Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so. But selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African woman they so rarely see.
Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The widespread theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype (模式化的形象) of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic mothers.
These images have helped define the way all black women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simply to be herself.
It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications (出版物) have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.
Just as she will have her critics, she will have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House — mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone — an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉著), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around far too long.
【小題1】Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?

Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.

       Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.

       The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.

       It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.

       The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat（拍）yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!

You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

A. dare to challenge yourself     B. feel it hard to change yourself

C. are unconfident about yourself  D. have a high opinion of yourself

How should you change your self-image according to the passage?

A. To keep a different image of others. B. To make your life successful.

C. To understand your own world.           D. To change the way you think.

What is the passage mainly about?

A. How to prepare for your success.     B. How to face challenges in your life.

C. How to build a positive self-image.  D. How to develop your good qualities.

Who are the intended readers of the passage?

A. Parents.     B. Adolescents.      C. Educators.       D. People in general.

B
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. but sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. it is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative serf-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat(拍) yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!
【小題1】You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (邏輯) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

What would be the best title for the text?

A. A Way on How to Write.

B. Increase Your Brain Power through Writing.

C. Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing.

D. How to Start Your Writing.

According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.

A. the increase of your brain power

B. the ability to remember

C. the development of your interest in study

D. the better understanding of a topic

If a writer writes something, it means that he or she ______.

A. has understood it very well

B. needs to understand it better

C. wants to remember it in his or her mind

D. is exercising his or her “explain power”

The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies

that ______.

A. you are already successful

B. you still need to work hard

C. writing can help you walk half way

D. writing is important to solve problems

What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?

A. To advise readers to start their writing.

B. To explain the importance of writing.

C. To persuade readers to become writers.

D. To increase readers’ brain power.

C
I’ve been told that in China，having a pet，particularly a dog，is often considered to be a status（地位）symbol because it shows the family can afford to have an animal．It’s very different here．
In Canada it’s common to have pets．Many people have dogs；many others have cats，fish，birds or rabbits．Some keep what we call exotic（奇異的）pets，although keeping exotic animals is difficult，and because it can also be hard on the animals, the keeping of some exotic animals is not allowed by law．Some people do it anyway．
I like animals．As far back as I can remember my family has always had cats．Our cats．of course，wanted to go outside and it seemed reasonable to let them wander the neighborhood finding birds to run after，trees to climb and sunny places to sleep．As we always lived in a city，however，there was a problem．I remember more than once losing a cat that was killed by a car and it was heartbreaking．
Now，my wife and I lived in a small town．We no longer have a house—we live in an apartment（公寓）．We have a cat named Callie and she never goes out except onto the halcony（陽臺）so cars are no longer a problem．She’s about sixteen years old and will probably live to be twenty or more．The trouble will come when she dies．We’ve had a pet for so long that it seems like a natural part of our lives and without a cat around the  room it will seem somehow empty．On the other hand，we’re getting older and，given that a cat can live about twenty years we wonder if we’ll ever have another after Callie goes.
Having a pet is very good for a number of reasons．It helps to teach children how to look after a living creature，makes them realize that animals have feelings just like we do and that, in many ways，we depend on each other．For older people like me an animal is a companion（伙伴）and a comfort to have around．A pet，properly treated, returns the favor by giving back unconditional love．Wouldn’t this world be a great place if people could learn how to do that !
64．The writer keeps a cat as a pet now because___________．
A．she feels lonely living in the countryside
B．it acts as her companion
C．her family is used to keeping a cat
D．it can helps her teach her children．
65．What will happen after the writer’s pet，Callie dies?
A．She will surely buy another one．     B．She won’t keep pets any longer．
C．She will remember it for a long time． D．Her room will be empty．
66．What should people do in keeping a pet according to the text?
A．Not allow it to go out of the room．   B．Catch birds for him to play with．
C．Let it wander outside as it likes．     D．Not live in the city．
67．What can be the best title for the passage?
A．How to keep a pet．               B．My pet，Callie．
C．Keeping Pets in Canada．           D．It’s the Animal in Me．