1 . Kobe Bryant is no doubt a legend. How did he do it? Simply put his work principle. He showed up to training every day, no excuses. Without a doubt, it is quite evident that Kobe’s desire for success was directly correlated with his work principle.
Kobe Bryant’s work principle is what helped him become the legend he is today. But what also must be understood about Kobe Bryant is that he was relentless (不停的；严格的). He had a mental toughness and steely focus that was driven by his over-the-top competitiveness.
In short, Kobe wanted to be the best, and would do whatever it took to achieve this mental goal. If he had a weakness in one area, he would commit to mastering that weakness. If there was a lack of strength in his shot, he would get to work exhausting all options to correct that lack of strength, researching and then applying the routines that instructed him on how to get stronger. Similarly, if his weakness was a lack of speed, he would put in the time and effort to overcome the limitation. And there lies his secret to success. The willingness to learn and then apply what he learned to move himself closer to his goals.
“When I am retired, I don’t want to have to say I wish I would have done more. I don’t want that.”— Kobe Bryant.
As such, Kobe Bryant’s success principle can be summarized as a relentless focus on the end result. The great news is the ability to be relentless is in all of you.
1. According to the author, what makes Kobe Bryant a legend?| A．Kobe Bryant’s attitudes and will. | B．Kobe Bryant’s money and power. |
| C．Kobe Bryant’s devoted fans. | D．Kobe Bryant’s methods of training. |
| A．By time order. | B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By giving example. | D．By explaining words meaning. |
| A．Success results from consistent efforts. | B．Always prepare for a rainy day. |
| C．Actions speak louder than words. | D．The early bird catches the worm. |
| A．Positive and considerate. | B．Self-disciplined and hard-working. |
| C．Confident and humble. | D．Selfless and energetic |
2 . Jacky Hunt-Broers ma, who lost one leg to cancer, is seeking to break a world record by completing 102 marathon runs. She set her goal in mid-January. And since then, she has been running the distance of a marathon. Most of the time, she averages just over five hours to complete a run. If she keeps successfully completing marathon runs every day, she will reach her goal by April 28.
Until five years ago, she was not very active. But then she looked into running and decided to give it a try. The sport ended up being quite costly. Currently, she runs on an artificial leg made of a strong, light material known as carbon fiber. The material, which is designed specially for running, costs about $10, 000.
But Jacky says her investment has been well worth it. The biggest struggle used to be that she had to admit part of her body was gone. “Running really changed my life,” she said. “It helped me accept myself as an amputee (截肢者). It gave me a sense of freedom. I fell in love with the process of pushing my body further just to see what I could do.”
However, she has faced both physical and mental difficulties during her record-breaking attempt. On one recent day, Jacky said she felt like giving up at 24 kilometers and began to cry. “I had a total emotional breakdown. I was like, ‘I just can’t do this.’” she said.
Jacky is documenting her progress online and has also gained a large social media following. As she nears the end of her goal, Jacky is hoping to inspire a single thought in others. She tells people, “You’re stronger than you think and you’re able to do so much more.”
1. What is Jacky’s goal according to paragraph 1?| A．To defeat a deadly disease. | B．To break her 5-hour record. |
| C．To be a professional runner. | D．To finish 102 marathon runs. |
| A．Difficult but rewarding. | B．Interesting but challenging. |
| C．Enjoyable and eye-opening. | D．Stressful and time-consuming. |
| A．To prove her ability. | B．To encourage others. |
| C．To gain wider attention. | D．To increase her confidence. |
| A．Health is the key to happiness. |
| B．Actions speak louder than words. |
| C．Chance favours the prepared mind. |
| D．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. |
3 . When Jenny Benson was eight, her mother took her to soccer practice for the first time.
“She’s never played soccer before,” Mrs Benson told the coach.“I’m not sure how she’ll do.”
Jenny ran onto the field and joined the other players. Over the next hour, Mrs Benson and the coach watched as Jenny outran many of the more experienced players.
“I knew then that soccer would be Jenny’s sport.” Mrs Benson recalls. And she was right.
It may have helped that Jenny had spent much of her time trying to keep up with her three brothers.“I wanted to be just like them,” Jenny says.“My family has inspired me for my entire life.”
Jenny has retired from the United States women’s national soccer team. She started out on her professional career in the Philadelphia Charge, a team in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA)．Later on, she joined FC Energy Voronezh, and then New Jersey Wildcats.
When the WUSA was being formed, league officials watched many college soccer games, looking for players good enough to join the league. They were very interested in Jenny, who played for the University of Nebraska.
“Throughout that college season, I knew I was being watched,” Jenny says, “I knew I couldn’t be perfect, so I just tried to be very consistent and have fun.”
As a professional, Jenny relied on her focused but funloving attitude. “In a game, I try never to put too much pressure on myself. The more I concentrate on having fun, the better I play.” She says. “I have good and bad days, just like everyone else, but I know the sun will always come up after a bad day. So all I have to do is to adjust myself, either to the change of my inner feelings or to the change of circumstances.That helps me get through anything.”
1. What can we learn from Jenny’s first soccer practice?| A．She was not sure how to play soccer. |
| B．She was gifted in playing soccer. |
| C．She was instructed by the soccer coach. |
| D．She was more experienced than other players. |
| A．New Jersey Wildcats. |
| B．FC Energy Voronezh. |
| C．The University of Nebraska. |
| D．The Philadelphia Charge. |
| A．Talented but impatient. |
| B．Confident and considerate. |
| C．Concentrated and adaptable. |
| D．Absorbed but selfcentered. |
| A．How Jenny developed her soccer career. |
| B．Why Jenny retired from the national team. |
| C．How Jenny’s brothers influenced her career. |
| D．What made Jenny a good soccer player. |
