Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?

    Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbacks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.

    Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia, though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbooks, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.

____ ____ ____it stopped raining ____he went out.

马尔代夫是印度洋上1200余个小珊瑚岛屿组成的岛国。岛屿地势低平，平均海拔1．2米。住人的有200个，其中又以马累岛、机场岛和胡鲁马累岛为主要居住岛。此前，机场岛到胡鲁马累岛有一条公路相连，但马累岛到机场岛需要摆渡。马累岛面积不足1．8平方公里，道路窄到连货车卸货都很困难。如果能修通马累岛连接机场岛的大桥，三个岛连成一片，马尔代夫国家发展空间会发生质的飞跃。由中国企业承建的连接马累岛一机场岛的跨海大桥将于2018年8月完工交付使用。下图为马尔代夫位置、首都马累气候统计和附近三个岛位置图。