Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty 200 years ago. At any other time and place, this lowly origin would have dictated his future, but in Lincoln’s case, his self-determination and force of will made it possible for him to secure his seat in his country's history. He has become a role model in the self-made America.

If you want to learn about somebody who didn’t quit, look no further. Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures failed, and the second one made him bankrupt, so he had to spend the next 17 years of his life paying for the debt. He also lost 8 different elections. It seemed that he had never done things right at the first time: the first time he ran for state legislature for Congress, for land officer, for Senate, all of these failed, and the first time he sought the vice-presidential nomination, he got less than 100 votes nationally. But he never found it too shameful to carry on his mission. Then later in 1860, on such a rough road, he made it to the White House. He lived up to his famous saying, “Always bear in mind that your own determination to success is more important than any other.”

He could have quit many times-—-but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit，he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America. One important way Lincoln influences present society is that we look back on his lifeas a role model for future generations. Lincoln’s high character influences us because we compare present-day politicians to the example Lincoln set. A major influence Lincoln has on the united States today is simply through the good example he set when it came to honesty, persistence and leadership.

1.According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is true?

A． Lincoln was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.

B． Like Lincoln, a poor origin leads to a bright future.

C． America is considered self-made because of Lincoln.

D． Self-determination and will contributed to Lincoln’s success.

2.What is Paragraph Two mainly about?

A． How Lincoln made his way to the White House.

B． Lincoln suffered various failures.

C． Lincoln was a man who never quit.

D． Lincoln once lost two business ventures.

3.Which is the correct order of what happened to Lincoln?

a. He was paying off his debt.  b. He failed in the run for land officer,

c. He got less than 100 votes nationally. d. he stuck to his mission, e. He went bankrupt.

A．b-c-c-d-a          B．e-a-b-c-d          C．e-c-a-b-d          D．d-c-a-b-c

4.What’s the function of Lincoln’s famous saying in Paragraph Two?

A． To tell us that determination is the most important to success.

B． To attract readers1 attention.

C． To show why Lincoln was able to carry on in hard times.

D． To summarize Lincoln’s story.

5.Why does the writer consider Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents in America?

A． Because he still influences America as a role model.

B． Because he set a good example to the present politicians.

C． Because of his great personalities.

D． Because he went through diverse difficulties.

President Abraham Lincoln’s first call for volunteers to fight in the Civil War was for whites only.The Civil War was a white man’s war，northern whites insisted.Its purpose was to preserve the Union.It was not being fought to end slavery.But by September of 1862，the sentiment toward black volunteers had changed.Lincoln had hoped that the war would be short，but it had already lasted for a year and a half.Union manpower had fallen dangerously.

Lincoln had a plan.He issued the Emancipation Proclamation.It stated that as of January 1,1863，all slaves living in the rebellious southern states would be forever free.And starting immediately，Union armies would accept black volunteers.

The southern rebels’response to Lincoln’s call for black troops was a deadly one.Captives (俘虏) of any Union regiment (团) with black troops were to be given “no quarter”．They were to be put to death immediately.

African?American troops throughout the war distinguished themselves (表现突出) in battle at places like Milliken’s Bend，Fort Wagner，and the Crater at St.Petersburg.As to their conduct on the battlefield，Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson wrote，“Nobody knows anything about these men who has not seen them in battle.No officer in this regiment now doubts that the successful process of the war lies in the unlimited employment of black troops.” By the war’s end,186,000 black men had participated.They made up nearly 10 percent of Union forces.These black soldiers saw action in more than 250 battles.Black soldiers also gave their lives.By the war’s end，about 38,000 black soldiers had died.They died from disease，in battle，and after capture by rebel troops.

1. This passage is mainly about________.

A．cause of the Civil War

B．the Emancipation Proclamation

C．black soldiers in the Civil War

D．why Lincoln was a good president

2. What does the underlined word “sentiment” in the first paragraph mean?

A．Whites.

B．People who keep watch.

C．Rebels.

D．Thought and feeling.

3.What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Lincoln acted too late to free the slaves.

B．Blacks fought well for the Union cause.

C．The Civil War changed American history.

D．The southern rebels nearly won the Civil War.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Civil War’s purpose was to drive the black away.

B．The Civil War ended just in one year with the help of the blacks.

C．All slaves were set free by September of 1862.

D．Black captives of any Union regiment were killed after Lincoln’s call.

It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself. There is one particular story that he always told with great delight.
In his early days as a lawyer, Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal(法律的)cases. During one of these trips, he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him. The stranger looked at the tall clumsy(笨拙的)lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonging to Lincoln. Lincoln was a bit puzzled. He had never seen the man before. He didn’t see how a total stranger could have something of his. Lincoln asked how this could be. The stranger pulled out a penknife and began to explain. Many years before, he had been given the pocketknife. He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself.
Lincoln’s eyes always sparked when he reached this part of the story. The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it. The tale itself was funny. But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself.
【小题1】This passage is about        .

It has been said that Lincoln was always ready to join in a laugh at himself. There is one particular story that he always told with great delight.

In his early days as a lawyer, Lincoln went from town to town to hear and judge legal(法律的)cases. During one of these trips, he was sitting in a train when a strange man came up to him. The stranger looked at the tall clumsy(笨拙的)lawyer and said that he had something he believed belonging to Lincoln. Lincoln was a bit puzzled. He had never seen the man before. He didn’t see how a total stranger could have something of his. Lincoln asked how this could be. The stranger pulled out a penknife and began to explain. Many years before, he had been given the pocketknife. He had been told to keep it until he was able to find a man uglier than himself.

Lincoln’s eyes always sparked when he reached this part of the story. The story always brought smiles to the faces of those who heard it. The tale itself was funny. But even more delightful was the fact that a man as great as Lincoln could still laugh at himself.

This passage is about         .

A. a stranger and his strange knife

B. Lincoln’s favorite story

C. meeting stranger in a train

D. Lincoln’s favorite penknife

From the story we can infer that the stranger in the train         

A. liked to make friends           B. liked to tell jokes

C. collected penknives            D. was not handsome

Lincoln was given the pocketknife for         

A. his appearance              B. a good laugh

C. being a lawyer              D. being good-humored

Which of the following statements is right?

A. Lincoln, even though great, was not proud.

B. Lincoln was a great and proud man.

C. Lincoln lacked self-respect.

D. Lincoln had a good sense of humor.

What does the word “sparked” in the last paragraph mean?

A. 闪耀       B. 暗淡      C. 无神     D. 忧伤

A yoga master made a shocking statement that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life．Lincoln delivered a proclamation setting up Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863．Research throws light on a possible Hindu （印度的）origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving．

"The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation （转世）of Abraham Lincoln entitled Soul Journey: From Lincoln to Lindbergh which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda, who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life, and that he was reborn as the famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh．

“During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice,” SaIva said, “I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays as national days of prayer, fasting （禁食），and thanksgiving．This was interesting, because Thursday is considered a holy day — a day for prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection — among Hindus, who call it “guru day”.”

“Lincoln also set aside time on Thursdays to grieve(哀悼) for his son,Willie, who died in Washington．Clearly, Thursdays had a spiritual significance in Lincoln's mind.

In his book, Richard Salva presents more than 500 connections between Lincoln, Lindergh, and the ancient spiritual science of yoga. The connections run through every aspect of the human condition and provide convincing evidence that Lincoln had had a Hindu past life.

More than one out of every five Americans today believes in reincarnation—yet few are aware of how past-life patterns affect them. Soul Journey tries to fill this gap, by offering a substitute experience of reincarnation. Through clear and persuasive similarities between the lives of Lincoln and Lindbergh, the book discovers how the hidden laws of fate and reincarnation impact the events of his or her daily life. It addresses other issues, such as the secret spiritual history of America's greatest president, including his past life as a Himalayan yogi; the hidden clues that reveal past lives; the greatness he achieved; and the spiritual principles behind the yoga postures that millions now practice．

1.Based on Richard Salva’s view, ______.

A．Hindus started the holiday of Thanksgiving

B．the Americans copied Thanksgiving from Hindus

C．Charles Lindbergh had been a Himalayan yogi

D．Thanksgiving had Hindus roots

2.We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ______.

A．in India all the prayers are done on Thursday

B．in India Thursday is a religious day

C．Abraham Lincoln was once a famous pilot

D．Paramhamsa Yogananda once taught Lincoln yoga

3.When it came to the comparison between Lincoln and Lindbergh, the author held a ______ attitude.

A．neutral           B．doubtful          C．negative          D．positive