How to Improve Speed Reading Skills

    Speed reading is one of many skills that can improve your reading comprehension and shorten your study time. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}.

    Look at groups of words, not single words.

    {#blank#}2{#/blank#}. However, if you can get into the habit of reading groups or chunks of words at one time, then you can read much faster. Start by trying to look at a group of three or four words at once, then work up to looking at an entire line of words. Focus on words that give the sentence meaning, such as the nouns and verbs and pay less attention to the filler words, such as “A, the, and, etc.”

    Scan for keywords.

    Scanning is a highly effective way of extracting answers from a text without really reading it. If you know exactly what you are looking for—a name, a date, a statistic, or a specific word—you can find it quickly by skipping over large chunks of the text. To scan, first visualize the word, number, or phrase you would like to find. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}. The information you are looking for should pop out at you.

    {#blank#}4{#/blank#}.

    You can train yourself to read faster by timing yourself as you go. Start by getting your base time. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, and speed read as you normally do. {#blank#}5{#/blank#}. Do not count the words, just the pages or paragraphs. Record your figures: for instance, you might write “15min/6.5 pages.”

A. Then, run your eyes rapidly over the text

B. Race the clock

C. Check your comprehension

D. If you read a text one word at a time, then this will slow your reading speed way down

E. Here are some Speed Reading Techniques

F. One of the reasons you read slowly is that you have to pause sometimes to understand what a passage is saying

G. When the timer goes off, check to see how far you have got

Teens For Planet Earth

    This is a social networking site for teenagers who want to get involved in protecting our planet. They can connect with other green-minded teens, choose a project or create their own. Teens For Planet Earth encourages young folks to get busy in their own communities. They offer guidance on local projects with categories such as habitats, animals, water and education. Awards are given to active members.

Meez

    At Meez, teens can create their own avatars(头像), rooms and virtual pets. It is a social community of creative people that combines avatars, virtual worlds and games. Meez offers contests and chat as well as homework help, a fashion central and a writers' corner. A chat area for younger teens is available. Other areas are music, geek（极客）central, art and sports.

Cyberteens

    Cyberteens is another cool site that celebrates the teen years. Here teenagers can find community, games, and news. There is a link called “creativity” where teens can share their poems, stories, photos and artwork. The “cool links” section offers a huge variety of options to the curious teens. This site also has surveys and helps with jobs and school work.

Student.com

    Student.com is a resource site for teens and high school students. Its social network has over 900,000 members. Members earn points to win prizes just by browsing and they offer several multi-player games. Points are used to buy items at auction(拍卖会). Student.com is filled with useful information and articles.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内.

    It was the summer of 1965. DeLuca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked DeLuca about his plans for the future. “I'm going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, 'You should open a sandwich shop.' ”

    That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, Buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront(店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn't cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.

    But business didn't go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn't know how badly, because we didn't have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.

    DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They'd meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, 'We are so successful, we are opening a second store.' ” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.

    But the partners' learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn't necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.

    And having a goal was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.

    DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.

    I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn't be late for! Thinking of my upcoming evening, I hurried into a store to pick up some flowers, for I did not want to be late for this date. When I paid the bill at a checkout counter, I found myself behind an elderly woman who seemed in no hurry when she paid for her groceries. She looked up at me and smiled. It was a nice smile –warm and friendly –and I returned her gift by smiling back.

    “Must be a special lady, no matter who will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.

    “Yes, she's special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out.

    “It's only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling that she's 'the one'. Jokingly, I added,“The only problem is that I can't understand why she'd want to date a guy like me.”

    “Well, I think she's very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said.” “My husband used to bring me flowers every week –even when times were hard and we didn't have much money. Those were wonderful days; he was very romantic and – of course – I miss him after he died.

    I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. I walked up to her, touched her on the shoulder and said,“You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed her the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.

    It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just bought.“You have a wonderful evening,” I said. I left her with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.

    I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that the story I had told her that night helped me win her heart.

    Budget Hotels (经济型酒店) in Bloomsbury

    Bloomsbury is one of the most central areas in London. There are many traditional-style small hotels. The hotels listed below are our picks of the best budget hotels in the area.

    Arosfa Hotel

Arosfa Hotel lies on the corner of Torrington Place and Gower St. The Arosfa was once the home of the famous Pre-Raphaelite painter, Sir John Everett Millais. The hotel takes pride in the quality, cleanliness and value that they offer to their guests. For your comfort and safety, smoking inside the hotel is not allowed.

Address: 83 Gower St, London, WC1

    Breakfast: English breakfast

    Internet service: Free WiFi and two personal computers for guests

    George Hotel

The George is a friendly and comfortable smoke-free hotel on a quiet street in North Bloomsbury. All rooms have a work desk and tea/coffee facilities are provided. It's only a 10-minute walk from King's Cross, St Pancras railway station and Euston railway station.

Address: 58-60 Cartwright Gds, London, WC1

    Breakfast: English breakfast

    Internet service: Free WiFi

    Ridgemount Hotel

    The Ridgemount is one of the cheapest hotels in the area. A friendly place and the standard rooms with shared bathrooms are provided for guests. You can speak Welsh or English with the hotel workers. They will be happy to provide useful advice on the area.

Address: 65-67 Gower St, London, WC1

    Breakfast: English breakfast

    Internet service: Free WiFi

    Arran House Hotel

    The Arran House is a popular family-run hotel. It's a little more expensive than the other hotels in the area. Rooms with shared bathrooms are provided.

Address: 77-79 Gower St, London, WC1

    Breakfast: English breakfast

    Internet service: Free WiFi

    Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramics(制陶技术) class.

    On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.

I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated，I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.

    "Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?" Mama asked calmly.

    "No," I said.

    "We are going to volunteer at a children's shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you," she explained.

    When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn't stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.

    As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle pull on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. "Hi. You want to play dolls with me?" she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, "Sure." Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.

    My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I try to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.