President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket.
"I just miss – I miss being unknown," he said. "I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk."
His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by ... spend the day watching people – I miss that".
Faced with criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting relaxed.
"It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours," he told Hearst magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disillusioned（醒悟的，幻想破灭的） with the some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed to change, such as the "kabuki dance（日本歌舞）" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as excuse by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in important issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up（打）60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years.
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us? .
| A．Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures. |
| B．Obama likes going shopping with his girls. |
| C．Obama likes to take a walk. |
| D．Obama likes to watch folks passing by. |
According to Obama, he plays golf to ___________.
| A．avoid criticism |
| B．show his ability |
| C．get relaxed |
| D．show his advantage over the former presidents |
What does the underlined word “It” refer to in the fifth paragraph?
| A．Playing golf. | B．Getting relaxed. |
| C．Changing some ways of Washington. | D．Watching people |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Obama complains about lack of privacy as president |
| B．Obama can’t live a normal life |
| C．Obama is often criticized |
| D．Obama likes to play golf |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day, some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog's legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn't last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn't just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂)and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn't been useless. They had been doing an important job—eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.From Paragraph 1 we learn that the villagers________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．The frogs were easy money. |
| B．They needed money to buy medicine. |
| C．They wanted to please the visitors. |
| D．The frogs made too much noise. |
What might be the cause of the children's sickness?
| A．The crops didn't do well. |
| B．There were too many insects. |
| C．The visitors brought in diseases. |
| D．The pesticides were overused. |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country. |
| B．Health is more important than money. |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important. |
| D．Good old days will never be forgotten. |
Your guide to shopping at Meadow hall.
Market Street
Market Street is designed for daytoday convenience shopping of every type. Located within Market Street is our Free, Little Tikes Village.
High Street
The heart of Meadow hall, with nearly 100 shops, includes familiar High Street names like WH Smith & C & A plus fashion for all ages and plenty of toys and games.
The Arcade
Sweeping arches flooded with natural light from glass window above, fashionable store line the street. The Lower & Upper Arcade is also home to our customer Service Deskswe are here to help.
The Lanes
In the Cocacola Oasis you will find the Lanesour unique blend of Specialty Shopping with something for everyone. You will also find the Meadow hall Crechea wonderful place for 2～7 years old to enjoy themselves while you do your shopping.
Park Lane
Park Lane has an elegant air with its beautiful lights and shining brass. Houses as Fraser Debenhams, Crabtree & Evelyn are the largest NEXT in UK.
Cocacola Oasis
Cocacola Oasis offers a large choice of places to eat and drink, from an Italian dinner to a Greek restaurant, and of course, the everpopular McDonald's. Or why not visit the 11 screens Warmer Village Cinema.Meadow hall is________.
| A．a wide street |
| B．a big shopping mall |
| C．a wonderful Italian restaurant |
| D．a big parking lot |
What can you NOT do at Meadow hall?
| A．Seeing a movie. |
| B．Going shopping. |
| C．Having dinner. |
| D．Visiting villages. |
Where can parents find a place for their kids to be taken care of?
| A．McDonald. |
| B．Customer Service Desk. |
| C．Meadow hall Creche. |
| D．Warmer Village Cinema. |
The following statements are all true EXCEPT________.
| A．Meadow hall is in UK |
| B．Houses in the Park Lane are the largest in the country |
| C．Cococola Oasis offers places to eat and drink |
| D．High Street is the center of Meadow hall |
Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you know was in trouble and he was? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP.
ESP stands for Extra Sensory Perception. It may be called a“sixth sense.”It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here is an example：A woman was doing washing. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair.”Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father had died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what is behind these strange mental messages. Here's another exampleone of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, “There's room for one more.”The man felt the driver was death, so he ran away. The next day the man was getting on a crowded bus. The bus driver said，“There's room for one more.”Then the man saw the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are lies or coincidence. Others, including some scientists say that ESP is true. From studies of ESP, we may some day learn more about the human mind.ESP lets people know about________.
| A．their dreams |
| B．events after they happen |
| C．events before they happen |
| D．heart attacks |
The example of the man shows an ability to________.
| A．avoid traffic accident |
| B．judge the good and evil of a person |
| C．know about the events that are happening some distance away |
| D．sense a danger that will actually happen later on |
In this passage the underlined word“coincidences”probably means________.
| A．things which do not happen |
| B．things which happen by accident without necessary connection |
| C．things which are only dreams |
| D．things dreamed of only by sick people |
From the passage, it can be inferred that________.
| A．the dead |
| B．men |
| C．women |
| D．either B or C |
The disease asthma affects as many as one hundred fifty million people around the world. It is a serious lung disease that causes breathing problems. These problems, called asthma attacks, can kill people. Asthma can affect people of all age groups but often begins in childhood. It can be controlled but not cured. Sufferers must deal with the disease every day.
Experts say exercise is one of the things that can start an asthma attacks. Things that lead to asthma attacks are called triggers. Although doctors do not know the cause of asthma, they have identified(辨认)most of its triggers. For example, the common cold can cause an asthma attack in a person who has the disease. There are also several air pollutants(污染物)that can lead to an asthma attack. Pollen is one such pollutant. Pollen is a fine dust that comes from plants that produce seeds. However, almost any kind of dust can cause an asthma attack if enough of it is in the air. This includes common dust found in houses.
Air pollution from burning fuel also can cause an asthma attack. Tobacco smoke can do the same. Some kinds of animal fur are a trigger for asthma. And, even some insects(昆虫)in the home can lead to asthma attacks.
Several things happen in the lungs when an asthma sufferer has an attack. Cells in the air passages begin to produce too much of a thick, sticky material called mucous(痰). The mucous creates blocked areas in the air passages. The tissue(组织)that lines the air passages begins to expand at the same time. And, the muscles in the passages tighten.
All these changes cause the air passages to narrow. This reduces the amount of air that can flow in and out of the lungs. The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. The narrowed airways also cause coughing and a tight feeling in the chest.Which of the following statements about the disease asthma is NOT right?
| A．It causes breathing problems, which can have sufferers killed. |
| B．It can not be cured but can be controlled. |
| C．People of all age groups can get affected, especially the old. |
| D．Doctors know little about its cause. |
How many triggers of the disease asthma are mentioned in the text?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
What an asthma sufferer should NOT do is________.
| A．do as much exercise as possible |
| B．try to avoid catching cold |
| C．keep away from pollen |
| D．deal with the disease every day |
What is the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
| A．The mucous is the main cause of the disease asthma. |
| B．What happens in the lung cause an asthma sufferer to have trouble in breathing. |
| C．The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. |
| D．The disease asthma, caused by mucous, can be prevented. |
Have you ever sat on a camel? Well, if you have, then you know how scary it is when the camel rises on its long wobbly(摆动的)legs. The rocking motion of a camel is a bit like a being tossed around in heaving seas. Small wonder then that the camel is often called the ship of the desert. Actually, the name owes its origins to the fact that camels were brought from the desert, to serve as beasts of burden in other countries.
We in India are only familiar with one species of camel, known as the Dromedary camel. This animal is singlehumped, has long legs and is found in the deserts of Asia and Africa. Another specie(the twohumped shortedlegged Bactrian camel)is found in parts of China and Central Asia.
Recently, scientists discovered what they think is a new species of wild camel that lives in a remote part of China. These mammals look very similar to the Bactrian camel but they have a unique feature—they survive by drinking salty water.
Strangely enough, scientists knew about the existence of the animal, but had no idea of their unique identity(特性). As a result, researchers now admit that these animals are not Bactrian camels as initially(最初)thought, but a new species. The only visible physical difference is that the saltwater drinking species has its humps further apart than the Bactrian camel.
Camels are most common in the African and Asian deserts, but fossil evidence shows that camels originated in North America about 45 million years ago. So how did they manage to come into Africa? Well, million of years ago, North America and Asia were connected by a land mass—the presentday Bering Strait.
Scientists think that the camels migrated into South America and across to Asia, disappearing almost entirely from the land of its origin. However, many researchers say that the South American llama(骆驼)is a direct descendant of the camel.The camel is called“the ship of the desert”because________.
| A．when you are on a camel, you feel like being on a ship at sea |
| B．its long legs swung when it is traveling in the desert |
| C．camels came from the desert and are used in other countries |
| D．camels can travel in the desert of many days without eating |
What's the difference between the Dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel?
| A．The Dromedary camel has two humps. |
| B．The Bactrian camel has long legs. |
| C．The Dromedary camel is only found in Asia. |
| D．The Dromedary camel has only one hump. |
What scientists don't know about the new species is________.
| A．their existence in China |
| B．their ability to survive on salty water |
| C．their similarity to the Bactrian water |
| D．how they survive in the remote part of China |
How can people tell the new species from the the Bactrian camel?
| A．By looking at the length of their legs. |
| B．By counting the number of humps. |
| C．By looking at the distance of the two humps. |
| D．By examining the kind of the two humps. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
| A．Very few camels exist in North America at present |
| B．Camels warm across the Bering Strait to Asia |
| C．Camels first originated from the African deserts |
| D．Camels are the most endangered animals in the world |