Dear Malia and Sasha,
I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.
When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me—about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.
I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential—schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill in them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college—even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity.
I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and region, gender and religion that keep us from seeing the best in each other.
Sometimes we have to send our young men and women into war and other dangerous situations to protect our country—but when we do, I want to make sure that it is only for a very good reason, that we try our best to settle our differences with others peacefully, and that we do everything possible to keep our servicemen and women safe. And I want every child to understand that the blessings these brave Americans fight for are not free—that with the great privilege of being a citizen of this nation comes great responsibility.
That was the lesson your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for equality because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean something.
She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better—and that the unfinished work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It's a charge we pass on to our children, coming closer with each new generation to what we know America should be.
I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.
These are the things I want for you—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. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.
I am so proud of both of you. I love you more than you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, poise, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.
Love, DadWho was most probably the writer?
A. A headmaster managing a primary school.
B. A candidate to run for President of U.S.A.
C. A manager running international business.
D. A commander experiencing a war in a foreign country.What does the underlined word “journey” (Paragraph 1) really mean?
| A．a trip to a place of interest |
| B．a process to bring up their children |
| C．a campaign to run for the president |
| D．a visit to their hometown to meet their grandmother |
What do we know about Malia and Sasha’s grandmother?
| A．She had a perfect way to educate children. |
| B．She encouraged the writer to join the army. |
| C．She bought a lovely puppy for her grandchildren. |
| D．She often read the Declaration of Independence to her grandchildren. |
From the letter we can learn that the writer was ________.
| A．kind and hesitant |
| B．ambitious and considerate |
| C．selfish but merciful |
| D．successful but stubborn |
According to the letter, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The writer and his two daughters had been apart for a long time. |
| B．The writer hoped that his daughters would live up to his great expectations. |
| C．The only way to settle the differences in the world is through violence. |
| D．There still exist some divides of race and region, gender and religion somewhere in the world. |
What is the writer’s purpose of writing the letter?
| A．Encouraging his daughters to run for President in the future. |
| B．Explaining the whole international situation to his daughters. |
| C．Educating his daughters how to defend their country. |
| D．Apologizing to his daughters for his not being able to stay together with them for such a long time. |
Research on the human brain has been attracting the attention of more and more scientists in recent years, just like the booming hi-tech industry. One of the latest research topics is how to change the human brain or combine the computer and the human brain, i．e．, to transplant a chip into human brain．This idea may make everyone's dream come true．If we compare a human brain to a hard disc, what the scientists are doing is to enlarge the capacity of the hard disc．For the time being, there are some difficulties in such transplant experiments, but scientists never give up．
Experiments were started on animals．In 1996, a transplant experiment performed at the Defense and Military Physiology Research Institute in the U．S．turned a bear into a dolphin．
The dolphin was named Ted, and the bear was named Tallin．Using the most advanced technology, deep and detailed studies were made of the swimming action memory area in Ted's brain by the scientists．They got a lot of useful information．The information was saved into a button-sized chip, which was then transplanted into the action memory area in Tallin's brain．The information saved on the chip was released by means of electric power．
Recently, another memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research Institute of the University of California．The comprehensive memory transplanted in the experiment included actions, moods, logic, words, images, etc. The experiment involved an entire transplant of the memory area. This was the largest such experiment done so far.
The transplant was performed from a dog named “Genius” to a dog named “Idiot”．“Genius” could understand and follow up to 100 gestures and orders made by its master．It was a real genius．“Idiot” was the younger brother of “Genius”．It had no contact with people at all since its birth．It became an animal with nothing in its brain, without any memory．
The operation was a complete success．When the two dogs woke up, “Idiot” had grasped all the abilities “Genius” possessed; it was good at memorizing and sensible. It could follow every gesture and any command given by its master．But “Genius” gave no response to its master, and in fact did not recognize him at all．
47．The purpose of the experiment is____.
A．to combine the computer and the human brain
B．to make bear swim
C．to make some stupid dog turn clever
D．to enlarge the capacity of human brain
48．Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．The scientists transferred a button-sized chip which useful information in Tallin’s brain.
B．The first comprehensive memory transplant was performed at the Motor Nerve Research University.
C．The second experiment wasn’t an entire transplant of the memory area.
D．The Idiot was an animal with memory before brain experiment
49．What does the underlined word “success” refer to?
A．The two dogs woke up.
B．They were both good at memorizing.
C．The Idiot grasped all the abilities of Genius.
D．The Genius grasped all the abilities of Idiot.
50．According to the text, we can infer .
A．a person can know more after the experiment.
B．a bear can swim after being transferred a chip with related useful information
C．a dog can become clever after entire transplant of the memory area
D．it is really good for animals to have been involved in the transplant experiment
CAREER OPPORTUNITES
1. Full Time Secretary Position Availabel: Applicants should have at least 2 year’s experience and be able to type 60 words a minute. No computer skills required．Apply in person at United Business Ltd．, 17 Browning Street, Leeds.
2. Part-time job: We require three part-time shop assistants to work during the evening．No experience required, applicants should be between 18 and 26 years old．Call 0115 - 765643 for more information．
3. Computer trained secretaries: Do you have experience working with computers? If you want to know more about us, call 0457-896754.
4. Teaching Assistants Needed: Hania’s Playshool needs 2 young teaching assistants to help with classes from 9 to 3 pm．Applicants should have references. For more information please visit www. Haniaplayschool. co. uk.
5. Weekend Work Available: We are looking for retired adults who would like to work part time on weekends for Rubberlast Group Ltd. Duties include answering the telephone and giving customers’ information. For more information call us at 0113-6741326.
6. University positions Open: The University of Bristol is looking for 4 teaching assistants to help with homework correction．Applicants should have a degree in one of the following: Political Science, English, Economics or History．Please call the University of Bristol for more information．
7. Home Delivery Representative: We are looking for someone who has excellent customer care, communication skills, a sales background with at least one year’s experience and is a good team player with creative ideas. In return we offer a starting salary of $ 20,000 and 25 days paid holiday per year. For more information please call Direct Delivery Team of Yorkshire Post on 0113-2388318.
44．Which position is most suitable for a retired person?
A．Part-time Shop Assistant.
B．Teaching Assistant in Hania’s Playschool.
C．Weekend Workin Rubberlast Group Ltd.
D．Teaching Assistant in the University of Bristol.
45．If you have good computer skills and recently graduated from university (English degree), which jobs can you apply for?
A．Job 1,2 and 7. B．Job 3,4 and 6. C．Job 4,6 and 7. D．Job 2,3 and 5.
46．Which is the only position that has a formal educational requirement?
A．Full Time Secretary at United Business Ltd.
B．Home Delivery Representative for Yorkshire Post.
C．Teaching Assistant at Hania’s Playschool.
D．University Positions at the University of Bristol.
Beijing plans to build huge free or low-cost parking lots beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads to encourage more car owners to take buses or subways to the downtown area．
The plan is just one of the many measures the city plans to take to reduce its traffic jams．Low or no parking fees would be used as economic leverage(杠杆作用) to reduce growing parking demands from urban areas．
Car owners living in the suburbs will be encouraged to park their cars beyond the Fourth and Fifth Ring Roads and take buses or subways to the downtown area．Statistics show that nearly one quarter of the city’s traffic flow is concentrated in the 62-square-kilometer downtown area within the Second Ring Road, which makes up only 12 percent of the city’s total area．
The Beijing Traffic Management Bureau receives between 400 and 500 calls reporting traffic jams every day and more than 90 percent of the roads are filled to capacity during rush hours every morning and evening．Part of the problem is the lack of easy links between bus routes, subways and cars．
According to the communication commission, half of the city’s investment in transportation will go towards public transit（公共交通） construction in the next few years, making a jump from the current only 20 per cent．Moreover, Beijing plans to change its layout （布局） by building new city centers, such as at Yizhuang, Tongzhou, Shunyi and Changping, in a bid to reduce the traffic flow to the downtown．
The current layout of Beijing-expanded ring roads around the same center of the Forbidden City, is seen as the root cause of the endless traffic jams．The downtown area is crowded with three business centers and one financial center, as well as nearly 400 government organs and institutions．
Traffic experts say building more urban centers around Beijing may reduce the number of residents living in the suburbs and traveling long distances to work downtown every day, thus reducing traffic flow．
40．In the coming years, if a man beyond the Fourth Ring Road goes to work in the downtown of Beijing, he is encouraged to _________．
A．take buses or subways B．take a taxi
C．drive the car quickly D．park his car in a place which asks for no fees
41．According to this passage, when more and more people drive to work in rush hour in Beijing, it is likely to _______．
A．save time B．cause traffic jams
C．cause traffic accidents D．reduce air pollution
42．The aim in building new city centers is to ________．
A．make it convenient for people to go shopping
B．develop its local resources
C．reduce the traffic flow to the downtown
D．solve the problem of more laid-off workers
43．The passage suggests the author ______．
A．is tired of driving to work
B．finds it costs less to take subways than to drive
C．is for the plan to reduce Beijing’s traffic congestion(拥挤)
D．has benefited a lot by driving to the downtown every day
第二部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：（共15小题：每小题2分，满分30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。
Heather Mills McCartney lives an admirable life, attending celebrity parties, meeting regularly with the rich and famous and doing meaningful work for charity．All who work with her admire and respect her．But Heather’s life hasn’t always been so easy．When Heather was only 9 years old, her mother abandoned her and her two brothers．At the age of 13, she ran away from home and ended up living on the streets in London．Eventually, however, her exceptional beauty led to a career in modeling．At that time, Heather also began helping with the war relief efforts in former Yugoslavia．Through her modeling and relief work, she soon became famous．
But in August 1993, at age 25 her life changed once again．She was crossing the street in London when a motorcycle crashed into her．She was so badly injured that the doctors had to cut off her left leg．After that, she discovered she frequently needed to change her artificial limbs(假肢)．It was expensive and she felt it was a waste to just throw away the old one．It occurred to her to set up an organization that could deliver used artificial limbs to Yugoslavia and other war-torn countries．It was through her charity work that she met her husband Paul McCartney．
Throughout her life, Heather has risen above problems and focused on helping others．Her work with artificial limbs even earned her a nomination（提名） for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996．Heathe’s persistence and determination are what impresses anyone who knows her．Heather believes anyone can make a positive difference in the world．
36．This passage is mainly about _________．
A．Heather’s miserable life B．Heather’s contribution to the world
C．Heather’s success in her work D．Heather’s belief in life
37．Heather began her modeling career _________．
A．due to her mother’s encouragement
B．after her brothers abandoned her
C．because of her excellent intelligence and performances
D．because she was especially beautiful
38．Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?
A．Heather won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1996．
B．Heather began her charity work while working as a model．
C．Her artificial limbs had to be replaced continuously．
D．Heather has never been defeated by her problems．
39．From the passage we can infer that people admire and respect Heather because_________．
A．she had a lot of misfortunes during her childhood．
B．she was a world-famous model
C．she is determined and never gives in
D．she made a great difference in the world
The damming of river systems in the northwestern United States has had damaging effects on salmon(鲑鱼). In the spring young salmon, called smolts, drift into rivers from smaller streams. They swim with the current downstream heading for the Pacific Ocean. Before the large-scale constructions of dams(水坝), the young salmon used the strong flow from melting snows to get to the sea in between six and twenty days. It is necessary to do this because during these days the smolts’ bodies undergo the physiological changes for adaptation to salt water.
Unfortunately, the current has become very slow due to the construction of numerous dams. Companies operating the dams also intentionally slow the current. They store the water from the melting snow until the winter, when more electric power is needed. The net result is that many of the young fish do not survive the now sixty-day trip to the sea. Consequently, there are fewer adult salmon to migrate(回游) back up the rivers for breeding. When the time comes for the salmon to return, they again face the problem of dams. As fewer adult salmon are able to get back to their cool upstream water, they fail to produce a sufficiently new generation of salmon. This cycle could eventually lead to the extinction of the fish.
Attempts are being made to transport the young salmon down river by boats. However, many scientists think that this artificial method of getting the fish to the sea kills more than it saves. Another suggestion, recently proposed by environmentalists, is to increase the rate of water flow. This would be a partial（部分的） solution to the declining salmon numbers. One method of doing this would call for releasing water from upstream dam. This would speed up the downstream movement of the smolts.
Another method would be to reduce the water level in the dams for a period in the spring when the smolts are migrating downstream. This would also increase the flow rate temporarily without requiring large amounts of water and, thus, enable the young salmon to move downstream faster. Unfortunately, both of these proposals have met with criticism from the power companies, which strongly suggests the uncertain fate of the salmon in the region.
76. What’s the main topic of the passage?
A. The failure of adult salmon to reproduce.
B. The importance of smolts returning upstream.
C. The need for smolts to reach salt water quickly.
D. The harm caused to salmon by river damming.
77. The passage discusses all of the following methods of dealing with salmon issue EXCEPT _____.
A. carrying the fish in boats
B. allowing water to be released from upstream dams
C. dropping water levels in dams
D. breeding salmon
78. In paragraph 3, what does the author mean by the statement that many scientists think that this artificial method of getting the fish to the sea kills more than it saves?
A. Saving fish is artificial.
B. More fish die when transported than would die otherwise
C. Artificial methods of transportation give salmon the chance to get adapted to salt water.
D. The sea kills more fish than are saved by transportation.
79. Which of the following statements would the author most probably agree with?
A. The salmon problem is likely to continue.
B. A solution to the salmon problem will be found in the near future.
C. Salmon will be extinct very quickly.
D. The government should step in and provide a way out.