Washington, November 1, 2012  (CNN) -- After years of planning and months of campaigning（竞选）, the most expensive presidential race in history comes down to a final five-day whirlwind of speeches and television ads in the eight states still up for grabs.

President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney plan to hold virtually nonstop events between now and the Tuesday election considered too close to call.

The focus is on battleground states worth 95 of the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Both sides are trying to close the deal with a decreasing number of uncommitted(未表态的) voters, while making sure supporters actually cast ballots.

That means a game of campaign chess that started Thursday, with appearances by the candidates (候选人)and their assistants as well as advertising dollars allocated to the places considered most vital to success.

Concluding a race expected to cost more than $6 billion overall, Obama and Romney and their running mates will hit all the battleground states -- Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Ohio, New Hampshire, Nevada, Virginia and Wisconsin. The campaigns also are unloading a blast of television ads and mailings that threaten to overwhelm voters already saturated with politicking. Perhaps no one said it better than 4-year-old Abigael Evans of Fort Collins, Colorado, who -- according to NPR -- cried after listening to more election coverage on the radio and told her mother, ‘I'm tired of Barack Obama and Mitt Romney.’

1.The underlined phrase “too close to call” probably means               .

A．a game that one side is clearly winning.

B．a tie in which neither side seems likely to win

C．so close that you need not use a telephone

D．a visit close to one’s home state

2.What is the focus of the last-5 -day campaigns for both presidential candidates?

A．To make sure that their supporters understand their policies.

B．To collect enough money for campaign ads.

C．To paint their rival as black as possible.

D．To win over the voters who have not decide which candidate to vote for.

3.The public generally feel ________ about these last-days election efforts.

A．excited           B．disappointed       C．annoyed          D．relieved

 

SECTION B

Directions：Read the following passage．Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage and the required words limit．Write your answers on your answer sheet.

According to the sociologists, there are several different ways in which a person may become recognized as the leader of a social group. In the family, traditional cultural patterns confer (赠与) leadership on one or both of the parents. In other cases, such as friendship groups, one or more persons may gradually emerge (显现) as leaders, although there is no formal process of selection. In larger groups, leaders are usually chosen formally through election or recruitment.

Although leaders are often thought to be people with unusual personal ability, decades of research have failed to produce consistent（可靠的）evidence that there is any category of “natural leaders”. It seems that there is no set of personal qualities that all leaders have in common; rather, virtually (actually) any person may be recognized as a leader if the person has qualities that meet the needs of that particular group.

Research suggests that there are typically two different leadership roles that are held by different individuals. Instrumental leadership is leadership that emphasizes the completion of tasks by a social group. Group members look to instrumental leaders to “get things done”. Expressive (有表现力的) leadership, on the other hand, is leadership that emphasizes the collective（集体的）well beings of a social group’s members. Expressive leaders are less concerned with the overall goals of the group than with providing emotional support to group members and attempting to minimize (将……减到最少) tension and conflict among them.

Instrumental leaders are likely to have a rather secondary relationship to other group members. They give orders and may discipline group members who prevent attaining the group’s goals. Expressive leaders cultivate（培养）a more personal or primary relationship to others in the group. They offer sympathy when someone experiences difficulties and try to resolve issues that threaten to divide the group. As the difference in these two roles suggest, expressive leaders generally receive more personal affection from group members; instrumental leaders, if they are successful in achieving group goals, may enjoy a more distant respect.

81. How are leaders usually chosen? (不超过12个单词)

__________________________________________________________

82. What do expressive leaders generally focus on? （不超过5个词）

__________________________________________________________

83. What kind of person may be considered a leader according to the writer? (不超过17个单词)

__________________________________________________________

84. What does the passage mainly discuss? （不超过8个词）

__________________________________________________________

 

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．

       Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（预期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．

       As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．

       Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．

       By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面临） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顾问） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（压倒性的）．

       Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States．

       A．no stepfamilies                       B．more stepfamilies than ever before

       C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before      D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

       A．The pursuit of the same careers．        B．Professional interventions（干涉）．

       C．The development of special interests．   D．Careful planning before the marriage．

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．

       A．everlasting loyalties              B．open communication

       C．kindness and mutual respect        D．persistent（持久稳固的） affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　　．

       A．unrealistic     B．complicated          C．ambivalent           D．guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　　．

       A．impossible                             B．satisfying and rewarding

       C．discouraging and frustrating                 D．a difficult and trying experience

语法填空（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

阅读下面短文，根据上下文填入适当的词语，或使用括号中的词语的适当形式填空。

Chinese President Hu said before arriving in Pittsburgh ahead of the G20 summit, “To realize __1__ safer world for all, we must first and foremost remove the threat of nuclear war,” saying Beijing has always wanted complete __2___ (prohibit) and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. Hu also said, “All countries should join the NPT (Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty) and make real efforts to uphold and enhance its authority and __3__ (effective).” It was the third day when Hu had made a major speech before world leaders. __4__ was the first time that he __5__ (address) such a high-level summit on disarmament(解除武装) and nonproliferation(消除核扩散). Hu made five proposals in his speech, _6__ (say) all countries with nuclear weapons should publicly commit to not wanting to possess _7__ in the long term. Hu said China will consistently support nonproliferation and disarmament treaties. “We have adhered to(坚持) the policy of no-first-use of nuclear weapons at any time and __8__ any circumstance, and made the commitment that we will unconditionally not use or threaten to use nuclear weapons _9__ non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones,” said Hu. The Chinese president said the function of the International Atomic Energy Agency should __10__ (strength).

 

The Chinese New Year is a great holiday to choose to celebrate Chinese culture with your child. Here are few fun ways to bring a bit of fun and   1   into your home through the festivities of the Chinese New Year.

1.Add a lucky red door. Red is a traditional color of   2  . It's an important part of the Chinese New Year to   3  on doing what one can to bring about good luck for the New Year. If you don't want to  4   the door red, how about wrapping it up like a present with red wrapping paper. If changing your front door's color is not workable, how about the door to your child's bedroom?

2.Eat. A huge part of most cultures is that of food and the Chinese New Year is not   5  , it's eating jiaozi at midnight on New Year's Eve, or longevity noodles on day seven of the festivities to    6  long life. The Chinese New Year celebrations mean many fancy meals that your child will   7  .

3.Create a lantern. Sara Naumann, the Guide to China Travel, shares a bit about the legend of the Lantern Festival or Yuanxiao, which occurs on the   8  day of the Chinese New Year festivities. It's a   9  that includes an emperor, a young woman who misses her family, and tricking the God of Fire. Your kids should love this story. After   10  it with them, or while reading the story, enjoy making your own paper lantern to display.

4.Give lucky money. The Guide to Mandarin Language shares that another very popular   11  during the Chinese New Year is that of the gift of red envelopes with   12  in them. These gifts are given to children and usually follow a bit of superstition（迷信） in that the money needs to be given in even amounts and never contain   13  numbers, such as four. Therefore, four dollars is not a good gift. The envelopes are also decorated with lucky symbols and New Year   14  .

5.Give a small gift. The giving of simple gifts is also an appropriate way to   15  the Chinese New Year. What better gift than that of a children's book about the Chinese New Year or the Chinese Culture.

6.Make some noise. Just like in America, the Chinese use   16  in ringing in their New Year. In the Chinese culture it began as a way to   17   away any demons（鬼） that threaten to bring a profitable and lucky New Year, but today it's also about excitement and   18  . Consider setting off a few firecrackers of your own, if allowed in your area. If not, make a cute firework picture with a bit of glitter and glue. A pretend firecracker is another great craft that could also be considered a festive way to decorate your New Year table.

7.Sing Happy Birthday to your dog. The second day of the Chinese New Year is   19  the birthday of all dogs. Why not   20  your child to throw Fido a birthday celebration? Perhaps an extra ride in the car or new chew toy is in order? I know my dog would appreciate a few extra belly rubs too.

(    ) 1. A. tradition           B. culture             C. civilization       D. habit

(    ) 2. A. wealth              B. disaster             C. belief                      D. luck

(    ) 3. A. focus                      B. accuse              C. adapt               D. mind

(    ) 4. A. boil                 B. paint               C. wash               D. purchase

(    ) 5. A. same               B. similar             C. common           D. different

(    ) 6. A. come about       B. take about        C. bring about       D. get out

(    ) 7. A. bore                 B. destroy             C. enjoy                      D. absorb

(    ) 8. A. last                  B. first                 C. second              D. next

(    ) 9. A. play                 B. story               C. novel                      D. history

(    ) 10. A. sharing           B. listening           C. reading             D. making

(    ) 11. A. invention               B. story               C. race                 D. tradition

(    ) 12. A. food                      B. clothes             C. money              D. jewels

(    ) 13. A. unclear           B. unlucky            C. unfair               D. uncertain

(    ) 14. A. wishes            B. signs               C. presents            D. happiness

(    ) 15. A. spend             B. envy               C. buy                  D. celebrate

(    ) 16. A. firecrackers     B. songs                      C. dances              D. goods

(    ) 17. A. take                      B. scare               C. get                   D. burn

(    ) 18. A. fun               B. relax               C. sleep               D. travel

(    ) 19. A. fixed              B. named              C. considered               D. marked

(    ) 20. A. order              B. accompany       C. tease               D. Allow