The U. S. Congress Composition of the U. S. Congress The U. S. Congress is the legislative branch of the Federal Government. It is a bicameral (两院制的 ) law-making body of more than 500 members. Its two chambers are respectively called the House of Representatives and the Senate. The American two-house legislature, a product of the compromise between big states and small ones, embodies the American principle of balances and checks. All bills must carry both houses before becoming law. The Membership and Election of Both Chambers The House of Representatives is the lower house of the bicameral Congress. The membership of the House is distributed among the states according to their different populations. Since 1910, the House has had a permanent membership of 435, with each representative representing about half a million Americans. Under the principle that each state is guaranteed at least one representative, Nevada, a state with a small population, sends only one representative to the House. California has more than 40 Representatives in the House because of its large population. The election of Representatives is organized by the state legislature which divides the state into a number of districts known as Congressional districts. Each district, with a population of nearly half a million, elects one Representative to the House. A Representative’’s term of office is set at two years, but there is no limit to the number of his terms. A new Representative can hardly feel easy about his position. Hardly has he begun his work in the Congress when he finds it’’s time for him to seek re-election. The Senate is the upper house of the US Congress. Representation in the Senate is based on the principle of state equality. The Senate is comprised of 100 Senators, two from each of the fifty states. Senators have been directly elected by voters of their respective states since 1913. Their term of office is six years. A Senator must be at least thirty years of age and a citizen for nine years. Senators with Greater Prestige Generally speaking, Senators are accorded greater prestige than their colleagues in the lower house. Many Representatives aspire to win the election to the Senate. Senators derive their prestige from the following facts. They are less numerous, for there are fewer than one-fourth as many Senators as Representatives, or Congressmen. Elected by the whole state instead of a single congressional district, most Senators represent more constituents than do House members. They are less worried by the problem of seeking re-electives. What’’s more, the Senate is vested with special powers which it does not share with the House. It has the power to ratify or deny proposed treaties, nominations proposed by the President. In line with the tradition of "senatorial courtesy," the Senate always rejects a nominee who is objected to by a Senator of the state from which he comes. It won’’t do to neglect the importance of the Senate in foreign affairs. Without its cooperation and support, the President can hardly take any significant action in foreign relations. A Secretary of State on good terms with the Senators is always important for the President. Foreign countries must try to establish good relations with the US Senate if they intend to make a bargain with the United States.The Work of the Two Chambers The presiding officer of the Senate is the Vice President who functions as a kind of chairman when the Senate is in session. The chief spokesman of the House is known as the speaker who is the leader of the majority party in the House. The Speaker is the most influential figure in the House because he directs his party’’s forces in legislative battles. Leaders of Both Parties Both parties have their leaders in the Congress, who are known as floor leaders.Floor leaders are elected by their respective party meetings, the meeting of party members in one of the two houses. Because floor leaders, both majority and minority, hold critical positions in the Congress, they are sometimes invited to the White House for conference with the President. The Operation of the Congress The Congress is a legislative body, but it relies on its various committees to do preparatory work. The Senate and the House have several dozen standing or special committees to deal with problems of different natures. The seats of the committees are divided between the two parties in proportion to their respective membership in the Congress. But the committee chairman is always a member of the majority party who has been in the Senate or the House without interruption for longer than anybody else on the committee. The custom is known as "seniority rule." Most proposed laws in the Congress are known as bills. All bills introduced during a two-year congressional term are designated "HR" in the House and "S" in the Senate, with consecutive (连续的) numbers assigned in order in which they are introduced in each house. After this, the bills are referred to the relevant committees for further study. To assess the bill at its true worth, the relevant committee usually organizes its sub-committee to conduct detailed study. There is no doubt that the sub-committee will study the literal sense of the bill. But it also holds meetings with the citizens who want to state their opinions about the bill. These meetings are commonly known as hearings. The purpose of the sub-committee in holding these hearings is to obtain information on the bill before it. The sub-committee may summon people to appear at the hearings and to testify. After finishing study of the bill, the sub-committee will report the result to the full committee. The committee chairman then has a choice between two things. He can send the bill to the house for further consideration. He can also pigeonhole (搁置), or kill it by putting it aside and not reporting it. For this reason, a committee chairman is regarded as an important person in the Congress. It won’’t do to neglect him. Some Important Committees in the Two Chambers There are some important committees in the Senate and the House. The Budget Committee are to recommend policy guidelines each fiscal (财政的) year to aid Congress in considering the annual Federal budget. The Appropriation Committee in both houses of the Congress study the demand for money from the President and aid Congress in appropriating a sum of money to finance a program suggested by the President. The Foreign Relations Committees study American foreign policies and examine American foreign treaties before giving their opinions to Congress for reference. The Ways and Means Committee is a standing committee of the House of Representatives. It has the exclusive power to study bills for raising revenue. It also considers the problems concerning taxes and tariffs. In simple language, its work is to explore the sources of money for the expenditures of the Federal Government. The Investigating Committee is to exercise a fact-finding role as an aid to the law-making process. Anyone who refuses to testify before it may be punished by law. The Investigating Committee is something like an information agency of the Congress. It is also a Watchdog Committee, for it oversees the work of the Administration. Its investigations reach every level and department of the government. The last but most important committee is the Rules Committee. It is a committee of the House. It picks out only those bills it likes and sends them to Congressmen for their consideration.The most important committee is the Rule Committee. A．YB．NC．NG

4.顾问的；咨询的A. compulsoryB. advisableC. advisoryD. comparable

Organization and time management skills are two of the most valuable skills you will ever have. One of the first things you should do at the beginning of each semester is organize the dates of all class tests and project deadlines from each syllabus, and all required meetings and events from each organization. All obligations should then be logged into a centralized schedule you keep at all times, such as a daily planner, desk calendar, or even a PDA (personal digital assistant). For the next 4 months, you now know exactly what you must schedule the rest of your life around. Next, it is highly recommended for you to set a schedule for yourself in writing to include all other items you want to create as a routine. Most importantly, this should include times of study, such as every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-6:30. Physically block off these time periods every Tuesday and Thursday for the rest of the semester. Of course, the most important part of creating a schedule is sticking to it! So, be disciplined enough to schedule any other activities that are less important around those that are most important. Whether it involves academics or organizational responsibilities, everyone comes to a point where they feel overwhelmed. This is what friends, fellow members, and other university resources are there for. Unfortunately, there are several reasons why people don’t seek help when it is available. Some people try to take on too ninth, trying to prove to themselves that "I can do this all on my own". Some may not want to admit to people that they "can’t handle everything." Others may feel they must do everything all on their own, because only then will they know it will get done right and on time (an early signal of being a control freak). Academically, seek out help when you don’t understand something. There should be plenty of resources available, from writing centers, to computer labs, to graduate assistants, to your professors who offer office hours. There are also other students who may understand that subject better, or who have even taken the course before. Especially in very large classes, some students may be intimidated to ask for help. But, the sole purpose of the institution and all of these resources is to help you learn. So use them. Ask for rope to be thrown down before you drown! Understanding what your PRIORITIES are each and every day is one of the biggest keys to college success. It is also one of the easiest concepts to lose track of. It is a fast-paced world, where it is easy to become sidetracked with social activities, TV shows, video games, etc. Some people carry a card in their wallet, or even a card on their PC, where they list the top 1-5 priorities in their life. Everyone has exactly 24 hours each day. People who achieve more in life simply make better use of their 24 hours each day than everyone else. What you do with each of your 24 hours has as much to do with your success during college as an other factor. There is an old saying that "if it’s important enough to you, you make time for it." Be sure that nobody is in charge of your time except for you. It is one of the most valuable assets you have. Whether it is an event or a semester project that is two months away, ask yourself each day "What can be done now instead of later " Write clown when you are going to do something, not simply when something is due. Set deadlines for yourself, and put them in writing. Then stick toil. Most people procrastinate because the activity they are supposed to do is not as desirable as what they would rather be doing. However, if you complete tasks early, you can enjoy your leisure time worry-free. This is one of the biggest ways to alleviate stress. If it is the 3rd day of the month, and there is a project due on the 28th of the month, most students hardly have that project on the radar screen vet. Then they see the project creep up on their calendar on the 24th or 25th, and they say "Uh-oh! "Further, they realize there is an event planned on the 26th, and they have to work at their part-time job on the 27th! This lack of planning is what leads to either missed deadlines, or turning a project in on time, but with poor quality. In addition to poor quality, it also led to undue stress for 4 days. One easy way to tackle projects ahead of time is to break the project down into several smaller ones. For example, instead of writing a 10-page paper in one night, write l-page per day for 10 days, or 1-page every other day. This will save time, increase quality, and decrease stress. That’s right. Skipping class is one of the most dangerous, yet tempting habits on college campuses today. Sure, you might be able to miss a class here and there―perhaps even miss a lot of classes―and still pass if you cram hard enough. However, don’t make things hard on your self, make things easy. The more you attend class, the less you have to study, and the more time you have for the everything else you want or need to do. Professors also have a way of telling you what will be on the test, and explaining the answers in class―but you are only privy to that if you are actually in class. Try to get in the habit of forcing yourself to sit in the FRONT of the class, especially in large classes. Studies show that students retain more information, and pay more attention, even if they don’t realize it. It also helps keep you awake. That usually allows you to take better notes, as well. Almost every organization has one or more students who are shining examples of the balance between extra-curricular activities and academics. They make the Dean’s List every semester, hold an important office in the organization, work part-time, and even have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Everyone seems to ask "How do they do it " So, are they smarter than you In most cases, ABSOLUTELY NOT! There have been literally millions of college students that were "smart enough" to graduate, but who failed in the areas of time management, priorities, and responsibilities. So, understand the habits of those who are successful at balancing college life and academics. Ask them what their secrets are, and they will surely be willing to help. Ok, so most college students don’t need help with this tip, right However, enjoy it while you can―you are only in college once! Many Americans recall their college days as tile best time of their life. Believe it or not, professors, administrators, and us college speakers want you to en enjoy every minute of it! Making efficient use of your time and controlling your schedule are important ingredients in being able to enjoy yourself. They allow you to alleviate stress and succeed both inside and outside the classroom, so you can have a BLAST during your college career. Good luck!Breaking down a project into smaller pails will result in ______. A．incoherence of the projectB．early settlement of the projectC．enduring stress and hard workD．cooperation and teamwork

位于句首的数词必须全拼。A. 对B. 错

________ they've got to know each other a little better, they get along just fine.A. Due toB. Ever sinceC. Now thatD. Regardless of

It is said that love is the most important of ______ .A. everyoneB. everythingC. allD. everybody

消耗;消费;花费A. resumeB. consumeC. assumeD. presume

It's essential for a data analyst to take____information from various sources before drawing any conclusions. ()A. offB. onC. inD. out

8. After a long period of practice, I managed to get _ of the habit of translating words in my head when I spoke with a native English speaker.A. ridB. windC. holdD. out

6. 永恒A. eternityB. infinityC. unityD. vanity