I ___ an old school friend at the supermarket this morning.

d it was designed by special care. I don't know if you've ever seen the Statue of Liberty, but if you look closely, she's holding not one object, but two. In one hand is the familiar torch we call the "light of liberty."And in the other hand is a book of law.

We're a nation of laws. Our courts are honest and they are independent. The President -- me -- I can't tell the courts how to rule, and neither can any other member of the government. Under our law, everyone stands equal. No one is above the law, and no one is beneath it.

All political power in America is limited and only given by the free vote of the people. We have a Constitution, now two centuries old, which limits and balances the power of the three branches of our government, the judicial(法庭的)branch, the legislative(立法的)branch, and the executive branch, of which I'm a part.

Many of the values that guide our life in America are first shaped in our families, just as they are in your country.American moms and dads love their children and work hard and sacrifice for them, because we believe life can always be better for the next generation. In our families, we find love and learn responsibility and character.

America is a nation guided by faith. Someone once called us "a nation with the soul of a church." This may interest you -- 95 percent of Americans say they believe in God, and I'm one of them.

1、How many objects are held in the hands of the Statue of Liberty？()

A、One

B、Two

C、Three

D、Four

2、According the passage, all people are _____ under the law of the United States.

A、the same

B、different

C、sometimes different

D、sometimes equal

3、The Constitution mentioned in this passage is round _____ years old.

A、100

B、200

C、300

D、400

4、According to the author many of the values of life are first developed _____.

A、in school

B、in the family

C、in work

D、in college

5、From the passage we can easily see that _____.

A、the majority of Americans often go to church

B、the government plays a very important role in a law court

C、light music is popular with old people

D、parents have little influence over their children

ational system in this country.Immigrants(移民) complain,too.Lately a German friend was filled with anger when he learned that the mathematics test given to his son on his first day as a college freshman included multiplication and division.Japanese businessmen in Los Angeles send their children to private schools staffed by teachers imported from Japan to learn mathematics at Japanese levels,generally considered at least a year more advanced than the level here.

But I wonder:If American education is so poor,why is it that this is still the country of innovation. When I was 12 in Indonesia,I had to memorize the names of all the world's major cities,from Kabul to Karachi.At the same age,my son,who was brought up a Californian,thought that Buenos Aires was Spanish for good food.However,unlike children of his age in Asia and Europe,my son had studied creative geography.When he was only 6,he drew a map of the route that he traveled to get to school,including the streets,the traffic signs and the houses that he passed.

Dissatisfied American parents forget that in this country their children are able to experiment freely with ideas; without this they will not really be able to think or to believe in themselves.

Critics of American education cannot grasp one thing:freedom.America,I think,is the only country that extends even to children the license to freely speak,write and be creative.Our public education certainly is not perfect, but it is a great deal better than any other.I think I have found the answer to my question.

36.From the text we learn that ______.

A.both Americans and immigrants are dissatisfied with the quality of American education

B.the author shares the general idea that American education is worse than education in many othercountries

C.Japanese schools in America require their American teachers to teach mathematics at Japanese levels

D.the author's German friend was a little displeased because the mathematics test for his son was too easy

37.Which of the following is NOT true？

A.The author most probably was an immigrant from Asia and received some school education there.

B.Buenos Aires must be the name of a city,as are Kabul and Karachi.

C.Children in other countries are not likely to learn creative geography.

D.The knowledge of geography of the author's son shows that American education is poor.

38.Which of the following can be inferred from the passage？

A.If children are not allowed to experiment freely with ideas they won't grow up independent and creative.

B.Most Americans think the present American educational system is not as good as it used to be

C.Private schools run by Japanese businessmen maintain a higher level than American public schools.

D.Americans are more innovative than other people in the world.

39.In the last paragraph the author say,“I have found the answer to my question.”What is the question？

A.Is Japanese education better than American education？

B.Why do Japanese businessmen send their children to Japanese-staffed schools？

C.Why was my son not taught enough geographic knowledge？

D.Is American education really worse than education in other countries？

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

A.American education and education in foreign countries

B.Improvement needed for American education

C.Freedom to think-characteristic of American education

D.Education and innovation in America

rmal legs.Scout, 18, answers, “No.I have never known anything different, and it would seem weird to me.Besides, if it weren’t for the missing leg, I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have today!”

Scout has faced big challenges.When she was only months old, she suffered from terrible burns.Her right leg was especially damaged, and doctors cut it off above the knee.When she was 14, she got a high-tech leg made for sports and put it to the test right away in a race for disabled athletes.“I remember being terrified because this was my first time,” she says.“But my doctor said,You have to start somewhere.”

Scout was waiting nervously for the race to start when athlete Sarah Reinestsen came up and said, “I’ve been doing this for a while.Let me give you some tips.”Reinertsen, who lost her leg when she was seven, is the first disabled women to have finished the Ironman Triathlon(铁人三项) in Hawaii.She works with an organization to help support people like Scout.

Reinertsen’s encouragement changed the teenager’s life.She lost that first race, but gained the confidence that she needed to compete.If Sarah could do it, she could too.Training hard, she now runs competitively and also finds time to share her story with school groups.

“Sometimes people look at me or at Sarah and think they have nothing in common with us.I tell them that even if you aren’t physically challenged, everybody has challenges of some kind — maybe with family, or homework, or friends.No matter what it is, you can overcome that obstacle,” she says.“Everything you need is inside your heart.Take small steps.As time goes by, the steps will get bigger and you will reach your dream.”

11.Why does Scout answer “No” when asked if she wants two normal legs？()

A.She’s scared of changing her current situation

B.She couldn’t have them even if she wanted to

C.She has never thought about it before

D.She’s satisfied with what she has achieved as a disabled

12.What dose the doctor mean by saying “You have to start somewhere”(Para.2)？()

A.She has to do it sooner or later

B.She has to find the right place to start

C.That will be a memorable first time

D.That is a perfect time to start

13.Scout’s childhood experiences ______.

A.were the cause of her shyness

B.were a nightmare until she reached 14

C.didn’t stop her from fulfilling herself

D.didn’t have much influence on her later life

14.Which of the following statements in true？()

A.Sarah shared her story with school students

B.Sarah started to compete at the age of seven

C.Scout has been inspired by Sarah’s success

D.Scout joined Sarah’s organization to help others

15.Through Scout’s story, the author wants to tell us that ______.

A.the disabled are mentally stronger than others

B.inner strength can help one overcome difficulties

C.good things will come no matter what

D.everybody has to challenge himself

A.Not at all

B.By no means

C.No, I wouldnt

D.Oh, never

A.young

B.old

C.age

D.short

A.received

B.accepted

C.obtained

D.acquired

A.Lastly

B.At least

C.At the end

D.In the end

A.visited

B.invited

C.helped

D.met

A.took place

B.occurred

C.broke out

D.happened

A.my old self

B.old myself

C.myself old

D.as old myself

A.pick out

B.fill out

C.make out

D.look out