WASHINGTON — President Obama and his wife, Michelle, handed out Halloween treats to area children and military families at the White House Sunday evening.
Local students between 6 and 14 years old, along with children from military families, were invited to celebrate Halloween on the North Lawn.
The president and first lady, along with Mrs.Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, spent about 30 minutes passing out goodie bags.Obama wished each child a happy Halloween as he distributed the treats, pausing occasionally for hugs or to comment on costumes.
Later, the military families continued the celebration inside the White House.
The first couple joked to assembled reporters about children walking the long driveway in order to work off (消化掉) the snacks."This is the Let's Move method of trick-or-treating (不给糖就捣蛋)," Obama said, referring to Mrs.Obama's campaign to combat childhood obesity (肥胖).
The goodie bags contained a box of White House M&Ms, a cookie made by pastry chef (点心师) Bill Yosses, and dried fruit.
As they made their way across the lawn, the children meet a vast range of costumed characters ranging from a spooky Frankenstein (科学怪人,小说《弗兰肯斯坦》的主角) to the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz." Music from a jazz band dressed in pirate gear rang out across the White House grounds.
Multicolored pumpkins and gourds lined the driveway — individually, in gravity-defying stacks and as part of a large mound over 5 feet tall.Pumpkin-headed scarecrows (稻草人) made of cornstalks loomed over the path with menacingly raised arms.Under the White House portico, a mobile resembling bats flying through clouds fluttered around a lantern.
Some of the local trick-or-treaters were students at Bancroft Elementary, which helps tend the first lady's White House garden, and Tubman Elementary, which has a relationship with the White House chefs.
After trick-or-treating ended, the Obamas stood near the front door, welcoming the military families inside, helping children climb the short flight of steps and thanking parents for their service.What is the news report mainly about?
A.President Obama and first lady celebrated Halloween with children. |
B.President Obama and his wife Michelle handed out Halloween treats to children. |
C.Children from military families were invited to celebrate Halloween at the White House. |
D.Trick-or-treaters met a vast range of costumed characters from Frankenstein to the Scarecrow. |
From the passage, we know that ______ do not necessarily appear when people celebrate Halloween.
A.Goodie bags |
B.Pumpkins and Gourds |
C.White House M&Ms |
D.Costumed characters |
When celebrating Halloween at the White House, the Obamas did the following EXCEPT______.
A.Wishing each child a happy Halloween |
B.Thanking reporters for their covering the event |
C.Helping children climb the short flight of steps |
D.Hugging children and commenting on their costumes |
The passage is mainly developed by ______.
A.analyzing causes | B.making comparisons |
C.examining differences | D.following the time order |
Every day we meet people in a number of business and social situations. And the way we meet and greet them creates an impression. It’s important to do so in a proper way, no matter whether you are introducing yourself to someone, or introducing two people. To keep you aware of this, we have gathered tips on how to make a proper introduction.
◎Always stand when making an introduction.
When you are seated and someone comes up to greet you, make the effort to stand up. By doing this, you show respect for yourself and for the other person.
◎Always keep eye contact while making an introduction.
Many people are not aware of the value of this simple action. When you make eye contact, you are giving a confident image.
◎Always introduce a person of lesser authority to one of greater authority. The most important thing to remember is to say the most important person’s name first.
For example, when introducing your supervisor to a job candidate (求职应征者), you would give your supervisor’s name first. “Bob Jones, may I introduce Susan Lee, who has just graduated from ABC University?”
◎In a situation where rank is unimportant, an introduction is based on sex and age. A man is presented to a woman and a younger woman to an older woman.
What if you find yourself in a situation where you have forgotten the other person’s name? Start with a handshake and reintroduce (再介绍) yourself. When doing this, you will usually cause the other person to do the same.
However, if the other person does not take your suggestion, it is OK simply to apologize and let the person know that you cannot remember her or his name. This is not the ideal situation, of course, but it does happen to all of us. The other person should be forgiving. The article gives you advice on ________.
how to make a self-introduction
how to make a proper introduction
how to leave a good impression on people
how to greet people in social situations According to the passage, people will think you are ________ if you don’t make eye contact with them.
A.not honest | B.not confident | C.shy | D.unfriendly |
What should you do when you introduce a new worker to your boss?
A.You should not give your boss’ name. |
B.You should give the new worker’s name first. |
C.You needn’t give your boss’ name |
D.You should give your boss’ name first |
If you forget the other person’s name, you’d better _______.
A.ask him/her directly |
B.apologize first and then ask him/her |
C.shake hands with the person and reintroduce yourself |
D.consider his age first |
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum(卢浮宫) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision(视觉) is excellent at picking up detail, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.We can infer from the text that .
A.the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years. |
B.Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by |
C.the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years |
D.Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago |
Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?
A.It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces. |
B.Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade. |
C.Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles |
D.King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy. |
Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.
a. It was stolen from the Louvre.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I.
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.
A.b-a-d-e-c | B.d-e-c-b-a | C.d-a-e-c-b | D.b-c-a-d-e |
It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that .
A.experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do |
B.it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair |
C.it is uncertain which country, Italy or France, should take charge |
D.experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint |
In 2003, the government banned Internet cafes from receiving customers under18. However, Shanghai plans to bring online games as well as cartoons and comics to its schools. “The influence of online games on young people cannot be ignored, ”said Weng Tiehui, deputy director of the Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (SMEC). “We should choose the right game for them as online games are becoming part of their life.”
School teachers shared the same idea. "My students are like studying machines who are busy with homework all day," said Chen Hong, who is a teacher of Chinese in Shanghai Weiyu Middle School . "We should find ways to let them relax and online games may be a good way to do this."
"In role-playing games, you imagine yourself as a hero who fights against outlaws and saves their victims," said Shen Xia, a teacher from Shanghai Hongxing Middle School. "That is a good feeling for a kid. They gain success and confidence from the game. But the important thing is to make sure they don‘t become escapists, mixing up reality and the imaginary world. "
"Multi-media has proven to be an effective teaching tool. Students enjoy learning something while they are playing games,' said Yan, an expert on education from the Shanghai Educational Press Group , "Online games will be a new teaching method in which they can learn at the same time as entertaining themselves. "
"I have dreamed that one day students will have courses via online games, "Yan added.
"The idea is practical, "Li Lijun, director of the Public Relations Department of Shanda, China’s online game giant; told the Shanghai Star. “If it proves to be successful, it will start a revolution in educational theory and practice. " The above writing is most likely to appear in _________.
A.an official paper | B.a government notice | C.a newspaper | D.a meeting memo (备忘录) |
According to Weng Tiehui, deputy director of the SMEC, __________.
A.it is not practical to forbid young people playing online games completely |
B.online games have strong influence on young people so they should be banned |
C.young people can't go without online games which are becoming part of their life |
D.internet cafes should be allowed to receive customers under 18 |
According to the teachers and experts, online games have the following advantages EXCEPT that _____.
A.online games will let their students relax after busy work |
B.online games will make their students become a hero |
C.online games wilt bring good experiences to their students |
D.online games will become an effective teaching tool |
What is the purpose of the above writing?
A.To inform its readers of some information. |
B.To argue about the advantages and disadvantages of online games. |
C.To give some comments on online games. |
D.To give a support to online games. |
What can be inferred from the above writing?
A.Hopefully, young people in Shanghai will be playing online games at school. |
B.Online games will bring success to young people in Shanghai. |
C.Young people in Shanghai are having courses via online games. |
D.School teachers have opposite opinions about online games. |
PHUKET, Thailand—— Narkis Koral, 23, and Oren Mesika, 24, had no sense of the terrible tsunami that hit Southeast Asia: They were having “a good time ”on the island of Koh Chang in Thailand and only learned of their present situation hours later, through friends who received phone calls from home.
Even though the pair, both from Arad, escaped the tsunami’ s anger, it did not change the fact that their parents were worried
“Our mothers worried a lot, ”says Koral. “They asked us to leave immediately and return to Israel. They offered to arrange flights, anything we wanted, just return. ”
Dana Kuchansky’ s father is also worried. Kuchansky, 28, and her partner were in Kofun, a small island hit hard by the tsunami. After a night spent on the top of the mountain in the center of the island, the two were taken for free to Bangkok, where they were expected to fly to Israel.
On the telephone, the worried father made sure his daughter received the replacement tickets lost in the tsunami 15 minutes later, he called her again, to remind her of the flight number.
Most of the Israelis visiting Thailand are young and on a limited budget. Their parents are used to having insufficient contact with their children. In most cases, this contact is when the phone call or the use of the Internet is cheap, even if the difference between "expensive" and "cheap" is less than 50 agorot, or cents.
In one case this past week, a mother called the mobile telephone of each of the six embassy(大使馆)staff in Thailand, one after the other. The same duty officer answered all six.
The common reaction of both parents and children, once telephone contact was made, was sobbing with relief that the ordeal(严峻考验)had left them unharmed. According to the text, Narkis and Oren________.
A.called their friends to tell them what had happened |
B.had great fun even if they knew the tsunami had come |
C.knew nothing about the tsunami until their friends rang them up |
D.turned out calm in face of the tsunami |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A.Kuchansky and her partner had their tickets missing in the tsunami. |
B.All the parents mentioned are worried about their children’ s safety. |
C.Most embassy staff were too busy in their work to answer mobile phone calls. |
D.The parents of the young Israelis don’ t have enough time to contact their kids. |
The underlined word “insufficient” in Paragraph 6 probably means________.
A.unsuitable | B.not enough | C.unnecessary | D.irregular |
It can be inferred that ________.
A.50 agorot is too little an amount for the ordinary Israelis |
B.as an official in charge, the mother made so many calls |
C.the writer may come from Israel rather than from some other country |
D.all the young couples traveling in Thailand remained safe and sound |
●●●
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is likely to visit China at an “ appropriate” time this year, a senior Chinese military official said on Monday. Colonel Tu Qiming, director of the American and Oceanian Affairs Bureau of the Foreign Affairs Office at the National Defence Ministry, made the remark during Sino -US defence talks this week. This is the first ever “special defence policy dialogue” between the two defence ministries, according to the Chinese military.
●●●
FRANCES Agriculture Ministry has confirmed (证实) the first case of mad cow disease detected in a goat last Friday. The goat killed in 2002 tested positive for mad cow disease. It is the first case in the world of the fatal disease being found in an animal other than a bovine. The human form of mad cow disease causes brain - wasting, personality change, loss of body function, and ends in death. The European Commission has not advised any change in farming and consuming goats, said the French Ministry in a statement published last Friday.
●●●
MOBILE phone sales hit a new record in 2004, with some 684 million units sold around the world, the US research institute Strategy Analytics said on Thursday. The number represents an increase of 32 per cent over 2003, when 571 million units were sold. Strategy Analytics predicts a more modest rise of 8 per cent for this year, to 735 million. Finnish cellphone provider Nokia stayed out in front in 2004, with sales of 207.6 million units, giving it a market share of 30.4 per cent. Motorola moved to No 2, just ahead of the South Korean company Samsung.
●●●
SIX male penguins (雄企鹅) at a German zoo are proving stubbornly resistant to females brought in from Sweden to make them into breeding (繁殖). Of the ten male penguins at the zoo, six have formed into " homosexual" couples and have shown no interest in the females, making breeding an impossibility. So the zoo imported the four female penguins from Sweden last month, full of hope that the new arrivals could “turn” the males. But so far, the boys are remaining strictly with the boys.How many countries are mentioned in the pieces of news?
A.Six. | B.Five. | C.Three. | D.Seven. |
From the fourth piece of news we know that.
A.the scientists haven’t succeeded in doing their experiment |
B.the scientists have successfully got six female penguins into breeding |
C.the Sweden girls made the boys show interest in them |
D.German boys don’t like Sweden boys |
Which of the following are the suitable headlines for the pieces of news?
A.a. US Defence Secretary Visit Likely | B.a. US Defence Secretary Visit Likely b. France Confirms 'Mad Goat" Caseb. France Confirms ' Mad Goat" Case c. Nokia Stays on Topc. Mobile Phone Sales d. Male Penguins and Female Penguinsd. Birds of a Feather |
C.a. Defence Policy Dialogue | D.a. Sino - US Talks |
b. Mad Goat Diseaseb. Mad Goat Case
c. Mobile Phone Salesc. Motorola' s Sales Reduced
d. Importing Female Penguinsd. Boys and Girls