The White House Correspondents’ Dinner is an annual event, and a highlight of the evening is the President’s comedy routine. This year, President Obama decided to make a good-natured hit at Michelle’s expense. You might remember the “bangs”(刘海) that the First Lady introduced to the world several months ago! Oh yes he did! Obama bangs joke shows how, with professional helps, presidents are now just as funny as the comedian hosts.
For his second term, President Obama will be making big changes! He kicked off his White House Correspondents’ Dinner speech at the Washington Hilton on Saturday, Apr. 27 by joking, “Second term, baby!” “I recognize that this job can take an attack on you. I understand that second term you need a burst of new energy and try some new things,” Obama, 51, said. “My team and I talked about it and we’re willing to try anything, so we borrowed one of Michelle’s tricks.” He then presented a slideshow of funny photoshopped images of himself sporting his wife’s famous new bangs, a photo of himself and the first lady side by side, both with bangs. “I think this looked pretty good.”
After Obama’s speech, Conan O’Brien took the stage and kept the jokes coming. The late night host made a joke about the President’s focus on job creation. “Since he was reelected,” he said, “ the number of popes(教皇) has doubled and the number of Tonight Show hosts had three times.”President Obama made a good-natured hit at Michelle’s expense to ________.
| A．laugh at Michelle |
| B．show his humor |
| C．remember the “bangs” |
| D．make big changes |
What is the closest meaning of the phrase “kicked off” in the second paragraph ________.
| A．enjoyed |
| B．expressed |
| C．started |
| D．cancelled |
One of Michelle’s tricks that Obama borrowed is her ________.
| A．bangs |
| B．slideshow |
| C．photoshopped images |
| D．speech |
We may learn from the last paragraph that ________
| A．President wants to be as funny as a comedian hosts. |
| B．the first lady made bangs jokes with professional help. |
| C．Michelle is sure to be angry with president. |
| D．President will focus on job creation in his second term. |
Once upon a time, on an isolated island in the Java sea, lived short people who dominated(支配, 占优势) the food chain. Standing no more than three and a half feet tall, these human ancestors hunted giant rats, lumbering lizards（笨拙的蜥蜴), and miniature elephants.
It sounds a bit like a fairy tale, but it's true. Unearthed relics on the island uncovered the remains of a race of tiny human ancestors. Homo floresiensis, as the newly discovered species has been named, apparently could date back to 13,000 years ago. This means they have a lot in common with modern humans.
So how and why did these people get so small? Scientists suspect that it's due to the fact that this race lived on an isolated island with limited resources. Take the miniature elephants for example. When elephants first came to the island either by swimming or by some kind of natural land raft, they were probably close to full size. But since there wasn't much to eat, over time smaller elephants lived longer and better. The smaller the elephant was, the less it had to eat to stay strong and healthy.
Scientists call this the "island role", and it can apply to humans as well as animals. Given the island's sparse(稀少) food supply, it makes sense that the early humans living there would have evolved (进化) a body size requiring less food to survive. So bigger isn't always better. In the floresiensis, at least, getting smaller was the way to go.According to the passage, the fact Homo floresiensis are very small is based on________.
| A．the islanders in the Java Sea | B．the human ancestors |
| C．a newspaper report | D．the unearthed relics |
The underlined word "miniature" in the first paragraph most probably means______.
| A．tiny | B．active | C．rare | D．wild |
People on the island got so small because____________.
| A．they gradually developed for lack of food. |
| B．they did not have enough food to eat. |
| C．they shared less food with elephants. |
| D．they remained alive as the elephants. |
What might be the most suitable title of the passage?
| A．The history of short people | B．Short people on an isolated island |
| C．The proofs on short people | D．Short people from a fairy tale |
According to the passage, getting smaller can make people and animals ____
| A．run quickly | B．live weaker | C．live longer | D．run slowly |
Bicycle Safety
Operation Always ride your bike in a safe, controlled manner on campus(校园). Obey rules and regulations. Watch out for walkers and other bicyclists, and always use your lights in dark conditions.
Theft Prevention Always securely lock your bicycle to a bicycle rack---even if you are only away for a minute. Register your bike with the University Department of Public Safety. It’s fast, easy, and free. Registration permanently records your serial number, which is useful in the possible recovery of the bike stolen.
Equipment
Brakes Make sure that they are in good working order and adjusted properly.
Helmet A necessity, make sure your helmet meets current safety standards and fit properly.
Lights Always have a front headlight---visible at least 500 feet in front of the bike. A taillight is a good idea.
Rules of the Road
Riding on Campus As a bicycle rider, you have a responsibility to ride only on streets and posted bicycle paths. Riding on sidewalks or other walkways can lead to a fine. The speed limit for bicycles on campus is 15km/h, unless otherwise posted. Always give the right of ways to walkers. If you are involved in an accident, you are required to offer appropriate aid, call the Department of Public Safety and remain at the scene until the officer lets you go.
Bicycle Parking Only park in areas reserved for bikes. Trees, handrails, hallways, and sign posts are not for bicycle parking, and parking in such posts can result in a fine.
If Things Go Wrong
If you break the rules, you will be fined. Besides violating rules while riding bicycles on campus, you could be fined for:
No bicycle registration---------------------------------------------------$25
Bicycle parking banned--------------------------------------------------$30
Blocking path with bicycle ---------------------------------------------$40Violation of bicycle equipment requirement -------------------------$35Registration of your bicycle may help you _____________.
| A．get your serial number | B．find your stolen bicycle |
| C．receive free repair services | D．settle conflicts with walkers |
According to the passage, what bike equipment is a free choice for bicycle riders?
| A．Brakes. | B．A helmet. | C．A taillight. | D．A headlight. |
If you lock your bicycle to a tree on the campus, you could be fined _________.
| A．$25 | B．$30 | C．$35 | D．$40 |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Directions for bicycle tour on campus. |
| B．A guide for safe bicycling on campus. |
| C．Regulations of bicycle race on campus. |
| D．Rules for riding motor vehicles on campus. |
My teenage son Karl became withdrawn(孤僻) after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. In this way he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and asked God for help. "Please God, I can't do anything more for my son. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm giving the whole thing up to you."
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. "I want to talk to you about Karl's absences." Before he could say another word, I choked up (哽咽) and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. "I love my son, but I just don't know what to do. I've tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It's out of my hands." For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, "Thank you for your time", and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he was even on the list of the best students at school. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, "Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?" I nodded. "That was me. I thought I'd play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That's when I knew I had to make you proud." According to the first report card, Karl __________.
| A．often went to school late | B．failed in all the exams |
| C．did a good job at school | D．didn't do well at school |
When the mother said "It's out of my hands." to the headmaster, she meant that she________.
| A．didn't know what to do about her son |
| B．would drive her son away from the house |
| C．had no money to support the family |
| D．she would have to hang up |
There was silence on the other end of the line because _____.
| A．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother |
| B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking |
| C．the speaker didn't want the mother to recognize his voice |
| D．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother |
Who was it that telephoned Karl's mother that day?
| A．The headmaster. | B．The school adviser. |
| C．Karl himself. | D．The passage doesn't tell us. |
From the passage we can learn that _________.
| A．children in single-parent families always have mental problems |
| B．mother's love plays an important role in teenagers' life |
| C．parents should give their children as much help as possible |
| D．school education still works well without support from parents |
After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (Although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion the counting sheep will put you to sleep!A good title for this passage is ____.
| A．Sleep | B．Dreams | C．Good Health | D．Work and Rest |
The word drowsy in the last paragraph means ____.
| A．sick | B．asleep | C．stand up | D．a little sleepy |
This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _____.
| A．dream more often | B．have poor health | C．nervous | D．breathe quickly |
During REM, ____.
| A．your eyes move quickly | B．you dream | C．you are restless | D．both A and B |
The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is ______ .
| A．approximately six hours | B．around ten hours |
| C．about eight hours | D．not described here |
Believe it or not, there is always something nice to do on weekends. If you take some time to think about your weekends and plan them carefully, they may become more exciting, refreshing and as a result more rewarding.
Throughout weekends, you can join in endless activities. You may attend a weekend course to increase your knowledge, for example, listen to a lecture on ancient Egypt. You may also try various activities, such as short countryside trip, or you may want to go skiing on a cold winter weekend.
You may invite your best friend to a picnic, tell each other jokes and enjoy each other’s company or you may invite more friends to your weekend party and have one another give a talent show.
You can help out in a local library or nursing home and do some voluntary (义务的) jobs.
You can go to a sports ground or amusement centre to play various ball games and others. You may do weekend shopping alone or with somebody. Whatever you do, I hope you have a good weekend.The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．why to plan weekends well |
| B．how to have a nice weekend |
| C．when to attend weekend activities |
| D．where to have a picnic with friends |
The author suggests doing all the activities EXCEPT ______.
| A．going skiing | B．doing some shopping |
| C．holding a party | D．going over lessons |
According to the passage one can go to ______ as a volunteer.
| A．a nursing home | B．a sports ground |
| C．a big company | D．a shopping centre |