Barack and Michelle Obama have two daughters: Malia, born in 1998, and Sasha, born in 2001. Before his inauguration, President Obama published an open letter to his daughters in Parade magazine, describing what he wants them and every child in America “to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world.”
While living in Chicago, they kept busy schedules. Soccer, dance and drama for Malia, gymnastics and tap for Sasha, piano and tennis for both. Malia and Sasha attended the private Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. The Obama girls began classes there on January 5, 2009. In his victory speech on the night of his election, President Obama repeated his promise to Sasha and Malia to get a dog to take with them to the White House. On April 12, 2009, it was reported that the Obamas had adopted a six-month-old Portuguese water dog given to them as a gift. The dog was named Bo by Malia and Sasha.
Though Malia and Sasha Obama are the president's kids, it doesn't mean they'll be catered to. The girls are still required to do their chores. Besides bed-making, Malia and Sasha must clean up their rooms and keep on top of their homework. The Obamas want their girls to grow up in a “normal” way.
| A．Sasha is two years older than Malia. |
| B．Sasha is three years older than Malia. |
| C．Sasha is two years younger than Malia. |
| D．Sasha is three years younger than Malia. |
| A．a cat | B．a dog | C．a horse | D．a doll |
| A．soccer and dance | B．gymnastics and tap |
| C．piano and tennis | D．dance and piano |
| A．To do some housework. | B．To grow up in a different way |
| C．To do their homework well. | D．To achieve their dreams. |
| A．Obama wants every child in America happy. |
| B．Bo was six months old when it was taken into the White House. |
| C．Malia and Sasha are the students of Sidwell Friends School. |
| D．Obama published an open letter to his daughters in the newspaper. |
All the time you spent memorizing multiplication tables（乘法表）may have made you a better mathematician, according to a new study. A team of scientists from Stanford University, in California, have shown how the brain reorganizes itself as kids learn math.
After a certain amount of time spent practicing math, kids can put away the calculator（计算器）. They don’t even need to count on their fingers. They simply know the answers to subtraction(−), addition (+), and multiplication (×) facts. The quicker kids can recall basic math facts, the easier it is for them to solve more difficult math problems.
The Stanford University researchers observed（观察）the brain activity of 28 students, ages 7 to 9, for the study. They took scans of the students’ brains as the students solved math calculations without the help of a calculator, pen or paper. A calculation—three plus four equals seven, for example—flashed on a screen. The students pushed a button to say if the answer was right or wrong. The scientists also recorded the response speed, and what parts of the brain became active as the kids pushed the button.
These observations showed a process called fact retrieval. Rather than using their fingers to count, or scrawling out equations（列算式）on a piece of paper, the students pulled the answers from memory. It’s as if the answers to basic subtraction, addition, and multiplication problems are kept in a long-term storage part in the brain. The storage part was built from repetition. “Experience really does matter,” said Dr. Kathy Mann Koepeke of the National Institutes of Health.
Children make the changefrom counting to fact retrieval when they are 8 to 9 years old, the study says. This is the time when most students are learning basic addition and subtraction. When kids have basic math facts memorized, the brain has more free space to learn more difficult math.
This process has benefits for the future. The study showed, as kids got older, their answers relied more on memory and became quicker and more correct. Less brain activity was involved in counting. Some children make this change quicker than others.
Scientists hope to use this research to develop new strategies（策略）to help kids learn math at all levels. One strategy the study suggests is for students to test themselves in different orders—solving five times three before five times two, for example. Mixing up the order keeps the brain active. Keep these trainings up, and you may be a math whiz in no time.
In the study, kids put away calculators because they can ______.
| A．use calculators well |
| B．scrawl out equations |
| C．recalling basic math facts |
| D．count on their fingers |
The process of “fact retrieval”in Paragraph 4probably means ______.
| A．picking out results by working together with their partners |
| B．finding out answers based on practicing carefully and patiently |
| C．trying out ways of dealing with problems by attending training |
| D．working out problems according to what they have remembered |
What can we know from the study?
| A．Kids need to practice using calculators to keep their brains active. |
| B．Math learners should change to counting practice at the age of 8 to 9. |
| C．Training by mixing up the order of multiplication tables can help learn math better. |
| D．Less brain activity may be involved in solving difficult problems when kids get older. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Math from Memory | B．Strategy Development |
| C．Brain Reorganization | D．Training by Repetition |
Being busy can become a way of life. Our lives are always filled with emails and text messages. They make us feel wanted and important, but in a tiring and empty way. Being busy has a dangerous allure（诱惑）. If you are busy all the time, it’s hard to sit quietly with your thoughts or to really feel what you’re feeling. Whynot let everything become a choice — how we spend time, who we reply to and how much or little we write?
Many of us are busy becauseour self-worth goes up when people make demands（需求）on our time. Whydon’t we free ourselves from needing, or even wanting? Why don’t we make the best use of the time and space to be productive in a way that it best serves us? That may be consciously（主动地）keeping ourselves not busy. In fact many great discoverieswere made by people who built white space into their day.
Imagine asking “How are you?” to one of the most successful people you know like Warren Buffet. I’ve never heard anyone at that level answer “busy” though most people believe they are.
What are they doing differently?
First, they aim to project an image that things are under control. Second, they actually have things under control. They’ve had excellent staff, implemented（实施）thoughtful processes and they spend time only on critical tasks that require their attention. They make high-level strategic decisions with a large effect.
It’s time to end the glory of being busy and spend time setting up processes that make sense, rather than simply working more hours. To do this, you need to change yourway of thinking. It’s cool to say you’re busy, but it’s better to be busy helping someone carry a stroller up the subway stairs or busy finishing a book.
How to free us from the trendof being busy? Start with small steps. For one day, be mindful of every daily activity. Consider each thing a choice and decide proactively（预先）if it’s necessary or simply a habit you can get rid of or do in half the time. Next, stop saying how busy you are. Then, figure out what you want to achieve with your day and begin doing it. Put your time and energy where you want it to be.What are many of us busy doing every day?
| A．Sitting quietly and think actively. |
| B．Meeting people’s demands on our time. |
| C．Making great discoveries. |
| D．Takinghigh-level decisions. |
Why don’t successful people like Warren Buffet answer “busy”?
| A．Because they value working abilities and attitude. |
| B．Because they focus on attracting excellent workers. |
| C．Because they pay more attention to learning management. |
| D．Because they think well and spend more time on critical tasks. |
The writer probably agrees that we should ______.
| A．stop considering each thing a choice |
| B．work more hours to achieve our goals |
| C．answer emails and messages as soon as possible |
| D．be mindful where we want our time and energy to be |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To advise us to be freedfrom the trend of being busy. |
| B．To warn us about the danger of leading a busy life. |
| C．To show us ways to feel good about being busy. |
| D．To tell us how to fit into the busy modern life. |
When I was four years old, I wanted nothing more in life than to play the piano. My best friend Betty had a piano. But Betty hardly played it at all. She would rather play hide-and-seek. It didn’t seem fair.
One day my mother came to pick me up from Betty’s house. “Watch this!” I told her. Then I ran to play a song I had learned that morning. I was so proud of what I’d learned. “That’s nice, Jenny,” she said. “But we can’t afford a piano.”
When I turned six, my mother bought me a recorder（直笛）. The problem was that I didn’t love the recorder. When I played the recorder, I didn’t feel anything special inside. I asked my mother if we could have a piano. “We still can’t afford one,” she said. “One day, I promise.”
In the sixth grade, my mother traded in the recorder for a real clarinet（黑管）. I like the clarinet more, but it still wasn’t a piano. It wasn’t the music that was inside of me.
One day, when I was in the seventh grade, my mother cut an ad out of the newspaper. We drove to a stranger’s home in Providence, Rhode Island. The woman had a beautiful, dark wood piano from Russia. It was called an upright piano because it was tall. It was so shiny that it looked like it was wet. “We’ll take it,” my mother said. “It has a nice sound.”
After that, I played the piano every single day.When I left for school in the morning, I would leave the sheet music open on the piano. When I got home, I would walk straight to the piano and sit down and start playing the sheet music. I even played if I stayed home sick. I had finally found the music inside of me.
Do you struggle with music? Have you been given an instrument to play, but you just can’t play it? Maybe you think you’re just no good or that you don’t have any musical talent. Don’t get discouraged. It’s not true! We all have music inside of us, even if it’s just what we listen to. Now it’s up to you to find the right way to set that music free.What did Jenny get when she was six?
| A．A clarinet. | B．A recorder. | C．A violin. | D．A guitar. |
How did Jenny get her piano?
| A．Betty gave it to her. |
| B．She traded in the clarinet for it. |
| C．She got it from her uncle. |
| D．Her mother bought it from a stranger. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Betty was more interested in playing the piano. |
| B．An old woman sent Jenny a clarinet from Russia. |
| C．Jenny enjoyed playing music with the right instrument. |
| D．Jenny’s mother borrowed a recorder in her seventh grade. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How Jenny found the music inside of her. |
| B．What benefits Jenny got from making music. |
| C．How Jenny learned to play musical instruments. |
| D．What trouble Jenny had taking up music as a hobby. |
What do you want to do later in life? Here are 4 teenagers talking about their hometowns and their dreams.
Albert, age 11, Ontario
I come from Ontario.I love how different each season is. In winter, I go skiing with my family and cousins.
I’ve played soccer since I was three. I’ve made great friends and learned a lot of new skills. When I’m a professional soccer player, I want to work with kids, helping and encouraging them.
Sara, age 12, Washington
I live in Washington. It’s so pretty and green. I can go camping and hunting, and we have the best rivers to fish in.
I want to make a difference in the world. I’ve started making a change by leading my school’s Drug Abuse Prevention Club. I’ve also helped raise money for children who live with wars.
Madison, age 10, Maine
I live in Maine.I like living in a small townbecause it’s easy to get outside with friends.
I’m not sure what I am planning for my future, but I have lots of ideas! I like to think outside of the box and experience new things, so as I go through life I’m sure I’ll have even more ideas!
Brittany, age 11, New Jersey
I live in New Jersey. I love going to Six Flags Great Adventure and playing with my dad.
I have been a member of a public speaking organizationsince I was seven. I really enjoy going to my speaking classes and competing against other teams. My dream is to be a lawyer.Who is going to be a soccer player?
| A．Albert. | B．Sara. | C．Madison. | D．Brittany. |
How did Sara help the children who live with wars?
| A．By encouraging them. | B．By raising money. |
| C．By planning for their future. | D．By giving speeches. |
Madison likes living in a small townin Maine because ______.
| A．each season isdifferent there |
| B．he can go camping and hunting |
| C．it’s easy to get outside with friends |
| D．it’s fun to go to Six Flags Great Adventure |
Delia was a young pianist. Her husband, Joe, was a young artist.
Each of them was taking lessons: Joe with a famous art teacher, and Delia with a great pianist from Germany. Their teachers were the very best, so lessons were expensive, more than they could really afford, but…when you love your art, nothing is too much.
But soon the money began to run out, and they couldn’t afford the lessons any more.
Then one day Delia came back home and told Joe that she had met a man whose daughter, Sally, wanted to learn the piano, and he was going to pay her $ 50 an hour.
“Delia,” Joe said, “I’ll be much happier if you keep up your lessons,” Delia said it didn’t matter. “When I’ve had some money, I’ll continue.” But Joe also decided to stop his lessons, to draw pictures and sell them.
A few days later, Joe came home and proudly took $ 200 from his pocket. “I met a man from Vermont,” he said, “who bought one of my pictures. And he wants to buy more!”
_________________.They didn’t have to worry any more about money.
Then, one day, Joe came home and saw that Delia’s hand was wrapped in a bandage(绷带). He asked her what had happened. “Oh,” said Delia. “My student, Sally, asked me to make some coffee for her. I dropped the coffee and burned my hand. Sally went straight to the drugstore and got this bandage for me. ”
“Delia, what have you been doing the last two weeks?” Joe asked. She tried not to tell him, but the tears came. “Oh Joe, I couldn’t get any students, so I worked as a waitress in a restaurant. Today, I burned my hand with hot water. So I can’t work any more. But we’ll still have money from the man in Vermont, won’t we?”
Joe looked at her. “There’s no man in Vermont, ” he said. “I’ve been working in a drugstore, and today someone came in to buy bandages for a woman who’s burned her hand. So when I saw you, well, I guessed.”
They both laughed.
[A story by O. Henry—adapted(改编)]The writer of the story is ____.
| A．Joe | B．Delia | C．O. Henry | D．Sally |
Which of the following can be put in the “____” in Paragraph 7?
| A．A bigger plan came to their mind |
| B．Since then Joe became very famous |
| C．So the two of them were very happy |
| D．Delia stopped her lessons and stayed home |
Both of them laughed in the end because ____.
| A．they would go on with their lessons soon |
| B．they had both told lies to make the other happy |
| C．they didn’t have to worry about money any more |
| D．they thought they had done something meaningless |
The best title for the passage can be ____.
| A．Blind love |
| B．A pleasant gift |
| C．A service of love |
| D．An unforgettable lesson |