Hi, everybody. Over the past couple months, most of the political headlines you’ve read have probably been about the government shutdown and the launch of the Affordable Care Act. And I know that many of you have rightly never been more frustrated with Washington.
But if you look beyond those headlines, there are some good things happening in our economy. And that’s been my top priority since the day I walked into the Oval Office.
After decades in which the middle class was working harder and harder just to keep up, and a punishing recession that made it worse, we made the tough choices required not just to recover from crisis, but to rebuild on a new foundation for stronger, more durable economic growth.
Five years later, we have fought our way back. Our businesses have created 7.8 million new jobs in the past 44 months. Another 200,000 Americans went back to work last month.
The American auto industry has come roaring back with more than 350,000 new jobs – jobs churning out and selling the high-tech, fuel-efficient cars the world wants to buy. And they’re leading the charge in a manufacturing sector that has added jobs for the first time since the 1990s – a big reason why our businesses sell more goods and services “Made in America” than ever before.
We decided to reverse our addiction to foreign oil. And today, we generate more renewable energy than ever, more natural gas than anybody, and for the first time in nearly 20 years, America now produces more oil than we buy from other countries.
We decided to fix a broken health care system. And even though the rollout of the marketplace where you can buy affordable plans has been rough, so far, about 500,000 Americans are poised to gain health coverage starting January 1st. And by the way, health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years.
And one more thing: since I took office, we’ve cut our deficits by more than half. And that makes it easier to invest in the things that create jobs – education, research, and infrastructure.
Imagine how much farther along we could be if both parties were working together. Think about what we could do if a reckless few didn’t hold the economy hostage every few months, or waste time on dozens of votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act rather than try to help us fix it.
In the weeks ahead, I’ll keep talking about my plan to build a better bargain for the middle class. Good jobs. A good education. A chance to buy a home, save, and retire. And yes, the financial security of affordable health care. And I’ll look for any willing partners who want to help.
Because of your hard work and tough sacrifices over the past five years, we’re pointed in the right direction. But we’ve got more work to do to keep moving that way. And as long as I’m President, I’ll keep doing everything I can to create jobs, grow the economy, and make sure that everyone who works hard has a chance to get ahead. Thanks, and have a great weekend.Which of the following is not the reason for people’s frustration with the government?
| A．The government shut down |
| B．Unemployment rate |
| C．The addiction to foreign oil |
| D．The launch of the Affordable Care Act |
Why does the president mention more goods and services “Made in America”?
| A．To show that American goods and services are very popular. |
| B．To indicate that American people should be dependent on themselves. |
| C．To show that the employment rate has been increased. |
| D．To show that American auto industry enjoys high technology. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “repeal”?
| A．To abolish | B．To protect |
| C．To strengthen | D．To weaken |
According to the speech, which of the following can be implied?
| A．American people have every reason to feel frustrated with the government. |
| B．Health care costs are growing at the slowest rate in 50 years. |
| C．The president feels sorry that the economy is not moving in the right direction. |
| D．Some government officials don’t agree with the president on the medical care system. |
Wednesday, October fifteenth, is the first Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so–called key (关键的)moments. These include after using the toilet , after cleaning a baby and before touching food .
The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs (细菌).They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Rub for at least twenty seconds. Then , wash well under running water . Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air.
The Partnership for Handwashing says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing . Soap also helps to break up the grease （油脂）and dirt that hold most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the likelihood that people will wash again.
The partnership says washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any vaccine or medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea (腹泻)by almost half. And it could reduce deaths from pneumonia(肺炎)and other breathing infections by one fourth.
Diarrhea is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year. Pneumonia is the leading cause, killing about two million children under five each year. Hand washing can also prevent the spread of other diseases.
When people get germs on their hands, they can infect themselves by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Then they can infect others .
1.Why is there the Global Handwashing Day?
A. To increase the sale of soap around the world.
B. To save the chidren in the developing world.
C. To advice people to wash hands more often.
D. To encourage people to wash hands with soap
2.What’ s the correct order of washing hands?
a. Cover the hands with soap
b. Rub the hands for twenty seconds
c. Dry the hands with a clean cloth
d. Wet the hands with a small amount of water.
e. Wash the hands well under running water
A. d,a,b, e,c B. d,b,a,e,c C. a,e,d,b,c B. a,b,d ,e,c
3. Which of the following is NOT the reason why soap can help to remove germs?
A. It makes people spend more time washing hands.
B. It helps break up the grease and dirt on the hands
C. The pleasant smell kills off the disease-causing germs.
D. It raises the possibility of people washing hands again
4. What can we leam from the last three paragraphs?
A. Washing with soap will save our lives instead of medicine
B. Diarrhea and pneumonia get many children killed every year
C. People shouldn’t touch eyes and noses with hands for fear of germs.
D. We won’t get infected if we get our hands washed well.
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳项。
To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay at home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.
My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.
After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends, "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."
But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job. I have received several promotions and pay increases, and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing, but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.
We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end.
I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior（自惭形秽）, but I also love my job. I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how. Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?
Please help. "Distressed"
1. The letter was most probably written ________.
A. in 1975 B. around 1980 C. four years ago D. in 1965
2. Her husband ________ when she first found her present job.
A. was very critical of her B. felt disappointed
C. was proud of her D. was happy but critical
3. What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?
A. scolding B. criticism C. prize D. advancement
4. As her income increased, ________.
A. she found a gap（分歧）emerged（显露）between her and her husband
B. she bought more clothes and a house
C. she did the many things she and her husband dreamed of
D. she felt very proud of herself
Bored by the Chinese courses he was majoring in, Zuo Cheng, 18, couldn't imagine having to drag himself into class day after day, week after week, for four years. The Beijing Language and Culture University student decided that enough was enough. After rounds of examinations and interviews, he managed to transfer (转移) to the Department of International Accounting.
"It may seem like I've wasted a year and have to start college all over again, but now that I've settled on a field, I'll be able to concentrate." Zuo said. Zuo is not alone.
At the China Three Gorges University in Yichang in Hubei province 53 out of 59 students in the Physics Department took transfer exams last term. Unfortunately only 22 of them got a place on another major.
Jiang Xin, 20, who was able to switch to electrical engineering and automation from physics, said that physics graduates had few other choices besides going into teaching. He added that a career in education just didn't suit him.
"I should have better job prospects (前景) and the chance to earn more money once I graduate," Jiang said. Many first year college students find their majors uninteresting.
However, Shao Yanfang, who works at the admissions office of a university, advised students to consider both short-term and long-term goals. "After graduation do you want to find yourself in a job very specifically related to your college major? Or, would you like to possess the knowledge and skills that will enable you to work in many areas? These are the questions students need to consider. Above all, your choice of major should be based on your own interests, abilities and personality," Shao said.
1. After Zuo Cheng managed to transfer the collage major, he felt________.
A. sad B. happyC. nervous D. pitiful
2. Which of the following statements is true?
A. A lot of students are not accustomed to the life on campus.
B. Students who attend university want to earn more money.
C. Students can change their major based on their interests.
D. Students who are weak in their study can change their major.
3. In the passage, Paragraph 3 functions as ________.
A. an example B. an introduction C. a conclusion D. an explanation
4. According to Shao Yanfang, students are supposed to think about ________ when changing majors.
A. present knowledge and skills B. short-term and long-term goals
C. future earnings and jobs D. relationship between friends
5. The text is written mainly for those ________.
A. Company managers B. Job hunters
C. Collage directors D. College students
For more than two decades, Oprah Winfrey has been the change-your-life champion who ruled over daytime television much like Johnny Caron once ruled late night.
However, now she’s ready to say goodbye, Wimfrey told viewers Friday that The Oprah Winfrey Show would close in September 2011 after 25 years on the air.
“I love this show. This show has been my life. And I love it enough to know when it’s time to say goodbye,” Winfrey said, holding back tears.
Winfrey’s show “is one of daytime television’s very foundations,” said Larry Gerbrandt an analyst for the firm Media Valuation Partners in Los Angeles. “Stations build their schedules around her. They gave it the best time period and used it to promote other shows.”
Winfrey offered no specific plans for the future, except to say that she intended to produce the best possible shows during the final two years.
“I just wanted to say whether you’ve been here with me from the beginning or you joined me last week, I want you all to know that my relationship with you is one that I hold very dear,” she said. “Your trust in me and the sharing of your precious time every day with me have brought me the greatest joy I have ever known.”
The Oprah Winfrey Show’s open atmosphere and frank conversation determined the talk show style and made Winfrey one of the most influential women in the US as well as the wealthiest black woman in the world.
“She has had great effects on today’s society. She’s just part of every one’s life,” said Yasmeen Elhaj, a 19-year-old student from Chicago.
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A. Winfrey’s Contributions to TV Show
B. Winfrey’s Show to Close in the Year 2011
C. Winfiey’s Great Influence in the USA
D. Winfrey’s Support for Black People
2. Winfrey’s talk show has lasted________.
A. nearly 25 years B. less than 20 years
C. no more than 20 years D. more than 25 years
3. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Winfred will change her show style in the coming years.
B. Winfrey will have some other specific plan for the future.
C. Winfred does promote some other shows after her retirement.
D. Winfrey appreciates every moment she has with her viewers.
4. Which of the following can best describe Oprah Winfred?
A. Energetic and funny. B. Friendly and clever.
C. Frank and influential. D. Active and changeable.
Drinking a lot of water does not do any good to the body, according to two experts in the United States. In fact, they warn, drinking too much water could be, in certain Cases, harmful.
In a study, Dr Stanly Goldfarb and Dr Dan Negoianu, both of the Renal, Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pennsylvania, the United States, have denied the popular belief that drinking a lot of water clears body toxins (毒素) better, improves skin, and helps reduce weight.
Dr Goldfarb and Dr Negoianu say that they found little proof to support the public opinion that drinking 8 glasses of water every day benefits health. At the same time, they found little proof of harm in drinking 8 glasses of water every day.
It is widely believed that in some cases — such as athletes, people who live in hot, dry environments, and those with certain medical conditions — drinking a lot of water indeed helps, but no studies have been done to prove the benefits of this practice in average, healthy people, the website medheadlines. com reports.
The study at the University of Pennsylvania also examined reports that some people experienced increased headaches when their consumption of water was low. In one small study, which the doctors reviewed, the group drinking the most water reported fewer headaches than the control group, “but the difference in the number of headaches was so small between the two groups as to be considered unimportant.”
The researchers concluded that there is no scientific proof to support that average, healthy people need to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.
The website medheadlines. com says that, according to an Indian doctor, drinking too much water is harmful. If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed, problems can occur.
1. What’s the key message delivered in the passage?
A. Drinking too much water might bring harm.
B. Whether to drink enough water makes no difference.
C. Drinking too much water may cause headaches.
D. Average, healthy people should drink more water.
2. We can learn from the passage that 8 glasses of water every day ________.
A. proves good for the body B. has scientific proof of harm
C. is sure to reduce headaches D. is generally considered necessary
3. Who may agree that drinking lots of water helps to lose weight?
A. Two experts. B. General public.
C. An Indian doctor. D. A website.
4. According to the passage, we know that ________.
A. the website medheadlines. com is developed by an Indian doctor
B. the study was carried out by two experts with an Indian doctor
C. the two experts performed the study at the University of Pennsylvania
D. drinking 8 glasses of water every day can cure certain diseases