Obama has made history by becoming the first African-American in American history.

Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His parents didn’t live together when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983. Obama met his wife, Robinson, in June, 1989 and married her on October 3^rd, 1992. The couple’s first daughter was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter in 2001.

Obama took office in January 20, 2009. However, just when he became the president, he had to face many serious challenges ---- two foreign wars, the climate change and what he had described as “the worst financial crisis (经济危机) in a century”. But Obama said that he himself had been ready to face these challenges.

Obama’s success is a true milestone. It speaks to the fact that in America you really do get a chance to do anything, if you have the talent and abilities and you work hard enough.

1.   How old was Obama when he became the American president?

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

A. Obama grew up with his father in Hawaii.

B. Obama has two sons with Robison.

C. Obama is the first black president in the USA.

D. Columbia University is in Washington.

3.Obama’s success tells us that __________.

4.   What does the underlined phrase “took office” in the third paragraph mean?

5.   According to the passage, Obama had to face the following challenges except for _____________.

Obama has made history by becoming the first African-American in American history.
Obama was born in Hawaii on August 4, 1961. His parents didn’t live together when he was two years old and later divorced. Obama grew up with his mother in Hawaii, and for a few years in Indonesia. Later, he moved to New York, where he graduated from Columbia University in 1983. Obama met his wife, Robinson, in June, 1989 and married her on October 3^rd, 1992. The couple’s first daughter was born in 1998, followed by a second daughter in 2001.
Obama took office in January 20, 2009. However, just when he became the president, he had to face many serious challenges ---- two foreign wars, the climate change and what he had described as “the worst financial crisis (经济危机) in a century”. But Obama said that he himself had been ready to face these challenges.
Obama’s success is a true milestone. It speaks to the fact that in America you really do get a chance to do anything, if you have the talent and abilities and you work hard enough.
【小题1】   How old was Obama when he became the American president?

Joyce was born in a poor family. Next Friday would be her mother’s birthday. Joyce wanted to buy something for her mother, but she had no money. As an 8-year-old girl, she couldn’t do part-time jobs. What could she do to make enough money for her mother’s birthday present?

Suddenly she had an idea. Usually, she would go straight to school, but this morning, she didn’t. She walked along the streets, picking up cardboard（纸板）, plastic（塑料）bottles and cans（易拉罐）. When it was time for school, she hid them in the backyard and ran to school as quickly as possible.

Eight days later, she decided to sell all the things she had collected because the next day was her mother’s birthday. She had to sell them and buy a birthday present for her mother. In the shop, she bought a beautiful hair pin for her mother.

When her mother got the present, she said with tears in her eyes,“This is the best present I’ve ever received.”

1.How old was Joyce?

A. Seven.           B. Eight.         C. Nine.         

2.Why couldn’t Joyce buy a present for her mother at first?

A. Because she had no money.

B. Because she didn’t know what her mother liked.

C. Because she didn’t love her mother at all.

3.What was Joyce’s idea?

A. Doing part-time jobs.   

B. Collecting waste things and selling them.

C. Asking her best friend for help.

4.How long did Joyce collect the waste things?

A. A week.      B. A month.    C. More than a week.

5. How did Joyce’s mother feel when she got the present?

A. Very sad.       B. Very happy and moved.     C. Very surprised.

Joe Read studied in this school for fourteen years. When he finished school, he was already eighteen years old. And then his father said to him, “You finished school, and you are a good student. Now you may go to town and get a good job. They need some clever people to work in the office. The people there can get a lot of money now. If you stay at home, you can't get money from our family.” A few weeks later, Joe went to the office and asked for a job there. A man took him into a small room and gave him some questions on a piece of paper. Joe answered the questions quickly, and he gave the paper to the man. The man looked at the paper for a few minutes and then asked, “You were born on Sep. 23. But which year were you born in?” Joe answered, “Oh, every year.”

1. How old was Joe when he went to school?

A.8.                B. 18.              C. 4.           D. 14.

2. What place did his father want him to work in?

A. A school.            B. An office        C. A house.         D. A shop.

3.What did his father think of Joe?

A. He was a good student.               B. He wasn’t a good student.

C. He wasn’t clever.                   D. He could get money from his family.

4. Why did the man give Joe a piece of paper?

A. Because he wanted to give Joe a job.

B. Because he wanted Joe to answer some questions.

C. Because he wanted to know if Joe was clever.

D. Because he wanted to know how old Joe was.

5.From Joe’s answered, “Oh, every year.”, we can infer(推测) that________.

A. he didn’t want to work in the office

B. he was hardworking but dishonest

C. he was outgoing and clever

D. in fact, he didn’t really answer the man’s question

How old was I? I can’t remember. Maybe I was only 10. It was the first    16    without my father because he was away for something. He left me to fill that sad place in my mother’s heart. It was the Christmas when I stopped being a    17    and tried to play Father Christmas myself. I really wanted to make it happy and bright again. It was the Christmas of the    18   .

Mom first saw the coat at Tobias, a nice    19    shop in our town’s little shopping mall. It was dark green. And it was a    20   , heavy, wool dress coat. Mom pulled it out from the rack(架) and held it up. “Long enough,” she said in a low voice and    21   .

“I need a new coat,” Mom smiled before the mirror. She looked good on any clothes,       22    this coat suited her much better. She looked at the    23   , then hung the coat back on the rack, standing there once more to    24    

    Eighty-seven dollars. But I decided to buy it for her. As we moved on    25   the mall, I found some excuse to return and asked one of the Tobias ladies to    26    the coat.

I helped clean every yard(庭院) in our neighbourhood—some yards twice, and soon I got the coat. The store ladies helped me put it in their biggest    27    with bright blue paper and thick silver ribbon(丝带). I don’t remember    28    I got it home, but I can still feel the wonderful    29    and pride that filled me. I would imagine the big space which the box would take up under our tree. Here it was—joy, peace and    30   —all in the box, waiting for Mom’s surprise.

1.A. Easter         B. Christmas        C. Halloween    D. Thanksgiving

2.A. child          B. son          C. student      D. teacher

3.A. tree           B. bag          C. coat         D. ribbon

4.A. children’s    B. women’s     C. girl’s      D. men’s

5.A. big            B. wide         C. thin         D. long

6.A. tried it on    B. put it on    C. kept it on   D. turned it on

7.A. though         B. or           C. for          D. and

8.A. price          B. design       C. color        D. material

9.A. taste          B. feel         C. sound        D. smell

10.A. through       B. over         C. past         D. across

11.A. sell          B. send         C. keep         D. wash

12.A. tank          B. basket       C. bag          D. box

13.A. how           B. why          C. whether      D. when

14.A. development   B. excitement   C. improvement D. advertisement

15.A. courage       B. confidence   C. love         D. honesty