Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television． And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake． Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken．
“I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite （精英） university,” she said． “When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts． I wouldn’t be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn’t fit in． But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else．”
This was Mrs． Obama’s only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington． Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school．
Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford’s still poor record on diversifying student intake．
Mrs． Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House． Her message—which she repeated time and again—was work hard, have self-belief, and don’t be afraid to fail． It was very un-British, but rather effective． Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her．
And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out． Had Mrs． Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard． But now—thanks in part to her—some of these children just might．
【小题1】According to the passage, Michelle Obama ____________．

I have a friend who lives by a three-word philosophy: Seize the moment. Just possibly, she may be the wisest woman on this planet. Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too strict to depart from their routine.

I can't count the times I called my sister and said,“How about going to lunch in half an hour?” She would gasp and stammer(结结巴巴地说), “I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday. I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain.”And my personal favorite response:“It's just Monday.”She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together. From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

Life has a way of going faster as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises made to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all have to show for our lives is repetition of “I'm going to”,“I plan on” and “Someday, when things are settled down a bit.”

When anyone calls my“seize the moment” friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to, not something on your SHOULD DO list.

1.The example of the writer's sister serves as__________.

A．an argument       B．an introduction     C．a support          D．a conclusion

2.The writer thinks that the underlined excuse “It's just Monday.”is acceptable, because __________.

A．it is still likely that they can have lunch together some time later

B．it sounds most reasonable of all the excuses.

C．it shows respect for the writer's suggestion

D．it indicates the time when they can have lunch together

3.The underlined word “contagious” in the fourth paragraph means “_________”.

A．appropriate        B．influential         C．practical          D．evident

4.What is the purpose of the writer by writing this passage?

A．To suggest how time flies.

B．To persuade busy people to relax.

C．To advise people to keep their promise.

D．To convince readers to be flexible on their schedule for practical joy.

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Reasons to learn using the Pimsleur Approach:

?Speak without an accent so that you sound like a native.

?Practice what’s natural to you in English.

?Feel safe and confident. You’ll know how to deal with any situation.

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?Remember without trying. Material is scientifically arranged so that you learn without pain.

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The entire Pimsleur Approach is what language learning should be: quick, fun, and easy! Each lesson is the foundation for the next. You’ll keep building on what you’ve learned.

1.What can prove Pimsleur courses to be successful?

A．Full 30-day money-back guarantee.

B．Eight fluency-focused lessons on four audio CDs.

C．30-minute lessons are perfect for your daily commuting, lunch break, or workout.

D．25 million people have graduated with success.

2.According to the text, what does the course offer?

A．Language rules for you to recite.

B．Effective language instruction.

C．Learning a new language by repeating many times.

D．Opportunities to work with business professionals.

3.According to the text, which of the following is NOT a reason for choosing the Pimsleur Approach?

A．It will correct your accent.

B．It will build your confidence.

C．It will teach you how to control your balance.

D．It will help you remember things easily.

4.It can be inferred that the text is a (n) __________.

A．report on a new language learning method

B．comment on a language training organization

C．notice of the opening of a new course

D．ad of a language training organization

Brian Walker chews pens.He bites them so hard that his boss has warned him to stop or buy his own.Katie’s weakness is more acceptable—she is unable to walk past a cake shop without overeating.Sophia Cartier finds her cigarette habit a headache,while Alice’s thumb-sucking drives her boy friend crazy.Four people with very different habits,but they all share a common problem anxiety disorder or,in serious cases.Obsessive Compulsive Disorder(OCD).

From nail-biting to too much hand-washing,overeating and internet addiction(上瘾)，OCD is widespread in almost every workplace and countless homes.“It is a relatively common form of anxiety,”says Dr.Mootee.“The main feature of OCD is the repetition of unwanted obsersive(过度的) thoughts such as worries that doors are left unlocked,gas or electrical appliances are left on.”In order to fight against the anxiety and distress caused by these obsessions,an OCD sufferer performs some form of repetitive act such as hand-washing,checking door locks and gas or electrical appliances.

Dr.Mootee says that repetitive washing,particularly of the hands,is the most common type of OCD.She has treated many patients who wash their hands up to 30 times a day.The technique Mootee uses to treat people with OCD is called cognitive-behavioral therapy(认知行为疗法).“It is based on the general idea that people have the ability to change the way they think and behave,”says Mootee.

But when does a habit become a problem?“It’s personal,”says Mootee.“Everyone has something unusual,but if you can’t put up with it,then it’s a problem and you need to do something to change it.”Mootee says many people resist going for treatment because they fear they are “crazy”.But as people become more knowledgeable about these problems they will go and get help.The only way to cure is to conquer.

1.If a person suffers from OCD,he is likely to keep doing any of the following EXCEPT ______.

A.chewing pens                          B.hurting himself

C.sucking fingers                           D.biting nails

2.According to the passage,a person suffering from OCD ______.

A.reduces his/her anxiety by taking drugs

B.gets into unwanted habits to relieve stress

C.has unwanted thoughts about habits

D.has unwanted thoughts because of illness

3.Dr.Mootee’s treating technique is based on the idea that ______.

A.everyone has something different

B.people can put up with their problems

C.people can change their way of thinking and action

D.people tend to repeat their obsessive actions

4.By saying“The only way to cure is to conquer.”Dr.Mootee suggests that an OCD sufferer ______.

A.has to be an extraordinary person

B.must cure his illness by himself

C.must overcome many physical illnesses

D.should have a right attitude towards the problem

A child who has once been pleased with a tale likes, as a rule, to have it retold in almost the same words, but this should not lead parents to treat printed fairy stories as formal texts. It is always much better to tell a story than read it out of a book, and, if a parent can produce what , in the actual situation of the time and the child, is an improvement on the printed text, so much the better.
A change made against fairy tales is that they harm the child by frightening him or making him sad thinking. To prove the latter, one would have to show in a controlled experiment that children who have read fairy stories were more often sorry for cruelty than those who had not. As to fears, there are, I think, some cases of children being dangerously terrified by some fairy story. Often, however, this arises(出现) from the child having heard the story once. Familiarity with the story by repetition turns the pain of fear into the pleasure of a fear faced and mastered.
There also people who object to fairy stories on the grounds that they are not objectively true, that giants, witches, two-headed dragons, magic carpets, etc. do not exist; and that, instead of being fond of the strange side in fairy tales, the child should be taught to learn the reality by studying history. I find such people, I must say so peculiar(奇怪的)that I don’t know how to argue with them. If their case were sound, the world should be full of mad men attempting to fly from New York to Philadelphia on a stick or covering a telephone with kisses in the belief that it was their beloved girl-friend.
No fairy story ever declared to be a description of the real world and no clever child has ever believed that it was.
【小题1】The author considers that a fairy story is more effective when it is______.