Forget losing weight or saving money—we suggest one simple task to add to your list of inspiring New Year's decisions: read a book. Trust us, and your brain will thank you. Not only does reading increase the amount of daily pleasure in your life, but it could also delay dementia (痴呆) and even help you live longer.
But still, picking the perfect novel isn't easy. Thankfully, Business Insider asked a Harvard professor to recommend the one book he thinks every student should read in 2019—and we suggest adding it to your list, too. (No time for all the books on your list? Here's a shortcut: Read the endings to some of the world's most famous books, instead.)
Steven Pinker, Professor of Psychology at Harvard, recommends The Internationalists by legal scholars Hathaway and Shapiro. The book makes a surprising statement that the Kellogg-Briand Paris Peace Pact (条约) of 1928, which declared war illegal, has caused a steady drop in war throughout history.
“But in their fascinating and evidence-rich book, they make a lifelike case,” Pinker said. “And like The Clash of Civilizations and The End of History, the book presents a sweeping vision (视野) of the international scene, making sense of many developments in the news and recent history.”
Other professors at Harvard recommended classics like Anna Karenina by Tolstoy, as well as Just Mercy by Stevenson, The Theory of Moral Sentiments by Adam Smith, and Robot-Proof by Joseph Aoun.
So, go ahead and give (at least) one of these books a read in 2019! And while you're at it, you should add the following 20 books you really should have read by now to your list, too…
1.Which has the closest meaning to the underlined word “shortcut” in the 2nd paragraph?
A.A time-saving way to read books.
B.A lazy person's way to read books.
C.A quick way to know about endings of books.
D.A wise way to deal with too many books to read.
2.What or who has reduced the number of wars throughout history?
A.The Paris Peace Pact. B.The Internationalists.
C.Hathaway and Shapiro. D.A wide vision of the international scene.
3.What may be written in the next or last paragraph of the passage?
A.More advice on reading books.
B.The names of the 20 books recommended.
C.The main contents of the 20 books recommended.
D.The brief introduction of the 20 books recommended.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Student Accommodation (住处) to Let in London
One - bedroom flat
Riverside Gardens, W6 £ 1,250 pcm
This one - bedroom top floor flat is located at Riverside Gardens in Hammersmith. It is perfectly located for shopping and entertainment. Walking distance to Hammersmith Broadway, Ravens Court Park & the River Thames.
Key features (特点): Spacious living area; Fully equipped kitchen
Two - bedroom flat
New Orient House Chelsea, SW6 £ 1,148 pcm
This flat has easy access to West Brompton station where a quick change to the District Line will allow you to make good use of the London Underground. This means that you are within easy access of 21 higher education institutions including Imperial College London and Kings College London.
Key features: Excellent social spaces: movie room, games area and dining area
Private halls
Nido West Hampstead, NW6 £ 1,664 pcm
Our modern student accommodation is near West Hampstead Tube Station, allowing you to easily explore London. It is close to all major universities in the city. Our house team will look after you during your stay, all you need to worry about is living your best student life.
Key features: In - house gym (健身房)
Rooms for the 2019/2020 academic year start from just £ 229 pp/pw.
(pcm: per calendar month pp/pw: per person per week)
1.What will Tom who works part - time in a restaurant by Ravens Court Park probably choose?
A.The flat next to West Brompton station. B.An apartment at Nido West Hampstead.
C.The flat at Riverside Gardens. D.The flat at New Orient House Chelsea.
2.Who are most likely to choose the flat at New Orient House Chelsea?
A.Nature lovers. B.Party lovers.
C.Shopping fans. D.Gym fans.
3.How much will Jane spend at least each month, if she is going to live at Nido West Hampstead from Sept 1st, 2019?
A.£ 1,250. B.£ 1,148. C.£ 916. D.£ 229.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Hi Danny,
Greetings from the Great Barrier Reef! I’m riding on a sailing boat with some relatives as I write this. We’re diving here all next week. The reef is located in the Coral Sea that is off the northeast coast of Australia.
The reef is made up of many corals. Corals are very hard and made of many tiny animals called “polyps” that look like underwater flowers. The corals need help to eat. They have a special relationship with other small animals, “algae” (藻类), that take in sunlight and make energy for the coral. It’s the algae that give color to the corals. Because algae need sunlight, the corals are very close to the surface of the water.
Together, the many corals create a magical environment. They make a home for the animals that live in the sea. When I went diving the other day, I saw all types of different animals-dolphins, turtles (海龟) and sea snakes. I was surprised at being able to see some fish I see only in movies, like clown fish (小丑鱼). As I am diving, I can feel the spirit of this magical place. It seems that these animals aren’t surprised to see me. Maybe they think I’m another fish!
Sadly, according to scientists, the Great Barrier Reef is dying because the water is getting warmer due to global warming. As the ocean gets warmer, the algae that live in the corals are cut off from the food they need for making energy. As a result, they leave the corals, and the corals die and lose their color. We see many dead white corals when we dive. We need to stop global warming and keep the water from getting hotter!
See you soon,
Gloria
1.Where is Gloria writing from?
A.A sailing boat. B.Great Barrier Reef.
C.A hotel room. D.A relative’s house.
2.What do algae do for corals?
A.They give sunlight to the corals.
B.They make energy for the corals to grow.
C.They capture fish for the corals to eat.
D.They allow the corals to move around.
3.Why is the coral reef described as “magical”?
A.The author had never been there before.
B.The area can allow the animals to do magical things.
C.It’s another world with many animals and colors.
D.Corals grow only at the Great Barrier Reef.
4.Why is the writer sad about the future of the corals?
A.She fears they will eventually die from global warming.
B.When corals die, they lose their color and turn to a boring white.
C.Not enough people will have a chance to see this magical place.
D.She’s sad that the corals and algae will break their relationship.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Top Tips for Better Writing
There are many different types of writing, such as essays, letters and speeches. Whatever your reason is and whatever your style, there are some universal tips that will help you improve your writing:
Be clear about your purpose
The most basic question to ask yourself before you start is why you are writing. In an essay or assignment, your purpose is to convey information and draw conclusions. But if you are writing a business report, you may want to make recommendations(建议). 1.
Start with a plan
2.The result is often disjointed writing with parts that don’t connect. Whatever you are writing, creating a clear plan is the first step to getting your message across quickly and in the most effective way.
Guide readers through what you write
Your task is to help readers understand your message quickly and precisely.3.Each sentence, each paragraph should be relevant to what comes before and what comes after. You should use words and phrases that connect to show these connections.
4.
Your aim in writing is to communicate ideas and information to other people, and you must keep that in mind with every word and sentence you write. Constantly ask yourself who you really write the information for.
Write for the ear, not for the eye
Once you’ve finished a draft of your speech, practice reading it out loud. 5.Revise so you are more comfortable giving your speech. You want to sound natural, no matter what the occasion is.
A. Write for readers, not yourself
B. Write for the aim, not for the words
C. It sounds robotic, and employers hate it.
D. Far too often people write without a plan.
E. You’ll hear anything that sounds awkward.
F. Whatever it is, keep your purpose in mind at all times to avoid going off topic.
G. To do this, it is necessary to show them clearly how the different parts relate to each other.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
I had seen my “old” friend working at our local Walt - Mart for several months. She always stopped to say hi, then ________ off saying she had to get back to work.
Through our brief conversations, I discovered she had been down a pretty ________ road but somehow had remained a positive and cheerful ________ to life. She was living in an apartment building, which was ________ for alcohol and drug problems, but that was all that she could ________. A few weeks later there was a fire at the apartment and all residents had to move. As she ________ said, it could be worse but ended with a positive point about her ________.
I felt a pull in my heart to do something to help, because I had been in her ________ once or twice but my life and taken a turn for the ________.
One day I had a few Christmas ________ in my car from work. I pulled one out and ________ it to her. I placed a gift of cash inside the card-more cash than I had ever given anyone but the ________ in my heart said, “Yes! Do it!” When my friend ________, I said, “Here is a card for you,” and we hugged. She opened it and tears came to her eyes.
Seeing her happiness, I ________ figured out how I was ________ to help her. What she did next made me know I had done the right thing. She phoned me ________ to thank me again and said, “It was too much, so I ________ it with two other women at work who were not going to have Christmas gifts ________ their children either. I hope you don’t ________.”
My heart was filled with ________ knowing I had done something that was passed on right where it was meant to go.
1.A.turned B.gave C.hurried D.put
2.A.rough B.direct C.broad D.shallow
3.A.opinion B.view C.attitude D.thought
4.A.designed B.known C.punished D.praised
5.A.apply B.afford C.offer D.live
6.A.never B.seldom C.almost D.always
7.A.position B.business C.dream D.situation
8.A.boat B.shoes C.coats D.house
9.A.better B.farther C.richer D.healthier
10.A.presents B.cards C.boxes D.letters
11.A.explained B.transported C.addressed D.lent
12.A.power B.desire C.dream D.pull
13.A.stood out B.showed up C.broke in D.came across
14.A.frequently B.constantly C.finally D.generally
15.A.supposed B.forced C.intended D.permitted
16.A.later B.yet C.ever D.only
17.A.rewarded B.donated C.delivered D.shared
18.A.in B.to C.for D.with
19.A.regret B.mind C.refuse D.forgive
20.A.sorrow B.anger C.honor D.joy
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
I am fond of my sister 1. she has one serious shortcoming. She can be 2. (real) stubborn. Although she didn’t know the best way of getting to places, she insisted that she 3. (organize) the trip properly. Now I know that the proper way is always her way. I kept asking her, “When are we leaving and when are we coming back?” I asked her whether she 4. (look) at a map yet. Of course she hadn’t; my sister doesn’t care about 5. (detail).
So I told her that the source of the Mekong is in Qinghai Province. She gave me a 6. (determine) look - the kind 7. said she would not change her mind. When I told her that our journey would begin at an altitude of more than 5,000 metres, she seemed to be excited about it. When I told her the air would be hard 8. (breathe) and it would be very cold, she said it would be an interesting experience. I know my sister well. Once she has made up 9. (she) mind, nothing can change it. Finally, I had to give 10..
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
单词拼写
1.We should never __________ (忽视) young children’s education.
2.He did not think she could __________ (认出) his car in the snow.
3.He can speak English as __________ (流利) as an Englishman.
4.The fashion from country to country may show the c__________ differences.
5.In that big fire, all their houses were completely d__________, so they had to build new ones.
6.It took a long time for him to r__________ from a bad cold.
7.I would __________ (感谢) it if you could give me an early reply.
8.He himself was __________ (不安的) because he’d been lying.
9.I felt I __________ (值得) better than that.
10.Visitors p__________ the beauty of the scenery.
11.The parents, whose son was lost for several days, __________ (遭受) a lot.
12.Taking proper and __________ (定期的) exercise can help you have a good shape.
13.Lucy was a __________ into her dream university, which made her feel excited.
14.If you have a dream, d__________ yourself to it and finally your dream will come true.
15.Titanic was a British ship that s__________ into the North Atlantic Ocean.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假定你是李华，是学校英文报“Advice”栏目的编辑。你收到一封署名为Miss Worried的来信。信中该同学诉说了自己的困扰：本学期期中考试后经常感到压力大晚上睡不好，使正常的学习和生活受到了影响。请用英文给该同学写一封回信。内容包括：
1. 表示理解并给予安慰；
2. 提出建议并说明理由。（至少两条建议）
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头与结尾已为你写好。
Dear Miss Worried,
I’m sorry to know that you’re having difficulty falling asleep.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
I hope you’ll find them useful.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析