1 . Famous People Who Begin With Difficulties
Oprah Winfrey
Probably having one of the most famous success stories, Oprah was born into a poor family in Mississippi, raised by a single mother living on welfare. She was physically, and mentally abused during her childhood. Despite her initial struggles as a young girl, she turned herself into one of the most successful talk show hosts of our time.
Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey has been the star of some of the most successful movies of all time. But Carrey grew up extremely poor in Canada. When he was a teenager, his family took security jobs in a factory to help pay the bills. And during his first stand-up comedy performance, he was booed off （喝倒彩） the stage. Not shortly after, he made it big on In Living Color and then went on to star in Dumb & Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura in the same year!
James Dyson
If you thought Thomas Edison’s failures were bad, let me introduce you to James Dyson, the famous inventor of the Dyson vacuums （真空吸尘器） you see all over the television. Dyson developed over 5,000 failed prototypes （原型） before finding the bagless vacuum brand. Not only that, he put his entire savings account into his prototypes over fifteen years! Luckily, the bagless vacuum worked.
Stephen King
Before Stephen King became known as a great living writer—having written over 60 novels, many of which have been adapted for film and television—King was rejected over and over again. In his memoir, On Writing, King describes how he used to post his rejection letters on the wall for inspiration. His first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times.
1. What do Oprah and Jim have in common?| A．They were abused by parents. | B．They grew up in poor families. |
| C．They were hired as comedians. | D．They found jobs in a factory. |
| A．He repaired the failed prototypes. | B．He developed over 5,000 brands. |
| C．He put all efforts into marketing. | D．He invented the bagless vacuum. |
| A．Oprah Winfrey. | B．Stephen King. | C．James Dyson. | D．Jim Carrey. |
2 . Works by George Balanchine, with the music of George Gershwin, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Igor Stravinsky, the innovative genius of George Balanchine is brought to the forefront. The following is the introduction of the four artists.
Artist 1: George Balanchine
It is difficult to overlook the influence of choreographer (舞蹈编剧), George Balanchine. Called the Father of American Ballet, he combined the classical training he received as a boy in St. Petersburg with originality to modernism. He transformed ballet into a 20th century art form.
Artist 2: George Gershwin
George Gershwin was amongst one of the most significant and popular music composers for Broadway musicals. He wrote music for both Broadway and classical pieces that connected him to the wider public.
Artist 3: Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer whose works had a revolutionary (革命性的) impact on musical thought. He was honored with the Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal in 1954 and the Wihuri Sibelius Prize in 1963.
Artist 4: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is the very foundation of classical ballet. Russian-born Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable melodies (旋律) and innovative harmonies make his music loveable. Ballet audiences are fortunate to hear not only the works he intended for dance, such as Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, but also a wide variety of pieces that have been created by great dance-makers.
1. Which of the following is the achievement of George Balanchine?| A．He made ballet an art form of the 20th century. |
| B．He was thought as the Father of World Ballet. |
| C．He was good at giving classical training. |
| D．He combined music with modernism. |
| A．He was born in Russia. |
| B．He was a famous composer. |
| C．He influenced musical thought greatly. |
| D．He created music for Broadway musicals. |
| A．George Balanchine. | B．George Gershwin. |
| C．Igor Stravinsky. | D．Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. |
