Barack Obama defeated John McCain in the longest and most costly presidential campaign in American history. The election results were widely seen as a strong statement by voters on economy. A public opinion study reported by the Wall Street Journal found that about sixty percent of voters considered the economy as the top issue.
Mr. Obama faces the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Dow Jones Industrial Average of leading stocks has lost nearly thirty of its value. The government seized the nation’s two largest home financing companies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. It also took control of the huge insurance company, A. I. G. The government is now a share holder in nine of the country’s largest banks. That will expand to small banks , too. The amount spent on these rescue plans has been close to one trillion dollars. That amount could increase.
Another problem the new administration faces is the budget deficit(赤字). Some experts predict the deficit for next year’s budget could be close to one trillion dollars. Some observers predict that the deficit will limit speeding in economic programs.
Barack Obama has promised a tax cut for middle income Americans. He is seeking fifty billion dollars in aid for states and job creation programs. Mr. Obama has put forward a health care reform plan that costs fifty to sixty-five billion dollars. Obama is also seeking to spend one hundred and fifty billion dollars on new energy technologies over the next ten years.
In addition, Mr. Obama has been discussing a program worth one hundred billion dollars. It includes spending in public works projects and aid to American states, cities and citizens.
41. According to the passage, the election results suggested ___________________.
A. how fierce the presidential campaign was
B. the significance of the election in American history
C. Obama promised to devote himself to economic development
D. how much money was spent during the presidential campaign
42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is mentioned to show _________________.
A. how serious the economic crisis is
B. the value of all America’s stocks
C. the economy was considered as the top issue
D. what percentage of shares Obama has in leading stocks
43. We know from the passage that _______________________.
A. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are insurance companies
B. the government will become a share holder in small banks
C. money spent on the government’s rescue plan will be decreased
D. the budget deficit will not affect the economic programs
44. Which of the following statements does NOT belong to Obama’s rescue plans?
A. Cutting taxes for middle income Americans.
B. Seeking money for job creation programs.
C. Putting forward a health care reform plan.
D. Stopping spending on new energy technologies.
45. The passage mainly tells us ____________________________.
A. the deepest economic crisis in the 1930’s
B. the result of the presidential election
C. America tries to save the country’s economy
D. how Americans think of the newly-elected president
I’ve often had difficulty remembering names. Proper nouns seldom found easy purchase in my brain unless I consciously repeat them over and over again. Needless to say, when people leave my life their names are often soon forgotten. This can have some embarrassing consequences.
Five or six years after high school graduation, I was reading carefully the shelves of a local auto supply shop when I noticed someone familiar enter the store. I knew him. He was in my graduation class and although he was not a good friend of mine, we had shared many classes and knew each other well. I began to feel an increasing sense of foreboding（预感）and quickly hid behind the nearest shelving unit. I should have known his name. How many times had I heard it during class role call? How many conversations had we had in the hallways?
I easily remembered his surname, “Ricca”. His was a large, well know family in the town of my childhood. I couldn’t have just acknowledged him using his surname. I might as well have admitted forgetting his name, which was not a choice. One’s name is important to every person’s identity. Not remembering an old acquaintance’s name is similar to forgetting your wife’s favourite flower, an embarrassing mistake of the highest order.
I quickly ran through the alphabet (字母表), a strategy I developed for just such an occasion. Abe? No, Adam, Andy, Bob? No, Bill? Yes! Bill sounded right. Of course, his name is Bill. I confidently made my way around the shelves and spoke to him as he was studying some cans of motor oil.
“Bill, how are you doing?”, I said offering him my hand which he took with a friendly shake. We talked a bit, some amusing remarks about our college experiences and such. I took his hand again, said how good it was to see him and gave him a happy wave, calling him by name again, as I left.
I was so pleased that I avoided yet another awkward encounter(相遇) that I could feel a big smile on my face as I paid the cashier and exited the store. As I marched merrily across the parking lot, an awful thought came into my mind. John, his name is John! Where did Bill come from? Was that one of my brothers? The sudden realization of what I did made me stop in my tracks. My head dropped when I realized my mistake. There was no way Mrs. Ricca would name one of her sons “Bill”. “Billerica” was the name of a town just north of Boston.Which one can show the charge of the writer’s feelings?
a. guilty b. anxious c. embarrassed d. happy e sure
| A．a-d-b-e-c | B．d-e-b-a-c | C．c-b-e-d-a | D．b-c-d-e- |
According to the passage, which statement is NOT sure?
| A．Forgetting your wife’s favourite flower is a very serious mistake. |
| B．It is common to call an old acquaintance his given name. |
| C．The writer was in his twenties when he met John in the store. |
| D．John and the writer studied in the same college. |
The underlined word “acknowledge” probably means “ ” here.
| A．accept | B．greet | C．thank | D．admit |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．The writer must have experienced such embarrassment many times |
| B．The writer had difficulty remembering names because he was getting old |
| C．Running through the alphabet was always an effective way of remembering an acquaintance’s name for the writer |
| D．Mrs. Ricca would have named one of her sons “Bill” if Billerica was not the name of a town north of Boston |
Ladji Doucoure of France beat Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China in the final meters to claim the title of the men’s 110 meters hurdles at the 10th world championships in Helsinki on Friday.
Doucoure, who led the world this season with 12.97 seconds, over took the Chinese to win the race in 13.07 seconds. Liu was second in 13.08. Four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the United States took the third in 13.10.
The 22-year-old Doucoure said after the race, “ I can not tell you just how long I have been dreaming of this. This victory is the result of a lot of hard work, and also a lot of support from people who have believed in me. I had a bad start, touched a few hurdles, but after the 4th hurdle I picked up my race and went straight to the finish line.”
Liu, who won the Olympic gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds, said, “I’m very satisfied with the second place. The result could have been worse. I felt quite well and did my best. I’ m not tired, I had some clearance problems at the start, so I should practice that some mor. Finally, I didn’t lose by much, only by a little bit, but I did think I could win it.”
Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping said on Friday he was content with Liu’s performance.
“ Liu Xiang was quite good during his reaction period, but he was a little bit slow in the middle and he finally caught up during the last two hurdles,” Sun told Xinhua.
Although satisfied with the silver medal and the clocking of 13.08 seconds, Sun said Liu might have added the world title to the Olympic championship if Liu had run the track neighboring his major rivals(对手) of Doucoure Ladji or Allen Johnson.
“ If he had run next to Ladji Doucoure or Allen Johnson, Liu could have kept pace with them and then sprinted(疾跑) at the last stage. In this case, he could grab the gold,” said Sun, who had become a household name for coaching China’s first men’s Olympic champion in the track.This passage probably appears_________.
| A．in a story book | B．in a text book |
| C．in a newspaper | D．in a fashion magazine |
The following statements about Doucoure are true EXCEPT_______.
| A．He won the gold medal in the men’s 110m hurdles in Helsinki. |
| B．He led the world in the men’s 110m hurdles with 12.97 seconds this season. |
| C．He did a lot of hard practice before the race in Helsinki. |
| D．He won the world champion title four times. |
Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined phrase“picked up my race”in Paragraph 3?
| A．gathered speed | B．stood up |
| C．make up my mind | D．became better in health |
According to Sun Haiping, Liu Xiang might have won the gold if ______.
| A．he had done better during his reaction period |
| B．he had run the track next to Ladji Doucoure of Allen Johnson |
| C．he had practiced clearance more before that race |
| D．he hadn’t touched a few hurdles in the race |
Use your American Express Card to enjoy one-day privileges at four of America’s greatest museums. Note the participating museums, and their exciting special exhibitions that you will not want to miss, listed below.
Boston
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Chairs
February 11—May 8, 2005
Italian furniture expert Fausto Calderai and Indian photographer Dayanita Singh present an exhibition of chairs from the museum’s collection and “ chair photographs ”from around the world presented in a Venetian-style hall housing world-famous masterpieces.
For more information: www. gardnermuseum.org
New York
The Noguchi Museum
Noguchi and Graham
December 1, 2004---May 1,2005
Noguchi’s long-term collaboration with dancer Martha Graham is regarded by many as high point in the history of both modern dance and art. The exhibition highlights nine of the sets created through this collaboration.
For more information: www. noguchi.org
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
In Full View : American painting ( 1720---2005)
January 11--- April 10, 2005
Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy has been home to America’s artists for 200 years. The Academy collects and exhibits the works of famous American artists, and is well-known for training fine artists. 2005 at the Academy begins with the largest exhibition of the Academy’s distinguished American collection in the institution’s history.
For more information: www.pafa.org
Seattle
Seattle Museum of Glass
Murano: Glass from the Olnick Spanu Collection
Through November 7, 2004
This exhibition includes over 200 pieces of beautiful glass from Murano, the island of glassblowers near Venice, Italy. Watch live glass-blowing shows in the Hot Shop and see other modern glass exhibitions.
For more information: www. museumofglass.orgWhich of the following websites offers information about the furniture show?
| A．www. pafa.org |
| B．www. noguchi.org |
| C．www. museumofglass.org |
| D．www. Gardner museum .org |
We learn from the text that Martha Graham is _______.
| A．a dancer | B．a painter | C．a glassblower | D．a photographer |
If you want to know the history of American painting, you may visit _____.
| A．The Noguchi Museum |
| B．Seattle Museum of Glass |
| C．Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum |
| D．Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants. Flowering plants can make seed. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit. Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores (胚芽). Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants.The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
| A．plants are important for life |
| B．plants cannot grow without air |
| C．there are many plants in the world |
| D．we can’t live without water |
plants can make food from _______.
| A．flower, water and air | B．water, sunlight and air |
| C．air, water and soil | D．air, sun and light |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Of all living things animals are most important. |
| B．Spores are seeds. |
| C．All fruits of flowering plants have seeds. |
| D．Without plants, man will die out |
This passage may be taken from ______.
| A．a medicine book | B．a novel |
| C．a science magazine | D．an experiment report |
Mrs. Blake teaches English in a large school in the inner area of a big city on the west coast. Even since she was a young girl, she has wanted to become a teacher. She has taught eight years now and hasn’t changed her mind. After she graduated from high school, she went on to college. Four years later, she received her bachelor’s degree (BA) in English and her teaching certificate(证书). Then she went to teach in the secondary schools of her state. In the summers, Mrs. Blake takes more classes; she hopes to get a master’s degree ( MA ). With an MA, she will receive a higher salary and if possible, she hopes to get a doctor’s degree as well. The school day at Mrs. Blake’s high school, like that in many high schools in the United States, is divided into one hour each. Mrs. Blake must teach five of these periods. During her free period, which for her is from 2 to 3 P.M, Mrs. Blake must meet with parents, make our examinations, check assignments at all, Mrs. Blake works continuously from the time she arrives at school in the morning till the time she leaves for home late in the afternoon.How long is it since Mrs. Blake graduated from middle school?
| A．four years | B．eight years | C．twelve years | D．twenty years |
According to the article, which is the right order of the degrees a person can receive after going to university?
| A．a doctor’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree |
| B．a bachelor’s degree – a master’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
| C．a master’s degree – a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree |
| D．a bachelor’s degree – a doctor’s degree – a master’s degree |
How many degrees has Mrs. Blake achieved so far?
| A．one | B．two | C．three | D．four |
Which of the following sentences is not true?
| A．Mrs. Blake teaches in the inner area of big city on the east of the United States. |
| B．Mrs. Blake has turned her wish of becoming a teacher into reality. |
| C．Mrs. Blake is still studying in her holidays in order to get higher degree. |
| D．The working hours in the school where Mrs. Blake works are similar to those of may other high schools in the states. |
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