This might not sound so extraordinary, but I didn't just read a book in print, on an e-reader or even on a mobile phone. Instead, I read a book on dozens of devices . I was not trying to set a Guinness world record. I wanted to answer a question I often hear: which e-reader or tablet is the best for reading books? So I set out to try them all, reading a chapter on each: the Amazon Kindle, the first and second generation Apple iPads and mobile phones. To be fair, I also read a chapter in that old-fashioned form -- an old print paperback. The book I chose was The Alienist. For the first chapter, I turned to an Amazon Kindle. Shopping on Amazon for the Kindle is simple; you go to Amazon's Web site and buy the book, which is then sent to any devices with Kindle software installed . Reading on the Amazon Kindle is a joy in many aspects. The Kindle is light.Its six-inch screen is the perfect size for reading, and reading on its black and white E Ink display doesn't harm your eyes. Battery life is outstanding; on average you charge the device only once a month. My only complaint with the Kindle design is the placement of the keyboard at the bottom of the device. Amazon's CEO has noted during past product announcements that the keyboard is there to help people take notes or search. But to me,it seems like a waste of space. Despite the small screen on a mobile phone, I find reading on one to be simple and satisfactory. All of the mobile phones on which I read chapters felt somewhat similar; although screen brightness and the size of the phone's screen did vary. If I had wanted to, I could have bought my book through dozens of e-book apps in the Apple App Store. Most are free and offer access to thousands of free e-books or paid versions. But the big downside for many is that you can read them only on Apple devices. Both iPads 1&2 offer an immersive reading experience. I found myself jumping back and forth between my book and the Web, looking up old facts and pictures of New York City. I also found myself being... A possible customer would not buy iPads 1 & 2 for reading because _ . A) most e-book apps must be downloaded first B) only paid-version e-books can be read on it C) much information is lost at times when reading D) attention is easily taken away when reading on it
D
Teacher's Day around the world is not celebrated on the same day. In some countries, Teacher's Day is celebrated on working days. However, in other countries, it is celebrated on holidays. Here we are giving you a list of countries that celebrate Teacher's Day on holidays. China Teacher's Day was proposed at National Central University in 1931. It was adopted by the central government of Republic of China in 1932. In 1939, the day was set on August 27, Confucius's birthday. The government of the People's Republic of China called it off in 1951. It was reestablished in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10. Now more and more people are trying to celebrate Teacher's Day back to Confucius's birthday. India In India, Teacher's Day is celebrated on September 5, in honor of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second President of India,because his birthday was September 5. Russia In Russia, Teacher's Day is on October 5. Before 1994, this day was set on the first Sunday of September. The USA In the United States, Teacher's Day is a holiday on the Tuesday of the first full week of May. Thailand January 16 was adopted as Teacher's Day in Thailand by a resolution of the government on November 21, 1956. The first Teacher's Day was celebrated in 1957. Iran In Iran, Teacher's Day is celebrated on May 2 every year. It is in honor of the famous Iranian professor Ayatollah Morteza Motahhari who died on May 2, 1980. Although different countries celebrate Teacher's Day on different days, the activities people take to celebrate it just stay the same. What will probably be discussed next? A) How Teacher's Day became popular in the world. B) Which country is the first to celebrate Teacher's Day. C) What activities people take to celebrate Teacher's Day. D) Which country has the longest vacation for Teacher's Day.
C
Q: Speed-reading is an indispensable skill in the Internet age. We skim over articles, e-mails and tweets to try to grasp key words and the essential meaning of a certain text. Bombarded with information from our electronic devices, it would be impossible to cope if we read word by word, line by line. But a new trend calls on people to unplug and enjoy reading slowly, listing benefits beyond intellectual stimulation. 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 smart phones. They sink into cozy chairs and read in silence for an hour. Unlike traditional book clubs, the point of the Slow Reading Club isn't exchanging ideas about a certain book, but to get away from electronic devices and read in a quiet, relaxed environment. According to the Journal, the Wellington book club is just one example of a movement initiated by book lovers who miss the old-fashioned way of reading before the Internet and smart phones. Slow readers, such as The Atlantic's Maura Kelly, say a regular reading habit sharpens the mind, improves concentration, reduces stress levels and deepens the ability to empathize. 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 regular engagement in intellectually strenuous activities like reading slowed the rate of memory loss later in life. Slow reading means a return to an uninterrupted pattern in a quiet environment free of distractions. "Aim for 30 minutes a day," advises Kelly from The Atlantic. "You can squeeze in that half hour pretty easily if only during your free moments - whenever you find yourself automatically firing up your laptop to check your favorite site, or scanning Twitter for something to pass the time - you pick up a meaningful work of literature," Kelly said. "Reach for your e-reader, if you like. Kindles make books like War and Peace less heavy, not less substantive , and also... We can learn from the passage that _ . A) the benefits of regular reading hasn't been proved B) for elderly people ,a good reading habit helps slow memory loss C) speed reading can improve concentration and reduce stress levels D) more elderly people enjoy slow reading now
A: B
Q: O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader's surprise. O. Henry went to prison because _ . . A) people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper B) he broke the law by not using his own name C) he wanted to write stories about prisoners D) people thought he had taken money that was not his
A: D