this month's courses:

1. Get good grades!

Do you forget information and do poorly on tests? In this course, learn to...

※ remember more (95 percent of what you read).

※ think quickly and read fast (400 words per minute!).

※ do well on tests and get high scores.

2. Find true love...today!

Are you single and shy? Is it hard for you to talk to people?

In this course, learn to...

talk lo people; start a conversation with a man or woman.

be more friendly and outgoing.

※ understand a person's body language.

3. You are on TV!

Many actors get their start in television. You can too! In this course, learn to...

※ act in TV ads.

※ use your voice on the radio.

※ get TV and radio jobs.

4. Cook delicious and healthy food!

Are you interested in cooking? Do you want to keep healthy? In this course, learn to...

※ keep a balanced diet.

※ cook delicious traditional Chinese food.

※ make western-style food. This course is also online al www. dffh. net. cn.

1.In the Learning Center, you won't learn how to______.

A. prepare for a test    B. make money

C. learn a language     D. get along well with others

2. After taking course 1, you can't_______.

A. think quickly

B. improve your memory

C. remember everything you read

D. finish reading a 200-word passage in 30 seconds

3.After taking course 3, you can learn how to_______.

A. become an actor (actress)   B. become a radio reporter

C. become a TV host (hostess)   D. get a job in a radio station

4.Which course is allowed to take online?

A. Course 4.   B. Course 3.   C. Course 2.   D. Course 1.

5.What's the advertisement about?

A. Finding true love.         B. Getting good jobs.

C. Cooking delicious food.     D. Different evening and weekend classes.