Reading books can be a great way to pick up new vocabulary, see grammar in action and develop your understanding of a language.
Avoid the classics, for they often use very old English words that are difficult to understand. Children's books are a great place to start. Dr. Seuss's books are sure to make you laugh. Dr. Seuss writes his books in rhyme and they are all very funny. Starting with something like this means you are more likely to finish the book and want to read more.
For more advanced learners, you could try the Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkien. If you like reading about historical events, Anne Holm ' I am David is a good read.
If you're not quite ready to read a full book, why not try Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes? Or, try a very short book like one from Roger Hargeaves's Mr. Men and Little Miss series. Although they are intended for young children, they are a good way to pick up some more basic vocabulary.
My final piece of advice would be to read something that interests you. Look at the short summary of the book on the back cover and see if it looks like something that you would enjoy. Think about the type that is in your own language and find one of that type in English.
A. For beginners, I would recommend starting with something short and simple.
B. The key to success is choosing the right book for you.
C. The book isn't too long and it may be easier to follow if you've seen the film.
D. This way, you're more likely to enjoy reading, rather than see it as a headache.
E. This book contains lots of short stories, based on fairy tales, all written in rhyme.
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A. Give them a signal (信号) by shouting or whistling (吹口哨) three times. B. they will know that you are not just making noise for fun C. Don't just walk away. D. you may get lost E. try to make a little house |
If you get into the forest with your friends, always stay with them. If you don't, . If you really get lost, this is what you should do. Sit down and stay where you are. Don't try to find your friends—let them find you by staying in one place.
There is another way to help your friends or other nearby people to find you. Any signal given three times is a call for help.
Keep up shouting or whistling always three times together. When people hear you, . They will let you know that they have heard your signal. They give you two shouts, two whistles, or two gunshots (枪声). When someone gives you a signal, it is an answer to a call for help.
If you don't think that you will get help before night comes, —cover up to the holes with branches (树枝) with lots of leaves. Make yourself a soft bed with leaves and grass.
What should you do if you get hungry or need drinking water? You would have to leave your little house to look for a river. Pick off small branches and drop them as you walk so that you can find your way back. The most important thing to do when you are lost is stay in one place.
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A. April fool to you! B. He turned on the light and looked at his clock. C. Then he saw a piece of paper on the floor. D. A few minutes later he heard the bell again. E. He decided to go and find out. |
Mr Lee was in bed and was trying to go to sleep when he heard the bell ring It was twelve o'clock. "Who can it be at this time of night?" he thought. So he got off bed, put on his dressing gown (浴袍) and went to the door. When he opened the door, there was nobody there. "That is very strange." Then he went back to his bedroom, took off his dressing gown, got back into bed, turned off the light and tried to go to sleep.
Mr Lee jumped out of bed very quickly and rushed to the door. He opened it, but again he found no one there. He closed the door and tried not to feel angry. He picked it up. There were some words on it :"It is now after midnight (午夜), so it is April Fool's Day (愚人节). "
"Oh, it was the English boy next door!" Mr Lee exclaimed (惊叫) and almost smiled. He went to bed and fell asleep at once. The bell did not ring again.
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A. How much is it worth? B. This poor man had so little money that he spent his days at home. C. Carl became afraid and pulled out the gun. D. I could sell it for a lot of money. E. Carl broke the window and entered the house. |
Carl lost his job.He watched his neighbour's house, where an old professor lived. He found that the rooms were full of antique (古董) furniture and vases (花瓶) . Then an idea came up to his mind, "Why haven't I got an antique vase?"
Carl had an old gun (枪). It had been his great-grandfather's favourite thing a long time before. Carl didn't want to use the gun but he thought, "Anything could happen." He wanted to hide the gun under his coat but it was too long so he cut the end off.
Next morning he watched the professor leaving home at 10:00.He didn't know much about arts. He reached his hands towards a big vase when he heard a noise. Someone entered the house. It was the professor. He had forgotten to take an important document."I haven t stolen anything. I just want to go away or I will shoot," cried Carl. "With that gun?" asked the professor and he began to laugh. He wasn't afraid of Carl.
He said, "You can't shoot with that antique gun. Its place is in a museum."
"Is this really an antique gun?" asked Car. ""
"It was worth about 17,000 dollars," said the professor. "But now you can get 10 dollars for it."
"Why?" asked Carl.
The professor said, "Because its end is missing."
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A. His comedies make a joke on human weakness and always have a happy ending. B. But it doesn't influence his popularity (流行程度). C. He created about 1,700 English words, including everyday ones like "lonely" and "hurry". D. When he was young, he moved to London and began to work as a playwright. E. The person should be William Shakespeare. |
Who is the greatest English writer?His popular expressions, like "to be or not to be, that is a question", and his stories such as Romeo and Juliet are almost famous in every corner of the world.
William Shakespeare was born in a small town in England in 1564.By 1594, he had become an important playwright (剧作家) in London.
Whether comedies or tragedies, Shakespeare's plays always catch people's hearts.In A Midsummer Night's Dream, fairies (仙女) play magical tricks on people lost in the woods. His tragedies, however, can be very dark. Macbeth tells the story about a man who becomes king by killing a lot of people.
Shakespeare's works also have a big influence on the English language.Of course, Shakespeare wrote his plays 400 years ago and his English was very different from that of today.His plays have been translated into other languages and are performed more often. There are over 400 films and TV plays adapted from his works. Shakespeare is not of an age, but for all the time.
