I was born in Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families--second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks, some of whom now reside in Adams, and others in Macon countries, Illinois. My paternal grandfather, Abraham Lincoln, emigrated from Rockingham County, Virginia, to Kentucky, about 1781 or 1782,where, a year or two later, he was killed by Indians, not in battle, but by stealth, when he was laboring to open a farm in the forest. His ancestors, who were Quakers, went to Virginia from Berks County, Pennsylvania. An effort to identify them with the New - England family of the same name ended in nothing more definite, than a similarity of christian names in both families, such as Enoch, Levi, Mordecei, Solomon, Abraham, and the like.
My father, at the death of his father, was but six years of age; and he grew up, literally without education. He removed from Kentucky to what is now Spencer County, Indiana, in my eighth year. We reached our new home about the time the State came in the Union. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up. There were some schools, so-called; but no qualification was ever required of a teacher, beyond “reading, writing, and cipherin” to the Rule of Three. If a struggler supposed to understand Latin, happened to sojourn in the neighborhood, he was looked upon as a wizzard. There was absolutely nothing to excite ambition for education. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher to the Rule of Three; but that was all. I have not been to school since, The little advance I now have upon this store of education, I have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity.
I was raised to farm work, which I continued till I was twenty-two. At twenty-one I came to Illinois, and passed the first year in Illinois--Macon County. Then I got to New-Salem, (at that time in Sangamon, now in Menard County), where I remained a year as a sort of clerk in a store. Then came the Black-Hawk war; and I was elected a Captain of volunteers--a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. I went the campaign, was elated, ran for the Legislature the same year (1832) and was beaten--the only time I have been beaten by the people. The next, and three succeeding biennial elections, I was elected to the Legislature. I was not a candidate afterwards. During this legislative period I had studied law, and re- moved to Springfield to practice it. In 1846, I was once elected to the lower House of Congress. Was not a candidate for reelection? From 1849 to 1854, both inclusive, practiced law more assiduously than ever before. Always a whig in politics, and generally on the whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses. I was losing interest in politics, when the repeal of the Missouri Compromise aroused me again. What I have done since then is pretty well-known.
If any personal description of us is thought desirable, it may be said, I am, in height, six feet, four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing on an average, one hundred and eighty pounds; dark complexion, with coarse black hair, and grey hair, grey eyes--no other masks or brands recollected.
The author is ______.
A. a friend of Abraham Lincoln' s
B. a writer who gives an account of Abraham Lincoln' s biography
C. Abraham Lincoln himself
D. Abraham Lincoln's autobiography
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. At the end of each news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
听力原文: Nearly 75 percent of U.S. doctors believe miracles can occur, a new survey says. The survey also found that 72 percent of the 1,100 doctors polled believe that religion provides a reliable and necessary guide to life. Non-Orthodox Jewish doctors are less likely to believe that miracle stories in the Bible are literally true, while more than 53 percent of Orthodox Jewish doctors and O0 percent of Protestant doctors surveyed believe them. The survey of doctors from across the religious spectrum, including Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist doctors, was conducted by HCD Research and the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies of the Jewish Theological Seminary.
Which group polled in the survey doesn't believe in miracles?
A. Non-Orthodox Jewish doctors.
B. Orthodox Jewish doctors.
C. Protestant doctors.
D. Buddhist doctors.
The Land of Disney
Predicting the future is always risky. But it's probably safe to say that at least a few historians will one day speak of the 20th - century as America's “Disney era.” Today, it's certainly difficult to think of any other single thing that represents modern America as powerfully as the company that created Mickey Mouse. Globally, brands like Coca -Cola and McDonalds may be more widely -known, but neither encapsulates 20th -century America in quite the same way as Disney.
The reasons for Disney's success are varied and numerous, but ultimately the credit belongs to one per- son--the man who created the cartoon and built the company from nothing, Walt Disney. Ironically, he could not draw particularly well. But he was a genius in plenty of other respects. In business, his greatest skills were his insight and his management ability. After setting himself up in Hollywood, he single - handedly pioneered the concepts of branding and merchandising- something his company still does brilliantly today.
But what really distinguished Disney was his ability to identify with his audiences. Disney always made sure his films championed the “little guy,” and made him feel proud to, be American. This he achieved by creating characters that reflected the hopes and fears of the ordinary people. Some celebrated American achievements -- Disney's very first cartoon Plane Crazy, featuring a silent Mickey House, was inspired by Charles Lindbergh' s flight acorss the Atlantic. Others, like the Three little pigs and Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, showed how, through hard work and helping one's fellow man, ordinary Americans could survive social and economic crises like the Great Depression.
Disney's other great virtue was the fact that his company--unlike other big corporations--had a human face. His Hollywood studio--the public heard--operated just like a democracy, where everyone was on first-name terms and had a stay in how things should be run. He was also regarded as a great patriot because not only did his cartoons celebrate America, but, during World War Ⅱ, his studios made training films for American soldiers.
The reality, of course, was less idyllic. As the public would later learn, Disney's patriotism had an unpleasant side. After a strike by cartoonists in 1941, he became convinced that Hollywood had been infiltrated by Communists. He agreed to work for the FBI as a mole, identifying and spying on colleagues whom he suspected were subversives.
But, apart from his affiliations with the FBI, Disney was more or less the genuine article. A new book, The Magic Kingdom: Walt Disney and the American Way of Life, by Steven Watts, confirms that he was very definitely on the side of ordinary Americans--in the 30s and 40s he voted for Franklin Rovsevelt, believing he was a champion of the workers. Also, Disney was not an apologist for the FBI, as some have suggested. In fact, he was always suspicious of large, bureaucratic organisations, as is evidenced in films like That Darned Cat, in which he portrayed FBI agents as bungling incompetents.
By the time he died in 1966, Walt Disney was an icon like Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers. To business people and filmmakers, he was a role model; to the public at large, he was" Uncle Walt"--the man who had entertained them all their lives, the man who represented all that was good about America.
In the 30 -old years since his death, not much has changed. In 1986, he was attacked as a Mc Carthyist, a supporter of big business, and a purveyor of “subliterate” entertainment. However, none of it has made any difference to the general public. Their loyalty to Uncle Walt remains as strong as ever.
What is the most distinguished feature of Disney?
A. Disney was created and built by a person who drew cartoons and set up a company from nothing.
B. Disney films were able to reflect the hopes and fears of ordinary people.
C. Disney had affiliation with the FBI.
Disney respected the rights belonging to everyone and possessed the democratic atmosphere.