Brian Tracy is a very famous Canadian-born motivational speaker, and it is safe enough to say that he is one of the best ones out there. Brian is excellent in the fields of public speaking, leadership and success psychology. However, it did not begin for Brian like that, as he was the troublemaker of the family.
Things have definitely changed for him, as he once struggled to pay the utility (公用事业) bills. Brian is the President and CEO of three multi-million dollar companies based in the United States. He is fluent in more than four languages and has one main message for everyone out there, “I believe through learning and the application of what you have learned, you can solve any problem, overcome any barrier and achieve any goal that you set for yourself.”
Brian Tray was born in Canada in 1944 and raised in the United States is early childhood was spent in a variety of locations, including Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California. His family moved frequently and he was often in a new school. Tracy’s parents’ marriage ended when he was seven years old, and he and his siblings had to live with the two different households. With his father mostly absent, Tracy and his siblings were largely raised by his mother.
His mother was a hardworking single parent who held down three jobs to support the family. Tracy was often left to his own devices, which included a lot of reading. He read a wide variety of books, including biographies and books on success and personal development. His reading gave him an education that was far beyond his years. He also studied music and played sports.
Although his childhood was difficult and his circumstances were sometimes difficult, Tracy’s strong spirit and determination eventually led to success. His early childhood experiences helped shape his beliefs and values, and he applied them to his later life and career.
1. What did Tracy do frequently before becoming famous?| A．He delivered speeches in public. | B．He learnt from excellent leaders. |
| C．He turned to psychologists for help. | D．He made trouble for his family. |
| A．Learning in order to practise. | B．Paying attention to pronunciation. |
| C．Setting a long-term goal. | D．Acquiring adequate vocabulary. |
| A．Classmates or friends. | B．Brothers or sisters. |
| C．Uncles or aunts. | D．Neighbors or relatives. |
| A．The good education. | B．The wide reading. |
| C．The mother’s support. | D．The tough childhood. |
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For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents’ home in Boise in nine hours. We traveled the way most people do: the fastest, shortest, easiest road, especially when I was alone with four noisy, restless kids who hate confinement (限制) and have strong opinions about everything.
Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when I had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.
But then Banner, our lamb was born. He was rejected by his mama days before our planned trip to Boise. I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.
That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They’d get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.
We explored side roads, catching grasshoppers in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car windows at baby pigs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons (见识).
We eventually arrived at my parents’ doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.
I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique. On an empty section of road, everyone started quarreling. I stopped the car, ordered all kids out and told them to meet me up ahead. I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.
Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey—and the best part of yourself.
1. Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents’ home?
| A．It was less tiring. |
| B．It would be faster and safer. |
| C．Her kids would feel less confined. |
| D．She felt better with other drivers nearby. |
| A．relax in the fresh air |
| B．take a deep breath |
| C．take care of the lamb |
| D．let the kids play with Banner. |
| A．Freeways are where beauty hides. |
| B．Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life. |
| C．Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one’s health. |
| D．One should follow side roads to watch wild animals. |
| A．To give herself some time to read. |
| B．To order some food for them. |
| C．To play a game with them. |
| D．To let them cool down. |
| A．Charm of the Detour |
| B．The Road to Bravery |
| C．Creativity out of Necessity |
| D．Road Trip and Country Life |
【推荐2】I visited Aruba last week. On the first day, I mainly enjoyed comfortable sunshine on the beaches there. But I needed more than sunshine and sand to fill my week.
I rented a car the next day. One of my first stops that day was the Alto Vista Chapel, a historic north-side Roman Catholic churchy Just as I entered it, a colourful “party bus” filled with singing tourists pulled into the parking lot, ending the silence. So I left soon.
From the church I made my way to the California Lighthouse, named for the steamship California that sank nearby in 1891. After spending some time there, I went to La Trattoria El Faro Blanco, an Italian restaurant that sits on top of the hill and offers scenic views.
I love golfing, so I wasn't going on vacation without spending a day on the courses. The Tierra del Sol Country Club is for golfing on the islands located at its northwest point. Opened in 1995, it is a beautiful place with views of the sea and the California Lighthouse. I spent a full day there.
To completely escape from the other tourists, I booked a four-hour jeep tour for the fourth day. I went to the Arikok National Park, which covers nearly 20 percent of the islands I stood on a cliff and looked down on a natural pool that was formed inside volcanic rock (火山岩). It was amazing.
My final night was spent at Madame Janette Restaurant, Friends who had been to Aruba told me I had to go there. I dined there while listening to a local musician performing the Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps. It was so good and the crowd demanded more.
1. Why did the author leave the Alto Vista Chapel soon?| A．Because he didn’t like the party there. |
| B．Because he didn’t find a place for his car. |
| C．Because there were too many tourist. |
| D．Because some tourists made the place noisy. |
| A．He enjoyed the views of the sea from a lighthouse. |
| B．He tasted the local food in a popular restaurant. |
| C．He played a sport in a club. |
| D．He visited a park. |
| A．introduce attractions in Aruba |
| B．encourage readers to visit Aruba |
| C．explain why Aruba is worth a visit |
| D．share his travel experience in Aruba |
| A．following the space order |
| B．following the time order |
| C．offering causes and effects |
| D．giving examples |
【推荐3】Emily Egan was born and raised in Essex, United Kingdom and speaks no foreign language, but hearing her speak, you could swear she's a Russian immigrant(移民)or a tourist, because of her Eastern European accent. But the funny thing is that she sometimes sounds French, Italian or even Polish, depending on how tired she is.
31 -year-old Emily's life changed greatly in January, when a mysterious condition left her unable to speak for two months. She’d had headaches for two weeks before one day developing a deeper voice suddenly. Her colleagues at a children's home then noticed her speech had become slow and unclear, both signs of a stroke(中风). By the time she was rushed to the hospital, Emily had lost her ability to speak completely, but after running some tests, doctors ruled out the stroke, instead blaming her voice loss on some sort of injury to her brain.
After spending three weeks in the hospital, Emily Egan was still unable to speak and relied only on basic sign language she’d picked up at work and a text-to-speech app on her phone to communicate. A doctor encouraged her to go on a vacation in Thailand she and her husband had already booked, and to try and relax as much as possible. She did just that and a few days into the vacation, she started to speak again.
"I was so thrilled when my voice started coming back but now I don’t even discern the voice that comes out of my mouth. It doesn't sound like me," Egan said. Ever since her voice came back, she's taken time off work because stress only makes her condition worse.
What has happened to Emily sounds shockingly similar to that of Michelle Myers, an Arizona woman who never traveled outside of America, but woke up to speaking with many accents-British, Irish and Australian-after experiencing severe headaches.
1. Why is Emily Egan considered a Russian immigrant?| A．She resembles a Russian very much. |
| B．She speaks Russian like a native speaker. |
| C．She speaks English with a Russian accent. |
| D．She can freely switch between English and Russian. |
| A．Brain injury. | B．A sudden stroke. |
| C．Long-term tiredness. | D．Serious headaches. |
| A．control | B．ignore | C．transform | D．recognize |
| A．She has already returned to work. |
| B．Her case isn't alone in the world. |
| C．She learned sign language after her voice loss. |
| D．Her voice returned after three weeks' treatment. |
【推荐1】After heating some syrup(糖浆), Wang Chunjing drew out a small part to make a ball which is empty inside, putting the edges together and pulling it into a tube (管子). She then blew air into the tube and created a lifelike rabbit in minutes. Children around her stared with mouths open as they watched the process, thinking she was more like a magician.
The 32-year-old, who has been blowing sugar figures, a traditional Chinese folk art, for more than a decade, understands the children’s reactions because she too once watched in amazement as her father did the same thing when she was a child.
Showing both interest and talent, Wang was able to make easy types when she was 6. After graduating from senior high school, she moved to Harbin with her family in search of a better life. She tried several jobs there, including as an assistant at a clothing shop and a mobile phone shop. However, she still dreamed of becoming a figurine(小雕像) maker to create magic like her father. She spent three years mastering the skills, after which she traveled to different provinces to earn a living by making sugar figures. In 2015, Wang returned to Harbin, starting sugar figurine business.
In 2019, Wang was granted the title of provincial-level inheritor(继承者) of sugar figures, but she never stops her attempt to develop this intangible cultural heritage. She always tries to make the sugar figures into different colors rather than only brown color and has tried out ideas for new shapes and figures.
Every month since 2017, Wang and a group of folk artists visit rural schools in Harbin, teaching students about traditional art forms such as sugar figurines, paper cutting and clay sculptures. “We were all very happy to discover that the students were really interested in these traditional arts,” she said. “I hope to teach more people about the art and traditional culture.”
1. What did Wang do when creating the sugar rabbit?| A．She heated syrup for a minute. | B．She filled the ball with syrup. |
| C．She put a tube into the ball. | D．She blew air into the tube. |
| A．She hoped to give her family a better life. | B．She failed to do well in other jobs. |
| C．She dreamed to create magical works. | D．She wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps. |
| A．Wang’s deep interest in traditional culture. |
| B．The important developments of sugar figures. |
| C．The achievement Wang has won in this business. |
| D．Wang’s further exploration in making sugar figures. |
| A．To discover new forms of folk art. | B．To practice making sugar figures. |
| C．To introduce traditional arts to students. | D．To help students to learn about history. |
【推荐2】Florence Nightingale was born in a rich family.When she was young, she took lessons in music and drawing,and read great books.She also travelled a great deal with her mother and father.
As a child, she felt that visiting sick people was both a duty and a pleasure.She enjoyed helping them.
At last, her mind was made up.“I'm going to be a nurse,” she decided.
“Nursing isn't the right work for a lady,” her father told her.
“Then I will make it so,” she smiled.And she went to learn nursing in Germany and France.When she returned to England, Florence started a nursing home for women.
During the Crimean War in 1854, she went with a group of thirty eight nurses to the front hospital.What they saw there was terrible.Dirt and death were everywhere to be seen and smelled.The officer there did not want any woman to tell him how to run a hospital,either. But the brave nurses went to work.
Florence used her own money and some from friends to buy clothes,beds,medicines and food for the men.Her only pay was the smiles from the lips of dying soldiers.But they were more than enough for this kind woman.
After war,she returned to England and was honoured for her service by Queen Victoria. But Florence said that her work had just begun.She raised money to build the Nightingale Home for Nurses in London.She also wrote a book on public health,which was printed in several countries.
Florence Nightingale passed away at the age of ninety,still trying to serve others through her work as a nurse.Indeed,it is because of her that we honour nurses today.
1. During the Crimean War in 1854，Florence served in the front hospital where _________．| A．she earned a lot of money |
| B．work was very difficult |
| C．few soldiers died because of her work |
| D．she didn't have enough food and clothes |
| A．Because she built the Nightingale Home for Nurses. |
| B．Because of her old age. |
| C．Because she worked as a nurse all her life. |
| D．Because she did a great deal of work during the Crimean War. |
| A．the life story of a famous woman |
| B．a description of the nursing work |
| C．an example of successful education |
| D．the history of nursing in England |
| A．wrote a book on public health |
| B．knew what her duty in life was |
| C．loved to help the sick people |
| D．was most interested in music and drawing |
【推荐3】You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860-1935)
Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community (社区) by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907-1964)
If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930-present)
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator (参议员) and, in 1981, the first woman to join the U. S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.
Rosa Parks (1913-2005)
On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rasa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.
1. What is Jane Addams noted for in history?| A．Her social work. | B．Her lack of proper training in law. |
| C．Her efforts to win a prize. | D．Her community background. |
| A．Her lack of proper training in law. | B．Her little work experience in court. |
| C．The discrimination against women | D．The poor financial conditions. |
| A．Jane Addams. | B．Rachel Carson. |
| C．Sandra Day O’Connor. | D．Ross Parks. |
| A．They are highly educated. | B．They are truly creative. |
| C．They are pioneers. | D．They are peace-lovers. |
