Last week, President Barack Obama gave a back...

Last week, President Barack Obama gave a back- to-school speech to students at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students in schools across the country al­so tuned in to watch the President's speech on TV. He stressed the importance of trying new things, working hard and believing in yourself.

While admitting that times are tough for families across the country, Obama reminded students that hard work now can mean big success later. “Nobody gets to write your destiny(命运）but you,” he said. “Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing—absolutely nothing—is beyond your reach."

Obama spoke about his own life, and lessons he learned from his mother, who had to remind him to stay focused on his studies. He told students the recipe (诀窍) for success: “Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. ”

Obama encouraged students to embrace(欣然接受)what makes them different. “We shouldn't be em­barrassed by the things that make us different,” he said. “We should be proud of them.”

He also suggested taking advantage of all of the opportunities at your school, and always being open to trying new things. “Just because you’re not the best at something today doesn't mean you can't be tomorrow,” he said. “Even if you don't think of yourself as a math person or as a science person—you can still excel in those subjects if you're willing to make the effort. And you may find out you have talents you’d never dreamed of.”

1.What does Obama mainly want to tell the students in Paragraph 2?

A. Some families are experiencing a hard time.

B. Different people have different destinies.

C. They can create their own future.

D. Those who don't study hard will achieve nothing.

2.In Paragraph 3, Obama tried to encourage the students by _______.

A. telling an interesting story

B. sharing the secret to success

C. telling his own life experience

D. referring to some famous people

3.Obama suggested the students should   _________ .

A. not study hard for high marks

B. accept things that make them different

C. do what they are really interested in

D. not do things which are difficult for them

4.The underlined phrase “excel in” in the last para­graph means “_________”.

A. be careful with                                                   B. be attracted to

C. be interested in                                                 D. be good at

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

President Obama，s plan last week to overhaul(改善)former president George W．Bush’s No Child left Behind program is an improvement on a good thin9．But it doesn’t go far enough.

Obama outlined a goal that by 2020，all grade school and high school students ale on a path toward college and career readiness．

However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We’ve provided a free public education through the l2th grade．If we’re going to keep up—or catch up—with some other countries(1ike China)in preparing young people for careers，a 12-year education program no longer is enough．

About 3 million students across the USA will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics(NCFES)．For the more than l million who won’t go on，money is a major factor．If tuition(学费)were free，about half of them could make up other COSTS from family or part—time jobs．

Critics(批评家)of free college tuition will say we can’t afford it because of the federal deficit(联邦赤字)and other rising costs．Let’s see some government spending in detail：

In the last nearly 10 years．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us $1 trillion(that’s $1，000 billion，or an average of$100 billion a year)．Federal money spent on public elementary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was$47 billion．If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation—building efforts abroad，the federal government could provide more money on public education，for which state and local governments now carry most of the burden(负担)．

1.According to President Obama’s plan，in 10 years，________．

A．there will be no expensive and unnecessary Wars

B．all grade and high school students can go to college

C．the U．S．will catch up with China in career preparation

D．students Call enjoy a l2-year public free education

2.If tuition were not charged．

A．about 2．5 million students could afford college education

B．about 2 million students could be provided chances of college education

C．over l million students still could not afford college education

D．about 3 million students could graduate from high school

3.The author may agree that President Obama’s plan

A．has little to do with Gorge W．Bush’s program

B. does not agree with the survey by NCFES

C．does not contain practical measures to achieve its goal

D．will lighten the burden of state and local governments

4.It can be inferred from the passage that

A．the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are expensive but necessary

B．the federal Can not provide more money on education

C，critics of free college tuition think little of the plan

D．President Obama’s plan might be hard to carry out

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Obama Still Smokes in Secret

US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers. He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry. The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products.

At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90% of smokers who took up the habit before their 18th birthday.

Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hasn’t completely kicked the habit. Every now and then he still smokes in secret.

“As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time. Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No.” Obama said at a news conference.

“I don’t do it in front of my kids. I don’t do it in front of my family. I would say that I am 95% cured, but there are times when I mess up,” he said.

“Once you go down this path, it’s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important. The new law is not about me, it’s about the next generation of kids coming up. What we don’t want is kids going down that path.” he said.

Nearly 20% of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440,000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases.

1.The new law makes life difficult for ________.

A. Obama　　　　　　 B. tobacco industry

C. White House　　 D. US Food and Drug Administration

2.What do we know about Obama?

A. He no longer smokes.

B. He still smokes as usual.

C. He began to smoke at eighteen.

D. He is trying hard to give up smoking.

3. According to the passage, Obama is most concerned about ________.

A. children　　 　 B. officials

C. his family　　 D. businessmen

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Obama gets Nobel for contributions to peace

US President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize________1.October 9 for his calls to reduce the world's nuclear weapons and work for world peace.

Since taking office in January as the ________2. African American president, Obama has called for the cutting of nuclear weapons and worked to restart the Middle East peace process.

The prize,  worth $1.4 million, will________3.handed over to Obama in Norway on December 10. Obama will also get a gold medal and a diploma.

The Nobel Committee said it attached special importance to Obama's work for a world4.nuclear weapons.

" Only every rarely has a person to the same extent(程度) ________5.Obama captured(引起) the world's attention and given its people hope for ________6. better future," the Nobel Committee said.

People had guessed Obama might be the winner before the award, ________7.many Nobel watchers believed it was ________8.early to award the president.

高二英语其他题简单题查看答案及解析

President Barack Obama nominated Utah governor Jon Huntsman 3s ambassador to China on May 16．

Huntsman，49，is the son of a Utah multimillionaire(千万富翁)．He served as ambassador to Singapore under former president George H．W．Bush．In 2004，he became the governor of Utah and was elected for a second term in 2008．

The governor has strong ties to China：He lived in Taiwan when he was a teenager and speaks fluent Chinese．One of his daughters was adopted from China．His family also has business ties with China through Huntsman Corp，a chemical company．It has operations(动作)in the country including a factory in Shanghai．

Huntsman’s nomination has been met with praise(称赞)in both countries．

“Jon Huntsman is a well—regarded politician in the US…His experience as ambassador to Singapore and his knowledge of China，plus his wonderful Chinese language skills singled him out from the large number of Candidates，’’Dai Min，president of the US—based Center for America—China Partnership(中美合作中心)，told China Daily．

Obama appointed(任命)Huntsman“in order to seek China’s help and cooperation”on several international and regional issues，said Yuan Peng，professor of American Studies at the China Institute o f Contemporary International Relations(中国现代国际关系研究院)．

Some people say that President Obama’s decision to name John Huntsman is a well thought out political strategy。Huntsman is a big player in the Republican Party，and a possible presidential candidate for 2012．If he really has joined the Obama administration，he has lost that possibility．Now，when Obama kicks off his re—election campaign“ambassador’’Huntsman won’t be a threat．

1.The nomination of Huntsman won praise on both sides for the following reasons EXCEPT that

A、he has business ties with China        B、he can speak Chinese fluently

C、he is a very experenced politician         D、he knows China very well

2.Which of the following facts about Huntsman is NOT true?

A、He was once ambassador to Singapore．      B、He was elected governor of Utah twice．

C、H e has served two presidents as governor．    D、He spent part of his youth in Taiwan．

3.From the last two paragraphs，we can conclude that        ．

A、Obama considers China America’s top trade partner

B、By choosing Huntsman，Obama kills two birds with one stone

C、Huntsman will probably run for president in 2012．

D、Huntsman will sett]e several international and regional issues．

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Barack Obama became US President in January, 2009. Since then, the world has been watching him closely to see whether he keeps his promises about the economy(经济), foreign policy and health care.

But at home, he has also been under pressure from his two daughters to keep his promise: to give them a new dog as a gift for helping him with his election campaign(竞选活动).

On Tuesday the nation’s first dog, named Bo, came out. It is a six-month-old water dog which is black with a white chest and white paws(爪).

“Bo’s got star quality,” said President Obama as he and his family took a walk with the dog on the White House lawn(草坪) in front of reporters.

He then joked, “ I finally got a friend. It took some time,” mentioning a famous saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

1.Barack Obama is ______ President now.

A．French           B．British            C．Russian           D．American

2.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The dog is called Bo.                     B．The dog is six month old.

C．The dog is black and white.                D．The dog is all white.

3.The dog is Obama’s gift to ______.

A．the reporters      B．his wife           C．his daughters       D．his sons

4.What might the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．It’s not easy to find a dog in Washington.

B．It’s not easy to find a friend in Washington.

C．Dogs aren’t friendly to man.

D．Man isn’t friendly to dogs.

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket.

“I just miss---I miss being anonymous,” he said. “I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walk. I can't take a walk”.

His dream, he said, was to “go through Central Park and watch for passing by…spend the day watching people --- I miss that”.

Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. “It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours.” he told Hearst magazines.

Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his permission to change, such as the "kabuki dance" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as vindication（证实）by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached（漠然）, and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.

Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr. Obama has already racked up 60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W Bush did in his eight years. In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr. Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.

1.What do the second paragraph and the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A. Obama likes living a busy life.

B. Obama used to spend most of his time with his family.

C. Obama wishes to enjoy simple pleasures.

D. He used to wash his car himself.

2.According to Obama, he plays golf to　　　　　 .

A. release his pressure　　　　　　　　　　　 B. keep fit

C. balance his work　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. show his ability

3.We can infer from the passage that Obama is 　　　　　 kabuki dance.

A. curious about　     　　　　　　　 　　 B. interested in

C. content with     　　　　　　　　　　 D. tired of

4.Which of the following statements is from the critics?

A. The president lost lots of privacy, but he loves the life in the White House.

B. There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties.

C. The president seems to be indifferent (漠不关心的) towards some really important issues.

D. The president is really a great golf player.

5.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Obama's favorite pastime.

B. Obama’s complaints about lack of privacy as president.

C. The public's criticism of Obama.

D. Obama's regrets for being the US president.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Long before Barack Obama became president of the United States, he wrote a book 1. (call) Dream from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, which has since become 2.　 bestseller. It is an 3. (appeal) book that includes what he went through during 4. (he) childhood. Obama has little contact with his father 5. roots were in Kenya because he left home when Obama was very young. His mother got married 6. a student from Indonesia shortly after the family moved to Jakarta. A few years later, Obama came back with his grandparents to Hawaii, where he 7. (attend) a private high school. 8. (study) at Columbia in New York City, he then entered Harvard Law School. This autobiography also touches 9. (heavy) on Obama’s exposure to racism. Readers will find his reflections of childhood 10. (experience) which involved racial discrimination to be especially moving.

高二英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

The campaign is over. The celebrations have ended. And the work for US president-elect Barack Obama has begun.

The 47-year-old politician rose to the highest post because of his stand against the war in Iraq and his plans to fix a weak economy. But what will the first 47-year-old African-American president do for race relations?

Obama’s victory appears to have given blacks and other minorities a true national role model. For years, many looked to athletes and musicians for inspiration. As Darius Turner, an African-American high school student in Los Angeles, told the Los Angeles Times, “Kobe doesn’t have to be everybody’s role model anymore.”

Recent polls（民意测验）also suggest that Obama’s victory has given Americans new optimism about race relations. For example, a USA Today poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe relations between blacks and whites “will finally be worked out”. This is the most hopeful response since the question was first asked during the civil rights revolution in 1963.

However, it’s still too early to tell whether Obama’s presidency will begin to solve many of the social problems facing low-income black communities.

Although blacks make up only 13 percent of the US population, 55 percent of all prisoners are African-American. Such numbers can be blamed on any number of factors on America’s racist past, a failure of government policy and the collapse(瓦解)of the family unit in black communities.

It is unlikely that Obama will be able to reverse (扭转) such trends overnight. However, Bill Bank, an expert of African-American Studies, says that eventually young blacks need to find role models in their own communities. “That’s not Martin Luther King, and not Barack Obama,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s actually the people closest to them. Barack only has so much influence.”

In the opinion of black British politician Trevor Phillips, Obama’s rise will contribute more to multiculturalism than to race relations in the US.

“When the G8 meets, the four most important people in the room will be the president of China, the prime minister of India, the prime minister of Japan and Barak Obama,” he told London’s The Times newspaper. “It will be the first time we’ve seen that on our television screens. That will be a huge psychological shift (心理转变) for both the white people and the colored ones in the world.”

1.For years, before Obama was elected president of the US, __________.

2.According to Bill Bank, ____________.

3.What would be the best title for this passage?

4.What will be the huge psychological shift Trevor mentioned at the end of the passage?

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As US President Barack Obama _____London, fresh figures showed US house prices were falling at their fastest pace on record.

A. set up for　　 B. set in to

C. set off for　 D. set down to

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析