Sylvester Stallone had been a struggling actor before he achieved his great success as an actor and screenwriter, starting in 1976 with his role as boxer Rocky Balboa, in the first film of the successful Rocky series.
Stallone was so poor at one point that he sold his wife’s jewellery (珠宝). He ended up becoming homeless, sleeping in a bus station, and struggled to afford food. He even managed to get a small amount of money in his pocket by selling his dog for $25.
Soon after, Stallone decided to take his career into his own hands and write a movie role for himself. After watching a boxing match, Stallone wrote the script (脚本) for Rocky very quickly, and soon a studio wanted to buy the screenplay to make.
Stallone was offered $125,000 for the Rocky script, but the trouble for the studio was that Stallone wanted to star in the movie. Stallone was penniless, but he still turned down $125,000 in order to chase his dream.
After being refused on the idea that he “looked and talked funny”, Stallone was then offered $250,000 for the screenplay. He refused unless he could star. He was then offered $350,000. Again he refused.
The studio wanted this screenplay so badly, but was not willing to risk the money on this unknown actor. Stallone stayed strong, and eventually the studio gave him a small amount for the script and let him star.
With his fortunes up, Stallone went to buy back his dog, but the guy he sold it to would not sell him back. Stallone offered the man $1,000 for the dog, but the man refused. Eventually, the man accepted $15, 000 for the dog.
And this is why Stallone has deserved his success and why he is on this list of the best inspiring stories — because he was willing to do whatever it takes to get his dream.
1. What do we know about Stallone from paragraph 2?| A．He lived a very hard life. | B．He didn’t want to work hard. |
| C．He made a living by selling dogs. | D．He didn’t get on well with his wife. |
| A．He wasn’t a responsible actor. | B．He asked too much for his script. |
| C．They had already found a famous star. | D．They thought he wasn’t the right person. |
| A．Humorous. | B．Honest. | C．Determined. | D．Creative. |
| A．Stallone’s Rocky Series | B．Stallone’s Well-written Script |
| C．Stallone’s Road to Success | D．Stallone’s Journey to Fortunes |
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One day Mark Twain was going to a small town because of his writing. Before he was going to leave, one of his friends said to him that there were always a lot of mosquitoes in the town and told him that he’d better not go there. Mark Twain waved his hand and said, “It doesn’t matter. The mosquitoes are no relatives of mine. I don’t think they will come to visit me.”
After he arrived at the town, Mark Twain stayed in a small hotel near the station. He went into his room, but when he was just about to have a rest, quite a few mosquitoes flew about him. The waiters felt very sorry about that. “I’m very sorry, Mr Mark Twain. There are too many mosquitoes in our town.” One of them said to him.
Mark Twain, however, made a joke, saying to the waiter, “The mosquitoes are very clever. They know my room number. They didn’t come into the wrong room.” What he said made all the people present laugh heartily.
But that night Mark Twain slept well. Do you know why? That was because all the waiters in the hotel were driving the mosquitoes away for him during the whole night.
1. That day Mark Twain went to the town _____.
| A．to see one of his friends |
| B．because he wanted to do something there for his writing |
| C．because he was told there were a lot of mosquitoes there |
| D．to see one of his relatives |
| A．they did something wrong to Mark Twain |
| B．their hotel was too small |
| C．the room was not very clean |
| D．there were quite a few mosquitoes in Mark Twain’s room |
| A．the mosquitoes were very clever and they didn’t come into the wrong room |
| B．the mosquitoes knew Mark Twain’s room number |
| C．Mark Twain gave the waiters some nice presents |
| D．Mark Twain made a joke |
| A．no mosquitoes troubled Mark Twain in the night |
| B．the owner of the hotel told the waiters to look after Mark Twain well at night |
| C．Mark Twain didn’t have a good rest that night |
| D．there were not mosquitoes in the hotel any longer |
Long long ago,there was a young man.His name was Wars.He lived in a little house near the River Vistula.He went there fishing every day for a living.
One day he saw a beautiful girl in the river.The girl's name was Sawa.From then on,the young man and the beautiful girl met every day.They fell in love with each other.When Wars asked Sawa to marry him.Sawa was very sad.She told him that she was mermaid (美人鱼) and she couldn't marry man.But she said she would give him something when they met again.
The next day,Wars went to the river and met Sawa. Sawa was waiting for him with a sword in herright hand and a shield(盾)in her left hand.She told Wars that they wouldn't meet again.She gave the sword and the shield to him.She said he would be successful with the sword and the shield and become a great hero.Then she went away.
Wars missed Sawa very much.He always remembered his first love.What the mermaid had told him came true.Wars became a great hero.He got the land by the River Vistula.There he set up a city. He called it Warsaw.
1. Wars was a ___________when he met Sawa for the first time
| A．hero | B．fisherman | C．mermaid | D．soldier |
| A．Sawa was a mermaid | B．Sawa didn't love Wars |
| C．Wars was very poor | D．Wars didn't love Sawa |
| A．they would marry later |
| B．they would leave together |
| C．he would become a hero |
| D．he would get much money |
| A．the name of a house |
| B．the name of a river |
| C．the name of a mountain |
| D．the names of Wars and Sawa |
| A．Wars lived in a big house near the River Vistula before he met Sawa |
| B．Sawa was kind but not pretty |
| C．Sawa gave Wars nothing but a sword |
| D．Wars named the city Warsaw to remember his first love |
【推荐3】When Miguelina meets with people looking for jobs, she will tell them that the most important thing they can do is asking themselves for help in getting the job they need.
One time, she felt so impressed that things would work out for a man. She then began to work helping him with job searching. A short time later, the man found a new job.
Working as an employment specialist(就业专家), Miguelina has the chance to help people regularly.
“Any career that helps you serve others is a special career.” Miguelina said. “It not only helps us by serving others, but also helps others take care of needs in their own lives. This improves their lives and helps them live better. This is what I love most about it.”
Before being called as an employment specialist, however, Miguelina didn’t even know that the employment center had existed. She had no idea what she should do in her career. As she studied and learned, she discovered what she could do. She decided to take over the Career Workshop(就业讲习班) the employment center offered so she could get a better idea of what people were learning.
She learned so much from the Career Workshop. Now the first thing she tells those who come to her finding employment help is to sign up for the Career Workshop.
Because of her successful experience of the workshop, Miguelina helps others look for jobs, or better education chances, or small-business chances. She helps people find short training classes to give them the skills they need to find better jobs. Miguelina helps people in all areas of life from practical advice to encouragement.
“Her work is important to many people. Her love and devotion to the work have helped them get a better quality of life.” said Lisette Villalona, area manager of the employment center. “She has made a success that can only be achieved through love.”
1. Why does Miguelina help others regularly?| A．For her job. | B．For her interest in the Internet. |
| C．For her boss’s order. | D．For her better education. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Important. |
| C．Hopeless. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．Find a Good Job with Others’ Help |
| B．Miguelina—a Teaching Expert |
| C．Miguelina—a Woman Helps Others Find Jobs |
| D．The Management of the Employment Center |
【推荐1】Here are some of the most influential print journalists in history.
John Peter Zenger
This man published the New York Weekly Journal in the 1700s. He wrote honestly about the British government, and in 1735 he was arrested (逮捕). He was found not guilty, since what he wrote was based on truth. His case helped influence the American Revolution.
Benjamin Franklin
We know that Benjamin Franklin had a lot of interests. But many people don’t realize that the inventor and founding father was also a journalist. His The Pennsylvania Gazette began in the 1730s, and Franklin used it to help get his ideas out and influence the public leading up to the American Revolution.
William Randolph Hearst
Hearst was well known as one of the biggest publishers and journalists of his time. He started with The San Francisco Examiner, and went from there. Hearst was one of the starters of “yellow journalism”, which started a new field of journalism that used eye-catching headlines to draw the attention of readers.
Helen Thomas
This woman is the first lady of print journalism. Helen Thomas has been a White House reporter since 1961. She is known for her bold (大胆的) questions, and for her ability to get to the heart of the matter. Thomas gained new influence and fame when George W. Bush was President for her sharp questions and comments.
1. Why was John Peter Zenger not guilty?| A．He didn’t lie at all. |
| B．The police got the wrong guy. |
| C．He took part in the American Revolution. |
| D．His achievements were greater than his faults. |
| A．A father. | B．A leader. |
| C．An inventor. | D．A journalist. |
| A．It was created by Hearst. | B．Its newspapers were in yellow. |
| C．It used little tricks to attract readers. | D．It came from The San Francisco Examiner. |
| A．John Peter Zenger. | B．Helen Thomas. |
| C．Benjamin Franklin. | D．William Randolph Hearst. |
Hello, everyone. Today, I’m going to introduce Edgar Snow. Edgar Snow was an American journalist who wrote influential books and articles about China in the 1930s. Data time when relatively little was known about our country in the Western world, his 1937 book Red Star over China broke ideological boundaries by telling the stories of the Chinese communist movement from the inside.
Although Snow was not the only international journalist to set foot in China during the early decades of the 20th century, what set him apart from the others was that he actually spent time with the Chinese Red Army. He listened to their stories and observed their day-to-day lives, as well as conducting interviews with mad Zedong and other leaders. His biographical accounts and depictions of historical events, such as the Long March, therefore captured the spirit of the period and the people living through it with unprecedented authenticity. Snow is considered “our American friend”.
I admire Snow’s special insight and bravery, risking his life during the war to get to the heart of the story and correct prejudice. For me, Snow’s writing, and in particular Red Star over China, is a must-read for anyone with an interest in that period.
1. Who was Edgar Snow?2. What did he do and what boundaries did he break?
【推荐3】Helen Thayer, one of the greatest explorers of the 20th century, loves challenges. She says, “I like to see what’s on the other side of the hill.” She has gone almost everywhere to do that.
In 1988, at the age of 50, she became the first woman to travel alone to the North Pole. She pulled her own sled piled with 160 pounds of supplies, and during her trip no one brought her fresh supplies. Accompanied only by her dog Charlie, she survived cold weather and meetings with polar bears. In fact, Charlie saved her life when one of them attacked her. Near the end of her trip, a forceful wind blew away the majority of her supplies. The last week of the trip, she survived on a handful of nuts and a little water each day.
Helen goes to challenging places not only for adventure, but also for education. Before her Arctic journey, she started a website called Adventure Classroom. On the site, she shares her adventures in order to motivate (激发) students. She explains, “Although kids often see the world in a negative way, without hope for their future, we work to inspire them to set goals, plan for success and never give up...”
Helen grew up in New Zealand. Her parents were athletes and mountain climbers. Following her parents’ example, she climbed her first mountain at 9. Later, she climbed the highest mountains in North and South America, the former USSR and New Zealand.
In 1996, she took on another challenge — the Sahara Desert. She and her husband, Bill, walked 2,400 miles across it! In 2001, she and Bill traveled on foot from west to east through the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. They hope to travel to Sichuan and Tibet in China to study pandas this year.
Helen plans to continue taking trips. She’ll use her explorations, writing, photography and environmental work to create programs for her Adventure Classroom website. She wants to inspire her students never to stop facing challenges!
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Helen Thayer is the first person to reach the North Pole. |
| B．Helen Thayer ate nothing during the last week of her trip. |
| C．Charlie prevented Helen being attacked by polar bears. |
| D．Helen Thayer traveled to the North Pole together with her husband. |
| A．For education. | B．For fun. | C．For money. | D．For fame. |
| A．The Woman Who Loves Adventure. | B．A Famous Woman. |
| C．A Woman Mountain Climber. | D．The Owner of Adventure Classroom. |
| A．The North Pole. | B．The Sahara Desert. |
| C．The Gobi Desert. | D．Sichuan and Tibet. |
