Hi, everybody. On Friday, I had a discussion with working women in Rhode Island about the economic challenges they face in their own lives—challenges shared by many of you.
Thanks to the work we’ve all put in, our economy has come a long way these past six years. Over the past 55 months, our businesses have added 10.3 million new jobs. For the first time in six years, the unemployment rate is below 6 percent. And on Thursday, we learned that over the past six months, our economy has grown at its fastest pace since 2003.
But the gains of a growing economy aren’t yet felt by everyone. So we’ve got to harness（增强） this momentum（动力）, and make the right choices so that everyone who works hard can get ahead.
In recent weeks, I’ve talked about these choices, from raising the minimum wage to creating new jobs in construction and manufacturing. Today, I want to focus on what I discussed with those women — the choices we need to make to help more women get ahead in today’s economy.
Right now, women make up almost half of our workers. More women are their family’s main breadwinner than ever before. So the simple truth is, when women succeed, America succeeds. And we should be choosing policies that benefit women—because that benefits all of us.
Women deserve fair pay. Even though it’s 2014, there are women still earning less than men for doing the same work. We don’t have second-class citizens in this country—we shouldn’t in the workplace, either. So let’s make sure women earn equal pay for equal work, and have a fair shot at success.
Women deserve to be able to take time off to care for a new baby, an ailing parent, or take a sick day for themselves without running into hardship. So let’s make sure all Americans have access to paid family leave(带薪休假).
Pregnant workers deserve to be treated fairly. Even today, women can be fired for taking too many bathroom breaks, or forced on unpaid leave just for being pregnant. That’s wrong—and we have to choose policies that ensure pregnant workers are treated with dignity and respect.
New parents deserve quality, affordable childcare. There’s nothing like the peace of mind that comes with knowing that your kids are safe while you’re at work. And the benefits that children get out of early enrichment can pay off for a lifetime. But in many states, sending your kid to daycare costs more than sending them to a public university. So let’s start demanding Pre-K for our kids.
And when most low-wage workers are women, but Congress hasn’t passed a minimum wage increase in seven years, it’s long past time that women deserve a raise. About 28 million workers would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage to ten dollars and ten cents an hour. And more than half of those workers are women. The local businesses where these workers spend their money would benefit, too. So let’s do this -- let’s give America a raise.
All of these policies are common sense. All of them are within our reach. We’ve just got to speak up and choose them. Because they’ll build a stronger America for all of us.
Thanks, and have a great weekend.The underlined word “breadwinner” in Paragraph 5 probably means ___________.
| A．the person who wins a lot of bread |
| B．the person who takes part in the competition |
| C．the person who earns the money to support the family |
| D．the person who makes policies |
Which is the true fact according to the passage?
| A．During the last half year, our economy has grown fastest since 2003. |
| B．All of us have felt the gains of a growing economy. |
| C．We have never fires any women because of her taking too many bathroom breaks. |
| D．The local businesses will not benefit a lot because of the increase in the minimum wage. |
Which is NOT included in the new policies that would help women and working families get ahead?
| A．Equal pay for equal work. |
| B．Increase access to high-quality child care and paid family leave. |
| C．Raise the minimum wage. |
| D．Get rid of racial discrimination. |
The best title for this Weekly Address may be ___________.
| A．Say no to sex discrimination. |
| B．It’s time to help women and working families. |
| C．Let’s build a stronger country. |
| D．Equal pay for equal work. |
My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult.
For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took th
e time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess（承认）to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred（神圣的） thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog that my father carved from a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve, I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time.” I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me. What is the main subject of the passage?
| A．The relationship between Mark and Steve. |
| B．The important lesson Mark learned in school |
| C．Steve’s important role in mark’s growing process. |
| D．Mark and Steve’s respect for living things. |
It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, __________.
A．he felt surprised |
B．he was light-hearted |
| C．he felt frightened | D．he knelt before her |
In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
| A．Respect for personal property. | B．Respect for life. |
| C．Sympathy for people with problems. | D．The value of honesty. |
According to the writer, which was the most important lesson Steve taught his young brother?
| A．Respect for living things. | B．Responsibility for one’s actions. |
| C．The value of the honesty. | D．Care for the property of others. |
Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
| A．Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage. |
| B．Mark lost the small dog his father carved somewhere. |
| C．When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it. |
| D．Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation. |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
We all know that money can’t buy happiness. No matter how much we earn, or how nice our clothing or cars or toys are, none of it will make us happier. _______ and the sad thing is that it could take us decades of pursuing wealth and luxury(奢侈) items before we realize this.
So what will bring us happiness? _____ these three things have been proven by surveys of hundreds of thousands of people about what they have, what their lives are like, and how happy they are.
__________ We have a human need to be close to other human beings. Having good, supportive friendships, a strong marriage or close and loving relationships with our family members will make us much more likely to be happy. So take time to stay with your loved ones, to tell them what they mean to you, to listen to them.
Positive thinking can lead to happiness too. In fact, optimism and self-confidence are some of the indicators(迹象)of people who lead happy lives. So remember to get into the habit of squashing(排除)all negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones._______
The state we enter when we are completely focused on the work or task before us will almost undoubtedly lead to happiness. People find greatest enjoyment not when they are doing mindless work, but when they are absorbed in a mindful challenge._________ turn off the TV, get outside and do something that truly attract you.
You’ve been given the Three Secrets to Happiness. Don’t waste them.
| A．Instead of “I can’t” think “I can”. |
| B．You will have good relationships with peoples around you. |
| C．But many times we act as if we’d be happier with a bit more money. |
| D．Luckily, it’s three things that don’t cost a thing. |
E. Find work and hobbies that you’re passionate about seriously.
F. The first thing is good relationships.
Most people value their personal happiness above money.
You either have it, or you don’t---a sense of direction, that is. But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction, but it is not properly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it. Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it, we lose it.
“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around,” says Jim Martland, Research Chief of the project. “However, if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they never develop the skills.”
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:
l If you are using a map, turn it so it relates to the way you are facing.
l If you leave your bike in a strange place, put it near something like a big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bile. When you return, go back along the same route.
l Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams, or walls in the countryside to guide you. Count your steps so that you know how far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out where you are.
Now you need never get lost again!Scientists believe that _________.
| A．some babies are born with a sense of direction |
| B．people learn a sense of direction as they grow older |
| C．people never lose their sense of direction |
| D．Everybody possesses a sense of direction from birth |
What is true of seven-year-old children according to the passage?
| A．They never have a sense of direction without maps. |
| B．They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction. |
| C．They have a sense of direction and can find their way around. |
| D．They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car. |
If you leave your bike in a strange place, you should _________.
| A．tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen |
| B．draw a map of the route to help remember where it is |
| C．avoid taking the same rout when you come back to it |
| D．remember something easily recognizable on the route |
According to the passage the best way to find your way around is to _________.
| A．ask policemen for directions |
| B．use walls, streams, and streets to guide yourself |
| C．remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs |
| D．count the number of landmarks that you see |
Which of the following statements is right?
| A．Our sense of direction needs to be strengthened, otherwise we will lose it. |
| B．We need not worry about losing our sense of direction, for we were born with it. |
| C．If we have a map, we will never get lost. |
| D．All of the above. |
For any person who must speak in public, to business or pleasure groups, humor is a helpful, and necessary, tool for getting your message across. Why does humor work a lot? There are several reasons.
People will enjoy what you have to say if it is presented with humor. But, more importantly, if you are in a situation where important, and perhaps controversial（有争议的）, ideas must be presented to less than open minds, humor allows those ideas to be presented in a non-threatening (无威胁的) manner. Abraham Lincoln was famous for his ability to relate humorous stories to make a point. Humor used carefully throughout a presentation will also keep the listener’s interest high. In a word, individuals learning how to use humor in their speeches can strengthen arguments, support interesting presentations and, most of all, entertain their audience in a positive and comfortable way.
While popular culture may well hold many kinds of humor, some of it has no place in presentations that are designed to educate and encourage the audience. If you want to become a professional stand-up (单人表演的) comedian whose goal is 100% entertainment, then you may be able to use some of the reference materials like The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking. They can help you develop your skills and sources of humor. To that end, your participation in this study of humor will become necessary. Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the special difficulty of entertaining the audience with good and clean humor. How many reasons does the author give for using humor?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
What’s the purpose of stand-up comedians?
| A．To educate the audience. | B．To encourage the audience. |
| C．To entertain the audience. | D．To exchange with the audience. |
Why did the author suggest reading The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking?
| A．It was good for training one’s skills of humor. |
| B．It helped the readers relax after work. |
| C．It gave some tips on how to live a positive life. |
| D．It was a textbook for professional stand-up comedians. |
Which of the following has a similar meaning to the underlined word “end” in the last paragraph?
| A．Finishing. | B．Conclusion. | C．Stop. | D．Result. |
The passage is most likely to benefit________ a lot.
| A．science researchers | B．public speakers |
| C．dress designers | D．sports players |
There was once a blind man, who did a lot of traveling alone. He was making his first trip to Texas and happened to be seated next to a Texan on the flight.
The Texan spent a lot of time telling him how everything was bigger and better in Texas. After the blind man reached his destination, a large resort (度假) hotel, he was very excited about being in Texas.
The long trip had worn him out a little so he decided to stop at the bar for a small soda and a light snack before going up to his room to sleep.
When the waitress set down his drink, it was in a huge cup. “Wow, I had heard everything in Texas is bigger,” he told her.
“That’s right,” she replied. The blind man ate his snack and finished his drink. After drinking such a large amount, it was natural that his next stop was to be the restroom. He asked the waitress for directions. She told him to turn left at the corner, and then take the second door on the right.
He reached the first door and continued. A few steps later he stumbled (绊倒) slightly and missed the second door and ended up going through the third door instead. Not realizing he had entered the swimming area he walked forward and immediately fell into the swimming pool.
Remembering that everything was bigger in Texas, he had his head above water and started shouting “Don’t flush(冲洗)! Don’t flush!”Why was the blind man excited about being in Texas?
| A．It was the first time that he had travelled abroad. |
| B．People from Texas were very friendly than he expected. |
| C．He heard that everything was bigger and better in Texas. |
| D．The service staff in the large resort hotel was very humorous. |
Why did the blind man enter the swimming area?
| A．He wanted to go swimming. |
| B．He wanted to have a bath. |
| C．He stumbled and missed the restroom door. |
| D．The waitress gave him wrong directions. |
Why did the blind man go to the bar?
| A．To go through it on his way to his room. |
| B．To have a short rest after a long walk. |
| C．To have something to eat there. |
| D．To ask a waitress for directions. |
Why did the blind man shout out “Don’t flush! Don’t flush!”?
| A．He thought he was caught in a big toilet and someone was cleaning it. |
| B．He didn’t want anyone to clean the toilet at that time. |
| C．He didn’t want anyone to clean the swimming pool at that time. |
| D．He thought it was such a big swimming pool that making it clean was no use. |
If the passage is taken from a website, which part of the website does it belong to?
| A．Travel services. | B．Hotel services. | C．Funny stories. | D．Health problems. |
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