First lady Michelle Obama urged students to visit China at the “100,000 Strong” China Study Abroad Forum at Howard University.
President Barack Obama announced the “100,000 Strong” Initiative(十万强计划)during his 2009 visit to China. The program aims to increase the number of American students studying in China by making study abroad more affordable.
During the event at Howard, Mrs. Obama spoke about the importance of studying abroad. “Studying in a country like China is about so much more than just improving your own prospects(前途) in the global market. The fact is that with every friendship you make and every bond of trust you establish you are shaping an image of America projected to the rest of the world and making America known better.” she said.
Mrs. Obama encouraged students to set aside the opinion that studying abroad is for “rich kids only” or for those attending “certain schools”. The first lady also announced that the Chinese government is giving 10,000 “Bridge Scholarships” to cover costs for American students studying in China.
Some students who had studied in China shared their experiences. David Marzban from Pepperdine University recalled a time when he formed a cross-cultural bond with a complete stranger at a restaurant near Fudan University in Shanghai. He noticed a young chef signaling him to come over. “He pressed the play button on his media player and started singing California Dreaming and wanted me to sing along with him,” Marzban said. “At that time I knew a great friendship had started during my first two weeks in China.”
Nicole Baden from Howard University recalled how her time in China really helped her master the language. “You have to experience the culture while learning the language to really master it to understand why things are how they are compared to your own culture,” Baden said.
12-year-old Sarah Davis, who studied in China last summer, said she was very excited to hear Michelle Obama talk about the country. “I love Chinese. Out of all the languages I’ve learned, Chinese is the most difficult and interesting.” She said.
1. According to the passage, the “100,000 Strong” Initiative ______.
A.provides convenience for American students to study in China
B.was made by First Lady Michelle Obama in 2009
C.got little support from the Chinese government
D.isn’t well-accepted among American students
2.According to Mrs. Obama, ______.
A.American students used to be unable to study abroad
B.Studying in China can make American students’ future better
C.the Chinese government will offer all the US students scholarships
D.American students’ studying in China helps improve the relationship between China and the US
3.Three examples are given mainly to indicate that ______.
A.American students are very popular in China
B.Chinese is the most difficult to learn in the world
C.Many US young people have actually been studying in China
D.American students’ studying in China is important and worthwhile
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A.A great program for American students to study in China
B.Michelle Obama encourages students to study in China
C.More American students will go to China to study
D.China is attracting more and more American students
That Upper class people generally have more educational opportunities, greater financial security, and better jobs than people from lower social classes, but that doesn’t mean they’re more skilled at everything. A new study finds, surprisingly, that lower class people are better at reading the emotions of others.
The researchers were inspired by observing that, for lower class people, success depends more on how much they can rely on other individuals. For example, if you can’t afford to buy support services, you have to rely on your neighbors or relatives to watch the kids while you’re busy.
One experiment researched on volunteers who worked at a university: some had graduated from college and others had not. Researchers used the educational level as an indicator(标志)for social classes. The volunteers did a test of emotion perception(感知), in which they were instructed to look at pictures of faces and indicate which emotions each face was displaying. People with more education performed worse on the task than people with less education.
In another study, university students who were of higher social status had a more difficult time accurately(准确)reading the emotions of a stranger.
These results suggest that people of upper-class status aren’t very good at recognizing the emotions other people are feeling. This is because they remember their upper status and they think they can solve their problems without relying on others.
In the third experiment, people were made to feel that they were at a lower social class than they actually were, and they got better at reading emotions.
“The differences between upper-class people and lower-class people are not something ingrained(根深蒂固的),” Kraus says. “It’s the cultural environment leading to them.” This work helps show that the traditional image of the classes is wrong. “It’s not true that a lower-class person, no matter what kind of person, is going to be less intelligent than an upper-class person. It’s all about the social environment the person lives in, and the specific challenges the person faces. If you can change the environment even temporarily, social class differences in lots of behaviors can be removed.”
1.According to the passage, when lower-class people meet problems, they tend to ______.
A.turn to others B.work even harder
C.feel more frustrated D.learn from upper-class people
2.Why did people perform better in emotion perception in the third experiment?
A.Because they became less independent.
B.Because they didn’t know they were cheated.
C.Because they felt they must ask for help from other.
D.Because they were made to understand lower-class people.
3.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.Upper-class people are not skilled at everything.
B.Upper-class people have trouble recognizing others’ emotion.
C.Lower-class people need to be given more employment opportunities.
D.There are many differences between upper-class people and lower-class people.
When you need a job very much, you may end up taking one for which you are over qualified. Although you were initially grateful just to have the work, you now feel bored and depressed. Is there any way to change that?
Start by changing your opinion, says Caitlin Kelly, the author of Malled, a book based on her experience as a sales clerk after losing her job in journalism. “Don’t focus on what you’re not getting but what you are getting,” she says. “Be patient and work attentively with a wide range of people. It doesn’t matter what the job is –there are always things you can learn and skills you can develop.”
Hilary Pearl, the founder of a coaching firm, says, “Tell yourself the current situation isn’t the end of your career. Don’t overdramatize(过分夸大)the negative aspects but try to view the situation more philosophically: life has a series of stages, and this is one of them. Don’t forget to study even in the worst stage.”
Consider that because you’re overqualified, you may be able to learn or do things on the job that might not have been possible in a more demanding position, says Sarah Hathorn, the chief executive of Illustra Consulting. “You could spend your extra time in learning different aspects of the business and teaching others in the organization,” she says.
Is it possible to make your work more challenging, even if your job responsibilities aren’t likely to change?
Of course, you may seek tasks and responsibilities that force you to learn something new or to work harder. “You may be operating on autopilot(习惯性地)right now, but chances are that people above you are stressed,” Sarah Hathorn says. “Take things off your boss’s plate and let him know which projects or tasks you want to learn more about.”
Always express your request positively, saying that you love new challenges, rather than complaining that you’re bored and underused, says Ethun, the president of the Park Avenue Group. In your down time, educate yourself about the company and its industry. “Read corporate information, analyst reports and related news articles,” she says. “If your boss accepts your suggestions, it will make you a more valuable employee.”
1.According to Caitlin Kelly, ______.
A.one should be willing to do some small things
B.being a salesman is not as important as being a journalist
C.performing your regular duties well is important
D.doing a simple job well will bring you a sense of success
2.What Hilary Pearl intends to express is that ______.
A.work is just a stage of our whole life
B.the present job doesn’t matter to us in a long run
C.one should be satisfied with his present situation
D.one should look forward instead of complaining about the present situation
3.The underlined words “take things off your boss’s plate” mean______.
A.draw your boss’s attention B.share your boss’s burdens
C.give your boss useful advice D.ask your boss for a better position
4. What is the common view about careers of the people mentioned in this passage?
A.One should start his career from doing a simple job.
B.One should improve himself and help others as well.
C.One should keep learning new things to improve himself.
D.One should pay much attention to the relationship with the boss.
As we know, it is common for people to catch a cold in winter and most people believe they know the reason for colds. However, scientists say people have some wrong beliefs about the cause of colds.
Many people think that once you get infected by colds, you will not be easy to be attacked by colds for the rest of your life. That’s not the case. There are about 200 different viruses that cause the common cold. You catch a cold because of one kind of them this time, but you might catch a cold next time because of another.
Others believe that people get sick just because of the cold weather in winter. That is also wrong.
It’s because people tend to stay closer in winter and the cold virus is transmitted from one person to another through handshakes, sneezing, or coughing.
While there is no actual cure for the common cold, scientists say there are still a few things you can do to help you. Some experts say honey and chicken soup are effective against colds. Especially honey. There is increasing evidence that it helps shorten the duration of the common cold sometimes even by two to three days particularly in children. Chicken soup also helps reduce the duration of the cold.
In addition, if you do have a cold and you don’t feel like eating anything, it’s not going to hurt you but you have to drink a lot and you can drink water or tea because doctors say the water cycle in your bodies helps to cure colds. That’s very important. Though there is more than one way to deal with colds, doctors say the best advice is to continue using whatever works best for you.
1.We know from the second paragraph that ______.
A.the common cold is caused by only one virus
B.there are people who never catch a cold
C.colds can be caused by different viruses
D.all people are easily attacked by colds
2. The underlined word “transmitted” in the fourth paragraph means “______”.
A.passed B.changed C.cured D.caused
3.If you have a cold, you can do the following except ______.
A.drinking a lot of water B.drinking chicken soups
C.eating honey D.forcing yourself to eat
4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A.now scientists have found out practical treatment for colds
B.different people may have different ways to fight against colds
C.working in freezing weather is the main reason for colds
D.colds can be passed from animals to human beings
完形填空(共20小题;每小题1分,满分20分)
I have decided to test myself every day in a different way. Today’s test: practice the art of 41 . It is something so simple, but so 42 to those who need a kind heart and a good listener. Sometimes, we all need someone to listen to us with no 43 . We just want to be heard. 44 , I really made sure that I listened to everyone who spoke to me throughout the day, 45 I was busy.
As I was 46 in the break room today, I had a conversation with a colleague I 47 talked to. She always looked like a(n) 48 lady, but today she seemed very troubled. So I sat down with my lunch and jut listened. She told me about her unlucky 49 who was killed in a car crash last year, and her 50 daughter who struggled with pain every day. I listened and made her 51 much better. At the end of the 52 , I gave the single mother a big warm hug and told her how 53 she was. Of course, we 54 friends after our first talk.
What an inspiration she is! 55 with so many difficulties and frustrations, she still comes to work with a positive attitude, a 56 to succeed and a big smile every day.
I believe everyone 57 a ray of sunshine in their life, someone that will give them a big warm 58 and say, “You’re amazing!” I hope I can always get need like this met.
I am a dreamer, but I move forward while I dream. My dream is to 59 happiness. Tomorrow, I will write “You are beautiful! :)” on small cards, hide them everywhere, and make those I work with 60 them by chance and with joy.
1. A.listening B.speaking C.reading D.writing
2. A.complex B.funny C.common D.important
3. A.doubt B.concern C.opinions D.answers
4. A.However B.Therefore C.Besides D.Afterwards
5. A.if B.while C.because D.even though
6. A.drinking B.kidding C.sitting D.lying
7. A.never B.seldom C.always D.sometimes
8. A.lucky B.positive C.humorous D.outgoing
9. A.mother B.father C.husband D.son
10. A.sick B.lazy C.careless D.naughty
11. A.eat B.feel C.behave D.recover
12. A.day B.test C.lunch D.conversation
13. A.kind B.beautiful C.amazing D.hard-working
14. A.helped B.became C.encouraged D.comforted
15. A.Faced B.Shocked C.Confused D.Defeated
16. A.way B.will C.duty D.chance
17. A.has B.deserves C.appreciates D.needs
18. A.hand B.welcome C.hug D.home
19. A.share B.seek C.enjoy D.spread
20. A.find B.open C.receive D.read
---You have to believe in yourself. No one else will, if you don't.
---______. Confidence is really important.
A.It's not my cup of tea B.That's not the point
C.I don't think so D.I couldn't agree more