(Q).
Dear Malia and Sasha,     I know that you've both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail  , going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn't have let you have. But I also know that it hasn't always been easy for you and Mom, and that though you both are excited about that new puppy , it doesn't make up for all the time we've been apart. I know how much I've missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.     When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me--about how I'd make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn't seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn't be so important unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that's why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.       I want all our children to go to schools worthy of their potential --schools that challenge them, inspire them, and teach them a sense of wonder about the world around them. I want them to have the chance to go to college--even if their parents aren't rich. And I want them to get good jobs: jobs that pay well and give them benefits like health care, jobs that let them spend time with their own kids and retire with dignity .       I want us to push the boundaries of discovery so that you'll live to see new technologies and inventions  that improve our lives and make our planet cleaner and safer. And I want us to push our own human boundaries to reach beyond the divides of race and gender that keep us from seeing the best in each other.   (An extract from Obama letter... We have learned that as a young man, Obama was_. A) successful B) fortunate C) self-centered D) attractive
(A).
C


(Q).
Here's a hotel worth writing home about:a company in Poland plans to build tourist accommodation under the sea.The structure can be dragged to a suitable location and placed on supports on the sea bed.     The 'Water Discus' will be made up of an underwater disc containing 22 bedrooms with sea views, connected by lift and stairs to a disc above the surface containing other hotel facilities.      Project manager Robert Bursiewicz says:"Nowadays it's possible to build submarilles  which go deeper than 500m below the sea surface,so building an underwater hotel is not a problem."      In fact,they don't plan to have the hotel very deep.Water acts like a filter for sunlight, and below l5m most colours,apart from blue,are washed out.And we all want to see colourful marine life,don't we?     But this isn't the first hotel to offer underwater views from the bedrooms.The two-bedroom Jules' Undersea Lodge,off the coast of Florida,has been taking in guests 10m beneath the surface since 1986.     The company that operates the hotel also runs a diving course for beginners to help get guests down and into the hotel.It is accessible only through an opening at the bottom.     And you'll find all the usual facilities in the room,according to Teresa McKirma,Jules's chief financial officer.It has a television,air conditioning and wi--fi.But for the staft, simple things like cleaning and making beds can be challenging,since the lodge is in sea water.     ''It actually takes quite a lot of work to get anything down there,"she says."We have to put everything in waterproof boxes and attach weights to them to counter their buoymacy ."      The hotel has suitably sized waterproof boxes so that pizzas can be delivered by divers to guests wllo order them for their evening meal.And after a meal,if you can't sleep because of the excitement of the experience,you don't have to count sheep.You'll fall asleep quicker if you count fish. The new hotel will_. A) have movable structure B) contain three discs C) be built 500m beneath the surface D) come into use soon
(A).
A


(Q).
Scientists have always been interested in the high level of organization in ant societies. American researchers have watched ants build life-saving rafts to keep afloat during floods. They also have documented how ant colonies choose their next queen--the female whose job is to produce eggs rather than seek food for others. New technology is helping to improve researchers' understanding of the insects. But there is still a lot to be learned. Fire ants living in Brazilian forests are perfectly at home in an environment where flooding is common. To save themselves, the insects connect their legs together and create floating rafts. Some ant rafts can be up to 20 centimeters wide. David Hu who is a mechanical engineer with the Georgia Institute of Technology, also known as Georgia Tech, says, "If you have 100 ants, which means 600 legs, 99 percent of those legs will be connected to a neighbor. So they're very, very good at maintaining this network." David Hu and other Georgia Tech researchers want to study ants and the secret of their engineering. They freeze ant rafts and then look at them with the help of computed technology, or CT, images. The pictures show that larger ants serve in central positions to which smaller ants hold. The larger ants form pockets of air that keep the insects afloat. Scientists say small robots or materials that can change shape could be programmed in a similar way, working towards a shared goal. Researchers at North Carolina State University are also studying ants. They examined how Indian jumping ants choose the leader of the colony when they lose their top female or queen. Why did the larger ants serve in central positions in their ant rafts? A) To stress their importance. B) To protect the smaller ants. C) To attract their enemies. D) To save their ant societies.
(A).
