Inaugural Address－John F. Kennedy
delivered 20 January 1961
We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom—symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning—signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
The world is very different now, for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe–the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans—born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage, and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
This much we pledge—and more…
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.
What should friends and foes know?
| A．That the United States is powerful. |
| B．That a new generation of Americans are responsible for their government. |
| C．That the United States is governed by liberals. |
| D．That the rights of man come from the hand of God. |
What is Kennedy’s promise to the world?
| A．To support liberty. | B．To abolish all forms of human poverty. |
| C．To visit each country at least once. | D．To support any friend. |
What should citizens of the world ask of America?
| A．How America can help them. |
| B．If America plans to invade their country. |
| C．What they can do for freedom. |
| D．What they can do for America. |
Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Human beings have the power to put an end to all forms of poverty. |
| B．We should remember we are the first revolution. |
| C．Our nation has always been committed to human rights. |
| D．We should assure the survival and the success of liberty. |
When I first got an email account ten years ago, I received communications only from family, friends, and colleagues. Now it seems that every time I check my e-mail, I have an endless series of advertisement and other correspondence that do not interest the at all. If we want e-mail to continue to be useful, we need special laws that make spamming(发送垃圾邮件) a crime.
If lawmakers do not do something soon to prohibit spam, the problem will certainly get much worse. Computer programs allow spammers to spend hundreds of millions of e-mails almost instantly. As more and more advertisers turn to spam to sell their products, individual e-mail boxes are often flooded with spam e-mails. Would people continue to use e-mail if they had to deal with an annoying amount of spam each time?
This problem is troubling for individuals and companies as well. Many spam emails contain computer viruses that can shut down the entire network of a company. Companies rely on e-mail on for their employees to communicate with each other. Spam frequently causes failures in their local communications networks, and their employees are thus unable to communicate effectively. Such a situation results in a loss of productivity and requires companies to repeatedly repair their networks. These computer problems raise production costs of companies, which are, in the end, passed on to the consumer.
For these reasons, I believe that lawmakers need to legislate (立法) against spam. Spammers should be fined, and perhaps sent to prison if they continue to disturb people. E-mail is a tool which helps people all over the world to communicate conveniently, but spam is destroying this convenience.What does the underlined word “correspondence” in the Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．messages | B．ideas | C．connections | D．programs |
According to the text, what is the major cause of the flooding spam?
| A．Companies rely on e-mail for communications. |
| B．More people in the world communicate by e-mail. |
| C．Many computer viruses contain spam e-mail. |
| D．More advertisers begin to promote sales through spam. |
According to Paragraph 3,who is the final victim of spam?
| A．The business | B．The advertiser |
| C．The employee | D．The consumer |
What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To inform | B．To educate | C．To persuade | D．To instruct |
Facebook means never having to say goodbye． The social media website has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends． Last week, a guy whom I hadn't seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request． I accepted and waited for "Easy E" to send me a greeting of some kind． He had sought me out, after all．
I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son． However, I'm pretty sure we won't ever write wall-to-wall, let alone e-mail each other． But he'll remain a friend of' online until one of us makes a point of' removing the other from his official list．
My pool of friends consists of family members, college buddies, co-workers from past and present, and friends of' friends． There are 35 in all． If I spent some time uploading old e-mail addresses, I'm confident that I could increase my friend count actually．
A person could make a mission out of' reconnecting with childhood friends, former classmates, distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better． And some people can even handle hundreds of no-screen relationships, keeping up with the daily happenings of' their small army of' companions． After all, there are worse fates than having too many friends．
Thanks to e-mail, the inability to schedule face-to-face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close． But even with e-mail, people will lose touch if' one or both parties stop writing back． That's normal． People move from school to school, job to job, city to city．You never have to feel guilty for breaking away．
Every day,the masterminds of' Web 2．0 find new ways of' making human communication easier． However, convenience can be a crutch （拐杖）． Some things shouldn't be simplified．When it comes to friendship, there can be no shortcuts．According to Paragraph l, the website is famous because．
| A．it has an interesting name of'“ Facebook” |
| B．it helps people get in touch with old friends |
| C．it can send people a greeting of' some kind |
| D．it reminds people of 'events in the past |
From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer．
| A．would write to the friend quite often |
| B．asked the friend to e-mail him |
| C．did get some information about the friend |
| D．would keep in touch with the friend forever |
Which of 'the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are 35 people in the author's list of' friends right now． |
| B．The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e-mails． |
| C．The list of'35 friends doesn't include the old e-mail addresses． |
| D．It is not difficult for the author to increase his friend count． |
What does the write mean by saying “However, convenience can be a crutch（拐杖）”?
| A．The masterminds of Web 2．0 also sell crutch online． |
| B．Taking a crutch is a new way of' making friends online． |
| C．Convenience is dangerous for human communication． |
| D．Convenience is not really good for human communication． |
What does the author think of' the convenience of' communicating online'?
| A．The technology could not keep true friendship forever． |
| B．The social website of Facebook means nothing at all． |
| C．There will be no ways of making real friends online． |
| D．People will not lose friends with the help of' the Facebook． |
San Francisco has its cable cars． Seattle has its Space Needle． And, Longview has its squirrel bridge． The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark．
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars．
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of' the library grounds．Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff' put out a nutty feast for the squirrels． Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over．
One day Peters found a dead squirrels with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety． The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of' the City Council（市政会）．The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows．”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started construction． They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum （铝） and lengths of fire hose （消防水带）． It cost $1,000．
It didn't take long before reports of' squirrels using the bridge started． Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes． The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became known in newspapers all over the world．
In 1983, after 20 years of' use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge．Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced． The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of' animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of 'the new bridge．
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project．The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ．
| A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts |
| B．set up a local landmark |
| C．help improve traffic |
| D．protect squirrels |
What happened over the coffee break discussion?
| A．The committee got the Council's blessing． |
| B．The squirrel bridge idea was born． |
| C．A councilwoman named the bridge |
| D．A squirrel was found dead． |
What does the underlined phrase“teaching them the ropes”probably means in the text?
| A．Passing them a rope |
| B．Directing them to store food for winter |
| C．Teaching them a lesson |
| D．Showing them how to use the bridge． |
Which of the following is true of 'the squirrel bridge?
| A．It was replaced by a longer one． |
| B．It was built from wood and metal |
| C．it was rebuilt after years of use |
| D．It was designed by Bill Hutch． |
What can we learn about Amos Peters?
| A．He is remembered for his love of' animals． |
| B．He donated $l,000 to build the bridge |
| C．He was a member of' the City Council |
| D．He was awarded a medal for building the bridge． |
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup（基因构成） as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of' a species, the better its chance of' survival． Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible． Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for． Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger． With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential（潜在的） resources to be found．Even if' we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later． Resources may be more than physical possessions． Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems． Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products （副产品） of technological developments in the space．
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of' space us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers． The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive． Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets． It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraphl ?
| A．To express his doubts． |
| B．To introduce points for discussion． |
| C．To compare different ideas． |
| D．To describe the conditions on Earth． |
What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2 ?
| A．Humans are nature-born to do so． |
| B．Humans have the tendency to fight． |
| C．Humans may find new sources of food． |
| D．Humans don't like to stay in the same place． |
The underlined word “spin-offs” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to．
| A．survival chances | B．potential resources |
| C．unexpected benefits | D．physical possessions |
What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets'?
| A．Our genetic makeup． | B．The adaptive ability of' humans． |
| C．Resources on the earth． | D．By-products in space exploration． |
Which of the following statements can best sum up the passage'?
| A．Space exploration has created many wonders． |
| B．Space exploration provided the best value for money． |
| C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology． |
| D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth． |
“Grandma, Grandma, tell us a story ! ”Four darling children sat by my feet, looking up at me expectantly． Suddenly, we were interrupted clapping．“Terrific, ” the director said, stepping up the stage from the aisle（过道）．“Except, could you kids face the audience a bit more? ”
The kids shifted to face the empty seats, which would be filled in a few days for the church play．“Perfect,” the director said． “Now, Grandma, read to your grandchildren．” A pang of sadness hit me． If' only I could read to my real grandchild!
I had a granddaughter, but I'd never met her． Sixteen years earlier my son was involved in a relationship that ended badly． But out of' it came a blessing: a baby girl named Lena． I hoped to be a grandmother to her-but shortly after the birth, the mother moved without any address left． Over the years, I asked around town to try and find my son’s ex-wife （前妻）,but it seemed that she didn’t want to be found．
I'd just joined this new church a week earlier and was at once offered the part of Grandma in the play． At least now I could pretend to be a grandma． The rehearsals went well, and finally the day of' the show arrived． The performance was great． “You all looked so natural up there, ”one of' my friends said．
Afterward, we went to the church basement for refreshments （茶点）．I walked over to one of the girls in the play． Rehearsals had been such a whirlwind （一片忙乱） that we never really got to talk． “How's my granddaughter? ” I joked．
“Fine !” she answered． Just then, someone else walked up and asked the girl her name．
I wasn't sure I heard the girl's answer correctly． But it made me ask her another question．“What's your mother's name? ”
She told me, I was still in shock．“And what's your father's name? ”I asked． She told me．It was my son．
She'd only started going to that church a week before I did． Since that day of 'the play, we've stayed close． Not long ago, she even made me a great grandma．What was the author doing at the beginning of' the story?
| A．Telling a story． | B．Playing a game． |
| C．Preparing for a play． | D．Acting in a movie． |
Why did the author feel “a pang of' sadness” at the words of' the director'?
| A．The director's words reminded her of 'her lost granddaughter． |
| B．The director's words hurt her so badly． |
| C．She wished that she had a real grandchild． |
| D．The director wasn’t content with her performance． |
What happened in the church basement after the play'?
| A．The author played a joke on Lena． |
| B．Lena treated the author as a friend． |
| C．The author got to know who Lena was． |
| D．Lena mistook the author for her grandmother． |
This passage is mainly organized in the pattern of ．
| A．time and events |
| B．contrast and conclusion |
| C．cause and effect |
| D．questions and answers |
We can infer that when writing the story, the author felt.
| A．light-hearted | B．Heartbroken | C．confused | D．anxious |