What I Want for You and Every Child in America

　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 by President-Elect Barack Obama

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of 　1 these last two years during the campaign, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that although you are both excited about that new puppy(幼犬), it doesn’t 2 for all the time we’ve been apart. I know 3 I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I’d 4 my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my 5 　with all your curiosity and mischief （捣乱） and those smiles that never 6 to fill my heart and light up my day. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. That’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

I want all our children to go to schools 7 of their potential---schools that challenge them, inspire them, and instill （灌输） in them a sense of 8 about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college 9 their parents aren’t rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them have time to spend time with their own 10 .

I want us to 11 back the boundaries(界限) of discovery so that you’ll live to see new technologies and inventions that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach 12 the divides(分水岭) of race and region, gender and religion that 13 us from seeing the best in each other.

That was the 14 your grandmother tried to teach me when I was your age, reading me the opening lines of the Declaration of Independence and telling me about the men and women who marched for 15 because they believed those words put to paper two centuries ago should mean 16 .

She helped me understand that America is great not because it is perfect but because it can always be made better and that the 17 work of perfecting our union falls to each of us. It’s a duty we pass on to our children.

These are the things I want for you--- to 18 in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach. And I want every child to have the same 19 to learn and dream and grow that you girls have. That’s why I’ve taken our family on this great adventure.

I am so proud of both of you. I love you 20 you can ever know. And I am grateful every day for your patience, confidence, grace, and humor as we prepare to start our new life together in the White House.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Love, Dad

1. A. play　　　　　　 B. fun　　　　　　 C. pain　　　　　　 D. gain

2. A. take up　　　　　 B. pick up　　　　 C. make up　　　　　 D. put up

3. A. how much　　　 B. how many　　　 C. how soon　　　　 D. how long

4. A. lose　　　　　　 B. make　　　　　 C. take　　　　　　　 D. walk

5. A. world 　　　　　 B. family　　　　 C. position　　　　　 D. place

6. A. succeed　　　　 B. come　　　　　 C. tend　　　　　　　 D. fail

7. A. worth　　　　　 B. worthless　　　　 C. worthwhile　　　　 D. worthy

8. A. humor　　　　　 B. hatred　　　　　 C. wonder　　　　　 D. sadness

9. A. even if　　　　 B. as if　　　　　　 C. as long as　　　　 D. if

10. A. friends　　　　 B. kids　　　　　　 C. boys　　　　　　 D. girls

11. A. rush　　　　　 B. catch　　　　　 C. push　　　　　　 D. pull

12. A. to　 　　　　 B. in　　　　　　 C. into　　　　　　　 D. beyond

13. A. keep　　　　　 B. let　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　 D. warn

14. A. way　　　　　 B. method　　　　　 C. means　　　　　 D. lesson

15. A. quantity　　　 B. quality　　　　　 C. equality　　　　　 D. quarter

16. A. everything　　 B. something　　　 C. anything　　　　　 D. nothing

17. A. unfinished　　 B. finished　　　　 C. unfinishing　　　　 D. finishing

18. A. wake up　　　 B. grow up　　　　 C. come up　　　　　 D. get up

19. A. difficulty　　　 B. barriers　　　　 C. anxiety　　　　　 D. chances

20. A. rather than　　 B. other than　　　　 C. less than　　　　 D. more than

______ some people try to protect examination in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.

A.If 　　 B. While　　 C. Since　　 D. Once

Education for Exceptional Children

　 Exceptional children are different in some ways from others of the same age. For these children to 　31 their full adult potential, their 　32 must suit those differences.

　 Although we focus on the needs of exceptional children, we 　33 ourselves describing their environment as well. While the leading actor on the stage 　34 our attention, we also see the importance of the 　35 players and the scenery of the 　36 itself. Both the family and the society in which exceptional children live are often the 　37 to their growth and development. And it is in the public schools that we find the full 　38 of society’s understanding—the knowledge, hopes, and fears that are 　39 to the next generation.

　 Education in any society is a 　40 of the society. We can see in it the strengths, the weaknesses, the hopes, the prejudices, and the 41 values of the culture itself. The great 42 in exceptional children shown in public education over the past thirty years 　43 the strong feeling in our society that all 　44 , whatever their special conditions, have a right to get the chance to fully develop their abilities.

　 “All man are created equal.” We’ve 　 45 　 it many times, but it still has an important meaning for education in a democratic society. 　46 the phrase was used by this country’s founders to express equality before the 　47 , it has also been explained to mean equality of education. That 　48 educational chance for all children—the right of each child to 49 help in learning to the limit of his or her ability, whether that ability is small or great. Recent 50 decisions have made certain of the right of children—disabled or not—to a suitable education, and have ordered that public schools take the necessary steps to provide that education.

31. A. see　　　　　 　　 B. develop　　　　 　 C. come　　　 D. expand

32. A. education　　 　　 B. potential　　　　 C. school　　　 D. family

33. A. feel　　　　　 　　 B. find　　　　　　 　 C. leave　　　　 D. prevent

34. A. pays　　　　 　　 B. loses　　　　　　 C. draws　　　 D. sees

35. A. male　　　　　 　 B. female　　　　　 C. supporting　　 　　　 D. performing

36. A. play　　　　　 　 B. director　　　　　 C. theater　　　 　　　 D. actor

37. A. place　　　　 　 B. fact　　　　　　 C. condition　　 　　　 D. key

38. A. system　　　 　　 B. equipment　　　 　 C. expression　 D. support

39. A. shown　　　　 　 B. passed　　　　　 C. taken 　　　　　　　 D. changed

40. A. tool　　　　　 　　 B. way　　　　　　 C. science　　　 D. mirror

41. A. central　　　 　　 B. extra　　　　　　 C. special　　　 D. ordinary

42. A. interest　　　 　　 B. joy　　　　　　 C. surprise　　　 　　　 D. disappointment

43. A. damages　　　 　　 B. exists　　　　　　 　　　 C. shows　　　 D. lacks

44. A. kids　　　　　 　 B. adults　　　　　 C. teachers　　 D. citizens

45. A. spoken　　　 　　 B. heard　　　　　 C. known　　　 　　　 D. discussed

46. A. When　　　　 　 B. Although　　　　 C. If　　　　　 　　　 D. Because

47. A. society　　　 　　 B. leader　　　　　 C. law　　　　 D. money

48. A. means　　　　 　 B. needs　　　　　 C. damages　　 D. changes

49. A. refuse　　　　 　　 B. offer　　　　　　 C. give　　　　 D. receive

50. A. school　　　　 B. court　　　　　　 C. society　　　 　　　 D. office