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 registered(记录) 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. difficult

C. important       D. suitable

2.The key to effective reading is __________.

A. to be motivated to read

B. not to learn grammar rules

C. to read millions of books

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. to read is as much fun as to work

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

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

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

5.The best title of the passage can be _________________.

A. How To Read English Novels

B. How To Learn English By Reading

C. How To Absorb Expressions And Phrases

D. How To Learn English Without Any Effort

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.C

5.B

【解析】

试题分析：文中针对如何通过阅读来学习英语提供了一些建议。

1. 词义猜测题。根据上下文可知在学习语言过程中自然而然地领会语言是至关重要的。所以crucial在这里表示“重要的”。故选C。

2. 细节理解题。根据第三段you'll be motivated to read可知有效阅读的关键是有兴趣和动力去阅读。故选A。

3. 根据倒数第二段Magazines are also great. Find one that covers a topic you're interested in可知，可以开始通过阅读你所感兴趣的话题的杂志来提高英语阅读能力。故选D。

4. 推理判断题。根据最后一段可知当你阅读时，你不必在字典里查新单词。故选C。

5. 文章标题题。 根据Reading is a great way to improve your English. 以及下文讲的改进英语的方法可知全文的主题是讲如何通过阅读来学习英语。

考点：文化教育类阅读