New York’s streets were covered by people dressed in elephant costumes (服装) and others waving antiwar posters with pictures of US President George W. Bush on them last week. But this was no carnival (狂欢节) – it was the Republican Party’s National Convention (共和党全国大会), which attracted thousands of protestors (抗议者). It was the largest protest ever at a US political convention, with at least 120,000 people marching through Manhattan on August 29. They demanded that the US leave Iraq and a new president be chosen.

The Republicans say the opposition – Democrat Party (民主党) encouraged the people on to the streets. They believe it is a democratic move to help win presidential election, to be held on November 2. The election is described as “the decisive battle between donkey and elephant”. The two animals are the symbols of the two major political parties in the US. The elephant represents (象征) the Republicans, whose candidate (侯选人), President George W. Bush, is trying to defeat the donkey to win his second them. The donkey represents the democrats, whose candidate, John Kerry, is trying to kick the elephant out of the White House.

Republicans think the elephant is powerful and clever, but the Democrats argue it is stupid and conservative (守旧的). In return, the Republicans regard the donkey as stubborn (倔强的) and silly but the Democrats say it is humble, plain, smart and courageous.

The Republicans have been sending emails to Bush supporters and journalists with the heading, “An Elephant Never Forgets”, said party spokeswoman Heather Layman. Elephants are known for their long memories. The emails suggest that Bush will keep his promises, while Kerry will not stick to his words.

It is interesting that both symbols were created by a single person, Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist of the late 19th century. During the election in 1874, Nast drew a cartoon, in which a donkey in a lion’s skin frightened an elephant marked “Republican”.

What does “kick the elephant out of the White House” mean?

A. Drive the animal out of the White House.        B. Drive President Bush out of power.

C. Keep the elephant out of the White House.       D. Insist on Bush’s being elected.

In the eyes of the Republicans, the donkey is considered as      .

A. clever              B. foolish              C. polite              D. brave

Which of the following is NOT true?

A. The same artist created the two symbols.

B. The emails suggest Kerry will not carry out his promises.

C. “An Elephant Never Forgets” means that an elephant has a good memory.

D. John Kerry is a Democrat.

Chinese President Hu Holds Telephone Talks With Bush

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Tuesday spoke over phone with George W. Bush about international cooperation to cope with the ongoing global financial turmoil (动乱).

The leaders exchanged ideas about the planned international financial summits and strengthening international cooperation to stabilize the financial markets.

Bush said the United States hopes to make joint efforts with the international community to seek measures to overcome the crisis and maintain the stability of the world economy.

Hu, for his part, said China has noted the measures taken by the U.S. government to stabilize the domestic financial market. The measures are conducive to the stability of the world economy and financial markets, Hu said.

The Chinese government has taken a series of important measures to tackle the financial crisis and maintain the stability of financial and capital markets, as well as ensure steady economic growth, he added.

The government of China will continue to assume a responsible attitude toward the Chinese people and people of other countries, and to work closely with the international community to maintain the stability of the global economy and financial markets, President Hu said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 21, 2008)

56. The two presidents held the talk to __________

  A. express their opinions on the disagreement between the two nations.

  B. exchange ideas about keeping working internationally and a planned meeting.

  C. narrow the gap between the two great nations, especially about Taiwan issues.

  D. seek solutions of regional affairs, mainly of American financial crisis.

57. Which of the following is NOT true?

  A. Hu approves of the measures taken by the US.

  B. China has made a great effort to stabilize the economic growth.

  C. Bush wishes China to take the lead in coping with the present crisis.

  D. The crisis has caused international concern.

58. Which word can replace the underlined word “tackle”?

  A. prevent.                                           B. overcome

  C. stop                                                D. decrease

Attention please.Flight Nineteen from New York to Washington is now arriving at_______.

A.the two gate? B.a second gate? C.the Gate Two? D.Gate two

The website FarmersOnly.com calls itself an online dating and friendship finder. The idea started in the mind of a man, Jerry Miller in Ohio. He wondered how farmers could meet new people who understand the life of a farmer. Jerry Miller is not a farmer but he represents a lot of farmers.

As he tells it, the idea for the site was planted when a farmer told him one day that she was recently divorced and would like to date. But someone would invite her to meet for coffee at nine o’clock at night, when she had to start her day at five the next morning.

So, in 2005, Jerry Miller launched his website. “You don’t have to be a farmer to be on FarmersOnly.com, but you do have to have the good old-fashioned traditional values of America’s Heartland.” 

You also have to live in the United States or Canada to be a member of the site. Some services are free, but a full membership costs fifty dollars for a year. As of last week the site listed more than 58,000 members. Many of them are farmers in the United States. Others are students or workers involved in some way with agriculture. Jerry Miller tells us about thirty marriages in the last year have resulted from his website.

Some farmers have also found love through a group, Singles in Agriculture, which was formed as a nonprofit organization in 1986. It organizes gatherings that usually end with a dance, but is not a dating service. The purpose is to support educational and social activities that offer people a chance for friendship. Its website, singlesinag.org, says there are more than 1,000 members across the nation and as far away as France.

Jerry Miller started singlesinag.org in order to     .

A. help farmers                                         B. support traditions

C. understand farmers                                D. represent farmers

What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 indicate?

A. She dislikes city lifestyle.

B. She prefers late night coffee

C. Country life isn’t well understood.

D. It’s tiring to get up early.

Which of the following is true of singlesinag.org?

A. Its services are free.

B. It provides dating services.

C. Only farmers can become its members.

D. Farmers in France can’t benefit from it.

The author of the text intends to     .

A. advertise for the two websites

B. introduce two websites

C. encourage social activities

D. urge readers to help farmers

It can be inferred from the text that     .

A. all farmers desire marriage

B. farmers are easy to meet new people

C. more farmers get divorced in the USA

D. the Internet helps improve farmers’ social life

At least 371people were killed and over 750 others injured Saturday in two earthquakes that hit Pakistan’s southwest Balochistan Province , officials said.

Saif-ur-Rehman, spokesperson of Provincial Disaster Management Authority said that a total of 359 people were killed and 750 others injured up till Saturday in the 7.7-magnitude(震级) earthquake that hit the province on Thursday, while the second earthquake measuring 7.2 at the Richter scale, which struck the area on Saturday afternoon, killed 12 people.

He said that the Thursday 's quake affected six districts with Awaran as the worst hit area, where 312 people were killed and 525 others injured when thousands of houses collapsed（坍塌）in various towns and villages of the district.

The spokesman said that Kech area of the province was also badly affected, where 46 people died and 240 injured in various villages.

The Saturday's earthquake hit Nokjo area of Awaran, killing 12 people, injuring dozens others and destroying many houses.

The spokesperson said that the condition of the injured and affected people is not yet known, as it happened in a far area where it would take several hours for the rescue teams to reach.

Overall the two quakes affected a population of 185,000 and 37, 000 families, said the spokesperson.

The Chinese government has sent three flights carrying relief assistance, including medicines, emergency medical equipment, water purifiers, blankets, tents weighing 260 tons in total.

It is said that the Chinese government will also be handing over cash grant worth 1.5 million U.S. dollars to Pakistan's Economic Affairs Division on Sept.30 for the quake victims.

1.According to the text, up till Saturday, the deaths in the earthquake that hit the province on Thursday reached ________.

A. 371       B. 359       C. 383      D.312

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. More than 750 people were injured on Saturday in the two earthquakes.

B. Five hundred and twenty-five people were injured in Awaran in the Thursday 's quake.

C. Six districts were affected by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Pakistan.

D. No more than one of the two earthquakes struck Awaran, Balochistan Province.

3. We can know from the text that         .

A. the condition of the injured people in the two earthquakes was not known on Saturday

B. the two quakes affected a population of 37, 000 and a total of 185,000 families

C. the Chinese government would send 260-ton relief materials to Pakistan on Sept.30

D. the Chinese government showed great concern for the earthquake-hit areas

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. Earthquakes Hit Pakistan

B. Balochistan Province Manages Disasters

C. More Relief Assistance is Needed

D. Pakistan Faces Great Loss