The Mystery of English Reading

Author: Han Manling
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-10-01
Features: English reading is a primary means for people to obtain information and also a convenient way for them to exchange ideas. Particularly in today's increasingly international and globalized context, acquiring useful, new, and worldwide information and knowledge through effective English reading plays an extremely important, even decisive, role in one's life, work, and studies. In various English tests, reading holds a highly significant position and proportion of the total score. For example, in tests organized by foreign institutions such as TOEFL and GRE, reading accounts for one-third of the total weight; while in national unified exams organized in China, such as the College English Test Band 4 and 6, postgraduate entrance exams, MBA and MPA programs, and master's degree exams, the reading comprehension section nearly always constitutes 40% of the total score. Therefore, the importance of English reading is self-evident, and at times, it may determine whether a person succeeds in their career, finds happiness in life, or progresses in their studies. However, through years of English teaching practice and guiding students in English reading, we have found that many readers have numerous misconceptions about reading. For instance: some believe that English reading is primarily a vocabulary issue—once vocabulary is sufficiently large, reading will not be a problem; others think the main difficulty lies in grammar, as many long and complex sentences must rely on a solid grasp of grammar; still others believe that reading should focus on knowledge breadth and intuition, and that the same speed and methods should be used to handle all types of articles—once every word and sentence is understood, the purpose of reading is achieved, and one will be invincible in both information acquisition and test-taking. Various viewpoints have emerged. In reality, though these perspectives may have some merit, we often find many reading obstacles in daily life, work, and studies: either comprehension is not accurate enough, reading speed is too slow, it is difficult to grasp the deeper meaning of articles and books, or the main points of the text are not clearly identified. This book will provide a detailed analysis of these issues and offer corresponding solutions. By revealing the mysteries and essence of English reading, it will point out the key aspects readers should pay attention to and effective reading methods they can adopt, helping everyone master the core of English reading, cultivate interest in it, and ultimately achieve the goal of gaining the maximum benefits from English reading.