The US will seek to expand its own oil production in an attempt to reduce dependence on imported oil and bring down fuel prices, President Obama says. New contracts for exploration will be signed in non-protected areas of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico.
In his weekly speech, the President insisted the US could reduce its need for imported oil and improve safety. Using his speech to tell Americans that he understood their concerns about rising prices, President Obama focused particularly on the price of fuel, which has risen in recent months.
US consumers have historically enjoyed cheap fuel, but have seen prices rise in recent months even though US oil production in 2010 reached its highest level for seven years.
Although the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was serious, Mr. Obama said the Gulf remained a key part of the country’s future energy supply.
The President’s proposals (议案) come after Republicans (共和党人) introduced a series of proposals that would expand and speed up oil and gas production.
The White House has criticized the Republican proposals for safety reasons, but Mr. Obama was clear in his speech that he felt safety and environmental standards could be maintained even though production might rise.
“I believe that we should continue to expand oil production in America — even as we increase safety and environmental standards,” he said.
“As a nation, we should be investing in the clean, renewable sources of energy that are the solution to high gas prices.”
Mr. Obama has previously called for a step-change in energy policy, saying the US must move towards getting 80% of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2035.Which of the following is NOT included in Mr. Obama’s speech?
| A．The dependence on imported oil. |
| B．Improving safety standards. |
| C．The reason for the rising oil prices. |
| D．Expanding oil production. |
Mr. Obama thinks the Republican proposals are ______.
| A．not safe enough |
| B．not environmentally friendly |
| C．practical |
| D．clear |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The US has got most of its electricity from clean energy. |
| B．US oil production is too small to keep the present low fuel prices. |
| C．The US produced the most oil in 2010 in its history. |
| D．The Gulf is still important in energy supply in spite of the oil spill in 2010. |
Which of the following can serve as the title?
| A．Obama: US will seek oil in Alaska and Gulf of Mexico |
| B．Obama: US will import less oil to improve safety and environmental standards |
| C．Obama: the time of high fuel prices will be gone |
| D．Obama: clean, renewable sources of energy are the solution to high gas price. |
Justin Bieber may have millions of fans worldwide, but Russia’s bears don’t appear to admire the pop singer’s music --- which proved fortunate for one lucky fisherman.
Igor Vorozhbitsyn had his life saved by a Justin Bieber ringtone, when his mobile phone went off during a dangerous attack by a brown bear.
The 42-year-old was attacked as he was walking to a favourite fishing spot in northern Russia’s Yakutia Republic and firmly believed that he was going to be killed.
Wildlife experts believe the ringtone must have frightened the bear into stopping its attack.
‘Sometimes a sharp shock can stop an angry bear in its attack and that ringtone would be a very unexpected sound for a bear,’ explained one.
Mr Vorozhbitsyn suffered from cuts and severe wounds and was rescued when he was found by other fishermen after using the phone to call for help.
Mr Vorozhbitsyn ---now recovering from his wounds---explained: ‘I had parked my car and was walking towards the spot I’d marked out when there was a tremendous impact on my back and the bear was on top of me.’
‘I couldn’t believe my luck when the phone went off and it run away.’
‘I know that sort of ringtone isn’t to everyone’s taste but my granddaughter loaded it onto my phone for a joke,’ he added.
Adult brown bears can weigh as much as 600kg and have been known to kill wolves and even Siberian tigers.
Finally, this is a proof that Justin Bieber is unbearable.Igor Vorozhbitsyn was attacked when____.
| A．he was fishing at his favourite fishing spot. |
| B．he was walking towards his favourite fishing spot. |
| C．he was phoning his granddaughter. |
| D．he was driving to his favourite fishing spot. |
The bear stopped attacking because___.
| A．Justin Bieber came to rescue Igor Vorozhbitsyn. |
| B．Justin Bieber sang to it. |
| C．Justin Bieber’s ringtone was a sudden fright to it. |
| D．Igor Vorozhbitsyn’s mobile phone was a sudden fright to it. |
What is the writer’s attitude towards Justin Bieber?
| A．positive | B．negative |
| C．neutral (中立的) | D．not mentioned |
What do you know from the last paragraph?
| A．Justin Bieber’s music is popular all over the world. |
| B．Justin Bieber’s music is life-saving. |
| C．Justin Bieber’s music is threatening. |
| D．Justin Bieber’s music sometimes isn’t highly thought of. |
The trouble with school is that you can’t choose the people you get to see every day. If you’re unlucky enough to be stuck with classmates who don’t really “get” you, you’ve just got to try to make the best of it.
But that doesn’t mean you need to “fit in”, or at least in the way that people think. If you try to transform yourself into a clone of everyone else, it won’t help you make friends. It’ll just make you feel like a fake.
You also shouldn’t shut down or refuse to be friends with everyone who doesn’t like you. If you do that, you’ll just make yourself miserable. Instead, you’ve got to work on being comfortable and confident with whom you are while ignoring all the haters. Keep on speaking up, asking questions and getting to know people better. If you send out positive energy, then people will generally send some back to you. A couple of them will stay the same, and you’re allowed to forget about them.
If you feel like you’re doing all that but still not getting anywhere, then don’t give up. Just expand your circle. Get a part-time job at a cool-looking place, join an after-school art class or youth group—do whatever it takes to find a couple of like-minded people to connect with. Even if you don’t find anyone right away, you’ll still be getting some more social experiences under your belt, and that’s always a good thing.
A fun book called Uncool, by Erin Elisabeth Conley, has some tips for people like you who want to stay positive at school while being true to your personality:
·Throw caution to the wind.
·Don’t bear others’ mistakes.
·Have patience with people who are different from you.
·Don’t change just because someone else thinks you should.
·Know that even though you may be a misfit, there’s always some place where you will be welcomed in the world.According to the author, what should you do if you meet people who don’t appreciate you?
| A．Just give up. |
| B．Ask someone else for help. |
| C．Show positive attitude toward them. |
| D．Try your best to fit in with them. |
The author agrees that you should take part in more activities in order to __________.
| A．get more chances of making friends |
| B．lay a better foundation for your future jobs |
| C．transform yourself into a clone. |
| D．make you feel like a fake. |
In the book Uncool, Erin Elisabeth Conley thinks you should _________.
| A．always be kind to your friends |
| B．keep your own personality |
| C．bear others’ mistakes |
| D．help improve characters of others |
My Left Foot (1989)
Imagine being a prisoner of your own body, unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot，based on the real story of cerebral palsy (大脑性麻痹) sufferer Christy Brown，can barely move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he’s able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor.
Shine (1996)
Do you have a talent you’re afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be “one of the truly great pianists,” but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental hospital didn’t weaken Helfgott’s musical gift: When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received seven Oscar nominations (提名), and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott.
Life Is Beautiful (1997)
Nothing’s more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complicated game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar.
Stand and Deliver (1988)
Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the obstacles in their lives, the classmates achieve their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante’s support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is “90% truth, 10% drama.”The underlined part in the passage means _________.
| A．The main character in My Left Foot can’t control his whole body |
| B．The main character in My Left Foot is trapped by others |
| C．The main character in My Left Foot is a prisoner |
| D．The main character in My Left Foot is a disabled person |
If you want to watch a movie about wars, which may be one of your choices?
| A．Life Is Beautiful. | B．Stand and Deliver. |
| C．Shine. | D．My Left Foot. |
Which of the following is true according to the four movies’ information?
| A．My Left Foot was directed by Christy Brown |
| B．Geoffrey Rush stayed in a mental institution for ten years |
| C．Edward James Olmos received nomination for best actor Oscar |
| D．Jaime Escalante has a talent for playing the piano |
What do the four movies have in common?
| A．They are all based on real stories. |
| B．The main characters are all sick to some degree but succeed. |
| C．The main characters all won Academy Award for Best Actor. |
| D．They are all inspiring stories that make a difference. |
A popular CCTV host’s “improper remarks” that were caught on video at a dinner party have led to an investigation into the incident and a suspension of his programs.
The video, released online on Monday, showed host Bi Fujian using vulgar words about Chairman Mao Zedong while singing in the style of Peking Opera, enraging（激怒） some netizens and causing a stir on the Internet.
CCTV said on its micro blog on Wednesday that it will investigate the incident, which it said many have found disturbing.
Bi’s programs will stop being broadcast until at least Sunday, as his comments in the video have seriously damaged the broadcaster’s image, Huaxi Metropolis Daily quoted a CCTV staff member as saying.
The CCTV employee said it is uncertain whether the programs can be broadcast again after Sunday, the report added.
Bi, 56, is popular for a hosting style that engages the audience. He has hosted the CCTV Spring Festival Gala since 2012, as well as a popular talent show involving Westerners speaking Chinese. The cancellation was the first decision after Nie Chenxi was named CCTV president on Tuesday, the report said, adding that Nie had ordered all staff members to strictly correct work styles.
A micro-blogger named Zhou Junchi said that free speech doesn’t mean it is OK to defame others, adding that Bi’s comments were not proper for a popular host. Cheng Manli, a professor specializing in communication at Peking University, echoed Zhou, saying Bi should pay more attention to his behavior and speech as a public figure.
“It does not mean we cannot share our opinions, but using ugly words and sarcasm to comment on Chinese leaders who have passed away is improper,” Cheng said.
“The actions and words of celebrities are easily broadened in today’s Internet era, which is open and can have a huge influence, so it is a must for the public figures to boost the quality of their speech and behavior. Otherwise, their images will be affected, such as the stars who were recently punished for drug use,” she said.
“Everyone should take responsibility for what he or she says in public and online. It’s better, I think, to share different ideas in a normal way,” she suggested. But she added that the party in the video seemed private, “so its release is also improper to some extent.”
The video was recorded by someone sitting on Bi’s right, but who it is and why the video was put online is unknown.According to the passage, CCTV’s response when the incident happened was ______.
| A．to change his job |
| B．to have Bi Fujian fired |
| C．to look into the matter |
| D．to make him apologize |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．Bi Fujian’s program will be stopped forever |
| B．the incident happened before the new CCTV president’s arrival |
| C．the video was recorded when Bi Fujian was working in a program |
| D．Huaxi Metropolis Daily thinks the incident damages CCTV’s image |
As is mentioned in the passage, Chen Manli holds the view that________.
| A．Bi Fujian should be severely punished |
| B．a celebrity’s influence can be enlarged through the Internet |
| C．public figures should not share their opinions |
| D．it is all right to release private video of a celebrity |
The underlined word “boost” probably means “_________”.
| A．cover | B．improve |
| C．influence | D．Solve |
Immigration is the act of coming to a foreign country to live. The act of leaving one's country to settle in another is called emigration. Immigrants who flee their country because of persecution, war, or such disasters as famines or epidemics are known as refugees or displaced persons. Most people find it very hard to pull up roots in their native land and move to a strange country. But throughout history, countless millions of people have done so. The heaviest immigration worldwide took place from the early 1800's to the Great Depression, the economic hard times of the 1930's. In that period, about 60 million people moved to a new land. Most came from Europe. More than half immigrated to the United States. Other destinations included Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Today, the availability of fast, safe, and cheap transportation helps make migration easier. Asia is replacing Europe as the major immigrant-sending area. The United States remains the chief receiving nation.
People abandon their homeland and move to another country for various reasons.
The main reason for immigration has long been economic opportunity----the desire for better land or a better job. During the 1800's, for example, the rich prairie land of the United States attracted many European farmers. Today, professional people commonly emigrate because of better opportunities elsewhere. Such emigration has sometimes been called brain drain. Many doctors and nurses and numerous engineers and scientists have moved to the United States.
Religious persecution has led many people to move to a new land for the freedom to practice their faith. Such immigrants include Jews expelled from England in the 1200's.
Wars, revolutions, and political unrest have driven innumerable people to find new homes. In the 1990's alone, millions of refugees fled from warfare in Afghanistan, Iraq, Liberia, Iran, Uganda, Southeastern Asia, and Central America.
Some immigrants were brought to a new land against their will. From the 1500's to the 1800's Europeans shipped black Africans to the Western Hemisphere as slaves. The United Kingdom transported prisoners to Australia from the late 1700s to the 1860s to relieve over crowding in British jails. Before that time, the United Kingdom sent prisoners to the American colonies.
Immigrants have made enormous contributions to the culture and economy of such nations as Australia, Canada, New Zealand the United States. But their accomplishments have been made with great difficulty. At times, the United States, like many receiving countries, has restricted immigration to maintain a more homogeneous society in which all the people share the same ethnic, geographic, and cultural background. Although some immigration laws have been relaxed, many new comers of different backgrounds still face challenges in gaining acceptance.Most Immigrants to the United States in the nineteenth century came from _______.
| A．Europe | B．Asia | C．Australia | D．South Africa |
There are altogether______ reasons of immigration listed in the passage.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
The main reason for immigration is __________according to the passage.
| A．slavery trade | B．religious persecution |
| C．economic opportunity | D．political unrest |
In the last paragraph ,“a homogeneous society” is one in which__________.
| A．immigration laws have been relaxed. |
| B．people from different backgrounds live harmoniously together. |
| C．a brain drain occurs. |
| D．people share the same ethnic, geographic, and cultural backgrounds. |
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