Barack Obama

In the past hundred years, the U.S. presidency has turned more and more to the left – not in policy, but in handedness. Barrack Obama is the latest to join a long list of left – handed presidents from the 20th century: James Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Henry Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton were all southpaws.

What makes lefties so electable? Some experts think left-handed people have a greater aptitude for language skills, which may help them craft the rhetoric necessary for political office. And as for the bout of recent left-handed presidents, some think it’s because teachers only recently stopped working to convert lefties to rightist at an early age.

Bill Gates

Claiming the nation’s richest man among their number is a source of considerable pride for America’s society of southpaws. In fact, the Microsoft titan and philanthropist(巨头兼慈善家) is one of a surprising number of U.S. business moguls to be left-handed, including Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and former IBM head Lou Gerstner. But the club seems to be a guys-only fraternity — research suggests that while left-handed men tend to earn more than their right-handed colleagues, there is no similar advantage for women. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research floated the idea that left-handed men favor "divergent" thinking, a form of creativity in which the brain moves "from conventional knowledge into unexplored association." Maybe that’s what it takes to develop a net worth estimated at $ 57 billion.

Oprah Winfrey

The talk-show queen doesn’t need much more to set her apart from the rest — what with her estimated $ 2.7 billion fortune and a magic ability to sell books just by glancing at them — but she also has the distinction of being a member of the left-handed club. Since men are more likely to be left-handed than women, that makes Oprah doubly impressive. She’s in good company: Other show-business ladies of the left – handed  persuasion include Whoopi Goldberg, Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie

Marie Curie

Not only was atomic scientist Marie Curie left-handed, but she was the matriarch of a whole family of accomplished, southpaw scientists. Curie, who discovered the principles of radioactivity and won two Nobel Prizes, was married to fellow lefty Pierre Curie, who was instrumental in helping Marie’s atomic research and shared one of her Nobel awards. Historians believe their daughter, Irene, was also left-handed. Irene went on to win a Nobel Prize of her own with her husband — who, you guessed it, was also left-handed.

59．The underlined word “southpaws” in the last sentence of Paragraph 1 means_______.

A．people coming from the south B．powerful presidents

C．people who use their left hand D．forceful speakers

60．What makes it so easy for lefties to be elected as presidents according to the passage?

A．Their great gift for foreign language.

B．Their great language skills to make speeches.

C．The need of left – hinders in the political office.

D．Teachers stopping to force them to use their right hand.

61．It can be implied that Bill Gates, Henry Ford, John D. Rockefeller and Lou Gerstne_______.

A．have creative thinking              B．have formed a special club.

C．earn more money than their wives   D．are wealthy philanthropists

62．The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 “She is in good company” means “_______”.

A．she works in a very good company   B．she has many good friends

C．she has got on well with others        D．she is among many female lefties

We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job.     1.     .

So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble（结结巴巴） over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”

Cheep up!     2.     . Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly.     3.      . Don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief.   4.    . And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.

If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet?       5.     .

A. It doesn’t have to be that bad.

B. Take several deep breaths before your speech.

C. This article gives some advice on how to give a good speech.

D. Say what you have to say and then stop.

E. Don’t give a try to say what you aren’t familiar with.

F. Never forget your audience.

G. Give it a try and see what happens.

President Hu Jintao urged that every effort      to rescue and treat the injured when the earthquake happened in Sichuan this year．

     A．is made       B．must be made    C．should make    D． be made

It is said that Abraham Lincoln searched for exactly the right words to say to his audience in that history-making speech that   1  less than three minutes.

Your speech probably won't be as long-remembered,   2  you can still strive to give your audience the best speech possible by   3  these simple tips:

Write and rewrite the material in your speech until it sounds exactly right to your own ears. Don't use words that are hard to   4  . Avoid technical   5  or keep them to a minimum whenever possible.

Remember to use descriptive phrases so your listeners can get a mental picture in their   6  of what you are talking about. People don't want to be told, they want to be given a   7  picture so they can better understand your words.

Avoid using a lot of statistics that will put your audience asleep in their seats. Keep necessary   8  in your speech to a minimum amount.

Humor can be an effective way to   9  your audience, Humor can also effectively lessen   10  , especially yours. You can use short jokes or personal anecdotes for this purpose. Just make sure your humorous material is appropriate for the audience you are   11  to.

Your speech will probably either inform or   12  your listeners to take action in order to help a charitable organization, etc. Be sure to include localized information in your speech that meet your audience's specific needs.

Read your speech out loud several times to hear how it will sound to your audience. Practice giving your speech in front of a mirror. That way you can see   13  you are going to look to the audience. This technique can help you   14  and feel more comfortable.

Make sure to speak a little louder than   15  conversation when you are giving your speech so that you can be easily heard by the entire   16  , not just the first few rows.

When you are giving your speech to your listeners, remember to   17  your speech down a little bit and don't rush through the words.

You can arrange to have helpful visual aids    18  before, during, or right after the end of your speech. This way the audience will have written information they can take home with them and   19  later.

Remember to be an appreciative speaker and to   20  the person or persons who asked you to give the speech. Also remember to thank the audience for listening.

(   ) 1. A. continued           B. lasted                      C. broadcast                 D. went

(   ) 2. A. but                    B. though             C. and                         D. therefore

(   ) 3. A. accepting           B. following        C. copying                   D. remembering

(   ) 4. A. pronounce          B. understand            C. learn                      D. listen

(   ) 5. A. sentences            B. terms                      C. pronunciations        D. meanings

(   ) 6. A. minds               B. notes               C. words                      D. tapes

(   ) 7. A. intellectual        B. physical            C. mental                     D. visual

(   ) 8. A. information               B. terms                      C. statistics                  D. words

(   ) 9. A. amuse               B. control             C. persuade                  D. drive

(   ) 10.A. attention           B. terror                      C. sorrow                    D. tension

(   ) 11. A. speaking           B. referring           C. leading                    D. owing

(   ) 12. A. help                 B. persuade           C. force                      D. trap

(   ) 13. A. what               B. how                 C. why                        D. where

(   ) 14.A. sleep                 B. rest                  C. comfort                   D. relax

(   ) 15. A. normal             B. later                 C. previous                  D. intentional

(   ) 16. A. speeches           B. actors                   C. friends                    D. audience

(   ) 17. A. slow               B. speed                      C. stop                        D. burn

(   ) 18. A. checked out      B. passed out        C. brought out              D. left out

(   ) 19. A. sell                  B. review              C. throw                          D. mail

(   ) 20. A. thank                      B. find                 C. teach                      D. assist

Helen Thomas, born on August 4, 1920, is a famous news reporter, a Hearst Newspapers columnist, and member of the White House Press Corps. She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI). She is called “First Lady of the Press”.

Born in Kentucky, Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit, Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college, Helen served as a copy girl in an old company in Washington. In 1943, Ms. Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club from 1959 to 1960.

In November, Helen began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January 1961 as a UPI correspondent. She later became White House Bureau Chief for UPI, where she was employed until her resignation on May 17, 2000. Thomas then became a White House correspondent and columnist.

Thomas was the only woman journalist traveling with then President Nixon to China in January, 1972. She has traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, during the course of which she covered every Economic Summit. The World Almanac has cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America. 

On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years. Thomas asked Bush about Iraq. Helen Thomas has written four books and she is also a popular speaker at events nationwide. 

1.What’s the correct order of the events?

a. Thomas joined the UPI and the Washington Press Corps.

b. Thomas traveled with President Nixon to China.

c. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club.

d. Thomas resigned.

e. Thomas was called upon by President Bush.

f. Thomas became a White House correspondent and a columnist.

2.Which of the following is NOT true?

3.From the passage, we can conclude that Thomas is a _____ woman.

4.After reading the passage it can be inferred that ___.

5.What’s the best title of the passage?