Here are four of the late bloomers (大器晚成者) who made great achievements later in life.
Judi Dench
Although Judi Dench has been a standout in her work for theatre and TV during her entire working career, she only became a household name in her 60s. Judi received seven Oscar nominations (提名) when she was over 60. She won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1999 for Shakespeare in Love.
Grandma Moses
Anna Mary Robertson Moses, better known as Grandma Moses, started painting in her 70s. She decided to give painting a go when she could no longer hold an embroidery needle (刺绣针) due to her illness. Her works were spotted by an art collector, who bought all her paintings and displayed them at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
James Parkinson
At the age of 62, James Parkinson identified Parkinson’s disease (帕金森病). His An Essay on the Shaking Palsy led to our general understanding of Parkinson’s today. Although others had previously written about shaking palsy, Parkinson’s descriptions were so in-depth that he inspired other medical scientists to study the disease.
Kathryn Joosten
Kathryn was a nurse and mum, but after her marriage failed she made up her mind to pursue her dream of being an actress. Close to the age of 60, she threw herself into the industry and achieved success. Since then she has appeared on TV shows like Desperate Housewives. She has also won two Emmy Awards.
1. Who is the oldest when he/she achieved success?| A．Kathryn Joosten. | B．James Parkinson. | C．Grandma Moses. | D．Judi Dench. |
| A．She became an actress after retiring. | B．She was a well-known nurse at the age of 60. |
| C．She gave up her dream for her broken marriage. | D．She decided to act after her failed marriage. |
| A．Old people are more likely to succeed. | B．One is never too old to learn. |
| C．Chances favour only the prepared mind. | D．Age is no barrier to success. |
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【推荐1】A young Chinese woman who lost an eye in a serious car accident dedicated her life to creating prosthetic (假体的)eyes that flash different colors.
In 2013, Xintong lost one of her eyes in a car accident. She was only 18at the time, and she had it replaced with a prosthetic eye. Instead of losing confidence in herself and shying away from people because of her appearance, the young woman finally decided to turn her situation to make herself stand out. After studying to become a prosthetic eye technician, Xintong started making all sorts of unique prostheses for herself, which showed off on social media, slowly building up a loyal following.
Xintong is perfectly capable of making classic prosthetic eyes That are almost indistinguishable from real ones, but she is best known for her “bionic (仿生的)eyes” that light up different colors and even flash at the press of a button. Short videos trying out some of these unusual prostheses have been going viral in China and she recent the attention of mainstream media as well. When interviewed, the 28-year-old woman said that she got into making prosthetic eyes as a way of helping people like her deal with confidence issues.
Some people want realistic prostheses, but some, like Xintong herself, use their disability to make themselves really unique by incorporating (植入)small LEDs in their prostheses. This allows them to look like real-life robots, and that’s admittedly pretty coo
Most people praise her for her power to turn a life-changing tragedy in her life into something positive.
1. Which of the following is true about prosthetic eyes made by Xintong?| A．They are identical to real ones. |
| B．They vary in colors. |
| C．They can flash automatically. |
| D．They are equipped with LEDs. |
| A．To sharpen her skills. |
| B．To attract more attention. |
| C．To try out different ideas. |
| D．To encourage people like her. |
| A．Capable and humorous. |
| B．Innovative and modest. |
| C．Confident and inspiring. |
| D．Tolerant and caring. |
| A．One Cool Girl Has One Cool Eye |
| B．Prosthetic Eyes Can Boost Confidence |
| C．An Accident Turns Out a Blessing |
| D．A Girl’s Invention Hits the World |
【推荐2】I was doing some Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well. As she was looking, a little boy came to the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neatly, but his clothes were obviously old. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head and said, "No."
The little girl had chosen her Barbie. However, she stopped and was watching them. Rather dejectedly, the boy had to give up the Pokemon toys and choose something else. The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon toys. She excitedly picked up one and raced towards the checkout. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier and whispered something in her ear. The cashier smiled and put the package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier checked his purchases and said, "Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize!" With that, 'she handed the little boy the Pokemon toys, and he could only stare in surprise. It was exactly what he had wanted!
The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this. Then they walked out. As I walked back to my car, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him. "Daddy, didn't Grandparents want me to buy something that would make me happy?" He said, "Of course they did honey." To which the little girl replied, “Well, I just did!"
I feel very shocked to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the meaning of this festival than most adults I know.
1. The underlined word "dejectedly" in Paragraph 2 probably means| A．delightedly | B．excitedly | C．disappointedly | D．unexpectedly |
| A．His father bought him the Pokemon toys happily |
| B．The little girl bought the Poknemon toys for him |
| C．The cashier felt sympathy and gave him the Poknemon toys |
| D．He was the 100 customer and won the Poknemon toys |
| A．Making the little boy happy made her happy | B．Her Grandparents wanted her to be happy |
| C．The Poknemon toys made her happy | D．Her Grandparents hoped that she could help others. |
| A．The story happened in a shop just after Christmas |
| B．The little girl preferred the Poknemon toys to Barbie |
| C．The boy actually had enough money to buy the Pokemon toys |
| D．The author was deeply moved by the behavior of the little girl |
【推荐3】Zandra Cunningham is the founder of a skincare brand. She has been recognized by the media as one of the youngest and most successful business owners in America.
When she was a kid, Zandra always loved lip balms (护唇膏) and bought a lot of them. But she found they eventually hurt her lips instead of relieving the dryness because of all the chemicals in them. She then started experimenting with different ingredients (成分) together with her mom. They tried a lot of times until they found the natural and healthy combinations they liked. Slowly, Zandra began selling her products at local farmers’ markets and trade events. Before her 10th birthday, she launched her brand and hoped it would empower other young girls.
Soon, it became a challenge for Zandra to separate her personal interests from what her customers actually wanted. “There are a lot of ideas that I feel are excellent but wouldn’t fit into the market,” she said. Being part of the younger market herself, Zandra recognized the issue and improved her products after truly listening to customers. “There are so many brands doing similar things, but there’s still so much room to grow. Your customers are out there, and you just have to reach out to them. That’s what will set you apart,” the 23-year-old shared.
When asked about her experience as a promising young businesswoman, Zandra said, “It wasn’t frightening. When you’re young, fear doesn’t have a strong hold on your mindset. ‘Maybe it’s not going to work’ never really crossed my mind.”
Characterized by encouraging statements and featuring a playful color combination, the packaging (包装) is a big part of why Zandra’s business has been so impressive. “There are a lot of products on the market that seem natural, but they actually aren’t,” she said. “I make sure my packaging can help people understand what each term means, and how to read and check ingredients.”
1. What pushed Zandra to get into the skincare business?| A．Her desire to create skin-friendly products. |
| B．Her interest in doing chemical experiments. |
| C．Her wish to set an example for other young girls. |
| D．Her goal of providing local people with cheap skin products. |
| A．She cooperated with powerful brands. |
| B．She stood by her own business decisions. |
| C．She made an effort to meet real market needs. |
| D．She took inspiration from successful businesswomen. |
| A．Her work experience. | B．Her parents’ support. |
| C．Her creative thinking. | D．Her youthful positivity. |
| A．To catch customers’ attention. |
| B．To collect customers’ opinions on skincare. |
| C．To educate customers about product knowledge. |
| D．To encourage environmental awareness in customers. |
【推荐1】Can you imagine being a billionaire at the age of 21? Entrepreneur (企业家), social media star and model Kylie Jenner has done just that. According to the business magazine Forbes, Ms Jenner has become the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. She is so successful that she became a billionaire two years younger than Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. She made the majority of her fortune from her best-selling cosmetics (化妆品) business Kylie Cosmetics, which she started at the age of 15. She founded and owns the beauty company, which is estimated to be worth around $900 million.
Kylie Jenner was born in August 1997. She got into business at a young age. When she was 14, she created a line of clothing for a fashion brand. A year later, she launched her own cosmetics line called Kylie Lip Kits, which transformed into Kylie Cosmetics.
Jenner has been on TV screens since she was 10. Time magazine listed her as one of the most influential teens in the world. Today, Ms Jenner also has successful careers as a model, TV reality show star and social media personality.
When the magazine first reported last summer that Jenner would take over the title, she was met with debate from critics who argued over whether her success was “self-made” or merely because of being born into an already famous and wealthy family.
“I can't say I’ve done it by myself. I don’t have any inherited (通过继承得到的) money, but I have had a lot of help and a huge platform,” Jenner told Forbes when talking about her billionaire status. “I didn't expect anything. I did not foresee the future. But the recognition feels really good. That’s a nice pat on the back.”
1. Where was the majority of Kylie Jenner’s wealth from?| A．Her family. | B．Social media. |
| C．Her modelling career. | D．Her cosmetics business. |
| A．She started her own cosmetics business. |
| B．She created a line of clothing for a fashion brand. |
| C．She began her career as a model and social media star. |
| D．She became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire. |
| A．Whether Kylie Jenner was really that wealthy. |
| B．Whether Kylie Jenner would achieve greater success. |
| C．Whether Kylie Jenner succeeded in life all on her own. |
| D．Whether Kylie Jenner was among the most influential teens in the world. |
| A．A huge challenge. | B．A great encouragement. |
| C．An accurate prediction. | D．A special requirement. |
【推荐2】The Golden Gate Bridge was the longest bridge in the world from 1937 when it was completed (完成) until the Verrazano Narrows Bridge was built in New York in 1964.Today,it is still the ninth longest bridge in the world.
For many years before the Golden Gate Bridge was built，the only way to get across San Francisco Bay was by ship.And by the early twentieth century the Bay was crowded because of them. In the 1920s, engineer and bridge-builder Joseph Strauss believed that a bridge should be built across the Golden Gate to solve the problem.
Many groups went against him，each for their own selfish reasons.Besides，the engineering challenge was also huge — the Golden Gate Bridge area often has winds of up to 60 miles per hour，and strong ocean currents (洋流) sweep below the surface.If all that weren’t enough，it was the middle of the Great Depression,and funds were hard to find.
Strauss didn't give up, and the Golden Gate Bridge history began when San Francisco officials approved＄35 million to build the Golden Gate Bridge.After the artistic design and red color were chosen, construction work began in 1933.The Golden Gate Bridge project was completed in 1937，an important date in San Francisco history.
Strauss was a pioneer in building safety.The Bay Bridge，which was being built at the same time cost 24 lives while the Golden Gate Bridge cost only 12，a great achievement in a period of time when one man was killed on most construction projects for every million spent.
1. What do we know about the Golden Gate Bridge?| A．It is of the same age as the Verrazano Narrows Bridge. |
| B．There are only 8 bridges worldwide longer than it now. |
| C．It remained the world’s longest bridge for 30 years. |
| D．It was the widest bridge worldwide when completed. |
| A．To prove his artistic ability. | B．To build the world's longest bridge. |
| C．To solve traffic jams at San Francisco Bay. | D．To make crossing San Francisco Bay possible. |
| A．The necessity for building the bridge. |
| B．The hard time of the Great Depression. |
| C．The bad weather in the Golden Gate Bridge area. |
| D．The difficulties in building the Golden Gate Bridge. |
| A．Strong—minded (意志坚强的). | B．Warm—hearted. |
| C．Honest. | D．Patient. |
【推荐3】Who is the most beautiful woman in the world? This question can’t be answered as quickly as the magic mirror answers the queen in Snow White. However, PEOPLE, a US magazine has been trying to answer that question since 1990. The magazine has its own Most Beautiful Woman every year. And last year it announced its pick for “World’s Most Beautiful Woman” of 2017. It was Julia Roberts, who had won the title five times. “I am very happy,” said the Hollywood star. “I think I’m now peaking.”
Roberts has been named “Most Beautiful” more times than anyone else. She first appeared on the magazine in 1991 at the age of 23. Roberts is perhaps not the perfect choice in all people’s mind. There are so many beautiful ladies in different fields after all. But PEOPLE has its own reasons, and it’s not just about her looks. Julia has never looked better. Her beauty also lies in her self-confidence and good humour. It lies in her ability to develop while keeping the best parts of herself. It lies in her talent for creating characters and telling stories that take us to new places. It lies in her beautiful smiles.
In Julia’s view, the most important for beauty is being happy! “Beauty is about your spirit. Be happy and live the life you want to live. That’s the key to looking your best,” said Julia.
1. Why is the mirror in Snow White mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic of the passage. |
| B．To compare Snow White with Julia Roberts. |
| C．To explain the function of the magic mirror. |
| D．To find out who is the most beautiful woman. |
| A．Julia Roberts looks the most beautiful |
| B．inner beauty matters in PEOPLE’s choice |
| C．she gets developed yet loses her identity |
| D．no one has a different idea about the choice |
| A．being humorous |
| B．techniques of making up |
| C．living as you wish |
| D．wearing beautiful smiles |
| A．A Fashion Magazine, PEOPLE |
| B．Hollywood Star, Julia Roberts |
| C．The Secret to Being Beautiful |
| D．Julia Robert—the World’s Best Actress |
