1. Do you like reading?

参考答案：Well, I love reading a lot. I read newspapers when I take the subway in the morning. When I get bored, I usually flip through some magazines. If I have a lot of free time, I like to curl up with a novel while lying on the comfortbale couch. Also I am pretty fond of those motivational books even if some people think they are pretty much the same in essence. To me, these books are inspiring and enlightening. They motivate me to be a better person , and lead a happier and more fulfilled life.

2. Do Chinese people do enough reading?

参考答案：I’m afraid not. And I suppose it’s the same thing all across the world: people simply don’t read enough due to lots of factors combined. The first one has something to do with the rise of eletronic gadgets like smartphones and tablets made possible by the immense advancement of computer science and Information Technology. Spending a great amount of time every day on those smart devices makes us not smart but dumb because we tend to think less and understand less, our time is consumed wastefully by the fast food of quick news and a great proprotion of ordinary people are brainwashed and instilled with those pre-designed ideaologies created the wealthy and powerful.  

3.What benefits can people get from reading? (Compare newspapers and novels, what different kinds of information can people get from these two?)

参考答案：I guess I have to say it really depends on what kinds of materials we are talking about.

Fiction is a great way to take a quick immediate break, to be instantly transported into another
world. In this sense, reading a fiction provids an escape from the day-to-day routines.

It stretches your imagination in new and wonderful directions and takes your mind on a wonderful

journey through others' lives. Some biographies and magazines can enrich your knowledge and expand your thoughts. It’s like you communicate with a great mind when you read a good book.

Newspapers get us updated on daily events with local papers focusing on the local happenings and international ones dealing with a wide range of issues like current affairs and politics.

4. What kinds of people like reading and what kinds of people don’t like reading very much?

参考答案：Well, that’s a tricky question. As I see it, in general, women seem to be more interested in reading than men for the simple reason that men are more stressed to spare enough time for reading. Let me put it this way: in our society, men are thought to be bread-winners so they need to focus most engergies and time if not all on their careers. By contrast.women are expected to be gentle and feminine, that’s to say knowledgeable and elegant. Another interesting phenomenon is the elderly tend to read more than the younger generation. It’s not that younstes are not into reading or something but rather they are distracted by all those fun things like cigerettes,alcohol,parties and even marajuana. You know,they just want to have fun when they are young.

5.  What do Chinese people like to read?

参考答案：Generally speaking, people in China enjoy reading newspapers ,magazines, and those kinds of things. I guess it’s probably because they are reluctant to think much. All they want is either some quick information or something fun to kill their time. Serious matters are avoided because they are simply not well liked. Most people in my generation just want to have fun because of the so-called living-in-moment mindset and more material possessins.But as I see it, they are not better off but rather going down the hills in terms of spitural pursuit and satisfaction. The question is: who is to blame for this, individuals or the society that helps mould who we are?  Who knows?

6. Do you think e-books will replace traditional books?

  (Do you think the Internet have changed people’s reading habits?)

  (Compare people’s reading habits today with those of the past?)

参考答案：I am a fan of both e-books and traditional books. I know each has advantages and disadvantages.E-books consume less of our timber resources. They can be accessed online or downloaded onto a laptop computer or a smart phone and can be updated more frequently than traditional books. The idea of carrying over a hundred books on an eletronic device is attractive. You can read wherever you are, choosing from a good selection of books without having too much to carry. But e-books cannot simpley take the place of paper books. Traditional books satisfy a tactile need in us that e-books cannot offer. The scent, the feel and the weight of a book in the hand is a true comfort. Traditional books are relatively cheaper compared to the device that e-book readers need. Most people and schools can afford them and continue to use them.