No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts. I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program. The school took part in the league matches every year. However, it never ended well. We were more of the audience, watching and cheering instead of sweating out in the fields.
Fortunately, the school held the tradition that the school’s old team was to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. For lack of resources, the old team bad no coach, and they didn’t even practice to prepare for the game.
I was assigned (指派) as the coach of the new team, which was why I was excited. I believed that we were going to win, but to my disappointment, we were defeated. I couldn’t believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I tried to figure out the reason and what I should do next.
It didn’t take long before I came to realize that my team was depending on me. Without proper guidance or previous experience, my team was at a loss what to do. I had to change my attitude so that I could bring out the best in them about their ability and potential.
I would let my action do the talking. First, I started doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. I could see their spirits lifted, with their head held high in great confidence. Most importantly, I began to treat them like winners. Only when they regarded themselves as winners could they willingly invest time and energy.
This summer, the other teams enjoyed their vacations.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Six months later, football season started.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________2 . The day I first came across a harp (竖琴) is a memory stored by all my senses. In contrast to the vivid color in which I recall this first encounter, I still remember my parents faces turning pale when I announced “I’m going to play the harp!” My parents’ faces reflected then financial fears. But they still rented me a little harp and hired a man to teach me.
I felt complete every time I played the harp. Then something happened: sheet music. Suddenly I had to learn this foreign language in order to continue to play. What was once an effortless pleasure turned into a constant struggle. My dyslexic (诵读困难的) brain fed on the beauty of the music but fought with the way it was taught. I soon found myself stuck in a love-hate relationship.
For my 16th birthday, my parents used their savings to buy me a harp, in the hope that it might settle my relationship with it. But in the weeks that followed the harp exploded.
The remains of the harp sat at the bottom of our stairs for several weeks. Eventually, my father and I built a fire to burn it. It felt strange to burn something that once represented so much, and we both sat there staring in silence. My father said “I know you find it hard to read music. But have you ever thought about just playing?” What he said changed everything for me, “Yeah, but I don’t have a harp anymore.”
Two weeks later, an old and small harp turned up. I threw away all my music books and started playing by ear and from the heart. All the passion came back. Music is so much more than dots (小圆点) on a page. If you feel it and are excited by it, stick to it. Had I let traditional music teaching techniques put me off playing the harp, I would have lost a part of myself.
1. What was the author’s parents’ reaction to her decision?A.They were excited and hopeful about it | B.They purchased her a harp immediately |
C.They showed concern but agreed to it | D.They hesitated over it for a long time |
A.It took away her enjoyment of playing the harp | B.It was beneficial to foreign language learning |
C.It led to her encountering difficulty in reading | D.It was an effective way of appreciating music |
A.Astonished | B.Sorrowful | C.Frightened. | D.disappointed. |
A.Hard work pays off | B.Strike while the iron is hot |
C.The simplest way is the best way | D.Never give up on what you really want to do |
3 . One Saturday morning, an old man went into the market to buy something. He was dressed
“I wish to get a
Just then a young gentleman
“Carry it myself! Who do you think I am?” said the young gentleman.
Hearing all that was said, the old man said, “Well, that is lucky. I
“Oh, it’s nothing, sir,” replied the old man. “It was no
“Who is that
In fact, Mr Marshall taught us a lesson that no man should feel himself too fine to carry his own goods.
1.A.simply | B.warmly | C.casually | D.formally |
A.cage | B.bag | C.basket | D.box |
A.chicken | B.duck | C.fish | D.turkey |
A.only | B.just | C.always | D.also |
A.satisfied | B.familiar | C.busy | D.bored |
A.walked around | B.searched for | C.passed by | D.stepped into |
A.office | B.farm | C.house | D.hospital |
A.agreed | B.refused | C.hesitated | D.continued |
A.Besides | B.However | C.Therefore | D.Instead |
A.right | B.intention | C.rule | D.custom |
A.important | B.dirty | C.heavy | D.expensive |
A.sorry | B.angry | C.hungry | D.depressed |
A.happen | B.hope | C.regret | D.choose |
A.help | B.employ | C.pay | D.allow |
A.Until | B.Unless | C.When | D.Before |
A.praised | B.thanked | C.stopped | D.invited |
A.trouble | B.expectation | C.surprise | D.doubt |
A.smiled | B.imagined | C.waited | D.wondered |
A.brave | B.strange | C.kind | D.ordinary |
A.peaceful | B.shamed | C.sad | D.disappointed |
A middle-aged man took his eighty-year-old father, who used a stick for walking, to the park to take a walk every morning.
One day, while the old man stepped out from the car, his stick fell down, and he lost his balance.
However, his son caught his hand tightly
After walking
The son asked,“ What do you mean, Father?” The man said,“ When you were a kid, I was holding your hand to support you for walking.
“What?” the son questioned his dad. The old man replied,
“We all want to be ‘young’ forever! Ageless! Young age is always full of
5 . Yesterday was my birthday, but I didn’t
To my
We spent one hour
A.give away | B.come up with | C.stick to | D.break away from |
A.sad | B.tired | C.proud | D.excited |
A.helped | B.advised | C.drove | D.followed |
A.listen | B.fight | C.order | D.change |
A.friends | B.bosses | C.customers | D.workers |
A.show | B.celebrate | C.protect | D.attend |
A.full | B.empty | C.far | D.clean |
A.lay | B.move | C.share | D.buy |
A.reported | B.refused | C.recorded | D.accepted |
A.fear | B.pity | C.surprise | D.regret |
A.cake | B.dish | C.menu | D.gift |
A.standing | B.talking | C.looking | D.waiting |
A.Luckily | B.Finally | C.Slowly | D.Secretly |
A.ladies | B.gentlemen | C.kids | D.parents |
A.taught | B.wished | C.asked | D.offered |
6 . It is strange how a small moment can change a person’s life. My son walked into the kitchen this morning and opened his
My Italian grandma had been a big hugger when I was a boy, but my mum and dad didn’t hug me much as I got
When I was sixteen, I
When my own children were born then I
A.arms | B.hands | C.mouth | D.eyes |
A.flash | B.style | C.topic | D.memory |
A.older | B.stronger | C.quicker | D.slower |
A.looked | B.opened | C.left | D.put |
A.thought of | B.stopped by | C.asked for | D.burned down |
A.greeted | B.annoyed | C.checked | D.cheated |
A.suitable | B.thin | C.small | D.huge |
A.challenge | B.confidence | C.turn | D.impression |
A.jumped | B.broke | C.packed | D.stepped |
A.warmth | B.anxiety | C.curiosity | D.horror |
A.personality | B.adventure | C.spirit | D.stomach |
A.realize | B.wonder | C.understand | D.notice |
A.exploring | B.designing | C.refusing | D.receiving |
A.advice | B.joy | C.blood | D.knowledge |
A.decided | B.forgot | C.changed | D.returned |
7 . Dan Price was the CEO of Gravity Payments, a financial services company. One day, he found out a friend was struggling
This point was driven home when he
That’s when Dan decided to do something to stop income
More than a third of his employees saw their
When COVID-19 hit the U.S, Dan’s company
As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats! Dan treated his employees well. And when it was their turn to
A.politically | B.financially | C.physically | D.emotionally |
A.reasonable | B.predictable | C.high | D.low |
A.unfair | B.strange | C.challenging | D.harmful |
A.forgot | B.composed | C.discovered | D.reviewed |
A.insisted | B.argued | C.suggested | D.admitted |
A.in peace | B.in line | C.in demand | D.in relief |
A.inequality | B.growth | C.redistribution | D.limit |
A.looking into | B.taking over | C.showing off | D.giving up |
A.earn | B.raise | C.collect | D.reduce |
A.market | B.creativity | C.salaries | D.costs |
A.same | B.opposite | C.following | D.first |
A.separated | B.returned | C.removed | D.hidden |
A.focus on | B.pass down | C.apply for | D.talk about |
A.requirement | B.competition | C.risk | D.productivity |
A.suffered | B.escaped | C.masked | D.caused |
A.disappointed | B.astonished | C.frightened | D.amused |
A.service | B.reward | C.check | D.cut |
A.public | B.free | C.strong | D.quiet |
A.benefit | B.change | C.learn | D.recover |
A.repay | B.respect | C.improve | D.invite |
8 . I wish I’d been more confident in my own abilities, especially when I was at school.
I was a shy child and struggled a bit when talking to other people. On the whole, my parents were very supportive, always encouraging me and trying to help me relax in social situations, but I was always terribly self-conscious. I wish I hadn’t been so worried about what everybody thought of me. I know now that if you are extremely shy , then it’s hard work to have a conversation with you. Now I try to think about the other person I’m talking to and put them at ease in my company .However, at school, I found it especially difficult in my peer group. I wasn’t competitive, but I was aware of my appearance and I always compared myself to other people, usually coming to the conclusion that I wasn’t as clever or as popular or as cool as they were. I wanted to be popular. I know now that the kids who are considered the coolest at school aren’t necessarily the most popular or successful when they grow up.
I realize now that everything changes during your teen years — physically, mentally, socially and emotionally — and I just had a harder time than most. I wish I hadn’t let it stop me from doing things, though. I wish I’d taken a gap year or at least traveled more when I left school. But to tell the truth, I didn’t have the courage to go off alone before going to college. I could have gone to Europe and America with a friend as I’d saved up enough money, but in the end I just didn’t want to do it. My parents really wanted me to try a gap year. They said it would be a great experience before college. I think they were right, and now I won’t have another opportunity to do that for a long time.
1. What can be learned about the author when she was a child?A.She found being sociable difficult. |
B.She was considered too direct. |
C.She lived a rich life. |
D.She felt uncomfortable with her parents. |
A.She had a big heart. |
B.She was a first-class student. |
C.She suffered greatly during her teen years. |
D.She used to let her parents down. |
A.Not paying enough attention to her parents. |
B.Not saving up enough money to go abroad. |
C.Not going to college together with her best friend. |
D.Not being brave enough to travel before college. |
A.To honor her parents | B.To share her life lessons |
C.To remember her childhood | D.To discuss skills needed for school |
9 . The Malaysian state of Sabah on the island of Borneo is a
Just recently, scientists
In 2018, scientists used laser imagery from airplane to
Bringing just a tape measure (卷尺) and climbing equipment, an
In an interview, Jami talked about his
A.shelter | B.hell | C.paradise | D.nightmare |
A.researched | B.designed | C.planted | D.discovered |
A.width | B.height | C.length | D.depth |
A.came across | B.led to | C.set aside | D.left out |
A.unsurprisingly | B.unhappily | C.unbelievably | D.unfortunately |
A.remove | B.transport | C.measure | D.surround |
A.modern | B.unusual | C.effective | D.strange |
A.clean | B.cut | C.plant | D.spot |
A.assess | B.arrange | C.check | D.identity |
A.traditional | B.crazy | C.ridiculous | D.awkward |
A.educated | B.experienced | C.admired | D.approved |
A.draw | B.prevent | C.put | D.prove |
A.decorated | B.climbed | C.trimmed | D.protected |
A.easily | B.fearfully | C.surely | D.clumsily |
A.reached | B.observed | C.calculated | D.judged |
A.arrival | B.approach | C.flight | D.journey |
A.top | B.distance | C.middle | D.bottom |
A.sunshine | B.air | C.wind | D.view |
A.work | B.sleep | C.lie | D.eat |
A.habitats | B.heritages | C.wonders | D.resources |
10 . I was a recent graduate of a leading business school and I was to join a big company in Gomia, Bihar. The company chose only the best, and I was full of it.
The night train from Calcutta would reach Gomia in the morning. I had a letter that said there would be a car to pick me up from the station and take me to the Guest House. However, I found no person in sight to receive me when I got off the train. I felt let down. I carried the luggage on my shoulder and came to the exit. There I saw a nice car. The driver was walking towards the car .Ah, my driver, there he was!
I went up to him and asked him to carry my luggage. He asked me who I was and I introduced myself. The driver opened the back door and had me seated. Along the way, he asked me some questions about me and my family. I was angry with the driver who asked too much and answered him in monosyllables (只言片语). After reaching the Guest House, we said goodbye.
The next day was a big day. I was to meet the boss of the place, Dr. S. K. Kamat, and I was nervous. I knocked on the door and walked into the large office. The big man had his back to me and as he turned, I recognized the man immediately. He was the driver!
He gave me a broad smile and said he was S. K. Kamat. I could have died at that moment. I apologized for my behavior and was at a loss for words. He said that he had come to the station to see off a friend. And he had seen me and wanted to be of assistance. He never referred to the incident almost as if it didn’t happen. When I walked out of the office, I learned a great lesson.
1. What do we know about the author?A.He was a little cocky at first. |
B.He was going to change his job. |
C.He took the initiative in talking with the driver. |
D.He saw the driver as soon as he got off the train. |
A.Confused. | B.Warm. | C.Embarrassed. | D.Anxious. |
A.He thought it was impolite to do that. |
B.He didn’t want to make the author sad. |
C.He was willing to offer help to the author. |
D.He wanted the author to be grateful to him. |
A.Love brings hope to the needy. | B.Be kind whenever possible. |
C.Education is the key to success. | D.Continuous learning is vital. |