“Hi there. How's it going?” “Oh, fine. Fine. How about this weather, huh?” “Well, I guess we can always use the rain.” What's that? This story? Oh, just a little look at small talk. You know, those seemingly meaningless conversations you have dozens of times a day. Maybe you're waiting for the elevator. Or in a line at the bank. It all seems pretty trivial. Idle chatter about traffic doesn' t do much more than fill the air with empty words that are quickly forgotten. But you should know that small talk actually has a big place in our lives. Pat Oliver, assistant professor on arts, says that, “Left unchecked, small talk can be an invasion. It's so powerful. It does something to you.” “Every morning after spending an hour and a half on the freeway I start the day with small talk with my secretary,” Oliver says, “If I don't make small connection with another person, I can' t work.”What causes it? As a rule, you're either trying to force something into your life, or you're using conversation as an invisible force field to keep them out. You can be wanting to connect with another person, and small talk is your introduction to more meaningful conversation. The way people use small talk is usually determined by where they happen to be at the time. Take the elevator, for instance. Now there's prime territory. Nobody knows anyone and there's no reason to start a conversation, but invariably, someone does. Making conversation in such peaceful social settings, according to Oliver, “can confirm your territory. It's a way of feeling liked and accepted.” The topics of small talk don't matter. In fact, you don't want anything more taxing than the weather or the traffic. It's non-threatening talk in a threatening situation. However, the rules change quickly when you're with lots of people doing lots of talking. Let's say you're at a party. Now it' s time to use small talk as a way of making others feel more comfortable around you, so you don' t look silly standing by the food table alone all night.1.“Small talk”, as interpreted by the author, _____.A.has no real function in communication at allB.is usually meaningless and therefore uselessC.is not as idle as it may seem to beD.is restricted to certain topics only2.According to the author, small talk is often used _____.A.to invade other' s private affairsB.to share a secret between intimate friendsC.to open and maintain channels of communicationD.to protect one' s own privacy3.According to the author, topics of small talk may include comments on _____.A.some political issuesB.one' s physical conditionC.other' s ways of dressD.the traffic jam 4.Why is small talk described as “non-threatening talk in a threatening situation”?A.It is used by people to encourage those who are confronted with danger.B.It is used to show that one is enthusiastic and hospitable.C.It is used to create a more friendly atmosphere and to avoid embarrassment.D.It is used by people to protect others in the threatening situation.5.According to the author, at a big party, small talk is used with the purpose of _____.A.making both others and yourself feel at easeB.excluding those you don't like from joining youC.keeping your voice low so only your friends can hear forting those who feel lonely

Passage Three-|||-Joy:A Sabject Schools Lack-|||-Becoming chicetted should not require giving up pleasure.-|||-A) When Jonathan Swift proposed, in 1729,that the people of Ireland eat their children,he insisted it-|||-would solve three problems at once;feed the hungry masses, reduce the population during a sever-|||-depression, and stimslate the restaurant busincss Even as a satire (该射),it secms dispasting and-|||-shocking in America with its child centered culture. But actually,the country is closer to his proposal-|||-than you might think.-|||-B)If you spend much time with cducators and policy makers,you`ll hear a lot of the following words:-|||-"tandarlk""roulh,""dilk,"ootme,"accoungutily,"and on.I have visited some of-|||-the newer supposedly "effective"schools,where children shout slogans in order to learn self-control or-|||-must stand behind their desk when they can`t sit still.-|||-C)A look at what goes on in most classrooms these days makes it abundantly clear that when people think-|||-about edacation, they are not thinking about what it feels like to be a child,or what makes childhood-|||-an important and valuable stage of life in its own right.-|||-D)I`m a mother of three,a teacher, and a drelopmestal portholight.I`ve watched a lot ol-|||-children-takling,playing,arpuing, eating, studying and being young.Here`s what I`ve come to-|||-understand. The thing that sets children apart from adalts is not their ignorance, nor their lack of-|||-skills. It`s their normous capacity for joy.Think of a 3 -year-old lost in the pleasures of finding out-|||-what he can and cannot sink in the bathtub,a 5-year-old beside herself with the thrill of putting-|||-together strings of aonsensical words with her best friends,or an 11-year-old completcly absorbed in a-|||-fascinating comic strip.A child`s ability to become deeply absorbed in something.and derive intense-|||-pleasure from that absorption,is something a spend the rest of their lives trying to return to.-|||-EA friend told me the following story.One day,when he went to get his 7-year old son from soccer-|||-practice, his kid greeted him with a downcast face and a sad voice.The couch had criticized him for-|||-not focusing on his soccer drills.The little boy walked out of the school with his head and shoulders-|||-hanging down.He seemed wrapped in sadness. But just before he reached the car door,he suddenly-|||-stopped,crouching(嗨伏)down to peer at something on the sidewalk. His face went down lower and-|||-lower, and then,with complete joy he called out,"Dad.Come here.This is the strangest bug I`ve-|||-ever seen. It has, like, a million legs. Look at this.It`s amazing."He looked up at his father,his-|||-features overflowing with energy and delight."Can`t we stay here for just m ninute? I want to find out-|||-what he does with all those legs. This is the coolest ever."-|||-F)The traditional view of such moments is that they constitute a charming but irrelevant byproduct of-|||-youth-something to be pushed aside to make room for more important qualiter,liec perowones-|||-神不懈),obligation,and practicality. Yet moments like this one are just the kind of intense-|||-absorption and pleasure adults spend the rest of their lives sccking. Human lives are governed by the-|||-desire to experience joy.Becoming cdacated should not require giving up joy but rather lead to finding-|||-joy in new kinds of thingsi reading novels instead of playing with small fipures, condacting-|||-experiments instcad of sinking cups in the bathtub,and debating serious issucs rather than stringing-|||-together notsense words,for example.In some cases, schools should help children find new,more-|||-grown-up ways of doing the same things that are constant sources of joy;making art,making friends,-|||-making decisions.-|||-G) Building on a child`s ability to feel joy,rather than pushing it aside,wouldn`t be that hard. It would-|||-just require a shift in the education world`s minbet(思维)式),Iastead of trying to get children to-|||-work hard,why not focus on getting them to take pleasure in meaninghul, prodative art like-|||-making things,working with others, exploring ideas,and solving problems? These focuses are not so-|||-different from the things in which they delight.-|||-H)Before you brush this argument aside as rubbish,or think of joy as an unaffordable havy in a nation-|||-where there is awful poverty,low academic achicecent,and high dropout rates,think again. The-|||-more horrible the school circumstances,the more important plcasure is to achieving any cducational-|||-success.-|||-D Many of the assignments and rules teachers come up with,often because they are pressured by their-|||-administrators, treat p&a and joy as the enemies of compcterceand reporsingly The assumption-|||-is that children shouldn`chat in the classroom because it hinders hard work; instead, they should learn-|||-to delay gotification(诀乐)so that they can pursue abstract goals, like going to college.-|||-J)Not only is this a boring and awful way to treat children, it makes no sense cducationally.Decades of-|||-rescarch have shown that in order to acquire skills and real knowledge in school, kids need to want to-|||-learn. You can force a child to stay in his or her scat,fill out a worksheet,or practice division.But-|||-you can`t force the child to think carefally, cnjoy books,digest complex information,or devclop a-|||-taste for learning.To make that happen,you have to help the child find pleasure in learning to sce-|||-school as a source of joy,-|||-K)Adults tend to talk about learning as if it were medicine;unpleasant, but necessary and good for you.-|||-Why not instead think of learning as if i were food something so valuable to humans that they have-|||-evolved to esperience it as a pleasure?-|||-L)Joy should not be trained out of children or left for after-school programs. Th more difficult a child`s-|||-life circumstances, the more important it is for that child to find joy in his or her classroom-|||-cos (20)^circ not a dirty word. And it doesn`t run counter to the goals of public education.It is,in-|||-fact,the precondition-|||-36.It will not be difficult to make learning a source of joy if cducators change their way of thinking.-|||-37.What distingusinhes child from adults is their strong ability to derive joy from what they are doing.-|||-38.Children in America are being treated with shocking cruclty.-|||-39.It is human aature to seek joy in life.-|||-40.Grown-ups are likely to think that learning to children is what medicine is to patients.-|||-41.Bad school conditions make it all the more important to turn learning into a joyful experience-|||-42.Adults do not consider chiltren`s fecli when it comes to education-|||-43.Admistrators seem to believe that only hard work will lead children to their educational goals.-|||-44.In the so-called "dfective"schools,childre are taught self control under a sct of strict rules.-|||-45.To make learning effective, councators hav to ensure that children want to learn.

阅读理解 (本题共计4小题,总分30分)1.(6分)阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。AWelcome to Adventureland!Everyone loves Adventureland! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore (探索), enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing to come back. What are you going to do this time?The Travel PavillonExplore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.Visit the Amazon jungle (丛林) village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…The Future TowerThis exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and climb into our simulator (模拟装置) for the Journey to Mars!The Nature ParkThis is not really one park but several.In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then there is still the Aviary to see…The PyramidThis is the center of Adventureland. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.21.The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors _____.A. realize the importance of travellingB. become familiar with mountain countriesC. learn how to make things such as fishing netsD. learn something about different places in the world22. If you are interested in knowing about what people's life will be, you may visit _____.A. the Travel Pavilion B. the Future TowerC. the Safari Park D. the Pyramid23. If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?A. The Pyramid. B. The Nature Park.C. The Future Tower. D. The Travel Parvilion.2.(8分)BAt a daycare center in Texas, children were playing outside. One of the children was Jessica Mc Clure. She was 18 months old. Her mother, who worked at the daycare center, was watching the children. Suddenly Jessica fell and disappeared. Jessica’s mother screamed and ran to her.A well was in the yard of the center. The well was only eight inches across and a rock always covered it. But children had moved the rock. When Jessica fell, she fell right into the well.Jessica’s mother reached inside the well, but she couldn’t feel Jessica. She dialed 911 for help. Men from the fire department arrived. They discovered that Jessica was about 20 feet down in the well. For the next hour the men talked and planned Jessica’s rescue.“We can’t go down into the well,” they said.“It’s too narrow. So, we’re going to drill a hole next to the well. Then we’ll drill a tunnel across to Jessica. When we reach her, we’ll bring her through the tunnel and up through our hole.”The men began to drill the hole at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, October 14, 1987. The men had a difficult job; they were drilling through solid rock. During her days in the well, Jessica sometimes asked for her mother. Sometimes she slept, sometimes she cried and sometimes she sang.All over the world, people waited for news of Jessica. Everyone worried about her.At 8 p.m. on Friday, October 16, men reached Jessica and brought her up from the well. She was soon sent to hospital. Jessica was dirty, hungry, thirsty and tired. Her feet and forehead were badly injured. But Jessica was alive.After Jessica’s rescue, one of the rescuers made a metal cover for the well, saying,“To Jessica, with love from all of us.”24. What is the mother’s reaction when the accident happened?A. She was so worried that she didn’t know what to do.B. She called the police for help immediately.C. She shouted and rushed to help her child quickly.D. She asked her colleagues for help.25. All of the following statements are true except _____ according to the passage.A. Children had moved the rock before Jessica fell into the well.B. Men from the fire department saved Jessica.C. Jessica was too frightened to say a word when she was in the well.D. Jessica was alive although she was injured.26. Jessica stayed in the well at least _____.A. 47 hours B. 48 hours C. 57 hours D. 58 hours27. What may be the best title for the passage?A. 911’s Work B. American ChildC. Everybody’s Baby-- Jessica D. Mother’s Mistake3.(8分)CIf you like texting and are trying to lose weight, a new study found that using texting to track(追踪) diet and exercise habits may help you lose weight.Previous research has shown that keeping food and exercise diaries improves the likelihood of success when you are trying to lose weight. Using a computer or a pen and paper to record information, however, can be a burden and cause some people to give up.Duke University researchers said using text messages to track eating and exercise habits can save time, and increase the chances that people will stick with their weight-loss rules.The study included 26 obese women with an average age of 38. The women used daily texting as part of their weight-loss program. The text messages focused on tracking personalized goals, such as avoiding sugary drinks or walking 10,000 steps a day. Messages also provided brief feedback (回复) and tips.Every morning, the women received a text from an automated(自动的)system that said, “Please text yesterday’s personal information of steps you walked and how many sugary drinks you had.” Based on the women's responses to the text message, the system sent another text with personalized feedback and tips.After six months, the women who used daily texting lost an average of nearly 3 pounds, while another group of women who used traditional methods to keep food and exercise diaries gained an average of 2.5 pounds, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.“Text messaging has become popular and may be an effective method to simplify tracking of diet and exercise behavior,” Dori Steinberg, who was responsible for this research, said.Steinberg said, "Text messaging offers several advantages compared to other self-monitoring methods. Unlike web-based diet and exercise diaries, data in a text message can be entered quickly on nearly all cellphone platforms so it is very convenient to receive feedback. Besides, because of the limited number of words used in text messages, it saves time.”28. According to the study, traditional methods _________.A. are easier for people to lose weightB. may cause people to give up losing weightC. provide brief feedback and tipsD. are easy to track diet and exercise behavior29. Which is NOT true about text messaging according to Steinberg?A. It saves time.B. It saves money.C. It can be entered quickly.D. It is easy to receive feedback.30. What’s the best title for the text?A. Texting helps keep healthyB. Texting saves time and moneyC. Texting can help you lose weightD. Texting provides brief feedback and tips31. What’s Dori Steinberg’s attitude towards text messaging?A. Unknown. B. Negative. C. Positive. D. Unconcerned.4.(8分)DThe kids in this village wear dirty, ragged clothes. They sleep beside cows and sheep in huts made of sticks and mud. They have no school. Yet they all can chant the English alphabet, and some can make words.The key to their success: 20 tablet computers(平板电脑) dropped off in their Ethiopian village in February by a U.S. group called One Laptop Per Child.The goal is to find out whether kids using today’s new technology can teach themselves to read in places where no schools or teachers exist. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers analyzing(分析) the project data say they’re already amazed. “What I think has already happened is that the kids have already learned more than they would have in one year of kindergarten,” said Matt Keller, who runs the Ethiopia program.The fastest learner—and the first to turn on one of the tablets—is 8-year-old Kelbesa Negusse.The device’s camera was disabled to save memory, yet within weeks Kelbesa had figured out its workings and made the camera work. He called himself a lion, a marker of accomplishment in Ethiopia.With his tablet, Kelbasa rearranged the letters HSROE into one of the many English animal names he knows. Then he spelled words on his own. “Seven months ago he didn’t know any English. That’s unbelievable,” said Keller.The project aims to get kids to a stage called “deep reading,” where they can read to learn. It won’t be in Amharic, Ethiopia’s first language, but in English, which is widely seen as the ticket to higher paying jobs.32. How does the Ethiopia program benefit the kids in the village?A. It trains teachers for them.B. It contributes to their self-study.C. It helps raise their living standards.D. It provides money for building schools.33. What can we infer from Keller’s words in Paragraph 3?A. They need more time to analyze data.B. More children are needed for the research.C. He is confident about the future of the project.D. The research should be carried out in kindergartens.34. It amazed Keller that with the tablet Kelbesa could _______.A. learn English words quickly.B. draw pictures of animals.C. write letters to researchers.D. make phone calls to his friends.35. What is the aim of the project?A. To offer Ethiopians higher paying jobs.B. To make Amharic widely used in the world.C. To help Ethiopian kids read to learn in English.D. To help Ethiopians in learning their first language.

6. These foreigners have put forward a proposal for a(n) ______ venture.A. riskB. auxiliaryC. padD. joint

判断题Water quality can directly affect the quality of tea soup. ()A. 对B. 错

Compared to the tiny fish, the whale was____.A. immenseB. dangerC. tinyD. way

1 Text Organization-|||-Pair work: In the text,there are many references to time.Find these references,fill in the timeline-|||-below of Marie Curie`s life,and then compare notes with your partner.-|||-References to time Marie`s age Major event-|||-__ birthday Maria was born.-|||-1882 15 Maria __ -.-|||-1884 17 Maria __ - .-|||-__ 26 Marie received a master`s degree in physics.-|||-__ 27 Marie received a second degree in mathematics.-|||-1895 28 Marie __ -.-|||-1898 31 Marie __-|||-July 1898 31 Marie and Pierre discovered polonium.-|||-end of 1898 31 Marie and Pierre __ ---|||-1902 35 Marie and Pierre extracted purified radium-|||-__ 36 Marie earned a doctorate in physics.-|||-Nov.1903 36 __ shared a Nobel Prize in Physics.-|||-__ 44 Marie won a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.-|||-1914 47 Marie suspended research to support medical service on the-|||-battlefield.-|||-1920 53 Marie started to __-|||-__ 67 Marie died of aplastic anemia.

Thinking angry thoughts can ______ strong physiological arousal.

Directions: Read the following sentences, for the blanks, there is a word given in thebrackets. Fill in each of these blanks with the proper form of the given word.1(stay) warm at night, I would fill the woodstove, then set my alarm clock formidnight so I could refill it.2. I stopped the car(take) a short break as I was feeling tired.3. Let those in need(understand) that we will go all out to help them.4. The airport(complete) next year will help promote tourism in this area.5. They might just have a place (leave) on the writing course-why don't yougive it a try?6. The engine just won't start. Something seems(go) wrong with it.7. The old man sat in front of the television every evening, happy(watch)anything that happened to be on.8. I remembered(lock) the door before I left the office, but forgot to turn offthe lights.9. We're having a meeting in half an hour. The decision(make)at the meetingwill influence the future of our company.10. If he takes on this work, he will have no choice but(meet)an even greaterchallenge.11. George returned after the war, only(tell) that his wife had left him.12. We've had a good start, but next, more work needs(do) to achieve the finalsuccess.13. Having finished her project, she was invited by the school(speak) to the newstudents.14. This machine is very easy(operate). Anybody can learn to use it in a fewminutes.15. Tom took a taxi to the airport, only(find) his plane high up in the sky.16. No matter how bright a talker you are, there are times when it's better(remain) silent.17. I think Tom, as the head of a big department, should either study regularly or(quit) his job.18. Passengers are permitted(carry) only one piece of hand luggage onto theplane.19. It's important for the figures(update) regularly.20. Simon made a big bamboo box(keep) the little sick bird till it could fly.21. More TV programs, according to government officials, will be produced(raise) people's concern over food safety.22. If they win the final tonight, the team are going to tour around the city(cheer) by their enthusiastic supporters.23. The ability(express) an idea is as important as the idea itself.24. Tom asked the candy makers if they could make the chocolate easier(break)into small pieces.25. The difference in thickness and weight from the earlier version makes the iPad Airmore comfortable(hold).26. With Father's Day around the corner, I have taken some money out of the bank(buy) presents for my dad.27. There were many talented actors out there just waiting(discover).28. We were astonished(find) the temple still in its original condition.29. I have a lot of readings(complete) before the end of this term.30. His first book(publish) next month is based on a true story.31. In many people's opinion, that company, though relatively small, is pleasant(deal) with.32. Many buildings in the city need repairing, but the one (repair) first is thelibrary.33. The play(produce) next month aims mainly to reflect the local culture.34. All of them try to use the power of the workstation(present) information ina more effective way.35. Nowadays people sometimes separate their waste to make it easier for it(reuse).36. The children all turned(look) at the famous actress as she entered theclassroom.37. We are invited to a party(hold) in our club next Friday.38. David threatened(report) his neighbour to the police if the damages were notpaid.39.(complete) the project in time, the staff were working at weekends.40. With the world changing fast, we have something new(deal)with all byourselves every day.41. Schools across China are expected to hire 50,000 college graduates this year as short-term teachers, almost three times the number hired last year,(help) reduceunemployment pressures.42. I like getting up very early in summer. The morning air is so good(breathe).43. - Did the book give the information you needed?Yes. But(find) it, I had to read the entire book.44. I feel greatly honored(welcome)into their society.45. If there's a lot of work(do), I'm happy to just keep on until it is finished.46.(complete) the project as planned, we'll have to work two more hours a day.47. My English teacher's humor was such as(make) every student burst intolaughter.48. I hear they've promoted Tom, but he didn't mention(promote)when wetalked on the phone.49. I got to the office early that day(catch) the 7: 30 train from Paddington.50. The message is very important, so it is supposed(send) as soon as possible.51. I like getting up very early in summer. The morning air is so good(breathe).52. - It's a long time since I saw my sister.Why(visit) her this weekend?53.-The last one(arrive)pays the meal.Agreed!54.-Excuse me sir, where is Room 301?Just a minute. I'll have Bob(show) you to your room.55. My parents have always made me(feel) well about myself, even when I wastwelve.56. When asked why he went there, he said he was sent there(train) for a spaceflight.57.(ensure) the safety of gas, the government has checked the city's gas supplysystem thoroughly.58. The children talked so loudly at dinner table that I had to struggle(hear).59. The crowd cheered wildly at the sight of Liu Xiang, who was reported(break) the world record in the 110-meter hurdle race.60.(improve) the employees' working efficiency, the supervisor will allow themto have a coffee break.61. The Chinese are proud of the 24th Winter Olympic Games(hold)inChina in2022.62. It took a long time for the connection between body temperature and illness(make)63.(blame) for the breakdown of the school computer network, Alice was in lowspirits.64. AIDS is said(be) the biggest health challenge to both men and women in thatarea over the past few years.65. As the twentieth century came to a close, the raw materials for a great nationalliterature were at hand, waiting(use).66.(make) this cake, you'll need 2 eggs, 175g sugar and 175g flour.67. It remains(see) whether Jim'll be fit enough to play in the finals.68. Mr. Green stood up in defence of the 16-year-old boy, saying that he was not the one(blame).69. He hurried to the station only(find) that the train had left.70. I send you 100 dollars today, the rest (follow) in a year.71.-Is Bob still performing?I'm afraid not. He is said(leave) the stage already as he has become anofficial.72. I think you'll grow(like) him when you know him better.73. Having a trip abroad is certainly good for the old couple, but it remains(see)whether they will enjoy it.74. It was unbelievable that the fans waited outside the gym for three hours just(have) a look at the sports stars.75.(find) out more about university courses, call (920) 746-3789.76. I don't want(sound) like I'm speaking of anybody, but the manager's plan isunfair.77. All these gifts must be mailed immediately so as(receive) in time forChristmas.78. Helen had to shout(make) herself heard above the sound of the music.79. You were silly not(lock) your car.80. I don't know whether you happen(hear), but I'm going to study in the USAthis September.81. The news reporters hurried to the airport, only(tell) the film stars had left.82. I'm hungry. Get me something(eat).83. There isn't any difference between the two. I really don't know which(choose).84. The teacher told them(not make) so much noise.85. The workers want us(work) together with them.86. Our headmaster often told us(take) things for granted.87. -“Have you decided when(leave)?-“Yes, tomorrow morning.88. Tell him not(shut) the window.89. Though he had often made his little sister cry, today he was made(cry)by hislittle sister.90. They knew her very well. They had seen her(grow) up from childhood.91.Go on(do) the other exercise after you have finished this one.92. She pretended(not see) me when I passed by.93. She reached the top of the hill and stopped(rest) on a big rock by the side ofthe path.94. John was made(wash) the truck for a week as a punishment.95. Little Jim should love(take) to the theatre this evening.96. Charles Babbage is generally considered(invent) the first computer.97. Paul doesn't have to be made(learn). He always works hard.98. We agreed(meet) here but so far she hasn't turned up yet.99. The patient was warned(not eat) oily food after the operation.100. I would love(go) to the party last night but I had to work extra hours tofinish a report.

I am an American. I believe that the American presidency is the most important job in the world. It's a job that goes up for grabs (争夺) every four years. The candidate (候选人) who wins in November of 2000 will take office the following January and be the first new U.S. president of the twenty-first century.The election campaign (运动) is a long one. Some say it begins right after the election and goes on for the next four years. That's probably untrue, but it does last a long time. Those who have their eyes on the job have to start gathering support and building campaign organizations early.Some believe that the campaign for president should be shorter. I disagree. A long campaign is an endurance contest. It gives the candidates a chance to show their strengths and forces them to overcome their weaknesses. The close examination makes it much less likely that the voters (选民们) will accidentally choose an unqualified candidate to be their leader.Personally, I enjoy the contest. It's a long-distance race that produces a winner who may have a profound effect on all our lives. The debates and November election are the sporting events that really matter!25. The word "matter" in the last sentence of the article means "________".A. are unimportantB. are very importantC. are useful materialsD. are meaningless