President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket.
“I just miss---I miss being anonymous,” he said. “I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walk. I can't take a walk”.
His dream, he said, was to “go through Central Park and watch for passing by…spend the day watching people --- I miss that”.
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. “It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours.” he told Hearst magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his permission to change, such as the "kabuki dance" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as vindication（证实）by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr. Obama has already racked up 60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years. In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr. Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.
1.What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?
A. Obama likes living a busy life.
B. Obama used to spend most of his time with his family.
C. Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures.
D. He used to wash his car himself.
2.According to Obama, he plays golf to .
A. release his pressure B. keep fit
C. balance his work D. show his ability
3.We can infer from the passage that Obama is kabuki dance.
A. curious about B. interested in
C. content with D. tired of
4.Which of the following statements is from the critics?
A. The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House.
B. There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties.
C. The president seems to be indifferent (漠不关心的) towards some really important issues.
D. The president is really a great golf player.
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Obama's favorite pastime.
B. Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president.
C. The public's criticism of Obama.
D. Obama's regrets for being the US president.
A woman renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office was asked to state her occupation. She hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.
“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “do you have a job, or are you just a …”
“Of course I have a job,” said Emily. “I’m a mother.”
“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation… ‘housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder.
One day I found myself in the same situation. The clerk was obviously a career woman, confident and possessed of a high sounding title. “What is your occupation?” she asked.
The words simply popped out. “I’m a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”
The clerk paused, ballpoint pen frozen in midair.
I repeated the title slowly, and then I stared with wonder as my statement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.
“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest, “Just what you do in this field?”
Coolly, without any trace of panic（恐慌，惊慌） in my voice, I heard myself reply, “I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t）, in the lab and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?), and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most careers and rewards are more of a satisfaction rather than just money.”
There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and showed me out.
As I drove into our driveway, buoyed up (依托) by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants---ages 13, 7 and 3.
Upstairs I could hear our new experimental model (a 6 month old baby), in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.
I felt proud! I had gone on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable (不可缺少的) to mankind than “just another mother.”
Motherhood…What a glorious career! Especially when there’s a title on the door.
1.What can we infer from the conversation between the woman and the recorder at the beginning of the passage?
A. The woman felt ashamed to admit what her job was.
B. The recorder was impatient and rude.
C. The author was upset about the situation that mothers faced.
D. Motherhood was not recognized and respected as a job by society.
2.How did the female clerk feel at first when the author told her occupation?
A. curious B. puzzled C. indifferent D. interested
3.How did the author feel when describing her job to the clerk?
A. calm B. panic-stricken C. confident D. cool
4.Why did the woman clerk show more respect for the author?
A. Because the author cared little about rewards.
B. Because she admired the author’s research work in the lab.
C. Because she thought the author did admirable work.
D. Because the writer did something she had little knowledge of.
5.What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
A. To show how you describe your job affects your feelings toward it.
B. To argue that motherhood is a worthy career and deserves respect.
C. To show that the author had a grander job than Emily.
D. To show that being a mother is hard and boring work.
Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site badoo. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.
But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy(哲学). “Cool” relates to ideas of grace(优雅) under pressure.
“In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (n. 厌战情绪)
. . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies(欺凌弱小者). In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.
1.Barack Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs are mentioned in the first paragraph to ________.
A. introduce the topic B. draw our attention
C. tell us what they have in common D. tell us what is “cool”
2.If you were considered “cool” in Africa in the 15th century, you ________.
A. thought and acted differently from the majority
B. had a calm and quiet attitude towards life
C. didn’t observe rules and authorities
D. had all kinds of “bad” manners
3.The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.
A. do very well in their studies
B. are very skilled at sports
C. are good at chess and other thinking games.
D. have supernatural powers like Harry Potter
4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
A. It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd.
B. “Cool” was used as early as the 15th century.
C. Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays.
D. Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”.
5.What does the article mainly talk about?
A. The origin of the word “cool”.
B. The kinds of people who are “cool”.
C. The changing meaning of the word “cool”.
D. How to be a “ cool” person.
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的 词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31—45的相应位置上。
1.They reached an agreement that would be __________ ( benefit ) to both sides.
2.I have a very busy life with no time __________ ( sit ) around feeling sorry for myself.
3._________ ( badly wound ), the whale soon died.
4.Please look after my house during my ___________ ( absent ) .
5.I saw James_________ ( hold ) up in the water by Old Tom.
6.Anyone will be punished if he __________ ( obey ) the laws.
7.I could see he was terrified of __________ ( abandon ) by us.
8.I am happy __________ ( find ) many things I can do.
9.__________ pausing, we jumped into the boat with the other whalers and headed out into the bay.
10.Both he and I __________ ( satisfy ) with the result.
11.The meeting is held __________ ( annual ).
12.What a sweet victory __________ ( envy ) by those women!
13.__________ ( reflect ) that this was her last chance, she was very careful.
14.It will take several days for your computer _______ ( repair ) .
15.__________ ( look ) after my pets properly takes a lot of time but I find it worthwhile.
Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were , the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the passage to greet her.
Seizing the to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.” When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and that the child was missing.
Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In , the mother saw her little boy sitting at the key-board, picking out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.
At that moment, the great piano master made his , quickly moved to the piano, and in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”
Then over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato (伴奏). Together, the old master and the young novice (beginner) transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully experience. The audience was strongly .
That’s the way it is in life. What we can accomplish (实现) on our own is hardly . We try our best, but the aren’t exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life’s work can be beautiful.
Next time you set out to great achievements, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”
1.A. seatedB. satC. dressedD. rested
2.A. factB. difficultyC. opportunityD. risk
3.A. actuallyB. occasionallyC. fortunatelyD. eventually
4.A. discovered B. toldC. acceptedD. offered
5.A. joyB. trustC. horrorD. pleasure
6.A. quicklyB. personallyC. generallyD. innocently (纯洁地)
7.A. entranceB. disappearanceC. arrangementD. opening
8.A. shoutedB. repeatedC. promisedD. whispered
9.A. turningB. bendingC. risingD. handing
10.A. creativeB. effectiveC. annoyingD. fearing
11.A. addicted(入了迷的)B. invitedC. attackedD. attracted
12.A. abnormal (反常的)B. remarkable (卓越的)C. unimportant D. ordinary
13.A. goalsB. intentionsC. resultsD. purposes
14.A. luckilyB. trulyC. slightlyD. fortunately
15.A. overcome B. enjoyC. accomplishD. become
阅读下面短文，然后按要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
Two University of Colorado professors said they have demonstrated(证明) the teachers’ use of red pens in marking corrections and grading papers often affects students negatively and destroys teacher-student relationships.
News. Com. Au and ABC Science reported a paper by University of Colorado sociologists Richard Dukes and Healther Albanesi documenting their new study was published in The Social Science Journal, and that some educators have expressed doubt about the team’s findings.
The Colorado study suggested that because red is an “emotive” color expressing an exciting emotion, corrections penned in red ink were more likely to be seen by students as “shouting”, an “emotional loading” that could cause anxiety or feelings of blame against the teacher and lead to rejection of otherwise constructive feedback. Instead, teachers should use blue pens to mark papers, Richard Dukes and Healther Albanesi concluded.
ABC Science reported that students whose papers were graded with blue ink tended to give teachers higher scores.
But a University of British Colombia study published in the journal Science found both blue and red affected motivation and performance, with red attracting attention and blue increasing creativity, Science Daily reported.
【写作内容】
以约30个词概括上文的主要内容；
以约120个词就老师批改学生作业的话题谈谈你的想法，内容包括：
简述老师用红笔批改学生作业的利与弊；
谈谈你对老师用红笔批改学生作业的看法；
作为中学生，我们应该如何配合老师批改作业？
【写作要求】
作文中可以使用亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】
概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，语篇连贯。
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