阅读理解 · 独立专项训练

A · A quieter corner The school library is opening a quiet reading area next to the west windows. It will be available from Monday to Thursday, between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. The main reading room will remain open on Friday, but the new area will be used for a staff training session that afternoon. Students do not need to reserve a seat. They should sign in at the desk and choose an empty chair. Bags must be placed under tables so that the walkway stays clear. Drinks with secure lids are allowed, but food is not. Students who want to discuss group work should use Room 102 instead. The area has adjustable lamps and several large-print books. Library staff can explain how to use the lamps. Students are asked not to move the electrical cables or bring extra appliances. Anyone who finds a damaged lamp should report it rather than trying to repair it. The library will try the arrangement for six weeks. It will record seat use and collect comments about light, noise and comfort. A full room on one afternoon will not be taken as proof that every student prefers the new design. The aim is to find a practical balance between quiet individual reading and the other activities a school library needs to support. B · The second rehearsal Before a school presentation, Wei practised his speech alone until he could repeat every sentence. He felt ready. At the first rehearsal in front of classmates, however, he spoke without looking up and ran through an important chart too quickly. Several listeners could not explain the main point afterwards. His teacher did not tell him to memorise more words. She asked him to choose one message that the audience should remember. Wei then shortened the opening and paused after introducing the chart. He also replaced a technical phrase with a brief example. His classmates could now follow the argument, although a few still wanted a clearer conclusion. During the second rehearsal, Wei asked someone at the back of the room to signal if he spoke too softly. Another classmate checked whether the chart could be read from a distance. This feedback concerned the actual listening situation, not just the accuracy of his script. On the presentation day, Wei forgot one sentence. Instead of stopping, he explained the idea in different words and continued. He realised later that he had become less dependent on a perfect memory and more aware of his listeners. Knowing his material still mattered, but communicating it required decisions about pace, examples and the audience's needs. C · Choosing a useful plan The school was deciding how to use an empty room. Some students wanted a study area, while others preferred a music practice space. The student council first counted which idea received more votes. (1) A simple total did not explain how often people would use the room or what equipment they needed. The council invited students to describe their routines. One group needed silence before exams; another wanted to practise after lessons. (2) This suggested that a timetable might serve more people than giving the room to one group permanently. The team next checked the building. Sound travelled easily into the classroom next door, so music practice could disturb a late lesson. (3) A plan had to fit the place as well as people's wishes. Instead of announcing a final answer, the council arranged a two-week trial with separate time slots. It displayed clear rules and offered a way to report problems. (4) The notes helped the team decide which parts of the timetable to adjust. After the trial, most users liked having a predictable place to go. Yet not every request could be met. The council explained the limits and agreed to review the arrangement next term. (5) A useful plan, they learned, could develop through listening and revision instead of appearing complete at the first meeting.