First lady Michelle Obama turns 50 on Friday, Jan. 17, 2014.
Michelle Obama has spent the first half-century of her life breaking barriers and checking off a series of firsts. Now, as she reaches her milestone birthday Friday, the nation will be watching to see in what other areas she will leave her mark.
Five years after moving into the White House, and without a re-election campaign to worry about, she has more room to relax in her role and, political watchers say, possibly become more vocal (声音的) on political issues in the three years left in office.
So far, critics have complained about Michelle’s silence on issues where they expected to hear her voice: Last year, at the start of her husband's second term, she disappointed advocates for tighter gun-control measures after she failed to push harder on the issue in response to the massacre (残杀) at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. She also disappointed some feminists (女权主义者) who wanted her to defend their causes instead of falling back on her self-described role as the nation’s “mom-in-chief.” Nor did she handle racial issues during her second term, as some had expected.
“The most important thing to remember is, whether you are black, white or Hispanic, you’re the first lady and the president of all the people in the United States. That’s a huge melting pot, so to reinforce (强化)that she's African American over anything else would not be wise,” said Anita McBride, who directs programming and national conferences on the legacies (遗产) of America’s first ladies and their historical influence at American University.
Valerie Jarrett, a top White House adviser and a close friend of the Obamas, said the first lady doesn't want to “spread herself too thin.”
“She really wants to have a maximum impact and to do that in fewer areas,” Jarrett told the Associated Press. “That, she said, “is better than trying to take on every single possible cause.”
But Robert Watson, a Lynn University professor, said he expects Obama to “go a little harder at issues” over the next several years. “Second-term first ladies usually feel more at ease to speak more forcefully about issues close to their heart,” he said.
Myra Gutin, a Ryder University communications professor and frequent lecturer on first ladies, said she expects Obama to continue making both of them a priority in her remaining years in the White House, given their success. Michelle launched the “Let’s Move” campaign in 2010. It in particular has gained widespread support, ranging from the National Football League to the Sesame Street franchise (特许), which even gave permission to the produce industry to use its licensed characters for free on fruits and vegetables.
“There’s no such thing as a traditional first lady, not anymore in this technology-filled world. Is Mrs. Obama cutting edge? Is she an activist? No. As first ladies go, I think she’s been politically careful because she does not want there to be a major flare-up that would require her husband to use his political capital to clean up,” she said. “But she’s not exactly just sitting in the White House pouring tea and having receptions, either.”Critics were disappointed with Michelle because _______.
| A．she didn’t put gun-control measures into effect |
| B．she failed some feminists to stand out to be a career woman |
| C．she didn’t solve some racial problems |
| D．she failed to voice her opinion on some issues |
According to the professors or advisers, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．It’s not wise to reinforce Michelle is African American over anything else. |
| B．It’s better for Michelle to have a maximum impact than to take on every possible cause. |
| C．It's expected for Michelle to go a little harder at issues. |
| D．It’s a tradition for first ladies to stay out of political issues. |
What does the underlined phrase “spread herself too thin” in Paragraph 6 mean?
| A．Try to do a lot of work at the same time. |
| B．Get very tired. |
| C．Try to improve physical fitness. |
| D．Move herself away from others. |
In Paragraph 9, the campaign “Let’s Move” might be aiming to help people _______..
a. gain widespread support
b. become more physically active
c. have access to healthier foods
d. raise awareness about gun control
| A．a, c | B．a, b | C．b, c | D．c, d |
Each year, millions of people go abroad to work, study, or travel．It's a great way to find out what life is like in another part of the world! You're probably hoping to make new friends and learn about the culture in your host country everything from attitudes and beliefs to social customs and popular foods．But constantly having to deal with new situations can be frustrating（挫折）,even stressful．
Homesickness, stress, fear, and confusion are all symptoms of "culture shock"．At first, you may feel like getting on the plane and heading home．It' s OK to have those feelings, but the following are some tips to help you handle the challenges that you will face．
Don't expect to be perfect．You may feel frustrated that you have culture shock, especially since you probably spent so much time preparing for your trip．No matter how much information you read, or how well you speak the host language, it is natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes．If you give yourself some time, things will gradually get easier．
Have an open mind．While it's certainly OK to feel frustration or confusion in your new surroundings, try not to form an opinion about the new culture too soon．Don't think of the host as better or worse, just different—you’ll be more willing to try new things．
Participate．This is obvious, but everybody needs to be reminded．Just watching life go on around you isn't good enough．You really need to try things for yourself．Don't worry about making a mistake; people in your host country will generally be very understanding and willing to help if you have question．Your study abroad experience is a unique and special time in your life, one that you'll never forget．If you follow our suggestions, you'11 be able to handle it well, and have a wonderful time．Good luck!
64．What is culture shock?
A．Something you feel surprised at．
B．The problems you have when you go to another country．
C．The frightening feelings you have．
D．Something different from your own culture．
65．What should you do when you feel depressed?
A．Go back to your own homeland．
B．Talk to someone about your problem．
C．Give yourself some time to get used to it．
D．Stop thinking of it．
66．Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A．It is natural to feel overwhelmed sometimes．
B．Not everything is perfect．
C．Try to form the opinion about the new culture as soon as possible．
D．Tell others about your problems．
67．What is the main idea of this article?
A．How to overcome culture shock．
B．Why do people have culture shock．
C．Who might have culture shock．
D．When will you have culture shock．
Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best．For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces．One way to do that is to build those surfaced specially, on the roofs of buildings．But why go to all that trouble when cities are rub of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt（柏油）roads?
Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer．He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up．The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside．
The 
heat - collector is a system of connected water pipes．Most of them ran from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road．Some, however, dive deep into the ground．
When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes．At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer（蓄水层）into which several heat exchangers have been built．The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground - water, before returning to the surface through another pipe．The aquifer is thus used as a heat store．
In winter, the working system is changed slightly．Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer．This water goes into the building and is used to warm
the place up．After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice．
68．Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?
A．Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss．
B．Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities．
C．The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used．
D．Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads．
69．For what purpose are the diving pipes used?
A．To absorb heat from the sun．
B．To store heat for future use．
C．To turn solar energy into heat energy．
D．To carry heat down below the surface．
70．From the last paragraph we can learn that ______．
A．some pipes have to be re - arranged in winter
B．the
system can do more than warming up the building
C．the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface
D．less heat may be collected in winter than in summer
Imperial College
London
Tanaka Business School
10 New Professors, Readers, Senior Lecturers or Lecturers
Imperial College is among the top ten universities of the world, according to the 2008 Times Higher Education．
Having doubled its size in the last 4 years and hired world—lass scholars during that period, Imperial's Tanaka Business School wishes to make a further 10 academic appointments in its drive to become a leading research—led business school．Only applicants who have published in top international magazines will be considered．Excellent ones from any field of management are welcome, but the school particularly wishes to appoint in the fields of marketing, technology management and healthcare．
International salaries will be offered．
An application form and further details may be downloaded from
www．imperial．ac．uk/tanaka （About Us, job opportunities）．
An application form, 2 of your best papers should be sent to tbs．applications@imperial. ac. uk．
First review of application will be on 2 April 2009．
60．Why 10 appointments are to be made?
A．To teach some new subjects．
B．To guide students in reading．
C．To make Imperial College among the top 10 universities of the world．
D．To make Tanaka Business School a leading research—led business school.
61．"Readers" in the 4th line p
robably refer to _____.
A．school newspaper editorsB．librarians
C．senior university teachers D．college graduates
62．Which of the following statements does NOT agree with the passage?
A．Imperial College is a business school．
B．Imperial College is a famous university in the world．
C．Imperial College is very strict with job hunters．
D．Imperial College offers good salary．
63．According to the passage, if one wants to apply for a job in Imperial College, he/she should
A．post all the material before 2 April 2009
B．prepare enough personal material in ink
C．write 2 essays
D．first visit www．imperial．ac．uk/tanka
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Hillary Clinton, 59, with her famous "I'm 
in, and I'm in to win "2008 Race, began her email to supporters, saying "I want you to join me not for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country．Let's talk,let's chat. "
Mrs．Clinton said that she would focus on"practical changes"in foreign, domestic, and national security policy,such as finding"a right end"to the Iraq war,expanding health insurance, pursuing greater energy independence and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, which satisfies many American people．
In her statement, Mrs Clinton also frankly talked about an issue that worries her a lot．Whether she can, in fact, win the presidency, some voters still associate her most with the Clinton government．
"I have never been afraid to stand up for my beliefs, "Mrs Clinton said on the Website．"After nearly $ 70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two wins, I can say I know how Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them．"
If successful, she would be the first female nominee （被提名的） of a major American political party, and the first wife of a former president to seek a return to the White House．President Bill Clinton left office in 2000 after two terms marked by economical expansion and a series of official examinations of his personal life and the Clintons' business dealings．But the successes and shadows of those years will likely affect Mrs Clinton, who was once an important adviser and caused some disagreements in his government．
Yet Mrs Clinton has become a major political figure in America．
56．By saying" I'm in to win" Hillary probably means that _____．
A．she is online to get people's support to run for presidency
B．she is going to run for election and work hard to win
C．she is online to get more support and she's sure she will win
D．she has decided to run for president and work hard to win
57．It can be inferred from the passage that _____．
A．Clinton left office only because of his personal life
B．Hillary was once deeply involved in her husband's government
C．all her voters strongly support her and believe in her
D．the whole election campaign costs Hillary nearly $ 70 million
58．What many American people are deeply concerned about is _____．
A．what practical things Hillary will do for them
B．when and how to find a proper solution to the Iraq War
C．how to solve the energy problem
D．how to strengthen Social Security and Medicare
59．The author's attitude toward Hillary is _____．
A．critical B．positive C．negative D．objective
Drunken driving(sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder)has become a national epidemic．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers,adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years．A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with O.1O -blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the America manly image and judges were lenient in most courts ,but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies ,especially concerning young children ,that public opinion is no longer so tolerant
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21，reversing trend(逆转潮流)in the 1960s to reduce It to 18.After New Jersey lowered it to 18，the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled ,so the state recently upped it back to 21．
Reformers，however ,fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests many areas already ,to a marked drop in accidents，some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks．A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was“obviously drunk” and later drove the road, killing a nine-year-old boy ．
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state , some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition(禁令)of alcohol that began in 1919，which President Hoover called the“noble experiment”。They forgot that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking ,but encouraged political corruption(腐败)and organized crime．As with the booming drug trade generally ,there is no easy solution．
73．What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
A．Young drivers were usually bad．
B．The legal drinking age should be raised．
C．Some drivers didn't surprise the legal drinking age．
D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink．
74．The underlined word“lenient”in the first paragraph means
A．merciful B．cruel C．serious D. determined
75. As regards drunken driving , public opinion has changed because
A. judges are no longer lenient
B．new laws are introduced in some states
C．drivers do not appreciate their manly image
D．the news media have raised public attention of the problem