I must have always known reading was very important because the first memories I have as a child deal with books. There was not one night that I don’t remember mom reading me a storybook by my bedside. I was extremely inspired by the elegant way the words sounded.
我必须一直都知道阅读非常重要，因为我最初的记忆与书籍有关。没有一个晚上我记得妈妈不在我床边给我读故事书。我被那些优雅的词汇听起来的方式深深吸引。

I always wanted to know what my mom was reading. Hearing mom say, “I can’t believe what’s printed in the newspaper this morning,” made me want to grab it out of her hands and read it myself. I wanted to be like my mom and know all of the things she knew. So I carried around a book, and each night, just to be like her, I would pretend to be reading.
我总是想知道妈妈在读什么。听到妈妈说：“真不敢相信今天早上报纸上印了什么，”我就想要夺过报纸自己读。我想像妈妈一样，知道她所知道的一切。所以我随身携带一本书，每晚，只是为了像她一样，我会假装自己在阅读。

This is how everyone learned to read. We would start off with sentences, then paragraphs, and then stories. It seemed an unending journey, but even as a six-year-old girl I realized that knowing how to read could open many doors. When mom said,” The C-A-N-D-Y is hidden on the top shelf,” I knew where the candy was. My progress in reading raised my curiosity, and I wanted to know everything. I often found myself telling my mom to drive more slowly, so that I could read all of the road signs we passed.
这就是每个人学习阅读的方式。我们从句子开始，然后是段落，再然后是故事。这似乎是一个永无止境的旅程，但即使是作为一个六岁的女孩，我也意识到学会阅读可以打开许多门。当妈妈说：“C-A-N-D-Y藏在顶层架子上，”我知道糖果在哪里。我的阅读进步提高了我的好奇心，我想要知道一切。我经常让我妈妈开车慢一点，这样我就可以读完我们经过的所有路标。

Most of my reading through primary, middle and high school was factual reading. I read for knowledge, and to make A’s on my tests. Occasionally, I would read a novel that was assigned, but I didn’t enjoy this type of reading. I liked facts, things that are concrete. I thought anything abstract left too much room for argument.
我在小学、中学和高中的大部分阅读都是事实性阅读。我为了知识而阅读，为了在我的考试中取得A的成绩。偶尔，我会读一本被指定的小说，但我并不喜欢这种类型的阅读。我喜欢事实，那些具体的事物。我认为任何抽象的东西都留有太多的争论空间。

Yet, now that I’m growing and the world I once knew as being so simple is becoming more complex, I find myself needing a way to escape. By opening a novel, I can leave behind my burdens and enter into a wonderful and mysterious world where I am now a new character. In these worlds I can become anyone. I don’t have to write down what happened or what technique the author was using when he or she wrote this. I just read to relax.
然而，现在随着我的成长，我曾经认为很简单的世界正在变得更复杂，我发现自己需要一种逃避的方式。通过打开一本小说，我可以放下我的负担，进入一个奇妙而神秘的世界，在那里我现在是一个新角色。在这些世界里，我可以成为任何人。我不需要记下发生了什么，或者作者在写这个时使用了什么技巧。我只是阅读来放松。

We’re taught to read because it’s necessary for much of human understanding. Reading is a vital part of my life. Reading satisfies my desire to keep learning. And I’ve found that the possibilities that lie within books are limitless.
我们被教导阅读，因为它对人类的理解至关重要。阅读是我生活的重要组成部分。阅读满足了我继续学习的愿望。我发现书籍中的可能性是无限的。

1. Why did the author want to grab the newspaper out of mom’s hands?
   A. She wanted mom to read the news to her.
   B. She was anxious to know what had happened.
   C. She couldn’t wait to tear the newspaper apart.
   D. She couldn’t help but stop mom from reading.
   答案：B

2. According to Paragraph 3, the author’s reading of road signs indicates _.
   A. her unique way to locate herself
   B. her eagerness to develop her reading ability
   C. her effort to remind mom to obey traffic rules
   D. her growing desire to know the world around her.
   答案：D

3. What was the author’s view on factual reading?
   A. It would help her update test-taking skills.
   B. It would allow much room for free thinking.
   C. It would provide true and objective information.
   D. It would help shape a realistic and serious attitude to life.
   答案：C

4. The author takes novel reading as a way to_.
   A. explore a fantasy land B. develop a passion for leaning
   C. learn about the adult community D. get away from a confusing world
   答案：D

5. What could be the best title for the passage?
   A. The Magic of Reading B. The Pleasure of Reading
   C. Growing Up with Reading D. Reading Makes a Full Man
   答案：C