Recently, a study was carried out to determine who was the greatest American president. Sixty-five presidential historians took part in it, and they judged the past forty-two American leaders based on ten leadership qualities, including public persuasiveness(信服), crisis leadership, management of the economy, moral leadership, and conduct of international relations. The historians also looked at administrative ability (管理能力), relations with Congress, ability to set goals, and the pursuit of equal justice for all. Finally, the experts took into consideration the historical period in which the president lived.
The historians chose Abraham Lincoln as American’s greatest president. He had also been named the greatest president in a similar study in 2000. Abraham Lincoln was the president who led the nation through the Civil War in the 1860s, and was able to unite it in the end. He also took the first steps to abolish(废除) slavery in America.
Edna Medford, a professor of history at Howard University in Washington, D.C., was an adviser on this study and the earlier one. She says Abraham Lincoln is seen to represent the values the nation most honors, such as truthfulness, moderation, and respect for human rights.
The historians put American’s first president, George Washington, second on the list, while Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt, and Harry Truman follow in that order. John F. Kennedy, the country’s first Roman Catholic president, is sixth on the list. Like Lincoln, Kennedy was murdered while in office.
Among recent presidents, Ronald Reagan was named the tenth best and Bill Clinton rated fifteenth, while the historians put former president George W. Bush at number thirty-six. His father, George H.W. Bush, did much better, being placed at number eighteen.We learn from the text that ___________.
A.this is the second time Abraham Lincoln has been chosen as America’s greatest president |
B.Edna Medford didn’t take part in the study conducted in 2000 |
C.George H.W. Bush was thought to have done worse in office than George W.Bush |
D.Harry Truman was rated the fourth-best president by the study |
Which of the following belong to the ten leadership qualities considered?
a. Being able to persuade the public.
b. Taking effective measures during a financial crisis.
c. Balancing home life and career.
d. Pursuing equal justice for all.
A.a,b,c | B.b,c,d | C.a,b,d | D.a,c,d |
Who is rated worst among the following four presidents?
A.John F. Kennedy | B.George W. Bush |
C.Bill Clinton | D.George Washington |
The text is mainly about ________.
A.the ten qualities a great president needs |
B.how Abraham Lincoln improved the country |
C.the values the American nation honors most |
D.a study of American presidents |
To many students, high school is just a basic routine. You go to class in the morning, take a break for lunch and go home in the afternoon.
This isn't quite that simple for pupils at Royal West Academy. As if classes and homework weren’t already enough, students are also required to complete a range of extracurricular activities, or ECAs.
The range of ECAs being offered at the school is various, including everything from guitar and jewelry-making clubs, fund-raising marches, to student committees, swimming and tennis.
“I love ECAs. I’m so happy we have them,” said grade 11 student Adrienne, who is a soccer player and member of the graduation committee. “They motivate the students, and they’re a great bonding experience. I think that without them, not half as many students would be joining up for the soccer team.”
Requiring students to complete ECAs is a sign of the times. That’s because young people are preparing for the future in ways that weren’t considered necessary before. This is an era when ECAs are seen as important. Whether it’s for leadership experience, sports, craft skills or volunteer these things are seen as rounding out the individual and improving their future.
ECAs can also help students discover their likes and dislikes. But as the old song says, you can’t always get what you want, especially when so many students are all trying to sign up for the most popular activities.
ECAs can cut into study and homework time if you’re not careful. You really have to get organized or you’ll fall apart.The students at Royal West Academy may do the following ECAs except ______.
A.to play musical instruments |
B.to raise money for an organization |
C.to attend sports events |
D.to have classes discussions |
From what Adirienne said, we know that _______.
A.most of his classmates are interested in football |
B.one can make many new friends in ECAs |
C.students get encouraged to join in ECAs |
D.half of his classmates are unwilling to join in ECAs. |
Why are ECAs important now?
A.They prepare the students for their future. |
B.They can make students get what they want. |
C.they can help students find their strong points. |
D.They can reduce students’ learning time. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that _______.
A.ECAs can increase your burden of learning |
B.you may fall down when playing in ECAs |
C.too many ECAs may leave you in trouble |
D.you need to organize other students in ECAs |
My name is Cherry Carl, and I retired in June, 2003, after 35 years as a teacher and Language Arts Specialist in Santee, California. However, I continued my role as an instructor at the University of California, San Diego, in the Reading Specialist Certification Program until June, 2009.
I wasn't ready to retire. Teaching is in my blood! (My mother always reminded me that when I was little, I dragged the neighborhood kids in to play school whether they wanted to or not!) I still have the strong desire to make a difference for teachers, parents, and students. I'm passionate about the joy of knowing how to read and write and want every child to have the experience of closing a book with a sigh, "Wow, that was a good book!" The only way they can do that is by having the necessary skills and strategies to become independent readers. This website has been created to provide resources and materials for classroom teachers, reading and resource specialists, speech therapists, parents and students in the area of language arts. Please feel free to download and print anything that catches your eye, but please make sure to leave my name on the poetry and worksheets!
If you have specific needs or suggestions, please don't hesitate to a sk. I'm always open to new ideas and requests. That's how the site continues to grow. You can email me at carl1404@msn.com.
Thank you so much for your heartfelt messages and testimonials. You and your children are the reason that I maintain the site and I will continue to offer the materials with little or no fees.By saying “Teaching is in my blood” in Paragraph 2, the author means that ________.
A.she loves teaching all her life |
B.she didn’t want to retire at all |
C.she is a specialist in teaching |
D.teaching is as important as her blood |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about Cherry Carl?
A.She became a teacher at the age of 35. |
B.She was interested in teaching as a child. |
C.She is still a teacher in a middle school now. |
D.She gave up teaching totally 35 years ago. |
If you want some materials from Cherry Carl, ________.
A.you must pay some money for them |
B.you can always get them free of charge |
C.you should tell her before getting them |
D.you should mark her name on them |
FREE $ 10 Gift Card with ANY Purchase at CVS
September 4, 2013 by Michelle
New Plink members are invited to join and make any purchase at CVS to get a $10 gift card from your choice at places like Amazon.com, Target, Walmart, Kohls, Starbucks and more!
Just sign up with Plink, then make your purchase. You’ll receive 1,000 points in your Plink account --- enough to redeem (兑换) for a $10 gift card!
※ New Plink members only, one sign-up bonus per person.
※Plink Member must link a credit or debit card and make a purchase at CVS by Sunday, 9/15 11:59 EST.
※ Purchase is necessary (after the member links a credit/ debit card to their Plink account) to qualify for the bonus 1,000 Plink Points by Sunday, 9/15 11:59 EST.
※Bonus 1,000 Plink Points will be awarded within 7 business days of the transaction posting date.
※ CVS purchases that occur on 9/16 or later will not qualify the bonus.
I happen to love Plink because they make it easy to earn without doing anything extra!What is the first step to get the gift card?
A.Link a credit or debit card. | B.Make a purchase at CVS. |
C.Open a bank account. | D.Sign up with Plink. |
CVS customers can get the gift card when their purchases happen on _________.
A.9/14/2013 | B.9/16/2013 | C.9/17/2013 | D.9/18/2013 |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.Goods at CVS are always sold at discounted rates. |
B.New Plink members have the chance to get two gift cards. |
C.The bonus is enough to be exchanged for a $ 10 gift card. |
D.The bonus can be sold for $ 10 whenever you like. |
The illegal ivory(象牙) trade has been a major problem in Africa for decades. Poachers have killed hundreds of thousands of elephants to obtain ivory. Now, affected areas are taking action. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced on Wednesday key African states where poaching takes place have promised to stop the ivory trade to protect elephants.
Over the past few days, top officials and experts from 30 states met at the African Elephant Summit. The conference, organized by the IUCN and the government of Botswana, was held in Gaborone, Botswana.
Conservation efforts will include China and Thailand, where much of the ivory is sent. “Now is the time for Africa and Asia to join forces to protect this universally valued species,” said Botswana President Ian Khama.
In the 1980s, as many as 1 million elephants across Africa were killed for their ivory. The ivory was used to make jewelry and other items. This continued until 1989, when the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) voted to ban all the trade in ivory. As a result, demand for ivory fell. Governments cracked down on poachers. Elephant populations slowly began to increase. However , this progress was short-lived.
According to the IUCN, 2011 saw the highest levels of poaching and illegal ivory trading in at least 16 years. Around 25,000 elephants were killed in Africa that year. Data from the IUCN show even higher levels of illegal trade may have been reached in 2013. “With an estimated 22,000 elephants illegally killed in 2012, we continue to face a critical situation,” said John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. “Current elephant poaching in Africa remains far too high, and could soon lead to local extinction if the present killing rate continues.
At the African Elephant Summit , key African states where elephants make their home agreed to develop a “zerotolerance approach” to poaching. The deal calls for maximum sentences for poachers and hunters, and increased cooperation between affected states. Officials are committed to classifying wildlife trafficking (交易) as a serious crime --- and to making sure that the people who commit it are punished. All participants at the conference agreed to sign the deal. With these states working together, there may yet be hope for elephants.The purpose of holding the African Elephant Summit is to _________.
A.make new laws to punish poachers. |
B.prevent elephants from being poached. |
C.collect money for elephants’ protection |
D.call for African countries to save elephants. |
Why are China and Thailand mentioned in the text?
A.The ivory is illegally sold in these two countries. |
B.Elephants need protecting in these two countries. |
C.They know how to protect wildlife like elephants. |
D.They prefer jewelry and other items made of ivory. |
What can we learn from Paragraph 5 ?
A.The governments do nothing to protect animals. |
B.Elephant poaching in Africa is out of control. |
C.A large number of elephants have been killed. |
D.Illegal ivory trading is to blame for the elephants’ extinction. |
What would be the best title for the text?
A.Wild Animals Are at Risk | B.New Hope for Elephants |
C.Elephants Need Our Help | D.Wildlife Protection in Africa |
Londoners are great readers. They buy vast numbers of newspapers and magazines and of books --- especially paperbacks, which are still comparatively cheap in spite of ever-increasing rises in the costs of printing. They still continue to buy “proper” books, too, printed on good paper and bound (装订) between hard covers.
There are many streets in London containing shops which specialize in book-selling. Perhaps the best known of these is Charring Cross Road in the very heart of London. Here bookshops of all sorts and sizes are to be found, from the celebrated one which boasts of being “the biggest bookshop in the world” to the tiny, dusty little places which seem to have been left over from Dickens’ time. Some of these shops stock, or will obtain, any kind of book, but many of them specialize in second-hand books, in art books, in foreign books, in books on philosophy, politics or any other of the countless subjects about which books may be written. One shop in this area specializes only in books about ballet!
Although it may be the most convenient place for Londoners to buy books, Charring Cross Road is not the cheapest. For the really cheap second-hand books, the collector must venture off the beaten track, to Farringdon Road, for example, in the East Central district of London. Here there is nothing so impressive as bookshops. The booksellers come along each morning and pour out their sacks of books onto small hand carts. And the collectors, some professionals and some amateurs, have been waiting for them. In places like this they can still, occasionally, pick up for a few pence an old one that may be worth many pounds.”Londoners are great readers” means that ___________.
A.Londoners are great because they read a lot. |
B.There are a great number of readers in London. |
C.Londoners read a lot. |
D.Londoners are readers who read only great books. |
According to this passage, Charring Cross Road __________.
A.is in the suburbs of London | B.is the busiest street in London |
C.contains various kinds of shops | D.is famous for its bookshops |
In this passage, what does the underlined part “venture off the beaten track” mean?
A.move away from a busy street |
B.buy books in a most busy street |
C.waste time looking for books |
D.take a risk of losing one’s life |
On Farringdon Road, _______________.
A.you can find fine bookshops for the latest books |
B.there are only small bookshops for the second-hand books |
C.you can see book sellers selling books on hand-carts |
D.the same books as the ones in the bookshops of Charring Cross Road are sold |