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 anonymous," 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 angry 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 away from it all. "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 disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge 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 vindication (证实) by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached(漠然), and being slow to engage in vital 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 likes living a busy life. |
B.Obama used to spend most of his time with his family. |
C.Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures. |
D.He used to wash his car himself. |
According to Obama, he plays golf to .
A.release his pressure | B.keep fit |
C.balance his work | D.show his ability |
We can infer from the passage that Obama is kabuki dance.
A.curious about | B.interested in |
C.content with | D.tired of |
Which of the following statements is from the critics?
A.The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House |
B.There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties. |
C.The president seems to be indifferent towards some really important issues |
D.The president is really a great golf player. |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Obama's favorite pastime. |
B.Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president. |
C.The public's criticism of Obama. |
D.Obama’s regrets for being the U.S.president. |
Mr William Shakespeare and the Internet
Explanation of Contents
This is the fourth edition of these pages. It is hard to believe, but once again they are new and improved. My motive in publishing these pages remains to help and stimulate others in Shakespeare studies, and especially those who might contribute their work to the Internet. The spirit of altruism (利他主义) that originally built the Internet is not quite gone, though, sadly, through the pressure of time and profit has lessened.
A major new addition to the pages is a Shakespeare Timeline, which is an online biography mounted at this site. The problems with searching for Shakespeare resources using the available Search Engines are:
---- It is difficult to focus most searches so that you get a manageable number of relevant hits;
---- It is impossible by simply reading an abstract to make any distinction between the output of a Junior High School student and that of a professional researcher.
Another change in these pages over previous editions is the “What’s News” page. If you come away from these pages with the feeling that they are very useful but slightly pedantic (学究的), I will have realized my goal.
An Apology
I am continually apologizing to the many who have written me requesting revisions of the pages. We are all too busy. I simply have not had the time to dedicate to these pages that I wish. But I love the material and so have, at long last, made some time to update them.
A Reminder to Young Students
These pages contain the best links I can find to Shakespeare on the Internet. As a reminder, I would say I very much enjoy hearing from people who view and use these pages. If you want to do Shakespeare research using the web, this page is a great starting point, and I keep it as current as I can. The web is in its infancy in bringing good, scholarly content to students. Don’t forget the best, if not quickest, resources are still in your library.
57. The passage is written to ____.
A. introduce the fourth edition of these pages
B. make an apology to readers
C. show off these pages to readers
D. let Shakespeare researchers buy these pages
58. Which of the following is the new addition to the pages?
A. The writer’s apology.
B. Search Engines.
C. A Shakespeare Timeline.
D. Receiving readers’ e-mails.
59. When searching for Shakespeare resources using Search Engines, you ____.
A. will waste some time in finding what you want
B. can easily recognize what the abstract means
C. will often come into the “What’s News” pages
D. will find something special on your computers
60. Which of the following can best conclude the last paragraph?
A. The writer will often read letters from those who use these pages.
B. The writer of the passage is very selfish.
C. The web was just created four years ago
D. Shakespeare researchers should first of all refer to these pages.
When early colonial settlers went to America, they took many forms of dance to their new home. Square dancing, one of the oldest forms of American folk dancing, developed from several different Old World group dances, mainly English country dances, and the French quadrille(四对方舞).
In the American version of square dancing, four couples form a square and dance to music. An American addition to square dancing is the caller. What do you think a caller does?
The callers---someone who calls out the dance steps in time to the music--- was a completely American invention. At first dancers memorized all the steps for a particular dance, but eventually the dances became so complicated that it was necessary to have someone call out cues (提示) so that dancers didn’t have to remember so many steps. The caller didn’t just call out “do-se-do your partner”; a good caller also came up with colourful sayings or witty lines that he said in between the cues such as “Don’t be shy and don’t be afraid. Swing on the corner in a waltz promenade (步伐).” A caller might also come up with new dance steps and routines.
Although popular for years, square dancing seemed to be going out of style and fading away until the early 1930s, when Henry Ford helped revive interest in it. Ford, the automobile manufacturer, used to vacation at the Wayside Inn in Massachusetts, where he enjoyed the dance programme run by a man named Benjamin Lovett. Ford asked Lovett to come to Detroit and teach dances, but Lovett said he couldn’t because he had a contract with the inn. Ford solved that problem by buying the inn and Lovett’s contract. He took Lovett back to Detroit, where together they established a programme for teaching squares and rounds. Square dancing was updated and groups began forming all over the country.
53. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Different Steps of Square Dancing
B. The Origin and Development of Square Dancing
C. Who Was the Inventor of Square Dancing?
D. Why Did Square Dancing Go Out of Style? W
54. What does the underlined part “their new home” refer to?
A. The United Kingdom. B. France.
C. Africa. D. America.
55. Why did the caller call out the steps for the dancers?
A. Because the dance was invented by the caller.
B. Because the dancers didn’t know the names of the steps.
C. Because the steps were very particular.
D. Because it was hard for the dancers to remember all the steps.
56. Why did the author mention Henry Ford in the last paragraph?
A. Because he was the man who made the first car.
B. Because he was vey fond of dancing.
C. Because he helped make square dancing popular again.
D. Because he taught people how to dance.
“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world”. That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969.
In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial, and geographical group.
Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program.
Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional (偶然的) viewers. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly.
The programs all use songs, stories, jokes, and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters.
Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more.
49. “Sesame Street” is actually ____.
A. a street in the US B. a program for children
C. a program for teachers D. a program for students
50. Children who often watch the program ____.
A. can have problems in school
B. will find it a great help
C. will take no interest in their studies
D. will be well educated
51. What is special about the program?
A. It offers great fun.
B. It makes children feel able to learn.
C. It is shown at different hours during the week.
D. Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching.
52. Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?
A. Because it is supported by the government and businesses.
B. Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks.
C. Because mothers watch it along with their children.
D. Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn.
How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead. They realize that their future lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separates successful people from others is that they live a life “on purpose”---- they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to become fully functioning people. They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do ---- and it shows. People want to do business with them because of their commitment(忠诚). To live their life on purpose, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up. Once they have set up goals in their life, they are willing to work hard whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always bear in mind what they don’t have.
Rather than be negative or depressing, they use the knowledge to spur themselves on and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
46. The underlined word “it ” refers to “____”.
A. the main concern of successful people
B. the job that successful people do
C. the commitment with which successful people do their jobs
D. the business that successful people do with other people
47. By living a life “on purpose”, successful people can do the following EXCEPT ____.
A. do a lot of work
B. concentrate on their jobs
C. do business with many people
D. control things in life
48. The underlined word “spur ” most probably means “____”.
A. encourage B. excite C. relieve D. compel
Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years, the planet was much colder than it is now .During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.
A new study from Switzerland throws light on where ice sheets(冰川)inched during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.
This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed(假设)that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere(半球)during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land .If surrendered by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.
The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact(影响)on ocean currents (洋流)and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.The North Pole is surrounded by land ,while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that .
A.most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere |
B.most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere |
C.The North Pole is colder than South Pole |
D.The South Pole is colder than North Pole |
We can learn from the passage .
A.the ice can easily just slip into the ocean |
B.volcanoes caused the ice to melt |
C.melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible |
D.researchers often use the computer models to help their research work |
The scientists are not sure.
A.how long the ice age lasted |
B.where ice sheets melted during the ice age . |
C.what caused the temperature changes |
D.what the earth is made up of |
Which of the following is NOT right ?
A.The researchers want to know how the melting of ice might affect sea levels by the computer model. |
B.Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age. |
C.Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere(半球)during the 30,000-year long Ice age. |
D.The temperature changes caused the ice to melt. |