Speed reading is a necessary skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and WeChat to try to get key words and the meaning of the text. With so much information through our electronic device (设备), it would be impossible to get through everything if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to enjoy reading slowly.

A recent story from The Wall Street Journal reported on a book club in Wellington, New Zealand, where members meet in a cafe and turn off their smartphones. They sit in comfortable chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the slow reading club isn’t to share ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment.

Slow readers, such as TheAtlantic’sMaura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves attention, lowers stress levels and deepens the ability to understand others. Some of these benefits have been backed up by science. For example, a study of 300 elderly people published by the journal Neurology last year showed that adults who take part in activities that use their brain, such as reading, suffer (遭受) less memory loss as they get older.

Yet technology has made us less careful readers. Computer and phone screens have changed our reading patterns from the top-to-bottom, left-to-right reading order we traditionally used, to a wild skimming and skipping pattern as we search for important words and information. Reading text online that has many links to other web pages also leads to weaker understanding than reading plain text (纯文本). The Internet may have made us stupider, says British journalist Patrick Kingsley from the Guardian, only half joking. Because of the Internet, he says, we have become very good at collecting a large number of interesting news, but we are also gradually forgetting how to sit back, think and relate all these facts to each other.

Slowing reading means a return to an uninterrupted, straight pattern, in a quiet environment. Aim for 30 minutes a day, advises Kelly from The Atlantic. “You can squeeze in (挤出) that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments — whenever you want to check your favorite site for something to pass the time— you pick up a meaningful work of literature,” Kelly said.

1.The words “backed up” in Paragraph 3 probably mean “______”.

A. given back B. called back C. supported D. disagreed

2.Kingsley believes that the Internet has weaken people’s ability to ______.

A. get key words rapidly B. share ideas about books

C. collect interesting news D. think deeply about information

3.According to the passage, slow reading___________.

A. improves understanding among people

B. treats the memory loss of elderly people

C. provides people with a quiet environment

D. slows down the development of electronic device

4.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Benefit of Reading Clubs B. Return of Slow Reading

C. Reading of the Internet Age D. Influence of Speed Reading

1.C 2.D 3.A 4.B 【解析】本文介绍了在互联网时代，快读是必要的阅读技巧，但是作者鼓励慢读，并介绍了慢读的好处。 1.C 词义猜测题。根据For example, a study of 300 elderly people published by the journal Neurology last year showed that adults ...

阅读短文，根据短文内容回答问题。

Idioms are one of the hardest parts of learning a language. An idiom is a phrase which has a meaning, but the meaning is not clear from the words themselves. They are like puzzles. If you translate an idiom word for word, it sometimes makes no sense at all. That’s why even native speakers can get confused when someone uses a phrase that they’ve never heard of.

Here are four common English idioms every English student should know in a lot of situations.

1.Get your act together (Meaning: you need to improve your behaviour/work)

This might be something your teacher says to you if you score badly in an exam or if you misbehave in class. You can also use it to talk about people in general. For example, if your friend is being mean for no reason, then you can tell them that they need to get their act together.

2.Pull yourself together (Meaning: calm down)

It’s not polite to say “pull yourself together”to tell people to relax while they’re overreacting (反应过激). Only use this if you think the person you are speaking to is getting upset over something important. When your friend tells you that their close relative has died, it is NOT the time to tell them to pull themselves together.

3.I’m feeling under the weather (Meaning: I’m sick)

Yes, it’s longer and more difficult to say than “I’m sick”, but if your English teacher asks you why you haven’t done your homework, he or she is more likely to forgive (原谅) you if you say that you were feeling under the weather.

4.Break a leg (Meaning: good luck!)

This is perhaps one of the most confusing yet well-known English idioms. If someone says this to you, do not think they are frightening you; they are just wishing you luck. It is most often used for people wishing success to actors and actresses before they perform on the stage, but it can be said in other situations, too.

All in all, learning a new language can be challenging. It’s certainly not a piece of cake, especially when there are so many confusing idioms. However, with enough hard work and interest, you will succeed in no time. Break a leg!

1.What is an idiom?

2.How many common English idioms are talked about in the passage?

3.Is it polite to say“pull yourself together”to tell people to relax while they’re overreacting?

4.Which idiom can you use to wish somebody luck?

5.What is the passage mainly about?

1.An idiom is a phrase which has a meaning, but the meaning is not clear from the words themselves. 1’档：①Idioms are one of the hardest parts of learning a language. ②They are like puzzles. If...

假如你叫李华，最近你班里的美国交换生Lucy想要感受中国的传统文化。周末你和父母商议后，打算邀请她去老舍茶馆。你通过微信告知她：要去哪，在那要做什么以及何时何地见面。

提示词语：Laoshe Teahouse, drink tea, Peking Opera, magic shows, gate

提示问题：Where are you going?

What will you do there?

When and where will you meet?

Hi, Lucy! I know you like Chinese traditional culture. I want to invite you to Laoshe Teahouse this Saturday morning. We are going to drink tea, watch magic shows, enjoy Peking Opera, and eat Chinese ...

作为初三毕业生，你们首次参加了“英语听说机考”（the English Listening and Speaking Online Test）。你应邀为初一初二的学弟学妹们做听说机考的经验介绍。请你用英语写一篇发言稿，谈谈你对英语听说机考有什么认识，在考试中需要做什么以及你想对他们提出哪些建议。

提示词语：necessary, answer questions, take notes, retell, read a passage aloud

提示问题： What do you think of theEnglish Listening and Speaking Online Test?

What do they need to do in the test?

What suggestions do you want to give them?

Good morning, everybody. I’m glad that I can share something about the

English Listening and Speaking Online Test with you.

Thanks for listening!

Good morning, everybody. I’m glad that I can share something aboutthe English Listening & Speaking Online Test with you. I think it is necessary for us to take the listening and speaking test. In the ...

（题文）He asked me whom I ________ for.

A. am waiting B. wait C. will wait D. was waiting

D 【解析】 句意：他问我在等谁？这是宾语从句的结构，当主句是过去时态时，从句用过去的某一个时态，根据句意可知这里用进行时态；故选D。

（题文）He often __________ us funny stories.

A. talks B. says C. tells D. speaks

C 【解析】 句意：他经常给我们将有趣的故事。A. talks talk一般为不及物动词，交谈，taik to/with sb 和某人交谈； B. says说，通常指说话的内容，say to sb对某人说； C. tells tell常作及物动词，意思是“讲，告诉”，动词常跟双宾语，tell sb sth告诉某人某事； D. speaks强调说的动作，不强调说的内容，作及物动词时通常指...

I won’t __________ come here so early.

A. be able to B. am able to C. can D. could

A 【解析】 句意：我不能来这儿那么早。根据将来时态结构will+动词原形；will后不用情态动词；故选A。

（题文）The window is __________. Please close it. It’s cold outside.

A. opened B. opening C. open D. opens

C 【解析】 句意：这个窗户是开着的，请关上它，外面冷。根据open在这里是形容词，开着的，作表语；故选C。

__________ any noise in class.

A. Not make B. Don’t make C. Not to make D. Makes

B 【解析】 句意：不要在课堂上发出任何噪音。根据这是祈使句结构，用动词原形，否定形式在句首加don't；故选B。

Her village was 2,000 meters __________ sea level.

A. on B. over C. above D. Under

C 【解析】 试题句意：她的村庄海拔曾经是2000米。根据句意及题干分析“海拔”是above the sea level，故选C。