I remember doing the household chores to help my mother when I was nine. I hated changing the vacuum cleaner (真空吸尘器) bag and picking up things the machine did not suck up. Twenty years later, in 1978, with this lifelong dislike of the way the machine worked, I decided to make a bagless one.
Easier said than done, of course. I didn’t realize that I would spend the next five years perfecting my design, a process that resulted in 5,127 different prototypes (样机). By the time I made my 15th prototype, my third child was born. By 2,627, my wife and I were really counting our pennies. By 3,727, my wife was giving art lessons for some extra cash, and we were getting further and further into debt. These were tough times, but each failure brought me closer to solving the problem.
In the early 1980s, I started trying to get licensing agreements for my technology. The reality was very different, however. The major vacuum makers had built a business model based on the profits from bags and filters (滤网). No one would license my idea, not because it was a bad one, but because it was bad for business. But soon after, the companies that I had talked with started making machines like mine. I had to fight legal battles on both sides of the Atlantic to protect the patents on my vacuum cleaner.
I was still in financial difficulties until 1993, when my bank manager personally persuaded Lloyds Bank to lend me $1 million. Then I was able to go into production. Within two years, the Dyson vacuum cleaner became a best-seller in Britain.
Today, I still embrace risk and the potential for failure as part of the process. Nothing beats the excitement of invention,
1. What drove the author to make a bagless vacuum cleaner?| A．His willingness to help mom. |
| B．His curiosity about machines. |
| C．His trouble in doing family chores. |
| D．His discontent with existing cleaners. |
| A．The help from the author’s wife. |
| B．The financial problems of the family. |
| C．The tough process of the new invention. |
| D．The procedures of making a bagless cleaner. |
| A．They thought they might suffer loss. |
| B．They considered it not good enough. |
| C．They faced legal problems themselves. |
| D．They had begun making such machines. |
| A．Think twice before acting. |
| B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. |
| D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】King Midas used to love gold. One day he met a fairy who allowed him to make a wish for something. The king replied at once, ‘‘I love gold. I want everything I touch to change into gold”. ‘‘Very well, tomorrow morning, everything you touch will turn into gold.” Saying this, the fairy disappeared.
The king waited excitedly till the next morning. To his joy, everything he touched changed immediately into gold. ‘‘I’m the richest man in the world now,” he shouted.
Soon Midas became hungry. He sat down at his table. All the foods and drinks turned into gold in his hand. ‘‘I’m dying of hunger,” he cried.
Just then his daughter came running in. ‘‘Why are you so sad, dad?” she asked, putting her arms around him. There and then she became a golden statue. The king loved his daughter very much. Seeing this, he began to cry. He looked up and suddenly saw the fairy before him. ‘‘Don’t you like the golden touch?” asked the fairy. ‘‘Please take it away,” begged the king, ‘‘and give me back my daughter.” ‘‘Well, you have learned your lesson. Go and wash in the river. Then the golden touch will be gone.” The king ran quickly to the nearby river.
1. The fairy allowed the king to make a wish because ____________.| A．She wanted to teach the king a lesson |
| B．she hoped to make the king the richest in the world |
| C．She loved gold too |
| D．She wanted to turn the king’s daughter into gold |
| A．excited | B．worried |
| C．hungry | D．happy |
| A．she saw her father |
| B．the king went to meet her |
| C．the king loved her very much |
| D．she put her arms around her father |
【推荐2】Yesterday afternoon I was in my studio working. I was chatting on the phone when something made me look up. Out of the window, on the other side of the street, I saw my very elderly neighbor kneeling in the grass, his caregiver beside him. "I've got to so." I said to my friend. "I think something is wrong." So I ran downstairs, out my front door and across the street.
"He was taking a walk, and he tripped on the pavement," the caregiver said. "I can't lift him on my own." My neighbor is a large man, so I ran back across the street and got my husband! Together we were able to get him standing, but he couldn't walk. Luckily, a woman bicycled by and asked if we needed help! She got a lawn chair from my front porch and we got my neighbor seated. After a few minutes of rest, we were able to help him get into the house. "I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't rushed over to help. I was all alone," his caregiver said.
So here's what I've been thinking about since: help your neighbor. Look up from what you are doing, and look around for who you can help. It may not be as clear as it was in this case, but there's always help you can give—to your neighbor across the street, or the person standing beside you. They are all your neighbors.
1. What was the author doing when seeing something unusual?| A．She was running downstairs. | B．She was having a call. |
| C．She was enjoying a TV program. | D．She was chatting with her family. |
| A．He broke his leg | B．He suddenly fell ill |
| C．He was too heavy to walk. | D．He fell down on the ground |
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4. | D．5 |
| A．To express her pride in helping her neighbor. | B．To call on people to be ready to help others. |
| C．To work with others to do good things. | D．To share one of her unforgettable experiences. |
【推荐3】One Second Every Day
I’ve been in advertising for eight years and used to work a lot of late nights and weekends for numerous projects.
The first project ends up being something I call “One Second Every Day”. Basically I record one second of every day for the rest of my life, combining these moments into one single continuous video until I can’t record them anymore.
I don’t use any filters (滤镜), just trying to catch the moment as much as possible as it is. I started a rule of the first person view. Early on, I thought I should have a couple of videos where people would see me, but I realized that wasn’t the way to go.
The project has many possibilities. I encourage you all to record just a small piece of your life every day, so you can never forget that day and treasure every moment.
| A．It instantly inspired me. |
| B．The purpose is to remember what I’ve done. |
| C．I’m always energetic when doing things I love. |
| D．People might have different interpretations of it. |
| E．It’s difficult, sometimes, to pick that one second. |
| F．But I never had time for one I wanted to work on on my own. |
| G．The essence of my project should be recording the thing as I actually see it. |
【推荐1】One day a little boy decided to dig a hole behind his house after watching a science program. As he was working, a group of older boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the older boys. "I want to dig a deep hole all the way through the earth!" the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh at him telling him that it was impossible to do it. After a while, they left without saying any more words.
The little boy kept on digging and digging. Suddenly a few small colorful stones caught his eyes. He picked them up and put them into a glass box patiently. Then he went on digging. The box was full soon. Then he talked to himself quietly and proudly, "Maybe I can't finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I have found in the process of digging!"
Not all dreams will come true. Maybe your job will not end up with a success. But maybe you can proudly say, "Yes, but look what I've found along the way! There are so many wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried to do something!" So that's why there is a famous saying that the process is more important than the results.
1. What did the boy do after watching a science program?| A．He bought a glass box. | B．He started to dig a hole. |
| C．He played with some visitors | D．He went on watching the program. |
| A．He was silly. | B．He was strict. |
| C．He was strong-minded. | D．He was energetic. |
| A．Before he met the older boys. |
| B．When he wanted to give up digging. |
| C．After the older boys laughed at him. |
| D．As soon as he began to dig the hole. |
| A．wonderful | B．useless |
| C．cheap | D．awful |
| A．Enjoying the process | B．How to achieve goals |
| C．A journey through the earth | D．Digging a hole |
Love
Love plays a key role on our life. Love makes you feel wanted. Without love a person could become cruel and violent. In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who show us with unconditional love and care. They tell us what is right or wrong, good or bad.
Happiness and Sorrow
Materialistic happiness is short-lived, but happiness achieved by bringing a smile on others gives a certain level of fulfillment.
Failure and Success
Hope and Despair
Hope is what keeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well. Hope makes us dream. Hope builds in patience.
Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is beyond our control. Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be right or dull.
| A．Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour |
| B．So the only alternative is work hard today |
| C．But we always tend to take this for granted |
| D．Success lies in trusting yourself |
| E．So let’s enjoy every day |
| F．Failure is the path to success |
| G．Peace of mind is the main link to happiness |
【推荐3】When I was a little boy growing up, I would always change out of my good clothes after church and run outside to play for a few hours. When I came back inside, the house would smell heavenly. It was my grandma making our Sunday dinner. It wouldn’t be proper to just call it a feast (盛宴). There would be freshly made Italian bread with butter. There would be noodles covered in red sauce (酱汁) slowly cooked for hours. Slow cooked with the sauce too would sometimes be meatballs, sometimes potatoes, sometimes chicken, sometimes beef or deer meat and most often a mix of them. I remember we would all gather around the old, metal dining table. Then we would eat with smiles, laughter and joy. I always felt so peaceful and safe there. We always left dinner feeling full up and very happy.
As I got older and became an adult myself, I tried to make something like Grandma’s Sunday dinners. I got the sauce recipe (配方) from Dad and often I would get very close to making a dinner like Grandma’s but it was never quite right. There finally came a point when I realized what I was doing wrong. I was trying to rediscover a taste, when what I really wanted to do was bring back a feeling. It wasn’t just the delicious food that made those dinners so wonderful, it was also the feeling of love that was there. Grandma always put her love into her cooking and always put her love into her life. Since then I have tried my best to do the same. No matter what I am cooking or what I am doing, I always try to season it with love.
Each day here can be a feast of love if we make it. Each day here can be a feast of joy when we share it.
1. What did the author often do as a child?| A．He bought new clothes. | B．He enjoyed delicious food. |
| C．He watched Grandma cook. | D．He played with Grandma outside. |
| A．Poor but happy. | B．Lonely but peaceful. |
| C．Eventful and joyful. | D．Light-hearted and enjoyable |
| A．He couldn’t get the right recipe. | B．He put few seasonings in his cooking. |
| C．He didn’t catch the feeling of love. | D．He misunderstood what Grandma taught. |
| A．Love those working for us. | B．Share our love with others. |
| C．Make delicious food every day. | D．Put our heart into daily cooking. |
【推荐1】Leo has always been my closest and constant companion these past five years. In fact, he is very friendly to me especially when I take care of other furry friends in our shelter.
There have been a lot of forest fires during the summer season. Not far from our shelter, a forest caught fire during this hot summer. Leo rushed towards the forest where flames send out a terrible heat. There’s no longer any hope at the moment to wait for Leo to come back to the shelter. In fact, I was waiting for the firemen to announce me his death in the forest. Suddenly, a fireman burst into my office and informed me that my dog Leo succeeded in saving four cats which were trapped by the flames. Leo seized the kittens, one by one moving them to a safe place.
I immediately accompanied the fireman to the forest to pick up the rescued kittens, but Leo was not there. Then we heard the sound of a dog came from the forest barking furiously. The firemen followed the tracks of the dog until they found him barking loudly by the side of an injured fireman who was lying on the ground.
That day, I was very proud of Leo for his two heroic actions. I paid a visit to the fireman accompanied with my adorable Leo. What a memorable scene when the fireman hugged Leo tightly to his chest! “One thousand thanks, Leo, for saving my life,” the fireman said.
This true story of love shows us that pets are kind, loving, and caring. We should love and protect them. Don’t belittle them. Little animals can make enormous things for humans.
1. In the author’s first opinion, what had happened to Leo?| A．Leo was afraid of big fire. | B．Leo was killed by the big fire. |
| C．Leo was able to save all the people. | D．Leo ran away from the shelter for ever. |
| A．look down upon. | B．live up to. |
| C．think highly of. | D．make things small. |
| A．To call attention to the danger of big fire. |
| B．To persuade people to keep pets. |
| C．To share a story of love and care from pets with us. |
| D．To stress the role of pets in people life. |
【推荐2】MacArthur’s devotion to sailing dates back to when she was just four years of age, when she first got the chance to have a try. “I’ll never forget that sailing as a kid of setting foot on a boat for the first time,” MacArthur said. “It kind of struck me that this boat had everything we needed to take us anywhere in th world. And as a child, that opened up everything.” She explained how it felt life the “greatest sense of freedom”.
This experience lighted a passion within MacArthur. She knew then that she wanted to sail around the world. She had no idea how to achieve it — growing up in the countryside, it wasn’t the most obvious career path — but she knew that was what she wanted to do at some stage. So she acquired knowledge and saved up for years to pursue a career in sailing. She would have potatoes and beans every day for eight years so that she could save up to buy the right equipment. By reaching certain financial goals and asking technical questions about sailing, MacArthur felt as though she was getting closer to her ambitions.
“When you know where you’re going, you can actually get there — even if it seems unlikely. The impossible could be possible and aiming high is not necessarily such a nutty thing to do.” And it seems that MacArthur’s drive to become a sailor went beyond her expectations. At the age of 24, she started to receive media attention after participating in the Vendee Globe, a single-handed non-stop yacht (帆船) race that goes around the world. She came in second place.
Some three to four years later, MacArthur chose to sail for 71 days and 14 hours, covering more than 26, 000 miles during the course of her journey. This led to MacArthur scoring a new world record in 2005, as the fastest person to sail around the globe single-handedly. While this record has since been surpassed, MacArthur is still considered as Britain’s most successful offshore racer.
1. What happened to MacArthur when she was four?| A．She prepared to sail around the world. | B．She got stuck in a boat. |
| C．She had her first taste of sailing. | D．She saw a boat for the first time. |
| A．She worked as a technician to earn money. |
| B．She sought financial support for her amibitions. |
| C．She planted potatoes and beans for profit . |
| D．She prepared herself for her goal. |
| A．She set the world sailing record. | B．She attracted media spotlight. |
| C．She secured second place in a yacht race. | D．She had her personal best surpassed. |
| A．Follow your own course, and let others talk | B．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
| C．Practice makes perfect. | D．Doing is better than saying. |
【推荐3】Like most people born and brought up in a big city，I always believed that carrots grew in trees.
But I’d always dreamed of living in the country. When my husband and I realized that our Toronto house was worth a large sum of money thanks to out-of-control housing prices, we decided to take the chance, sell and buy a piece of paradise (乐园) in a town northwest of the city.
We had no experience of living in the country. But at this stage of our lives, it was exciting to begin a new adventure. Besides, my parents were gone, the kids were grown and, to be honest, if I saw one more apartment building go up in my neighborhood, the top of my head was going to explode.
The first winter in our new home was a difficult one, with more snow falling than in the past 10 years. I learned the true meaning of “cabin fever (幽闭烦躁症)” we were trapped together 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. A lot! It wasn’t pretty. When spring came, I found myself driving to the city at least once every few weeks. I need to hug a tall building. I wasn’t quite used to the new life so well.
But there are so many wonderful things about living in the country. I first realized it would be different when I, with 12 items, went through the express lane (快速结账通道) at the local supermarket which is for people taking 5 items or less and nobody threatened my life or even gave me dirty looks. People actually smiled at me.
And driving around the countryside is a relaxing experience. I’m getting into a new role and a new life and it feels good. Now, I’m at home. The city is no longer where I belong. I’m here forever.
So, there is no doubt that carrots grow in the ground.
1. Which is NOT the reason for their final decision to live in the country?| A．Their kids were grown. | B．Their parents were gone. |
| C．They retired from work. | D．They sold their city house at a high price |
| A．Exciting. | B．Boring. | C．Frightening. | D．Relaxing. |
| A．people in the country lead simple lives |
| B．she is cleverer than people in the country |
| C．people in the country are nice to each other |
| D．supermarkets in the country have few customers |
| A．Carrots are really common in the country. |
| B．The author now is very interested in agriculture. |
| C．Carrots certainly can be gathered in the ground. |
| D．The author has got used to the life in the country. |
【推荐1】Several Eye-Opening Facts about Tears
Humans make three different versions of tears.Basal tears help our eyes move smoothly,reflex tears form in response to irritants(刺激物）such as smoke and dirt,and emotional tears flow when we're sad or over-joyed.Onion tears are obviously of the reflex variety-but what's the irritant?It turns out onions produce a chemical to defend themselves.To cut down on its release,freeze the onion before slicing,then use a sharp knife to reduce the damage to the onion and the release of the chemical.
Crying can be good for you.Some studies have shown a good cry can cause the release of certain chemicals that make us feel better.Crying can also improve people's sense of well being by bringing about social support.On the other hand,crying can sometimes make you feel worse than if you haven't cried at all.One study found that people who tend to cry in general more often feel worse after crying during a movie than people who seldom cry.
According to Entertainment Weekly,the biggest Hollywood tearjerker of all time is Terms of Endearment,about how a family deals with a cancer diagnosis.Number 2:Bambi.According to Merriam-Webster,the term tearjerker first appeared in 1912,which happens to be the same year the Titanic sank.(The movie Titanic is 16th on EW' s tearjerker list.)
In medieval(中世纪）times,crying was perfectly acceptable,even manly.In the Anglo-Saxon poem Beowulf,when Beowulf was killed by a dragon,his soldiers were extremely sad and cried aloud for his death.King Arthur was also known to turn on the waterworks.
Speaking of war,tear gas was banned on the battlefield via the Chemical Weapons Convention of 1993,which was made to happen by Iraq's use of chemical weapons in Iran in the 1980s.That said,American police can still legally use tear gas for crowd control.
1. Why do people have tears while cutting onions?| A．Because they are sad. | B．Because their eyes are affected by a chemical. |
| C．Because they are over-joyed. | D．Because their eyes can't move smoothly. |
| A．a popular newspaper | B．a touching movie |
| C．a deadly disease | D．an interesting book |
| A．Crying is always beneficial to people. |
| B．Tear gas is strictly forbidden in any case after 1993. |
| C．Emotional tears only form in response to negative feelings. |
| D．It is socially acceptable for men to cry in medieval times. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A chemistry paper. |
| C．A medical report. | D．A popular science magazine. |
【推荐2】Albert was an ordinary worker in an oil company in America. His workmates gave a nickname(绰号) “Four dollars a bucket (桶)” to him, for he was always used to leaving an advertisement of his company “Four dollars a bucket of oil” below his name whenever and wherever he wrote down his name.
As time went by, people forgot his real name. Later, when Rockefeller, the board chairman of the oil company, heard of it, he was very surprised, so he invited Albert to come to his office.
“Some people give you a nickname for ‘Four dollars a bucket’. Why aren’t you angry?” asked Rockefeller with some puzzlement in his eyes.
“Oh! Mr. Rockefeller! I like this nickname very much, because ‘Four dollars a bucket’ is our company’s advertisement. As long as someone calls me ‘Four dollars a bucket’ once, I think it’s a free advertisement for our company. I have no reason to get angry. Don’t you think so, Mr. Rockefeller?”
“Oh! What a fantastic man!” Rockefeller said excitedly when hearing Albert’s words. “Young man, work harder! You must succeed in the future! I believe in you!”
Five years later, Albert became the second board chairman after Rockefeller.
Later Albert said in one of his reports, “I don’t think we should feel frustrated when we have no way to do the world-shaking things. We should treat everything actively because maybe our future success will begin from a small thing!”
1. What was Albert in the oil company at the beginning?| A．A customer. | B．A worker. | C．A manager. | D．An assistant. |
| A．He could become famous. |
| B．He liked to have a nickname. |
| C．It could make his workmates happy. |
| D．It could advertise for his company for free. |
| A．It’s very important to do small things well. |
| B．Rockefeller asked young people to work harder. |
| C．You can’t get angry when someone calls your nickname. |
| D．You should make more advertisements for your company. |
| A．A Clever Way to Make Advertisements |
| B．Albert and Rockefeller |
| C．Four Dollars a Bucket |
| D．The Second Board Chairmam |
【推荐3】How do successful people think? What drives them? Interviews and investigations indicate that there are several keys to success that successful people share.
First of all, successful people never blame someone or something outside of themselves for their failure to go ahead. They realize that their failure lies in their own hands. They understand that they cannot control things in life, such as nature, the past and other people. But in the meantime, they are well aware that they can control their own thoughts and actions. They take responsibility for their life and regard this as one of the most empowering things they can do. Perhaps what most separate successful people from others is that they live life “on purpose”—they are doing what they believe they are put here to do. In their opinion, having a purpose in their life is the most important element that enables them to become fully functioning people. They hold that when they live their life on purpose, their main concern is to do the job right. They love what they do-and it shows. People want to do business with them because of their commitment. To live their life on purpose, successful people find a cause they believe in and create a business around it. Besides, they never easily give up. Once they have set up goals in their life, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals. Top achievers always bear in mind that they don’t have forever.
Rather than seeing it negative or depressing, they use the knowledge to support themselves and go after what they want energetically and passionately.
1. Successful people owe their failure to _______.| A．others | B．the society | C．themselves | D．their fate |
| A．successful people have a purpose in life | B．successful people can work hard |
| C．successful people have better minds | D．successful people can always win support |
| A．money | B．cleverness | C．fame | D．devotion to work |
| A．how people live on purpose | B．how people can be successful |
| C．how people make plans | D．how people do business |
