Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.

Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.

An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.

In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.

Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.

In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."

1.According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?

A．彩票箱           B．投票箱           C．礼品箱           D．保险箱

2.Democracy means that ____.

A．People couldn’t have a voice in a government.

B．In America, elections are held every four years for members of Congress.

C．Democracy is the lifeblood of elections.

D．Basically “ the people rule”, and it’s very important in American history.

3.How will the votes distributed if Romney got 20 votes while Obama received 17 votes in California in the election?

A．Romney will win 20 votes in California.

B．Obama will win 20 votes in California.

C．Romney will win 37 votes in California.

D．Obama will win 37 votes in California.

4. Which one is RIGHT about election reforms?

A．People have to pay a special tax to vote.

B．There are bribes and threatening in elections now.

C．People above eighteen years old can vote now.

D．The disabled or the blind have tough access to voting.

5. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．Birthday boxes in the U.S.                 B．Election systems in the U.S.

C．Election reforms in the U.S.                D．Democracy in the U.S.

Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.
An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.
In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.
In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."
【小题1】According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?

Surprises often come in boxes. Birthday presents wrapped in colorful paper, brown paper packages mailed from a friend. No matter what kind of box it is, people like to open it up and see what's inside. In America, and in many other countries, one special kind of box contains the future. It's called a ballot box. What people put into the box on election day can change the course of history.
Elections are the lifeblood of a democracy. The word democracy literally means "the people rule," an important concept in American history. In the mid-1700s, England began passing laws that made the American colonies angry. The colonists had to pay more and more taxes and enjoyed less and less freedom. They felt the government of England didn't represent their interests. On July 4, 1776, the colonies declared their independence from England. They wanted to establish a democracy where people could have a voice in government.
An effective democracy holds regular elections. In America, elections are held every two years for members of Congress. In these elections, all seats in the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate seats are up for grabs. In addition, every four years, voters go to the polls to elect the nation's president and vice-president. Voters also regularly cast their ballots for state and city government leaders and local school board members. Sometimes they also have to vote on a proposed law.
In the American electoral system, people don't really vote for presidential candidates. Instead, voters cast their ballots for "electors" who support each candidate. Each state has as many electors as the total number of its representatives in Congress. This equals two senators per state plus the number of its representatives in the House (which is based on the state's population). The candidate who has the most votes in a state wins all of the state's electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate must gain at least 270 of the 538 total electoral votes.
Over the years, the U.S. has made a number of election reforms. Some early reforms outlawed cheating, giving bribes and threatening voters. They also limited the amount of money candidates could receive from donors and spend on their campaigns. In 1870, black people gained the right to vote, and in 1920, that right was extended to women. In recent decades, laws against unfair rules for voting have been passed. No longer do people have to pay a special tax or pass a test in order to vote. In 1971, the voting age was lowered to 18. Other reforms made voting easier for the blind, the disabled and people who couldn't read. In some areas, ballots had to be printed in languages besides English.
In November, Americans will again elect those who will represent them in government. Although some citizens aren't even registered to vote--and some registered voters don't bother to go to the polls--most Americans exercise their right to vote. They realize that their future is wrapped up in a special package--the ballot box. It's a package that must definitely be "handled with care."

1. 1.

   According to the context, what does a “ballot box” mean in Chinese?

   1. A.
      彩票箱
   2. B.
      投票箱
   3. C.
      礼品箱
   4. D.
      保险箱
2. 2.

   Democracy means that ____

   1. A.
      People couldn’t have a voice in a government
   2. B.
      In America, elections are held every four years for members of Congress
   3. C.
      Democracy is the lifeblood of elections
   4. D.
      Basically “ the people rule”, and it’s very important in American history
3. 3.

   How will the votes distributed if Romney got 20 votes while Obama received 17 votes in California in the election?

   1. A.
      Romney will win 20 votes in California
   2. B.
      Obama will win 20 votes in California
   3. C.
      Romney will win 37 votes in California
   4. D.
      Obama will win 37 votes in California
4. 4.

   Which one is RIGHT about election reforms?

   1. A.
      People have to pay a special tax to vote
   2. B.
      There are bribes and threatening in elections now
   3. C.
      People above eighteen years old can vote now
   4. D.
      The disabled or the blind have tough access to voting
5. 5.

   What’s the main idea of this passage?

   1. A.
      Birthday boxes in the U.S
   2. B.
      Election systems in the U.S
   3. C.
      Election reforms in the U.S
   4. D.
      Democracy in the U.S

I’m glad to find this comment which has some sort of support in this quest（寻求）I have to eat raw（未煮熟的）foods. I’m an unhealthy 49 years old and have come to the conclusion that it’s now or never, so I am taking a dive into the raw eating lifestyle.

I have to cook for my family and prepare what they want to eat. I’m trying to plan out this better so I have some of these unusual foods ready for myself.

I’ve read several books written by Ann Wigmore and like her approach to the living foods.

Last week I attempted fasting（禁食）and failed. I lasted five days by having carrots, spinach, apples and other vegetarian diets I could get my hands on. I was doing fine until I drank some coffee. I kind of proved it in my mind to have the coffee but it only made me excited and then I couldn’t sleep well and felt hungry and weak. So I stopped and went back to the old way of eating with the family.

This week I started to make a drink called rejuvelac made of sprouted wheat（芽麦）. This is fairly new to do for me and the drink smelled sort of musty（发霉的）and tasted kind of like a musty lemon. The kids tasted it and almost threw up but surprisingly it tasted good to me. It is supposed to help in digestion（消化）.

I’ve made some attempts to grow wheat grass. I think I have figured that out as long as I keep it away from birds and our horses. I have two habits to get rid of, drinking coffee and smoking. I quit smoking last month but something happened, so I started up again. I’m very frustrated(受挫的) with the smoking and really have a desire to quit for good. Anyhow I will keep this updated on my progress.

1. The author must have ________ before she wrote this article.

A. hesitated at whether she should eat raw foods

B. never eaten raw foods

C. made up her mind to eat raw foods instead of cooked ones

D. been discouraged by her family from fasting

2.The books written by Ann Wigmore which the author has read are probably about ________.

A. fasting   

B. losing weight  

C. how to be on a diet  

D. approaches to eating raw foods

3.To the author, the drink made of sprouted wheat ________.

A. might help in digestion

B. might make people who drank it throw up

C. tasted good to anybody

D. was welcomed by the whole family

4. We can learn from the passage that ________ smoking.

A. the author has given up

B. the author will never give up

C. it’s hard for the author to quit

D. it’s easy for the author to quit

5.The author’s biggest worry at present is most probably ________.

A. that she can’t eat with her family

B. that she can’t get rid of drinking coffee and smoking

C. how to get used to raw foods

D. that she doesn’t know whether she should eat raw foods

Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today. People didn’t have modern machines. There was no modern medicine, either.

Life today has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. Water pollution has made our rivers and lakes dirty. It kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us talk louder and become angry easily. Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution. It is bad for all living things in the world.

Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. We need to do many other things. We should put waste things in the dustbins instead of on the ground. We can go to work by bus or with our friends in the same car. If there are fewer people driving, less pollution will be made. Rules are not enough to solve the problems. Every person must help to fight pollution.

1.Hundreds of years ago, life was much harder than it is today because _____.

2.What is the most serious problem in today’s life?

3.Why do people speak louder now than before?

4.What does the writer ask readers to do?

5.From the passage, we know that _____.

A. the pollution is not serious     

B today people don’t talk in loud voice

C. we have to drink dirty water    

D. people are making rules to control pollution