Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast fortune , largely to the cause of global health , during the course of his lifetime . With an estimated（估计）worth of more than $ 40 billion , according to Forbes , the project will be no small feat （功绩）for Gates . Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues , Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”

So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest ? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world . Improving the health of the populations , he says , has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially successful . “National borders allow inequalities ,” said Gates : “We all need to take a more global view , rather than just saying my country is doing well . We have to step up these health issues , knowing how few resources are going into them .”

Gates said that both his parents set an example for him as a child . His father , William H. Gates , was the head of the local Planned Parenthood , and his mother , Mary , volunteered for the United Way . As he gathered his fortune , Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well , but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.

However , Gates , 47 , began to question his ability to wait that long . “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said . “I started to think , How many lives could I save before then ?”

Bill Gates believes that one important way of developing poor countries is          .

       A．to set up more foundations for them

       B．to aid them with natural resources

       C．to put more effort into the health issues in them

       D．to help them take a more global view

It can be learned from the text that Bill Gates thinks          .

       A．Americans should care about people in other countries

       B．Americans should treat fellow citizens well

       C．Americans should devote themselves to certain projects

       D．Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune

Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of          .

       A．his weakening health condition      B．his parents’ suggestions

       C．his great success in business   D．his concerns for suffering people

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，写出各单词的完全形式（每空限填一词）。

1.Of the twelve m____________ in the year, January comes first.

2.Jackie ,do remember to wash your hands b_____________ the meal!

3.Mary’s suitcase was too heavy. Mike c_____________ it upstairs for her.

4.I’d like to s__________ the last cake with you, you have half and I’ll have half .

5.Mobile phones cost less now, they are much c___________ than they once were.

6.Many people believe that it is a good h________ to get up early in the morning .

7.Shakespeare was b_______ on April 26, 1564 and died on the same day in 1616.

8.If something happens s__________ , it happens quickly and unexpectedly.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast^① fortune, largely to the cause of global health, during the course of his lifetime. With an estimated^② worth of more than $ 40 billion, according to Forbes, the project will be no small feat^③ for Gates. Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues, Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”

So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations, he says, has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially^④ successful. “National borders allow inequalities,” said Gates, “We all need to take a more global view, rather than just saying my country is doing well. We have to step up these health issues, knowing how few resources are going into them.”

Gates said that both his parents set good examples to him as a child. His father, William H. Gates, was the head of the local Planned Parenthood, and his mother, Mary, volunteered for the United Way. As he gathered his fortune, Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well, but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.

However, Gates, 47, began to question his ability to wait that long. “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said, “I started to think, how many lives could I save before then?”

Notes:

vast  adj. 巨额的

estimate  v. 估计，估价

feat  n. 功绩，壮举

financially  adv. 财政上，金融上

Choose the best answers according to the above:

Why will Bill Gates give away his vast fortune?

A. to improve the health of population in America alone

B. to improve the health of population all over the world

C. to avoid leaving his children too much money

D. to spare the American government the burden of health care

According to the passage, which of the following is right?

A. Americans should care about people in other countries

B. Americans should treat fellow citizens well

C. Americans should devote themselves to certain projects

D. Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune

Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of       __.

A. his weakening health condition

B. his parents’ suggestions

C. his great success in business

D. his concerns for suffering people

According to the passage, which word can be used to describe Bill Gates?

A. brave   B. kind-hearted   C. strong-minded   D. confident

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，写出各单词的完全形式（每空限填一词）。
【小题1】Of the twelve m____________ in the year, January comes first.
【小题2】Jackie ,do remember to wash your hands b_____________ the meal!
【小题3】Mary’s suitcase was too heavy. Mike c_____________ it upstairs for her.
【小题4】I’d like to s__________ the last cake with you, you have half and I’ll have half .
【小题5】Mobile phones cost less now, they are much c___________ than they once were.
【小题6】Many people believe that it is a good h________ to get up early in the morning .
【小题7】Shakespeare was b_______ on April 26, 1564 and died on the same day in 1616.
【小题8】If something happens s__________ , it happens quickly and unexpectedly.

Bill Gates was born on October 28th, 1955. He and his two sisters grew up in Seattle. Their father, William H. Gates II, was a Seattle lawyer. Mary Gates, their late mother, was a school teacher.

Gates attended public elementary school before moving on to the private Lakeside School in North Seattle. It was at Lakeside that Gates began his career in personal computer soft  ware, programming computers at age 13.

In 1973, Gates entered Harvard University as a freshman, where he lived down the hall from Steve Ballmer, who is now Microsoft's president. While at Harvard, Gates developed a version (版本) of the programming language BASIC for the first microcomputer---the MITS Astair. In his junior year, Gates dropped out of Harvard to devote his energies full-time to Microsoft, a company he had started in 1975 with his boyhood friend Paul Allen. Guided by a belief that the personal computer would be a valuable tool on every office desk-top and in every home, they began developing software for personal computers.

Gates' foresight has led to the success of Microsoft and the software industry. He plays an important role in the technical development of new products. Much of his time is devoted to meeting with customers and staying in touch with Microsoft employees around the world through e-mail.

In the dozen years since Microsoft went public, Gates has donated more than $ 800 million to charities, including $ 200 million to the Gates Library Foundation to help libraries in North America make use of new technologies and the Information Age.

1.Where did Bill Gates begin his career in personal computer software?

A．At public elementary school.               B．At the private Lakeside School.

C．At Harvard University.                    D．At Microsoft Company.

2.Why did he drop out of Harvard?

A．To change school.                       B．To spend all his energies to Microsoft.

C．To find a full-time job.                    D．To earn money.

3.How does Gates spend much of his time?

A．Meeting with people.

B．Travelling around the world.

C．E-mailing some friends.

D．Meeting with customers and e-mailing Microsoft employees.

4.What does the underlined word “donated” in the last paragraph mean?

A．gave.             B．earned.           C．made.            D．received.