Reading is becoming more and more important language learning and is still the most effective activity to get information.

There are three possible ways to improve reading. The fastest is probably a speed reading class with good books and teachers. It is quite usual for a slow reader to increase two or three times his reading efficiency during a two-day class with a positive atmosphere, carefully picked texts and reading tests. However, this encouraging improvement often fades with time.

   A book about speed reading is the second method. Such a book usually gives speed and comprehension tests as well as ways to improve reading. It often has all kinds of methods to make you pay attention to or be interested in the text. All the methods need a lot of time as well as hard work from the reader.

Finally, a speed reading computer program is probably the most effective way to achieve top reading levels. Computers give special exercises to improve reading efficiency. Higher reading skills got with a computer screen can change to reading from paper. Unfortunately the inverse way does not work so well. Speed reading software gives enjoyable and fast reading training, thus giving the practice necessary to break long-time slow reading habits. This is the task that reading classes and speed reading books usually can't give to the reader.

Is your schoolbag too heavy to carry? The e-schoolbag will help you.

It is said that e-schoolbags are going to be brought into use in Chinese middle schools soon. In fact, the e-schoolbag should perhaps be called an e-textbook. It is a small computer for students.

Heavy schoolbags have long been a serious problem for them. But the e-schoolbag will change everything. It is much lighter than a usual schoolbag. Also it is as small as a usual book, but it can still hold all the things for study, such as a textbook, an exercise book and so on. They can be made into chips that are as small as a stamp. The students can read the text page by page on the screen, take notes, or even send e-mails to their teachers. All they have to do is to put the right chip into the e-schoolbag and press a button.

Some say that e-textbooks can be easily broken. Some say it is not good to students' eyes.

But only time will tell.

One day in summer, little Jack was playing on the beach with his father. Suddenly, he saw a little Tortoise moving slowly on the sand. He started to look at it carefully and began to touch it with his hand. To his surprise, the tortoise stopped moving. It pulled in its head and legs, and closed its shell tightly. He touched it again but the tortoise didn't move at all. Jack became angry. He used a stick and tried to force(强迫) it to open.

When his father saw this, he stopped him and said, "No, son, you mustn't do that! You will kill the tortoise. You won't get it open with a stick." Jack was curious and asked,

"Why?"

"Just wait and see," his father replied. Then he picked up the tortoise and put it into a bag.

After they came back home, the father took the tortoise out of the bag. He put it near the fireplace. After a few minutes, the tortoise began to move a little. Then the tortoise stretched out (伸出)its head and legs. At last, the tortoise began to crawl (爬) across the room. How excited Jack was when he saw this!

Son, now you see, said his father, Sometimes you can't force someone to do things he doesn't like. But if you get him warmth first, he will do what you want him to do.