World Reading Day was set up by the UNESCO in 1995 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor great writers, for example, William Shakespeare, born or dead on that day.
Many countries celebrated World Reading Day. Take the UK as an example, on that day, millions of schoolchildren can buy books of special price, a much lower price than usual, in any bookstore. It has been done every year since 1998. World Reading Day 2010 in the UK will take place on Thursday 4th March. Please note that this date applies to the UK and Ireland only. The initiative is so well established in schools there that they want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading. Most other countries hold World Reading Day on 23 rd April every year.
World Reading Day is also celebrated in China. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, an avid reader, does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Reading Day 2009 he encouraged citizens to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. “Books cannot change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading.”
Reading can benefit people in many ways. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology. Reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English.
“Reading makes a full man” (Bacon, 1597). Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the out side world and perfect us. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day.
小题1:Which of the following statements about World Reading Day is TURE?
A．It was set up to encourage people to learn English.
B．China also celebrates it on 4th March every year.
C．It is also the same day as some great writers was born or died.
D．Only since 1998 has the UK begun to celebrate it.小题2:An avid reader is a person who .
A．loves reading
B．never reads
C．does little reading
D．hates reading小题3:According to the passage, reading can help people EXCEPT .
A．learn a foreign language better
B．know more about culture
C．improve your memory greatly
D．know more about the outside world小题4:What’s the best title for the passage?
A．World Reading Day in the UK
B．Reading makes a full man
C．World Reading Day in China
D．World Reading Day and Reading
