Last week, President Barack Obama gave a back- to-school speech to students at the Julia R. man Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students in schools across the country al­so tuned in to watch the President's speech on TV. He stressed the importance of trying new things, working hard and believing in yourself.
While admitting that times are tough for families across the country, Obama reminded students that hard work now can mean big success later. “Nobody gets to write your destiny(命运）but you,” he said. “Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing—absolutely nothing—is beyond your reach.'
Obama spoke about his own life, and lessons he learned from his mother, who had to remind him to stay focused on his studies. He told students the recipe (诀窍) for success: “Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. ”
Obama encouraged students to embrace(欣然接受)what makes them different. “We shouldn't be em­barrassed by the things that make us different,” he said. “We should be proud of them.”
He also suggested taking advantage of all of the opportunities at your school, and always being open to trying new things. “Just because you’re not the best at something today doesn't mean you can't be tomorrow,” he said. “Even if you don't think of yourself as a math person or as a science person—you can still excel in those subjects if you're willing to make the effort. And you may find out you have talents you’d never dreamed of.”
小题1:What does Obama mainly want to tell the students in Paragraph 2?A．Some families are experiencing a hard time.B．Different people have different destinies.C．They can create their own future.D．Those who don't study hard will achieve nothing.小题2:In Paragraph 3, Obama tried to encourage the students by _______.A．telling an interesting storyB．sharing the secret to successC．telling his own life experienceD．referring to some famous people小题3:Obama suggested the students should _________ .A．not study hard for high marksB．accept things that make them different C．do what they are really interested inD．not do things which are difficult for them小题4:The underlined phrase “excel in” in the last para­graph means “_________”.A．be careful with B．be attracted toC．be interested in D．be good at