B
Crashing a state dinner at the White House without any invitation apparently takes a security breakdown as well as some kind of courage.
The Washington Post first reported that a couple, Tareq and Michaele Salahi, not on the official guest list, managed to slip into the state dinner at the White House on Nov. 24, 2009. The dinner was held to honor Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. According to the Post, the uninvited guests had stayed in the same place with the Obamas and other important figures.
The U. S. Secret Service learned about the security breach (破坏) on Wednesday only after the couple boasted online about having attended the state dinner. One of the many photos from the dinner posted on her blog shows the couple with the smiling Vice President Joe Biden.
The White House has asked the Secret Service for a full review of what happened. “ The Secret Service is looking into its security procedures after determining that. ” Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan said. “ An initial (初步的) finding has identified that one of our checkpoints did not follow proper procedures to ensure that the two individuals were on the invited guests list,” Donovan said. But he also said President Obama was never in any danger as well as the others at the dinner, because all the party attenders went through the security screening for weapons as there were more than three hundred people invited. “ But we do not rely on just magnetometers (检测仪) or the level of screenings, ” he added. “ That’s why we have the guards with our protectees at all times ”.
The following are more reactions to this incident:
* One senator thought authorities ought to pursue criminal charges against the couple and such behavior should be strongly discouraged.
* “ There is no need of legal help for the couple, as they just went to a party. They didn’t do anything wrong,” a lawyer expressed his opinion on this eye-catching security breach.
* Evan Botny, a current affair commentator, on Sunday said his concern was about the long-term effect on U.S. security, so it should be regarded more than a laughing matter.
* Meanwhile, a TV executive added that the couple’s attempt might be focused on money, as they
were offering interviews to networks on their experience.
45. The U. S. Secret Service got to know the incident because of _______.
A. the news from the Washington Post            
B. the announcement of some important figures
C. the couple’s boasting on the internet         
D. the report of the Secret Service spokesman
46. In paragraph 4, the spokesman thinks _______.
A. the security procedures are very efficient                     
B. such incidents could be very easily avoided   
C. the secret service needn’t be improved at all
D. the incident came as a surprise with no harm
47. According to the passage, the couple did so in order to _______.
A. enjoy a state dinner                  B. take some photos
C. become famous                     D. visit the White House
48. From the reactions, who believes the Secret Service rather than the couple is to blame?
A. A senator                                  B. A news commentator
C. A lawyer                                  D. A TV executive

Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television. And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake. Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken.
“I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite (精英) university,” she said. “When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts. I wouldn’t be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn’t fit in. But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else.”
This was Mrs. Obama’s only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington. Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school.
Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford’s still poor record on diversifying student intake.
Mrs. Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House. Her message—which she repeated time and again—was work hard, have self-belief, and don’t be afraid to fail. It was very un-British, but rather effective. Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her.
And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out. Had Mrs. Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard. But now—thanks in part to her—some of these children just might.
【小题1】According to the passage, Michelle Obama ____________.

A.graduated from Anderson College
B.paid her first visit to the UK this time
C.was confident when she entered the college
D.came from a family without good background
【小题2】It is implied in the passage that these 40 young girls ____________.
A.were all from the United States
B.were students of Oxford University
C.came from different cultural backgrounds
D.stayed with Mrs. Obama because of hard work
【小题3】Michelle Obama thinks success may come from the following EXCEPT ____________.
A.working hardB.believing in yourself
C.good opportunitiesD.facing failure without fear
【小题4】What can we learn from the underlined sentence?
A.The British pupils couldn’t understand her message.
B.Her message reached the British pupils successfully.
C.Repetition is not the British way to give a message.
D.All effective messages are not conveyed in British.

The campaign is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun.

The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations.

Obama’s victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times.“Kobe( the basketball player) doesn’t have to be everybody’s role model anymore.”

Recent polls also suggest that Obama’s victory has given Americans new optimism about race relations. For example, a USA Today poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites“will finally be worked out”. This is the most hopeful response since the question was first asked during the civil rights revolution in 1963.

However, it’s still too early to tell whether Obama’s presidency will begin to solve many of the social problems facing low-income black communities.

Although blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population, 55 percent of all prisoners are African-American. Such numbers can be blamed on any number of factors on America’s racist past, a failure of government policy and the collapse of the family unit in black communities.

It is unlikely that Obama will be able to reverse(扭转)such trends overnight. However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, say that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities.“That’s not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama,”he told the Los Angeles Times, “It’s actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence.”

In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama’s rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US.

52: For years, before Obama was elected president of the US,      .

A. Kobe was the only role model for all the blacks

B. blacks could only find role models on the basketball court

C. minorities in America couldn’t find role models in their real life

D. American blacks had no role model who was successful in political area

53. According to Bill Bank,      .

A. Obama is not the proper role model for African-Americans

B. young blacks should not be so much influenced by Obama

C. blacks should find other role models because Obama is far from their reality

D. it’s better for young blacks to find role models in those who are close to them

54. What do you think the author is probably going to talk about in the next paragraph?

A. In what ways Obama will contribute to racial relations in the US.

B. How Obama will influence Americans as a national role model.

C. How Obama will contribute to multiculturalism in the US.

D. How to choose a role model in his community as a young black.

55.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. The First African-American President

B. America’s New Role Model

C. Obama—a Successful Black

D. Choosing a Right Role Model

 

第三部分阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

In 1988 , Mary Andersen was at the Miami airport checking in for a flight to Norway to be with her husband when she was told she wouldn't be able to check her luggage without paying a $ 100 surcharge (超载).                

Mary had no money as her new husband had left for Norway and she had no one else to call.

"I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without." says Mary.          

As tears ran down her face, a voice behind her said, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."

Rather surprised, Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before.He had a gentle and kind voice mat was firm and decisive.                     

Although this happened twenty years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated (发出)from the man, Mary was pleased to bring her luggage to Norway and told the stranger she would give his money back.The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper he gave to Mary.She thanked him repeatedly When she finally walked off towards the boarding gate, he waved goodbye to her.

That man turned out to be Barack Obama.      

Mary paid the money back to Obama the day she joined her husband.At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago, and had started his law studies at Harvard University.     

In the spring of 2006 Mary’s parents heard Obama was considering a run for president. They wrote a letter saying that they would support him. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied, “ I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I’m happy I could help her then, and I’m delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway. Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama, United States Senator.”

1.Why did Mary feel completely desperate?    

A.She had missed the only flight to Norway.

B.Her new husband abandoned her suddenly.

C.She didn't have the money to buy a ticket.

D.She had no money to pay for the surcharge.

2.How did Mary feel when someone offered to help her"?

A .Amazed.         B.Puzzled.    C.Delighted.        D.Annoyed.

3.Mary asked the stranger to leave his name and address____,

A.in order to contact him later                B.so that she could repay him

C.because impressed her deeply          D.because she fell in love with him

4.What’s the passage mainly about?                         

A.A letter from Barack Obama.                         

B.Mary's parents support Obama.                       

C.Obama helped a stranger about 20 years ago.

D.Mary was lucky to get help at the airport.

 

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