Change Has Come to America
November, 04, 2008, Barack Obama
Hello, Chicago.
If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.
It's the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen.
A little bit earlier this evening, I received an extraordinarily gracious call from Sen. McCain. Sen. McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine. We are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader.
I congratulate him; I congratulate Gov. Palin for all that they've achieved. And I look forward to working with them to renew this nation's promise in the months ahead.
I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart, and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on the train home to Delaware, the vice president-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.
And I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last 16 years the rock of our family, the love of my life, the nation's next first lady Michelle Obama.
Sasha and Malia I love you both more than you can imagine. And you have earned the new puppy that's coming with us to the new White House.
To my sister Maya, my sister Alma, all my other brothers and sisters, thank you so much for all the support that you've given me. I am grateful to them.
And to my campaign manager, David Plouffe, the unsung hero of this campaign, who built the best -- the best political campaign, I think, in the history of the United States of America.
To my chief strategist David Axelrod who's been a partner with me every step of the way.
To the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you've sacrificed to get it done.
But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to. It belongs to you. It belongs to you.
【小题1】 Why did Sen. McCain make a phone call to the writer?

Once my friend Peterson bought a pack of chicken, the brand of which was very famous at that time. But when he got home he found that the chicken had gone bad. He took the chicken back to the shop and he was paid twice of the price. We may say now he should have been satisfied but my friend would not like to stop. He decided to write a letter to Frank, president of the company, who was also the founder of the chicken brand.

About a week later he received a letter written by the president himself. In the letter he apologized to my friend for it whole –heartedly .There was also a card in the envelope ,with which my friend could get another pack of chicken in any of the shops. In the end my friend was asked to answer some questions.

1. When and where did you buy the chicken?

2. What was the real problem of the chicken?

3. What did the shop ass istant say when you took the chicken back to the shop?

4. W hat do you think is the reason for the chicken to go bad?

5. What do you suggest we should do to get away from such problems?

Two days later, my friend also received a telephone call from the president’s office, asking whether he had received the letter as well as the card and then some other questions. Since then, my friend has always bought chicken of this brand whenever he wants to.

1.What did the friend get when he took the bad chicken back to the shop?

A. Another pack of chicken.

B. Two packs of chicken.

C. Double the price.

D. A whole-hearted apology.

2.What did the author’s friend do when he came back from the shop after he was paid back?

A. He felt satisfied with the result.

B. He wrote a letter to the President of the US.

C. He became very angry with the shop assistant.

D. He wrote a letter to the president of the company.

3.What is the author’s friend’s attitude towards the chicken brand?

A. He still believes in it.

B. He doesn’t believe it at all.

C. He will never buy it again.

D. He has never been satisfied with it.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A. The company may still be a top brand now.

B. The president of the company is a responsible person.

C. The company must have closed down.

D. The author may also believe in the chicken brand.

In 1970, at the age of 35, my father was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. There was not much      done at that time and my father had to rely on the medication and treatment that were      at that time. But one thing was      , my father was not a quitter. He was a teacher who       children with special educational needs in Chicago Public High School. Every day we would hear      about “his kids”. These “kids” did not usually      my sister and I.

One day, my father arrived at his school and walked up the     for his first period. He was having a very       day because the disease was really taking everything out of him. He       once and bruised (擦伤) his knee but he still kept going.       did he know that someone was watching.

As the day      his steps began to get a little lighter. At the end of the day, he was about to leave      a young girl entered his office. He had met her in the hallway but she was not one of his      . He asked what he could do for her and she said, “I just wanted to thank you for     my life.”

He looked at her and couldn’t       what he had done. She then went on      . “When I got up this morning, I felt as if I was at the end of my      and ready to kill myself. But when I saw you trying to go up the stairs and then you fell, I felt    and the feeling of sadness just kept getting     . And now you are walking as      as ever. It’s really true that everything will get better as the days go on.”

1.A. information                      B. research                            C. knowledge             D. experience

2.A. favorable                     B. believable                        C. reasonable            D. available

3.A. obvious                       B. special                         C. natural              D. strange

4.A. abandoned              B. followed                           C. taught              D. attended

5.A. stories                              B. jokes                 C. songs                       D. humors

6.A. connect                      B. change                     C. mean                       D. defeat

7.A. mountains                B. stairs                                 C. ladders        D. streets

8.A. normal                   B. pleasant                           C. simple              D. difficult

9.A. fell                            B. stood               C. happened         D. appeared

10.A. Few                          B. Little              C. Seldom             D. Never

11.A. arrived                          B. progressed         C. broke               D. stopped

12.A. until                                 B. before                C. when                      D. while

13.A. students                             B. friends             C. teachers               D. workers

14.A. losing                     B. giving               C. passing     D. saving

15.A. write down                 B. figure out                         C. cut off               D. put up

16.A. responding             B. admitting                          C. explaining           D. complaining

17.A. rope                B. wall               C. road                 D. work

18.A. sorry                B. bad               C. lucky                 D. proud

19.A. lower                  B. weaker           C. higher             D. stronger

20.A. carefully             B. quickly           C. lightly              D. slowly

B
One of my fondest memories as a child is going by the river and sitting idly on the bank. There I would enjoy the peace and quiet, watch the water rush downstream and listen to the chirps of birds and the rustling of leaves in the trees. I would also watch the bamboo(竹子) trees bend under pressure from the wind and watch them return gracefully to their upright or original position after the wind had died down.
When I think about the bamboo tree’s ability to bounce back or return to its original position, the word resilience （恢复力）comes to mind.  When used in reference to a person, this word means the ability to readily recover from shock, depression or any other situation that stretches the limits of a person’s emotions.
Have you ever felt like you are about to snap（突然折断）? Have you ever felt like you are at your breaking point? Thankfully, you have survived the experience to live to talk about it.
　　During the experience you probably felt a mix of emotions that threatened your health. You felt emotionally drained, mentally exhausted and you most likely endured（忍耐） unpleasant physical symptoms（症状）.
　　Life is a mixture of good times and bad times, happy moments and unhappy moments. The next time you are experiencing one of those bad times or unhappy moments that take you close to your breaking point, bend, but don’t break. Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you.
　　If the going gets tough and you are at your breaking point, show resilience. Like the bamboo tree, bend, but don’t break!
60．When the writer talks about the bamboo trees, he wants to tell us          .
A．he can’t forget those bamboo trees
B．he used to watch them bend under pressoure and return to their upright position
C．he still remembers the good days as a child
D．he admires the character of the bamboo trees
61．Which of the following is TRUE?
A．When you have overcome some depression, you show resilience.
B．When you are about to snap, we say you are resilient.
C．If you feel like you are at your breaking point, you are fortunate.
D．If you feel mentally exhausted, you are likely to experience pleasant physical symptoms.
62．What does the writer mean by saying “Try your best not to let the situation get the best of you?”
A．You should make the best of the situation.
B．You should try your best to get the best situation.
C．You should try your best not to be defeated by the situation.
D．You should try your best not to give up the best situation.
63．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．My fondest memories     B．Good times and bad times
C．Enjoy the peace and quiet       D．Bend, but don’t break

第二节   完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
Once there was a very brilliant, creative and educated man. He gained much   36   while traveling throughout the world. Unfortunately he lost his legs and left arm in a tragic accident, leaving only a finger and thumb on his right hand. He became so   37   that he was afraid he would spend his life   38   and would no longer be able to use his life in a(n)   39   way.
One day, he remembered how he had always loved getting   40  . He realized that he still had partial   41   of his right hand and could write with   42  . Then, he had an idea. “Why not write to other people who need encouragement?”
He   43   where he could find those who could be encouraged if they read his letters. He thought of people in   44  . Many of them had hope of regaining their   45  . Others would keep feeling depressed and remain put away for the rest of their lives. He decided that he must try to   46   them. So he wrote to a prison ministry about sending letters to the prisoners. The prison minister replied that writing to the prisoners would be   47  . However, it would be against prison rules for the prisoners to write back.
48   with the intention, the man began sending   49   messages of God’s love, hope, strength, and encouragement. He wrote twice a week, testing his strength and ability to the   50  . He poured his heart and soul into his words,   51   his experience, sense of humor, optimism, and faith.
It was difficult to write those letters, especially without hope of any   52  . Frequently, he felt discouraged, wondering if anyone   53    read his letters. However, this was his   54   chance，so he determined to continue.
At last, he received a letter from the prison officer, which said, “Please write on the best paper you can afford. Your letters are passed from cell (牢房) to cell until they almost fall to   55  !”
We all have unique experiences, abilities and talents. We can discover ways to reach others in need of encouragement and strength.
36. A. wealth             B. faith         C. experience     D. confidence
37. A. depressed            B. embarrassed       C. ashamed       D. thrilled
38. A. writing           B. suffering       C. weeping      D. wandering
39. A. abnormal            B. regular             C . comfortable      D. meaningful
40. A. presents            B. e-mails          C. letters       D. prizes
41. A. sense              B. strength         C. shape        D. function
42. A. affection            B. caution          C. difficulty       D. confidence
43. A. estimated           B. doubted         C. assumed         D. wondered
44. A. hospitals            B. churches        C. prisons        D. charities
45. A. families            B. letters        C. freedom       D. conscience
46. A. release             B. reach         C. defend          D. know
47. A. acceptable          B. reasonable     C. prohibited       D. considered
48. A. Faced             B. Filled         C. Satisfied       D. Impressed
49. A. holy              B. daily          C. one-way     D. round-way
50. A. point              B. worst         C. degree       D. limit
51. A. sharing             B. learning        C. gaining       D. enriching
52. A. success             B. reply          C. help           D. progress
53. A. curiously            B. patiently        C. carefully       D. actually
54. A. only              B. better               C. extra         D. lost
55. A. ruin               B. pieces        C. the ground     D. the bottom