高考英语 考前突破阅读理解能力 社会生活 美国大法官法庭上沉默七年再度讲话素材

第一篇：高考英语 考前突破阅读理解能力 社会生活 美国大法官法庭上沉默七年再度讲话素材

美国大法官法庭上沉默七年再度讲话

US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has not asked a question in court for nearly seven years, has spoken to a lawyer presenting a case.美国最高法院大法官克拉伦斯·托马斯日前与一位陈述案情的律师讲话，他近七年在法庭中未曾说过一句话。

Clarence Thomas has not spoken in court since February 2006

Justice Thomas, 64, made a comment during a joke about lawyers who studied at Harvard and Yalelawyers in court said.He said “Well, he did not...”, according to court transcripts, prompting several justices to laugh.Justice Thomas has not asked a question in court since 22 February 2006.Correspondents say the justice's comments were not clear, other than that he seemed to be joking about Ivy League law school graduates.One lawyer said the joke was at the expense of Yale Law School, where Justice Clarence studied, while another lawyer said Harvard Law School was the target of the joke, the Associated Press reported.The nine-member bench was hearing arguments in the case of Boyer vs Louisiana, in which Jonathan Boyer is seeking to have his murder conviction overturned because he was held in jail for seven years before trial.His lawyers say Boyer's constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated.Correspondents say that one issue in the case is whether Boyer's court-appointed lawyers in the early stages of his case were qualified to represent him.Justice Antonin Scalia asked the lawyer representing the state of Louisiana to confirm which law schools two of the lawyers in question had attended, when Justice Thomas made his comments.Justice Thomas is the only member of the bench who has a habit of not asking questions when oral arguments are heard by the court.

第二篇：高考英语8月考前突破 阅读理解能力 社会生活 美国百岁老奶奶每天制作一条新裙子捐给非洲素材

美国百岁老奶奶每天制作一条新裙子捐给非洲

美国爱荷华州的莉莉安·韦伯老奶奶已经将近100岁了，但年纪没有成为她帮助他人的绊脚石。她每天都在不停的缝制裙子，让那些需要的孩子们有衣服穿。从2011年起她开始做这件事，目前已经完成了超过840件裙子。她的目标是1000件。她每天早上开始制作一条新裙子，中午休息一下，下午完成。她把制作好的裙子捐献给非洲的“小裙子”组织，这是一家专门给非洲的小女孩分发衣服的组织。

Lillian Weber is on a mission.Every day she makes another dress for a small child she'll never meet.“I could probably make two a day, but I only make one,” she says.The dresses are collected and sent overseas to little girls in Africa by a Christian outreach group called “Little Dresses for Africa”.“I have to be busy,” says Lillian.And she's been very busy.In the past two years she's made more than 840 dresses and she plans to make 150 more by May 6th of next year.You see, by next May, Lillian will turn 100 years old and it will be her one thousandth dress.“It's just one of those things you learn how to do and enjoy,” she says.1 In Lillian's Scott County farm house are completed dresses for little girls, made from a pattern, but each with extra stitching and individual details, designed to give each child a little extra pride.“She personalizes them all,” says Lillian's daughter, Linda Purcell.“It's not like good enough that she makes the dresses, she has to put something on the front to make it look special, to give it her touch.”

What started as a hobby has become a daily labor of love.Lillian says she starts work on a dress in the morning, takes a break during the midday, and puts finishing touches in the afternoon.“I just think she's somebody to look up to, somebody whose not just sitting around and frittering（浪费）her life away,” says Tonya Urbatsch, who nominated Lillian for the “Pay It Forward” award.“I'm amazed at her every day,” adds Linda.“I'm very, very proud of my mother.”

Family and friends will continue to be proud of Lillian, well after her 1000th dress.After all, 1000 is just a number.“When I get to that thousand, if I'm able to.I won't quit.I'll go at it again because there's no reason to not do nothing.”

When Lillian is finished with her dresses, her daughters deliver them to a Davenport senior living apartment complex where a group of residents have a weekly sewing appointment to make dresses for the charitable organization.“Little Dresses for Africa” is a Christian charitable organization founded in 2008 in Michigan.Its founder, Rachel O'Neill, says 2.5 million dresses have been distributed.The simple dresses are distributed to orphanages（孤儿院）, churches, and schools in Africa.Rachel says she's traveling to Africa again in September 2014 and February 2015 and hopes to be able to present to a child one of the dresses personally made by Lillian.

第三篇：高考英语 考前突破阅读理解能力 国际时事要闻 奥朗德出兵马里获联合国嘉奖

奥朗德出兵马里获联合国嘉奖

France's president has received a major prize from the United Nations' cultural organisation for his decision to send troops to Mali in January.法国总统奥朗德因一月份出兵马里的决定而获得联合国教科文组织的嘉奖。

President Hollande received the peace prize from Unesco Director-General Irina

Bokova

Francois Hollande was awarded the annual Felix Houphouet-Boigny Peace Prize by Unesco at a ceremony in Paris.The president of the jury praised Mr Hollande for the “solidarity shown by France to the peoples of Africa”.The decision was criticised by some human rights groups, who noted the continuing unrest in Mali.Earlier, the Malian army said its soldiers had clashed with Tuareg separatists near the northern town of Kidal, killing several rebels.'Solidarity'

The Houphouet-Boigny prize, created in 1989, is intended to honour people that have made a significant contribution to peace and stability.Other winners include former Irish president Mary Robinson, South Africa's former leader Nelson Mandela and the first president of East Timor, Xanana Gusmao.President Hollande was presented with a diploma, a gold medal and a cash prize of $150,000, which he will reportedly donate to two relief organisations working in Mali.Joaquim Chissano, president of the deciding jury, said: “Having assessed the dangers and the repercussions of the situation on Africa and on Mali in particular, as well 1 as on the rest of the world, the jury appreciated the solidarity shown by France to the peoples of Africa.”

Mali's President, Dioncounda Traore, thanked Mr Hollande and referred to the “humiliation” suffered by people living in the north of of the country before the French troops arrived.Benin President Thomas Boni Yayi meanwhile told the news agency AFP: “If France had not intervened, where would we be? God alone knows.”

第四篇：(每日一读)2014年6月高考英语考前突破 阅读理解能力 国际时事要闻 五名北约士兵在阿富汗被杀（精选）

五名北约士兵在阿富汗被杀 Five Nato soldiers have been killed in an incident in southern Afghanistan, the Nato-led force in the country says.五名北约士兵在阿富汗南部一场事故中被杀。

The International Security Assistance Force(Isaf)says the incident took place on Monday but gave no details.The Isaf force currently has soldiers from 50 contributing nations in Afghanistan.Taliban militants have stepped up attacks ahead of the planned withdrawal of most foreign troops from the country at the end of 2014.Most troops stationed in the south are American, but Nato has not confirmed the nationality of these casualties.Southern Afghanistan is the heartland of the Taliban movement and insurgents frequently attack security forces in the region.There have been more than 30 Nato forces killed this year in Afghanistanwho vowed to disrupt campaigning and voting-attacked the campaign rally of one of the contenders last week.

第五篇：(每日一读)2014年6月高考英语考前突破 阅读理解能力 国际时事要闻 圣保罗交通部门举行罢工 交通几近瘫痪

圣保罗交通部门举行罢工 交通几近瘫痪 A public transport strike has caused traffic chaos in Brazil's largest city, Sao Paulo, a week before it hosts the opening match of the World Cup.巴西最大城市圣保罗的公共交通部门举行大罢工，造成交通混乱。此时距世界杯开幕仅有一周时间。

Half of all underground stations were closed as transport workers walked out, demanding a 10% pay rise.Angry commuters stormed the Itaquera station, nearest the stadium where Brazil will play Croatia on 12 June.Police and other public sector workers say they will also strike in the next few weeks if their demands are not met.This is the latest setback in Brazil's preparations for the World Cup, which have been criticised by the tournament's global organisers.But Fifa President Sepp Blatter has called on the Brazilian people to do all they can to support the World Cup.“We at Fifa, we are confident.It will be a celebration,” Mr Blatter told reporters as he arrived in Sao Paulo amid the traffic chaos.The state-owned underground company has offered a 8.7% pay rise, which was rejected by the unions which declared the strike for an undetermined period.The authorities said they would sack staff if they failed to meet legal requirements and keep at least 70% of public transport services running.“The government will not be complacent,” said Sao Paulo state Transport Secretary Jurandir Fernandes.“If we gave them a 10% rise, all other state workers would demand the same,” Mr Fernandes told Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper.