D

  President Obama，s plan last week to overhaul(改善)former president George W．Bush’s

No Child left Behind program is an improvement on a good thin9．But it doesn’t go far enough.

    Obama outlined a goal that by 2020，all grade school and high school students ale on a path toward college and career readiness．

    However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We’ve provided a free public education through the l2th grade．If we’re going to keep up—or catch up—with some other countries(1ike China)in preparing young people for careers，a 12-year education program no longer is enough．

    About 3 million students across the USA will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCFES)．For the more than l million who won’t go on，money is a major factor．If tuition(学费)were free，about half of them could make up other COSTS from family or part—time jobs．

    Critics(批评家)of free college tuition will say we can’t afford it because of the federal deficit(联邦赤字)and other rising costs．Let’s see some government spending in detail：

  In the last nearly 10 years．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us $1 trillion(that’s $1，000 billion，or an average of$100 billion a year)．Federal money spent on public elementary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was$47 billion．If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation—building efforts abroad，the federal government could provide more money on public education，for which state and local governments now carry most of the burden(负担)．

53．According to President Obama’s plan，in 10 years______________

  A．there will be no expensive and unnecessary Wars

  B．all grade and high school students can go to college

  C．the U．S．will catch up with China in career preparation

  D．students Call enjoy a l2-year public free education

54．If tuition were not charged．______________

A．about 2．5 million students could afford college education

B．about 2 million students could be provided chances of college education

C．over l million students still could not afford college education

D．about 3 million students could graduate from high school

55.The author may agree that President Obama’s plan__________

A．has little to do with Gorge W．Bush’s program

B. does not agree with the survey by NCFES

C．does not contain practical measures to achieve its goal

D．will lighten the burden of state and local governments

56．It can be inferred from the passage that_____________

A．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are expensive but necessary

B．the federal Can not provide more money on education

C，critics of free college tuition think little of the plan

D．President Obama’s plan might be hard to carry out

The home inspection is an essential part of any home buying process. Without a home inspection, you can never be sure what you're getting and when buying a home that's a lot of money to __41__ on uncertainty. A home inspection ensures that there are no __42__ and that you can enjoy your future home for years to come.

A home inspection will __43__ hiring a company to send a home inspector out to go through your potential home with you and thoroughly inspect everything to make sure there are no major problems that might not be obvious to the average home owner. He will go over all the wiring, plumbing(管道系统), the roof and the foundation to make sure everything is __44__ sound. At the same time as the home inspection it's always a good idea to have a pest (昆虫) inspection to check for damaging insects such as carpenter ants.

Different states have different regulations for home inspections. So you need to be aware of what the requirements of your __45__ state are and make sure the inspector covers these areas. It’s a good idea to ask to see any __46__ certification, which a professional home inspector will gladly show you. It’s also best to make certain that your specific inspector has experience with your region. A local home inspector will better __47__ conditions in your area such as damp basements, winter damage to roofing or cracks in the foundation caused by normal settling.

A thorough home inspection takes time, so don’t settle for someone that you feel might be taking __48__. Many home inspectors are happy to have you accompany them on the inspection. A walk through with the home inspector is a great time to learn about how your home works and what to look for in terms of __49__ trouble.

A home inspection is just absolutely necessary and one will provide much peace of mind once you move into your new home.

A．Make a list of obstacles and benefits of achieving your goal

　　　 B．Enlist the help of others

　　　 C．Learn what you need to learn

　　　 D．Visualize yourself having achieved each of your goals

　　　 E．Get organized and reward yourself each step of the way

　　　 F．Put your goals in writing

The goals that guide us

　　　 “Not all who wander are lost,” they say, but for the great majority of us, having a road map for the future is a key element to well-being and success, however we choose to define it．This means setting goals for ourselves, and finding ways to achieve them．If you’re a wanderer, it might be time to realize the great significance of setting goals．

　　　 It’s simply a fact: when people have goals to guide them, they are happier and achieve more than they would without having them．It’s a brain thing．Achieving a goal you’ve set produces a neurotransmitter （神经传递素） responsible for feelings of pleasure, which will then activate neural circuitry that makes you eager to pursue new challenges．

　　　 Of course, a thousand mile journey starts with the first small step．And whether we’re starting on the long journey of a mid-life career switch or the walk to the bedroom to finally organize that closet, it can be hard to gather up the motivation to make that initial step．While setting goals is in itself motivating, sometimes it’s just not enough．Here are some tried-and-true ways you can begin to move toward achieving your goals．

61．　　　　

　　　 The act of writing down what you are going to do is a strong motivator．Writing down goals prevents you from leaving your goals vague．Be specific．Use action verbs．Let your goals have measurable outcomes．Specify completion dates．Also record what your reward will be for achieving the goal．Make a contract with yourself, then read it each morning and night．This will help you to be more committed to your goal as each day passes．And while you’ve got the pen in your hand．．．

62．　　　　

　　　 Think of everything that might stand in your way．Then decide what you can do about each obstacle．Design a plan to reduce the influence of each obstacle and increase the chances that you will be successful in reaching your goal．Knowing exactly what you will gain from reaching your goal is a strong motivator．Keeping my checkbook balanced will give me more spending money on the weekends．Walking a mile every morning will help me stay focused at work．

63．　　　　

　　　 If information or skill is keeping you from achieving your goals, determine ways to fill in the gaps, and build this into your action plan．Be willing to study and work hard to reach your goals． Think about how much time and effort will be required, and ask yourself whether you are really willing and able to do what is necessary．It is better to adjust your goals or your timetable than to proceed with a plan that is unrealistic．

64．　　　　

　　　 Find someone, a coworker or friend, with whom you share a common goal．Get someone to go to the gym with you, or to quit smoking with you, or to share healthy meals with you．A partner can help you stay committed and motivated．Look for role models, people who have already achieved the goals you seek to reach．Ask them for advice and suggestions．Find how they got where they are, and incorporate what you learn into your plan．

65．　　　　

　　　 The more real you can make your visualization, the better．Find a quiet place, visualize, and write down your experiences afterward．Go through magazines and cut out pictures that represent your goal, then put them around the house．Provide constant reminders to yourself about what you’re working towards．Describe your ideal life in the future．Write a few paragraphs describing what you have accomplished, and how your life is better as a result．Use the present tense as if it is happening right here, right now．This is another way of making your vision real．

This is a time of year when we think about giving and receiving presents. Can you find a little extra to give? On this page we suggest a few organizations you might like to help.
Littleton Children’s Home
We DON’T want your money, but children’s toys, books and clothes IN GOOD CONDITION would be very welcome.
Also, we are looking for friendly families who would take our children into their homes for a few hours or days as guests. You have so much ─will you share it?
Phone Sister Thomas on 55671
Children’s Hospice
We look after a small number of very sick children. This important work needs skill and love. We cannot continue without gifts or money to pay for more nursing staff. We also need storybooks and toys suitable for quiet games.
Please contact the Secretary, Little Children’s Hospice, Newby Road.
Street Food
In the winter weather, it’s no fun being homeless. It’s even worse if you’re hungry. We give hot food to at least fifty people every night. It’s hard work, but necessary. Can you come and help? If not, can you offer a little money? We use a very old kitchen, and we need some new saucepans(平底锅). Money for new ones would be most welcome indeed.
Contact Street Food, c/o Mary’s House, Elming Way. Littleton Phone 27713
Littleton Youth Club
Have you got an unwanted chair? ─a record-player?─a pot of paint ? Because we can use them!
We want to get to work on our meeting room!
Please phone 66231 and we’ll be happy to collect anything you can give us.
Thank you!
The Night Shelter
We offer a warm bed for the night to anyone who has nowhere to go. We rent the former Commercial Hotel on Green Street. Although it is not expensive, we never seem to have quite enough money. Can you let us have a few pounds? Any amount, however small, will be such a help.
Send it to us at 15, Green St, Littleton. Please make check payable to Night Shelter.
【小题1】 What kind of people are these organizations designed for?

（D）
As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have．It’s likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen will have a washing machine and a microwave oven．Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need． You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week．
Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for．Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world．They feel that the long-hour work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes．Many are turning to other ways of living and downshifting_is one of them．
Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year．One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz．They used to work in central London．He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank．They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs （郊区）, leaving their two children with a nanny（保姆）．Most evenings Daniel wouldn’t get home until eight or nine o’clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings．They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by．
Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales．“I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift．It’s taken some getting used to, but it’s been worth it．We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays．However, I think it’s made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier．”
Liz, however, is not quite sure．“I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours．I’m not really a country girl, but I suppose I’m gradually getting used to looking after the animals．One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children．My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all．”
68．What do the first two paragraphs tell us?
A．People seldom work long hours to make money．      
B．People hardly buy more things than necessary．
C．People are sure everything they own is in the right place．
D．People realize more is involved in life than just making money．
69．Daniel agrees that the move to the farm __________．
A．was easy to organize               B．has improved family life
C．was extremely expensive           D．has been a total success
70．The underlined word "downshifting" in the second paragraph means ________．
A．repairing your car by yourself
B．spending money carefully
C．moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life
D．living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week