Passage One
Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America.
(tense 紧张的； election 选举； candidate 候选人)
贯穿这场漫长紧张的选举，每个人都关注着总统候选人，同时也关注着他们将如何改变美国。
Rightly so. But selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman.
（rightly 恰当地； selfishly 自私的； fascinate 使着迷，入迷）
确实如此。但是自私的说，我对Michelle Obama和她可能会做的事更感兴趣——不是为了国家，而是为我这个非裔美国人
As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.
(potential 潜在的； type 类型；模范； rarely很少地，难得；罕有地；)
作为潜在的第一夫人，她将得到世界的关注。那意味着人们第一次有机会近距离看到他们向来视而不见的非裔美国女性。
Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man.
(largely 主要的；大量的； unexamine 不受检查； prevailing 流行的；theory 理论；temper脾气； single 单身的，单程)
通常来讲，黑人女性的生活不受关注。流行的说法似乎是，我们都是火爆脾气的单身母亲，无法留住丈夫。
Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic mother.
(make-believe 虚构的； escape 逃避；避免； stereotype 陈腔滥调；使用铅板； eye-rolling 眼睛乱转； alcoholic 酒精的；酒鬼)
即使在虚构的世界里，黑人女性仍不能摆脱模式化的形象，即由酗酒的未婚母亲养大，爱翻白眼且性欲过度。
These images have helped define the way all black women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simply to be herself.
(define 定义；使明确； view 观察；视野； ever 永远；曾经；究竟 charity 慈善；施舍； foundation 基础；基金会； urgent 紧急的；急迫的； complicate 难懂的；复杂的； simply 简单的；仅仅)
这些形象决定了人们看待所有黑人女性的方式，也包括Michelle Obama。
在她获得机会以第一夫人的身份投身于某项事业、慈善或基金会之前，她最紧迫或许也是最复杂的任务可能是做好她自己。
It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.
(mainstream 主流； feature 特色；特写； regular 定期的；普通的； basis 基础； represent 代表)
这并不容易。因为主流媒体几乎从未深入报道过普通非裔美国女性，几乎没人知道我们是谁，没人了解我们的想法和我们经常要面对的事情。无论好坏，Michelle都将代表我们全体。
Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady.
(critic 评论家；批评)
正如她将受到的批评一样，她也将拥有数百万的通常对第一夫人不感兴趣的粉丝。
Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House-mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family.
(mainly 主要的，大体上)
许多非裔美国人的博客中写道，她们希望看到Michelle给白宫带来什么——主要向世界展示黑人女性可以支持他的丈夫并支撑一个稳固的黑人家庭。
Michelle will have to work to please everyone-an impossible task.
(task 工作，任务)
Michelle不得不努力取悦每个人——一项不可能的任务。
But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise, confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long.
(poise 平衡，镇静； confidence 信心；信任； intelligence 智力；理解力)
但是对于许多像我这样的非裔美国女性，她的一点沉着、自信和智慧都将在很大程度上改变长久以来人们心中黑人女性的形象。
Questions
1.Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?
为什么Michelle Obama使作者产生了浓厚的兴趣？
A)She serve as a role model for African-American women.
她作为非裔美国女性的典型。
B)She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.
她成为第一夫人，有很多令人钦佩的品质。
C)She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.
她将呈现给世界一个新的非裔美国女性形象。
D)She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women.
她将更近距离的关注非裔美国女性的兴趣。
2.What is the common steretype of African-American women according to the author?
根据作者的观点，哪些是非裔美国女性共同的古板形象？
A)They are victims of family violence.
她们是家庭暴力的牺牲者。
B)They are of an inferior social group.
她们是社会底层人员。
C)They use quite a lot of body language.
她们使用相当多的肢体语言。
D)They live on charity and social welfare.
她们依靠慈善和社会福利生存。
3.What do many African-American write about in their blogs?
许多非裔美国人在他们的博客中写什么？
A)Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.
Michelle能否符合她粉丝对她的高期待。
B)How Michelle should behave as a public figure.
Michelle如何表现的像一个公众人物。
C)How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.
她们对黑人女性进入白宫是多么的自豪。
D)What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.
Michelle作为妻子和母亲在白宫中应该做什么。
4.What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?
作者对Michelle Obama当上第一夫人是如何评价的？
A)However many fans she has, she should remain modest.
无论他有多少粉丝，她都应该保持谦虚。
B)She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.
她不应该使非裔美国团体失望。
C)However hard she tries, she can’t expect to please everybody.
无论她多么努力，她都不能期望每个人都满意。
D)She will give priority to African-American women’s concerns.
她将优先给予非裔美国女性关注。
5.What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?
许多非裔美国女性希望Michelle Obama未来怎么做？
A)Help change the prevailing view about black women.
帮助改变对黑人女性的流行看法。
B)Help her husband in the task of changing America.
帮助她的丈夫投身改变美国。
C)Outshine previous First Lady.
曝光原来的第一夫人。
D)Fully display her fine qualities.
充分的展示她的优秀品格。下载本文
