Question

Reading is a great way to improve your English. You'll learn new words, revise previously-taught structures and absorb thousands of useful expressions and phrases... without any effort. By reading, you are receiving valuable language input. And this is how you learn! Remember, language learning is a combination of input + practice. As you're reading, you're taking in language naturally, and you're seeing how it all fits together. This is crucial to your learning.

The great thing about reading is that learning takes place subconsciously. There are no exercises to do, no grammar rules to learn, no tasks to complete... it's all natural. The language flows in through your eyes, and gets recorded in your brain. What could be easier?

The key to effective reading is to read things that you want to read. There are millions of books, magazines and websites out there. You couldn't possibly read them all. So, the important thing is to find things that you like reading. Then, you'll be motivated to read. And then the reading won't be difficult. It'll be easy! And then you'll learn. It's simple.

Remember: read what you want to read. What you like reading. What motivates and inspires you. But where can you start? Well, you could read a book that you've already read in your own language. Simply find a translated version of a book that you have read and enjoyed. This will make processing the content in the target language much easier as you’ll already know what the book is about! You could also read the news. This is great as you can read the news in your own language first, then in English. You'll see that it won't be too difficult as you'll be familiar with the topics and stories. Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you're interested in: business, clothing, guns, horses, houses, housekeeping, stocks and shares, sports, computers, electronics, designing, cooking... you name it, they'll have it. If not, look for information on the internet. There are also websites for every topic under the sun! Why not join a forum? They're a great source of English input as the language is often written in a simple, spoken style. Go to Google Groups, which has discussion groups based on common interests. Just type in the topic that interests you and join the chat.

Finally, how you read is also important. The best thing is to read without using a dictionary. Let the words flow over you. Just skip the parts you don't understand. If you make your reading feel too much like work, it'll stop being fun. Of course, you could make a note of any new words and phrases that you like or see repeated frequently, but try not to break your concentration too much. Also, set yourself mini-objectives. For example, if you're reading a novel, read 20 pages a day. Very soon, you'll have been exposed to thousands of useful phrases and words. Have fun reading! You'll learn so much!

1.The underlined word “crucial” in the first paragraph is closest in meaning to ________.

A. easy           B. important

C. difficult     D. suitable

2.The key to effective reading is _______.

A. to read millions of books        B. not to learn grammar rules

C. to be motivated to read          D. to read easy things

3.You can start to read by ____.

A. reading a book that you've already read in English

B. reading the news in English first

C. going to Google Groups to practice spoken English

D. reading magazines containing topics you are interested in

4.From the passage we can learn that ______.

A. when you read you needn’t look up every new word in the dictionary

B. the great thing about reading is that you can read without any effort

C. to read is as much fun as to work

D. you should make notes of every new word and phrase while reading

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.A

【解析】

试题分析: 阅读是学习英语的一个很好的途径。通过阅读可以扩大词汇，复习学过的短语和结构。阅读你读过的作品或者杂志等都是阅读的好途径。注重阅读的方法，可以让你事半功倍。

1.B。词义猜测题。前面一句说，阅读会让你很自然的摄入语言，并且了解它是怎样构成的。因此这对学习很重要。Easy简单；important重要；difficult困难；suitable适当的。故选B。

2.C。细节理解题。由“Then, you'll be motivated to read. And then the reading won't be difficult.”可知，读你喜欢读的东西，你就不会觉得很困难，有读下去的动力。这对于保持阅读很重要。故选C。

3.D。细节理解题。根据文中Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you're interested in:找一本含有你感兴趣话题的杂志。故选D。

4.The best thing is to read without using a dictionary.”可知，在阅读的时候没必要抱着词典，不用每一个生词都去查。故选A。

考点：考查教育类短文阅读。