Dear all,

Please read Professor Hume's email about his next lecture on Rosa Parks.

Susan Miller

Secretary

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Dear Susan,

Please forward this message to students of my history class.

Besides the life story of Rosa Parks in the textbook, the students are also required to read the passage below and some related stories that can be borrowed from the school library.

Ted Hume

The early experiences of Rosa Parks(1913-2005), long known as the “mother of the civil rights movement, ”were not different from those of many African-Americans at that time. The black woman, however, turned the course of American history in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. “By sitting down, ”remarked John Lewis, “she was standing up for all Americans. ”

Among the numerous awards Parks received in her life were the Presidential Medal of Freedom(1996)and the Congressional Gold Medal(1999).

Parks died on Oct. 24, 2005. At St. Paul A. M. E. Church in Montgomery, a large crowd including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice celebrated her life. Rice said she and others, who grew up when the political activities of Parks held public attention, might not have realized her impact(影响)on their lives, “but I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks, I probably would not be standing here as Secretary of State. ”

After her casket(灵柩)was placed at the Capitol, U. S. President Bush, members of Congress and ordinary Americans paid their respects. In American history Parks is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol, a very high regard usually reserved for Presidents of the United States.

What is the main purpose of Susan’s email?

A. To make arrangements for Professor Hume's class. B. To introduce to the students Rosa Parks.

C. To help the students organize a lecture.         D. To answer Professor Hume's last email.

What does the underlined word “forward” mean?

A. Explain.              B. Send.             C. Take.                 D. Read.

The political impact of Rosa Parks lies in the fact that she .

A. helped Condoleezza Rice achieve political success

B. joined the civil rights movement at a young age

C. made racial equality a common value in American society

D. set a good example in her early life for other black Americans

How was Rosa Parks treated after her death?

A. She was named “mother of the civil rights movement. ”

B. She was received by President Bush at the Capitol.

C. She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

D. She was honored to lie in state at the Capitol.

Rosa Parks was an African-American woman who began the civil rights movement by refusing to give up her seat to a white person on a bus . She stood up for what she believed was right , and her courage inspired countless others to do the same.

Born in Alabama in 1913 , Mrs. Parks grew up on a farm just outside Montgomery in a town called Pine Level . She was home-schooled until she was 11. She later attended the Industrial School for Girls in Montgomery. She briefly attended the Alabama State Teachers College for Negroes , but had to drop out to take care of her mother and grandmother when they became ill.

Mrs. Parks married Raymond Parks in 1932 . He encouraged her to finish her education . This was very uncommon at that time , especially for a woman. Less than 7 percent of African-Americans studied in a high school in the 1930s.

Mrs. Parks also succeeded in gaining the right to vote, which was very difficult for blacks under the segregation laws( 种族隔离制度 ) . In 1943, she began working as a secretary for the NAACP----National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Mrs. Parks made her historic decision on December 1,1955. She recalled in her autobiography(自传) ：

“When the driver saw me still sitting, he asked if I was going to stand up and I said , ‘ No, I’m not.’ Then he said , ‘ Well , if you don’t stand up , I’m going to have to call the police and have you arrested .’ I said , ‘ You may do that.’”

Mrs. Parks died on October 24,2005. “ She sat down in order that we might stand up,” said civil rights leaders Jesse Jackson. “ Her imprisonment opened the doors for our long journey to freedom.”

1. From the passage we can infer that in Rosa Parks’ time black people ______________.

A．were not allowed to take buses

B．only stood in the buses

C．were looked down upon

D．had no right at all

2.From the second paragraph we know that Rosa Parks ____________________.

A．began to learn at the age of 11

B．studied at home until she was 11

C．attended the Industrial School when she was 11

D．graduated from the Alabama State Teachers College

3. Rosa Parks didn’t give up her seat to a white person because ________________.

A．she was tired after a day’s work

B．there were empty seats on the bus

C．she didn’t want to stand on the bus

D．she wanted to be treated equally

4. In this passage the phrase “ stood up for ” in the first paragraph probably means “___________”.

A．acted to protect                        B．paid attention to

C．looked forward to                       D．gave up to

Dear all,

Please read Professor Hume’s email about his next lecture on Rosa I’arks.

Susan Miller

Secretary

Dear Susan,

Please forward this message to students of my history class.

Besides the life story of Bosa Parks in the textbook,the students are also required to read the passage below and some related stories that can be borrowed from the school library.

Ted Hume

The early experiences of Rosa Parks (1913-2005),long known as the “mother of the civil rights movement,”were not different from those of many African-Americans at that time.The black woman,however,turned the course of American history in December 1955 when she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man.“By sitting down,”remarked John Lewis,“she was standing up for all Americans.”

Among the numerous awards Parks received in her life were the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1996) and the Congressional Gold Medal(1999).

Parks died on Oct. 24,2005,At St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Montgomery,a large crowd including Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice celebrated her life.Rice said she and others,who grew up when the political activities of Parks held public attention,might not have realized her impact(影响) on their lives,“but I can honestly say that without Mrs. Parks,I probably would not be standing here as Secretary of State.”

After her casket(灵柩) was placed at the Capitol,U.S. President Bush,members of Congress and ordinary Americans paid their respects.In American history Parks is the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol,a very high regard usually reserved for Presidents of the United States.

1.What is the main purpose of Susan’s email?

A.To make arrangements for Professor Hume’s class.

B.To introduce to the students Rosa Parks.

C.To help the students organize a lecture.

D.To answer Professor Hume’s last email.

2.What does the underlined word “forward” mean?

A.Explain.                              B.Send.

C.Take.                                 D.Read.

3.The political impact on Rosa Parks lies in the fact that she ______.

A.helped Condoleezza Rice achieve political success

B.joined the civil rights movement at a young age

C.made racial equality a common value in American society

D.set a good example in her early life for other black Americans

4.How was Rosa Parks treated after her death?

A.She was named “mother of the civil rights movement”.

B.She was received by President Bush at the Capitol.

C.She was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

D.She was honored to lie in state at the Capitol.

Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?

　　Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.

　　A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and a community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.

　　Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage(电压) transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.

　　The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?

　　Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated(隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.

1. Although heroes may come from different cultures, they _______.

　　A. generally possess certain inspiring characteristics

　　B. probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people

　　C. are often influenced by previous generations

　　D. all unknowingly attract a large number of fans

2. According to the passage, heroes are compared to high-voltage transformers in that ____.

　　A. they have a vision from the mountaintop

　　B. they have warm feelings and emotions

　　C. they can serve as concrete(具体的) examples of noble principles

　　D. they can make people feel stronger and more confident

3. Madonna and Michael Jackson are not considered heroes because ________.

　　A. they are popular only among certain groups of people

　　B. their performances do not improve their fans morally

　　C. their primary concern is their own financial interests

　　D. they are not clear about the principles they should follow

4. Gandhi and Martin Luther King are typical examples of outstanding leaders who ___.

　　A. are good at demonstrating their charming characters

　　B. can move the masses with the skill and the charm

　　C. are capable of meeting all challenges and hardships

　　D. can provide an answer to the problems of their people

5. The author concludes that historical changes would ______.

　　A. be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities

　　B. not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices

　　C. take place if there were heroes to lead the people

　　D. produce leaders with attractive personalities

The Beginning of the Civil Rights Movement

In 1955，bus seats for African Americans and whites were separated in parts of the U．S.. On December 1,1955，in the city of Montgomery，Alabama，a conflict，or disagreement，started when an African American woman named Rosa Parks refused to give her bus seat to a white man and go to the back of the bus. The police took 42­year­old Parks to jail.

The African American community was extremely angry. They had a meeting and decided to work together to protest discrimination. They agreed to boycott(抵制) the buses on the day that Parks went to court. The day was a success. Empty buses drove through the streets. The city lost money. The community decided to continue the boycott. They elected a man named Martin Luther King，Jr. to be the leader.

The boycott continued. It was difficult for African Americans to get to work without buses，but they didn’t stop the boycott. The city continued to lose money. Finally，the U．S. Supreme Court decided that Montgomery’s bus laws were unfair and gave the African American community equal right. On December 21,1956，the bus boycott ended.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott was the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. The movement eventually led to the Civil Rights Act in 1964，a set of laws that made discrimination a crime. During the Montgomery Bus Boycott，people worked together to change the government. Today，people in the U．S. continue to work together for a change. Now hundreds of organizations and community groups work to protect the rights of U．S. citizens and residents.

1.How is the situation for the black in the U．S. in 1955?

A．They were treated equally.

B．They were treated unfairly.

C．They had no rights to take a bus.

D．They were not allowed to take the same bus with the white.

2.What is the cause of the Civil Rights Movement?

A．Bus seats for African Americans and white were separated in parts of the U．S.

B．Rosa Parks was sent to jail for she refused to give her bus seat to a white man.

C．The African American community had a meeting to protest discrimination.

D．A man named Martin Luther King，Jr. was elected to be the leader.

3.How long did the boycott continue?

A．Less than a year.   B．Less than a month.

C．More than a year.   D．More than a month.

4.How did the black people fight for the civil rights?

A．By refusing to take buses.

B．By refusing to talk to the white.

C．Through fights with the white people.

D．By doing nothing.

5.What is the final result of the Civil Rights Movement?

A．The U．S. Supreme Court decided that Montgomery’s bus laws were unfair and gave the African American community equal right.

B．They elected a man named Martin Luther King，Jr. to be the leader.

C．Black people and white people can take the same bus.

D．The movement eventually led to the Civil Rights Act in 1964，a set of laws that made discrimination a crime.