Do you know that a fast reader can get the ideas better than a slow reader can? Of course, you save time by reading fast, but this is not the main reason for fast reading. The main reason is that you understand better what you are reading when you read fast.
As your eyes move along the line of point, they make fixations (固定) or pauses (暂停). It is important that you see several words at a fixation. It is also important that your eyes leave a group. The numbers of letters or words that you see at a fixation are called your eye span (视跨). Pay more attention to improving your rate of reading. With practice you can learn to read faster than you usually read.
The way in which you read always depends on (取决于) what you are reading and for what purpose. You should know the different ways of reading so that you can apply whatever method is necessary. Here are four ways of reading:
(1) Skimming is an important kind of reading. This method can be used when you wish to review something that you have forgotten. You can skim to get the main points.
(2) Rapid (快速) first reading and then rereading certain parts carefully is important. You may use this type of reading to study a science lesson or a history lesson.
(3) You need to do careful reading and rereading sometimes. This type of reading is necessary for making an intensive (细致的) study of your school subjects, solving math problems or reading directions.
(4) Rapid reading is used when reading stories for enjoyment. You may also do rapid reading when reviewing materials that you already know well.
【小题1】The main reason for reading fast is that you can ________.

A．get the ideas

B．save time

C．understand better

D．learn well

【小题2】The way of reading always depends on ________.

A．the method that you like	B．your reading material
C．your reading purpose	D．both B and C

【小题3】The word “skimming” means “________”.

A．reading the main points	B．reading carefully
C．reading very fast	D．reading some parts of the material

【小题4】Careful reading is an important kind of reading ________.

A．when you review a lesson that you already know well

B．when you read the directions before using a camera which is expensive

C．when you read a story of enjoyment

D．when you wish to find a lost place that you have read

Paris is the capial of France. Its subway is very special. You can enjoy its culture when you are in this city. First you see many people reading books in the subway. Whenever they are in the subway or at the station, there is always a book in the hand.

  The subway station in Paris is not big , but each of them has its special facts. Some stations looks ships. Some have clothes, caps and shoes. And every station has a big advertisement picture. But many of them are for selling clothes and cosmetics(化妆品).

  You can meet some beggars(乞丐) in the subway. But the beggars in the Paris subway are also very special. They often play the violin or guitar in the train. They don’t feel shy at all. Instead they think it is natural. After playing, they will go around the train and ask you to give them some money.

  If you want to learn more about Paris, go to the subway and enjoy its culture by yourself.

1. What do many people usually do when they are in the subway?

A. Listen to music.                 B. Beg some money.

C. Sell clothes and cosmetics.        D . Read books

2.How do the beggars get money from people in the subway?

A. They often play the violin or guitar in the train

B. They usually brush shoes for the passengers.

C. They often steal money from the shops.

D. They usually help the passengers carry suitcases.

3.Which of the following is true?

A. Every station is very big in Paris.      

B. Every station has something to sell

C. The beggars in the Paris subway station are very shy.

D. The beggars in the Paris subway station can play some instruments.

4.What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Reading in the Paris subway. 

B. The subway is the window of the Paris culture.

C. The beggars in the Paris subway station usually have some skills

D. Each of the subway station in the Paris has its special facts.

 

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses working in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to look after them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact , they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole United States.
The cost of shoing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two or three hours to do the job.
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very storng. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses---for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country from Ireland in 1948. He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and,as the puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”
【小题1】According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a______ man.

A．clever

B．rich

C．strong

D．lucky

【小题2】James Corbin became a blacksmith because he__________.

A．was interested in horses	B．was needed by the policemen
C．drew a picture of the horseshoe	D．had a make a living

【小题3】In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to__________.

A．fit it on the horse’s foot

B．use it for two or three hours

C．make the from of a horseshoe from a piece of metal

D．draw a picture of the shoe

【小题4】The best title for the passage is “__________”.

A．Policemen on Horseback	B．Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing
C．James Corbin, a Blacksmith	D．Horseshoeing is a Good Way to Make a Living

【小题5】Which of the following is true?

A．Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.

B．New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.

C．Policemen on horseback enjoy travelling around the United States.

D．Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.

Take a look at teenagers around, dressed in baggy-pants (宽松裤), drinking soft drinks such as coke, reading Japanese cartoons. Whether you are in Beijing, Wuhan or Hong Kong, you will get the same impression. But should we copy others or should we maintain (保留) our differences?
It sounds convenient that people around the world speak the same language, dress in the same style, eat the same food and play the same games. If the world was like this, you won’t feel strange in any corner of world. But just imagine living in such a strange world. How dull and colorless it would be!
Different kinds of food that people can taste, the colorful and fashionable clothes that we dress in and different languages we speak are all part of the different cultures that our ancestors left us. These differences represent their creativity (创造力) and talent. And we all enjoy different cultures in our daily lives. When you travel to other places, you want to see different things. When you talk to foreigners you expect to listen to interesting stories. These differences in culture are what make life colorful.
But the whole world is shrinking into a small village as globalization (全球化) takes effect and many different cultures are disappearing. In most big cities around the world people wear the same clothes. Fast food stores are everywhere. Hollywood movies are kicking traditional performing arts out of our lives. The colors of our life are disappearing.
There is joke that even the panda and zebra want to live a colorful life. So let’s take action to protect our colorful culture before it becomes as simple as black and white.
It’s not difficult. Learning some folk songs, trying on a traditional clothing and even eating local food instead of going to KFC can help. And we’re sure you will enjoy it.
【小题1】The passage is written to _______.

A．explain cultural differences	B．convince readers to maintain cultural differences
C．predict the future of globalization	D．show some cultural phenomena(现象)

【小题2】The author thinks that cultural differences _______.

A．make the world colorful	B．make communication difficult
C．only exist in food and clothing	D．will never fade away

【小题3】The author starts the argument by ________.

A．mentioning certain cultural phenomena

B．mentioning his view at the very beginning

C．mentioning the opposite view at the very beginning

D．giving examples of cultural differences

【小题4】The underlined word “shrink” probably means “_______”.

A．expand

B．disappear

C．become smaller

D．grow in number

【小题5】The author talks of all the following cultural phenomena except _______.

A．food

B．clothing

C．language

D．architecture

My mother was a housewife. She thought that successful people spent a lot more time reading than watching TV. So she asked my brother and me not to watch too much TV, but to read two books every week in our free time. She would check them with marks, though she couldn’t read the book at all.
When I went to high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted cool clothes and hung out with friends. I became a C-student, but I didn’t care. One night I complained about not having enough Italian shirts. Then my mother gave me all the money and said I could get the money left to buy shirts if I finished buying all the things the family needed. I was pleased with that, but after I bought those things, there was no money left. I got to know how difficult it was for my mother to do all these. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. Finally, my dream came true and I became a doctor.
My story is really my mother’s story----a woman with little education greatly changed my life as a parent. So I believe there is no job more important than parenting.
【小题1】What did the writer’s mother do?

A．A worker.

B．A housewife

C．A teacher

D．A writer

【小题2】Why did the mother ask her children to read books in their free time?

A．Because she thought successful people spent more time reading.

B．Because she thought books were interesting.

C．Because she wanted her children to be happy.

D．Because she wanted her children to be doctors.

【小题3】Which was NOT the reason for the writer’s falling behind(落后)?

A．He only cared about clothes and didn’t study.

B．He spent more time hanging out with friends than studying.

C．He didn’t care that he went from being an A-student to a C-student.

D．He spent much time reading storybooks.

【小题4】What was the writer’s dream?

A．To be a doctor.	B．To be a teacher.
C．To be an A-student	D．To find a good job.

【小题5】The writer mainly wants to tell us that ______.

A．mothers with little education change their children more.

B．his mother is cruel and unhelpful

C．there is a job more important than parenting.

D．his mother has an important influence（影响）on him.