World Book Day falls on April 23 every year．It 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 celebrate World Book Day．Take 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 Book Day is also celebrated in China．Wen Jiabao，Premier of China，is an avid reader．He does lots of reading every day though he is very busy．On World Book Day 2009，he called on people to do more reading．Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading．"Books can not change the world，but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading，" he said．

Reading can benefit people in many ways．Reading helps us become more knowledge- able and more intelligent．Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology．Reading gives us information about other cultures and places of the world．When we read，we may find many things that are unfamiliar* to us．We would have to use our brain to think about them or do more reading to find out the answers．The more we read，the more we know．The more we know，the smarter we become．Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English．We all know that it is difficult to learn everything in the classroom，for example，the ways English people are speaking and writing today．Reading helps us．

"Reading makes a full man" （Bacon，1597 ）：Books，magazines，newspapers and other" kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the outside world and perfect us．Therefore，it is necessary for us to spend time on reading every day．

1．Why was World Book Day set up?

A．To encourage people to learn English．

B．To encourage people to do more reading． 

C．To encourage people to buy more books． 

D．To encourage people to know more about science．

2．An avid reader is a person who ________

A．loves reading                            B．never reads

C．does little reading                          D．hates reading

3．According to the passage，reading can help people in many ways EXCEPT _______

A．learning English better                      B．knowing more about culture

C．improving your memory                   D．knowing more about the outside world

4．What's the best title for the passage?

A．World Book Day in UK

B．Suggestions on Reading

C．World Book Day in China

D．World Book Day and Benefits of Reading

World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It was set up by UNESCO
(聯(lián)合國教科文組織) in 1955 to encourage people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of   . Many countries celebrate World Book Day. World Book Day is also celebrated in China.
Reading can benefit people    . Reading helps us become more knowledgeable and more intelligent. Reading helps us to follow the  developments of science and technology. Reading    us with information about other culture and places of the world. When we read, we may find many things  
     are unfamiliar to us. We would have to use our brain      about them or do more reading to find out the answers. The more we read, the more we know. The more we know, the     we become. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language    English. We all know that we     learn everything at school, for example, the ways English people are speaking and writing today.
“Reading makes a full man.”Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help to know more about the outside world and perfect us.     , it is necessary for us to form the habit of reading every day.

Reading is very important. World Book Day falls on April 23 every year. It encourages people, especially teenagers, to discover the pleasure of reading. It is also the day to honor (尊敬) great writers.
Many countries celebrate (慶祝) World Book Day. On that day, millions of school children can buy books at a much lower price than usual in any bookstore in England. It has been done every year since 1998. World Book Day is also celebrated in China. Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, is an avid reader. He does lots of reading every day though he is very busy. On World Book Day 2009, he called on (號召) people to do more reading. Wen suggested that young people should spend more time reading. “Books can not change the world, but people can change the world by changing themselves through reading,” he said.
Reading helps us become more knowledgeable and smarter. Reading helps us to follow the latest developments of science and technology (技術(shù)). Reading gives us information about other cultures and places in the world. Reading is also one of the most important ways to learn a foreign language like English. We all know that it is difficult to learn everything in the classroom, for example, the ways English people are living and working today can be learnt by reading.
Books, magazines, newspapers and other kinds of reading materials can help us to know more about the outside world. Therefore, it is necessary for us to spend time reading every day.
【小題1】When is World Book Day?