初三英语时文阅读(2009.4.22)

初三英语时文阅读（2009.4.22）
（材料一）“美国第一家庭”迎来“白宫第一狗”！早在竞选总统的时候，奥巴马就承诺送给两个女儿一条宠物狗，无论成败。

Meet the First Pet: Bo, the Portuguese Water Dog!
Last Tuesday, the U.S. first family officially welcomed their first pet—Bo, a 6-month-old Portuguese water dog*. The selection was one of the White House’s most tightly kept secrets. They’ll love the dog!
President Barack Obama’s daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, never had pets before. The black and white puppy is a gift from Sen. Edward Kennedy (爱德华·肯尼迪参议员), who owns three Portuguese water dogs himself.
“We couldn’t be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha,” Kennedy said in a statement. “We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls—and their parents—will love theirs, too.”
Why Bo?
Malia and Sasha have named the dog Bo, after a cousin’s cat and in honor of Michelle Obama’s grandfather, who was nicknamed Diddley. The name for the dog was an apparent (明显的) reference (参考) to the singer “Bo” Diddley.
White House aides (助手) told the AP (美联社) that the office of the first lady arranged an exclusive (排他的,独家的) deal (交易) on the dog story with the Washington Post (《华盛顿邮报》).
That’s top secret!
Before the official announcement, many websites were abuzz with* rumors (谣言，流言) of the fir st family’s selection; one website even claimed it had pictures of the first pet. Hearing the rumors, Obama joked to reporters: “Oh, man, now, that’s top secret.”
“That was a campaign promise,” Obama said in a talk show last month. The president made a lot of promises during his election campaign, but none more important than (没有比…更重要的) this one to his young daughters; he vowed to buy them a dog, win or lose.
Now, he has fulfilled the promise.
*water dog: 会游水的狗, (俚语) 老练的水手
be abuzz with 热烈…(讨论)
（材料二）假期在即，手头却有数不清的作业？试试“留在家里的假期”吧！最美的风景就在身边！
Getting Away by Staying Home
What will you be doing for the Labor Day holiday? For many, the extra days off provide an ideal opportunity to go and see new places. This is a great way to spend your vacation. However, more and more people are starting to take a “staycation.” That is, instead of traveling, many people are opting (选择) to stay at home and enjoy local recreational activities.
Conveniently termed in 2003 as “staycation,” this modern word is shorthand (简略表达) for “stay-at-home vacation.” Opting for a staycation during your break is a great way to save money because there are no lodging costs (住宿费用) and minimal travel expenses. In addition, it is a great way to take the time to connect with your community and support local businesses. By taking the time to explore and admire the beauty and fun in your immediate (附近的) environment, you can discover cool places that you never knew before. As a result, your experience as a “staycationer” will cause you to have a greater appreciation (了解，欣赏) for your local area.
Another attractive reason for going with a staycation during your break owes to (归功于) the lack of stress. As a busy student, it is important to have some time to rest, clear your mind, and “breathe” a little. Traveling, however, is full of packing (整理行装), long-distance travel, waiting in long lines, and tiresome navigation through unfamiliar territory (地域). As a result, traveling “vacations” become another energy-drainer (耗费精力的), piling on (累积) stress during a time when you should be free from it.
So, as you contemplate (计划) what you would like to do for the Labor Day holiday, consider a staycation to relax, save money, and refresh yourself! Make sure that you are not tempted to* work at home due to (由于) easy access to e-mail and related materials. Remind yourself that this is YOUR personal time and make the best of (充分利用) it by exploring Shanghai, meeting up with friends, and taking your mind off (忘却) your busy schedule.
* be tempted to do sth. 某人被诱惑做某事(被动)
（材料三）被功课压得喘不过气，因为父母吵架感到害怕，或是和好朋友吵架了……这些问题应该去和谁聊聊呢？
Talk to Your School Counselor
If you study in America or other western countries, a school counselor (顾问，辅导员) plays a very important role in your life.
Counselors help you cope*
School counselors kno w how to listen and help. They’ll take your problem seriously and work with you to find a good solution. A counselor can help you deal with sadness when someone has died, as well as advise you on taking the right classes to get into your dream college. Whatever problem you have, your counselor has seen it before — and has lots of good advice on how to help you work through it.
Student-Counselor Meetings
Counselors meet with students individually or in small groups. The most common setting is a private meeting just between the student and the counselor. Most school counselors have their own offices where you can sit and talk.
School counselors probably ask you to visit him or her even if you don’t have a problem. This helps you feel comfortable with the counselor in case you ever need to meet in a time of crisis. It’s usually easier to talk about a tough issue or a problem when you already feel comfortable with the counselor.
Sometimes counselors also meet students in groups. Group meetings can really help people who are dealing with similar issues. In these group settings, people can share their feelings and learn coping skills. Not only do you get great ideas in a group, but it can also help to know that other students are going through the same thing.
It’s just not possible to sort* through tough times alone. Problems can build up and you may lose sleep, find you can’t concentrate on (集中于) homework, or even become depressed (抑郁的，消沉的). When you need to talk to someone, your school counselor can be a great place to start.
*cope 对付(困难)，竞争/抗衡/对抗词组：cope with
sort 分类；整顿，整理；分选，拣(sort out)
（材料四）奥巴马欧洲之行“小试牛刀”，抛出橄榄枝，改善美国形象。

President Obama’s First Official Trip to Europe
President Obama returned to the United States two weeks ago after his first visit to Europe since taking office (就职) in January.
Throughout his marathon of speeches, meetings, summits, and one-on-one (一对一的) talks with leaders, he received massive (大规模的) media coverage (报道范围).
It’s time to go home
On his way back, the president made an unannounced* stop in Iraq. He met with the Iraqi prime minister(总理) and president. He also visited American military troops(军事部队) at a camp near Baghdad (巴格达).
Obama offered his thanks and support to a group of cheering troops. He said it is time for the Iraqis to take responsibility for their country, and that the United States will remove most American fighting forces (作战部队) from Iraq by the end of 2010.
Not at war with Islam
Earlier, Obama traveled to Turkey for his first official visit to a mostly Muslim country. He met with university students and with Turkish president. He promised to rebuild relations between the United States and the Islamic world: “Let me say this a s clearly as I can: The United States is not, and will never be, at war with Islam.”
A world without nuclear weapons
Before visiting Iraq and Turkey, the president was in Prague(布拉格), the capital of the Czech Republic(捷克共和国). He met with European Union leaders and spoke to a crowd of about 20,000 people. He urged other nations to join in an effort to free the world of nuclear weapons.
“Today I state clearly and with conviction America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons. As the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral (道义上的) responsibility to act.
“We cannot succeed in this endeavor (竭力) alone, but we can lead it, we can start it.”
*unannounced 未经宣布的；未经通报的
（材料五）“天生我才必有用”，只有懂得欣赏自己，才能得到别人的赞赏与肯定。

I Am Somebody!
“I am somebody,”is a phrase that America’s Rev. Jesse Jackson and others use to encourage young students. He used the phrase as part of a poem that tells students that they are bright, capable and worthwhile. It’s a phrase that encourages students to have“self-esteem.”
Self-esteem is a big word but it just means the way we think and feel about ourselves. When you “esteem” someone, you think well of them. So when you have self-esteem，you think well of yourself.
Having self-esteem gives you a positive outlook on life. It gives you the confidence to meet new people and to try new things. Having self-esteem also lets you keep your positive outlook even when you meet with failure and disappointment.
Most of you probably have good self-esteem. You have families who love you, friends who support you and teachers who encourage you. But some students may suffer from poor self-esteem. They may have problems at home, they may be too shy to make friends or they may have difficulties at school with their studies.
Students with poor self-esteem have more negative thoughts. They think the future is dark instead of bright. They think that they are less worthwhile than other people. Having these negative thoughts can be really harmful. They can affect your studies and your relationships. So it’s important to build your self-esteem.
So, how can you build self-esteem?
●Make a list of things that you are good at. It can be simple things like flying a kite or cooking food.
●Give yourself compliments: “Hey, I finished my homework! Good job!”
●Accept the things about yourself you can’t change: tall/short, thin/fat... big ears!
●Stop thinking negatively: think of something positive or nice, instead.
And if you feel that low self-esteem creeping(爬行的) back, just keep repeating Rev. Jackson’s phrase,“I am somebody,”... because you are!。