题目内容
President Barack Obama's speeches are proving a best-seller in Japan -- as an aid to learning English. An English-language textbook, "The Speeches of Barack Obama," has sold more than 400,000 copies in two months, a big hit in a country where few hit novels sell more than a million copies a year.
Japanese have a fervor for learning English and many bookstores have a corner dedicated (专门用于) to dozens of journals in the language, many of them now featuring the new U.S. leader's face.
"Speeches by presidents and presidential candidates(候选人) are excellent as listening tools to learn English. Obama's are especially so. His speeches are so moving, and he also uses words such as 'yes, we can,' 'change' and 'hope' that even Japanese people can memorize," said Yuzo Yamamoto of Asahi Press, which produced the best-selling text book.
Speeches by George W. Bush and former nominee(提名) John Kerry's four years ago did not have the same interest, however, and nor do those made by Japanese politicians. “We have to turn to a foreign president for someone in whom to place our hopes”, Yamamoto said.
The 95-page paperback features Obama's speeches in English from the 2004 Democratic National Convention and during the Democratic Party primaries(初选), in which he defeated Hillary Clinton. They are accompanied by Japanese translations.
The 1,050 yen ($12) book, which includes a CD of the speeches, tops the bestseller list on bookseller Amazon's Japanese Website, http://www.amazon.co.jp/. He said lawmakers from Japan's main opposition Democratic Party had bought the book to study Obama's speeches.
Following Obama's inauguration(就职典礼), Asahi Press plans to issue a sequel(续集) that includes his inaugural address, as well as President John F. Kennedy's 1961 inaugural speech. It will also feature a reading of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address of 1863.
64. Speeches by presidents and presidential candidates are excellent as listening tools to learn English because ________.
the speakers are all great
B. the speakers have high speech skills
C. the language is full of humor
D. the contents are good and the words are easy to catch
Why do Japanese place their hopes in a foreign president?
A. Because they don’t have politicians who have such a positive influence.
B. Because they have the same attitude as the foreign presidents.
C. Because they have never made a political speech.
D. Because they hope to have a foreigner as their leader.
Which is true about “The Speeches of Barack Obama”?
A. It contains all Obama’s speeches .
B. It has 1,050 pages with a CD.
C. It includes his inaugural address.
D. It is an especially popular book in Japan.
Which of the following can best describe the main idea of the passage?
A. Japan speaks highly of Obama president .
B. Japan learns English from Obama speeches textbook .
C. Obama gains his fame from his election speeches.
D. Obama gives Japanese speeches on how to learn English.
【小题1】D
【小题2】A
【小题3】D
【小题4】B
解析:
略
It was an afternoon Truman would never forget.
Rayburn and his friend were talking in the office before Truman arrived. The telephone rang. It was a call from the White House asking whether Vice-President Truman had arrived yet. No, Rayburn replied. The caller asked to have him telephone the White House as soon as he arrived.
Truman entered a minute later. He immediately called the White House. As he talked, his face became white. He put down the phone and raced out of the door to his car.
Truman arrived at the White House within minutes. An assistant took him to the president’s private living area. Eleanor Roosevelt, the president’s wife, was waiting for him there. “Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.” Truman was shocked. He asked Mrs. Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to help her. But her reply made clear to him that his own life had suddenly changed. “Is there anything we can do for you ?” Mrs. Roosevelt asked the new president, “You are the one in trouble now.”
Truman had been a surprise choice for vice-president at the Democratic Party nominating convention in nineteen forty-four. Delegates considered several other candidates before they chose him as Roosevelt’s running mate. That was at a time when presidential candidates did not make their own choices for vice-president.
Harry Truman lacked the fame,the rich family and the strong speech-making skills of Franklin Roosevelt.He was a much simpler man.He grew up in the Midwestern state of Missouri.Truman only studied through high school but took some nighttime law school classes.He worked for many years as a farmer and a small businessman,but without much success.
Truman had long been interested in politics.When he was almost forty,he finally won several low-level positions in his home state.By nineteen thirty-four,he was popular enough in Missouri to be nominated and elected to the United States Senate. And he won re-election six years later.
Most Americans, however, knew little about Harry Truman when he became president.They knew he had close ties to the Democratic Party political machine in his home state.But they had also heard that he was a very honest man.They could see that Truman had strongly supported President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs.But they could not be sure what kind of president Truman would become.
At the center of all the action was Harry Truman.It was not long before he showed Americans and the world that he had the ability to be a good president.He was honest,strong and willing to make decisions.
【小题1】When Mrs. Roosevelt said”You are the one in trouble now”,she really meant that .
A.Truman’s life had suddenly changed |
B.Truman was at the center of all the action |
C.Truman was a surprise choice for vice-president |
D.Truman had close ties to the Democratic Party |
A.decided by delegates |
B.recommended by presidential candidates |
C.chosen by the Democratic Party |
D.elected by vice-president |
A.for ten years | B.before he was forty |
C.before 1943 | D.for two terms |
A.An Unforgettable Afternoon |
B.Vital Telephone Call Makes a Difference |
C.Truman Makes His Decisions |
D.Roosevelt’s Death Makes Truman President |