The campaign is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun.
The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations.
Obama’s victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times.“Kobe( the basketball player) doesn’t have to be everybody’s role model anymore.”
Recent polls also suggest that Obama’s victory has given Americans new optimism about race relations. For example, a USA Today poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites“will finally be worked out”. This is the most hopeful response since the question was first asked during the civil rights revolution in 1963.
However, it’s still too early to tell whether Obama’s presidency will begin to solve many of the social problems facing low-income black communities.
Although blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population, 55 percent of all prisoners are African-American. Such numbers can be blamed on any number of factors on America’s racist past, a failure of government policy and the collapse of the family unit in black communities.
It is unlikely that Obama will be able to reverse(扭转)such trends overnight. However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, say that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities.“That’s not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama,”he told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence.”
In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama’s rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US.
52: For years, before Obama was elected president of the US, .
A. Kobe was the only role model for all the blacks
B. blacks could only find role models on the basketball court
C. minorities in America couldn’t find role models in their real life
D. American blacks had no role model who was successful in political area
53. According to Bill Bank, .
A. Obama is not the proper role model for African-Americans
B. young blacks should not be so much influenced by Obama
C. blacks should find other role models because Obama is far from their reality
D. it’s better for young blacks to find role models in those who are close to them
54. What do you think the author is probably going to talk about in the next paragraph?
A. In what ways Obama will contribute to racial relations in the US.
B. How Obama will influence Americans as a national role model.
C. How Obama will contribute to multiculturalism in the US.
D. How to choose a role model in his community as a young black.
55.What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The First African-American President
B. America’s New Role Model
C. Obama—a Successful Black
D. Choosing a Right Role Model
Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road
——Reported by Sheila Carrick
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.
Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more worried about how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.
“Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads,” the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.
“Ecopassages” may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. “These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid road accidents,” said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Protection Society.
But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lions used the passage.
Builders of ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.
The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animals overpass!
1. The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that ______.
A. wild animals have become more dangerous
B. the driving conditions have improved greatly
C. the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work
D. an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents
2. From the news story, we know an ecopassage is ______.
A. an underground path for cars
B. a fence built for the safety of the area
C. a bridge for animals to get over a river
D. a pass for animals to cross the road
3. When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means ______.
A. animals begin to realize the dangers on the road
B. animals begin to learn to use ecopassages
C. animals are crossing the road in groups
D. animals are increasing in number
4. The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because ______.
A. wild animals may attack cars
B. wild animals may jam the road
C. they may see wild animals in the park
D. they may see wild animals on ecopassages
第二部分:阅读理解(第一节20小题,第二节5小题;每小题2分,满分50分)
第一节:阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into action. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register(收款机) with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash(现金), had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.
I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. If anything, he looked more pitiable. “Charge it to me,” was all he said.
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.
1. The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits ______.
A. promised to obey the store rules
B. forgot to take any money with him
C. hoped to have the food first and pay later
D. could not afford anything more expensive
2. Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?
A. kind and lucky B. poor and lonely
C. friendly and helpful D. hurt and disappointed
3. The writer acted upon the store rules because ______.
A. he wanted to keep his present job
B. he felt no pity for the old gentleman
C. he considered the old man dishonest
D. he expected someone else to pay for the old man
4. What does the writer learn from his experience?
A. Wealth is more important than anything else.
B. Helping others is easier said than done.
C. Experience is better gained through practice.
D. Obeying the rules means more than compassion.
Research at the University of Liverpool, UK, has found that Shakespeare’s language stimulates positive brain activity.
Shakespeare uses a linguistic(语言的)technique known as functional change that involves, for example, using a noun to serve as a verb.Researchers found that this technique allows the brain to understand what a word means before it understands the function of the word within a sentence.This process causes a sudden peak in brain activity and forces the brain to work backwards in order to fully understand what Shakespeare is trying to say.
Professor Philip Davis, from the university’s School of English, said: “The brain reacts to reading a phrase such as ‘he godded me’ from the tragedy of Coriolanus, in a similar way to putting a jigsaw puzzle(拼图玩具)together.If it is easy to see which pieces fit together you become bored of the game.But if the pieces don’t appear to fit, when we know they should, the brain becomes excited.By throwing irregular words into seemingly normal sentences, Shakespeare surprises the brain in a manner that produces a sudden burst of activity — a sense of drama created out of the simplest of things.”
Experts believe that this heightened brain activity may be one of the reasons why Shakespeare’s plays have such a dramatic impact on their readers.
Professor Neil Roberts, from the university’s Magnetic Resonance and Image Analysis Research Center, and Professor Davis, together with Dr Guillaune Thierry, from the University of Wales, UK, monitored 20 participants using an electroencephalogram (EEG) as they read selected lines from Shakespeare’s plays.
“The brain signal is relatively stable when we understand the meaning of a word but when the word changes the grammar of the whole sentence, brain readings suddenly peak.The brain is then forced to retrace its thinking process in order to understand what it is supposed to make of this unusual word,” explains Professor Roberts.
1.The research conducted by the professors has showed that ___________.
A.Shakespeare uses functional change to mislead readers
B.Shakespeare’s language excites positive brain activity.
C.Shakespeare’s plays have a dramatic effect on their readers.
D.Shakespeare’s language makes the brain signal relatively stable
2.Which of the following words can replace the underlined pronoun “it” in the 2nd paragraph?
A.technique B.word C.brain C.sentence
3.In the 3rd paragraph, the example of a jigsaw puzzle is used here to state___________.
A.the function of Shakespeare’s linguistic technique
B.a sense of drama created by playing the game
C.the Shakespeare’s thinking process
D.the brain’s reaction to reading a book
4.Based on the research, Shakespeare’s plays have a great effect on their reader lies in_______.
A.language used in plays B.characters showed in works
C.brain activity increased in reading D.thinking process when writing
When you arrive at the Shanghai Expo site, the first thing you see will be a huge red building in the ancient architectural style.Built according to the concept of “Oriental Crown”, the China Pavilion(展馆)will be the largest national pavilion at the Expo.
Themed “Search of the east”, the three-storey pavilion will be divided into three sections.Footprint of the East on the top floor will illustrate the change of Chinese cities; at Journey of Wisdom on the second, China’s four great inventions—the compass, paper, printing and gun-power will be displayed; and Blossoming(盛开) City on the ground floor will showcase the scenery of future cities.
Fantastic film
Take a lift and you will be taken to the 8,500-square-meter top floor.There, in a film by Lu Chuan, you’ll see how Chinese cities have changed, especially over the past 30 years.The 10-minute movie will be shown in a 600-seat theater.
“It will be like a short epic.The scenery of the work will be like Lord of the Rings.I will shoot the movie in many Chinese cities.Some love stories will be involved,” said Lu.
Grand painting
The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival, is considered a national treasure.It describes life in Bianjing, which is today’s Kaifeng in Henan province.More than 1,000 years ago, it was the largest city in the world.Multimedia technology will make more than 1,500 characters of the painting walk and move along a 100-meter-long wall.
Happy families
Four families are chosen from Zhejiang province to show their daily lives.Films of the families and furniture from the households will be exhibited.
At the pavilion, you’ll gain insight into the daily lives of these families at different periods.The designers believe these will mirror the great changes Zhejiang has witnessed since China’s reform and opening-up policy in the late 1970s.
Pick up your camera and upload your videos online, because you may find your work broadcast at the China Pavilion.
The search launched by four websites encourages people to capture and record the rapid development of cities in China and the beauty and the color in people’s lives.Two hundred outstanding entries will be made into films and played on screens at the China Pavilion.
With the theme “Same time”, the films will show the work and life of people in different parts of China at the same specific moments.Entries should last at least 30 seconds.
Four gold prize winners will be awarded about 10,000 yuan each.Others whose works are selected will also win prizes.
1.Which of the following statements is true according to the article?
A.Visitors can easily find the China Pavilion beside the traditional red building.
B.The theme of the China Pavilion is “Oriental Crown”.
C.The China Pavilion is designed by famous film director Lu Chuan.
D.Visitors can get to the top floor of the China Pavilion by lift.
2.The painting Along the River During Qingming Festival in the China Pavilion is special in that___________.
A.it shows what life was like in Beijing, the capital of China.
B.its epic scenery is like that of Lord of the Rings.
C.it describes the life of the world’s largest city more than 1,000 years ago.
D.it has more than 1,500 characters walking along a 100-meter-long wall.
3.In the China Pavilion all the exhibits and activities are trying to illustrate the very theme: ___________.
A.harmonious and sustainable development in China
B.great changes of Chinese cites
C.the city makes life better
D.humans and nature
4.Which of the following can be regarded as the best suitable topic for the blank?
A.vivid city life show B.Chinese lifestyle
C.thrilling moment D.prosperous cities
Freshmen, eager to get home for the Chinese New Year, queue up at the railway station for hours.Days later, they squeeze into a crowded train and dream of the home-cooked meals and love they'll enjoy once they arrive home.This, they say, makes all the trouble of getting home worthwhile.
However, many freshmen come to find that home is not exactly how they remembered it.Living away from their parents has exposed them to a new life of freedom – one that within hours of arriving some begin to miss.Household chores(家务活)and complaining parents are just a few of the things that can ruin students' winter fantasies.“My parents still treat me like I was in senior high,” Song Ying, a 19-year-old freshman at Shandong University, complained.“I get an earful from them every day.”
During her first term away from her Hubei home, Song missed everything – from her parents cooking to the city bus.She cried and ached to sleep in her own bed.So, upon finishing her exams, she fled home, thinking everything would be just as it used to be.But she was wrong.Now, she spends entire days at a friend's home to “avoid all the restrictions”.She logs online to update friends' profile on SNS, skips meals and sleeps in – just like she did on campus.
Things have been even tenser at home for Luo Ruiqi, a 19-year-old freshman at Beijing Jiaotong University.Instead of moving to a friend's house, though, he has decided to challenge his parents' rules for his right to be an adult at home.When they complained about the amount of time he spent in the toilet, Luo said he decided “enough is enough” and lost his temper.He feels guilty about his attitude, but he still argues that he is grown up enough to live by his own rules.“I just want to live my own way of living, wherever I am,” said Luo.
Recent graduates like Wang Kai know what Song and Luo are going through.But Wang, who graduated in 2008 and now works in Beijing, says students should value the time spent with their family and “just try to be nicer.” Wang says he acted the same way when he first returned home from college, but now, living 1,500 km away from his hometown in Hunan, he regrets his behavior.He realizes that his parents meant well.And, looking back, he says that “the way of living that we got used to on campus is not that healthy anyway”.
Parents, meanwhile, are more understanding than you might think.“Living on their own in a strange place can be hard –we've been there before,” said Luo's father.“We want to make sure that they are healthy and happy.Sometimes maybe we just worry too much.” As for the tension that's arisen between father and son, Luo senior laughed and said, “It's not a problem at all – he's my son; we work things out, always.”
1.Having read the passage, we can infer that home is now a(n) ___________for most freshmen.
A.birdcage B.paradise
C.temporary station in life D.open house
2.Why are things even tenser at home for Luo Ruiqi during the Chinese New Year?
A.He has to spend entire days at a friend's home to “avoid all the restrictions”.
B.He has decided to go against his parents for his right to be an adult at home.
C.He feels guilty about his attitude towards his parents.
D.He has wasted much money his parents gave to him.
3.According to the text, there exists a main problem between parents and children that_______.
A.parents want to bring their children under control as before.
B.children look down upon what their parents always do.
C.their way of life is apparently different now.
D.they are always misunderstanding each other.
4.Who the text implies is mainly responsible for the bad parent-child relationship?
A.parents B.social changes C.professors D.freshmen
5.What does the underlined part in the 2nd paragraph probably mean?
A.learn a lot B.receive much punishment
C.get a scolding D.have a narrow escape