1 . What is success? I am not going to try to explain success. I think a precise meaning is impossible! Is it winning a Gold Medal at the Olympic Games or winning Wimbledon, or being awarded a Nobel Prize? What else? I believe personal success could be anything at all—it does not have to involve public recognition. Who is more successful? A millionaire who is unhappy, or an unnoticed person, who has led a simple, quiet, sincere and happy life? The simplest definition of success, I think, is “to set out to do something and to succeed in doing it”.
The first step on the road to success starts with belief. Believe you can succeed and you will. Achieving success in whatever endeavor (努力) you choose may be the goal of life, because it gives you freedom from worry. Could that be?
Success means different things to every one of us. Some people believe it is measured in financial term; others believe it is helping others rather than helping themselves. However, most people are motivated to a great extent by public recognition. How many people are really happy?
How many people are really doing what they want to with their lives? Incidentally, the ability to imagine makes us different from animals.
Most important of all, I believe success is a matter of personal growth. If every day you are developing or growing just a millimeter, I believe one is successful. Just being a slightly better person each day for me is success. I’ve got a very long way to go them!
Finally, always remember success is a process and is not simply a matter of arriving at a destination. It’s the journey that really matters. Success is what you become in the often very difficult and dangerous journey down the river of life.
1. What is personal success according to the author?| A．Winning public recognition. |
| B．Being an unhappy millionaire. |
| C．Something impossible to define simply. |
| D．Succeeding in doing what you want. |
| A．belief | B．imagination |
| C．freedom | D．success |
| A．What is success |
| B．No true success |
| C．How to be successful |
| D．Success is reaching a destination |
2 . Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of their programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness, Public Speaking.
After my speech，I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speakers faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After the successful delivering, I became more confident. I said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plant, on various topics like Self-Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?| A．Practice Makes a Man a Better Speaker. | B．Public Speaking Makes a Man Embarrassed. |
| C．Principal Provides the Best Chances. | D．Spoken English Develops in Speeches. |
| A．he disliked the principal | B．he had got a high fever before that |
| C．he regretted turning down another invitation | D．he feared he couldn’t perform it properly |
| A．Unlucky opportunities. | B．Negative ideas. | C．Curious colleagues. | D．Happy comments. |
| A．Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty. |
| B．Knowledge makes one humble, while ignorance makes one proud. |
| C．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
| D．Necessity is the mother of invention. |
3 . There was once a famous scientist who made several important discoveries. Once he was asked how he could be so creative. He replied that it all came from an experience he had with his mother when he was 2 years old. He was trying to take a bottle of milk out of the refrigerator. But the bottle was too slippery（滑的）and he dropped it. The kitchen floor was covered in milk.
Instead of shouting at him or punishing him, his mother said, “Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have never seen such a huge puddle of milk. Would you like to play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”
So he did. After a few minutes, they cleaned it up together. Then his mother said, “This was a failed experiment in how to carry a big bottle of milk with two tiny hands. Let’s fill the bottle with water and see if you can find a way to carry it without dropping it.”
The little boy learned that if he held the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it. What a wonderful lesson!
The scientist then added that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes. He learned that mistakes are just opportunities to learn something new.
1. Robert made a mess on the kitchen floor by _____.| A．doing an experiment |
| B．dropping a bottle of milk |
| C．throwing bottles around |
| D．drinking a bottle of milk |
| A．She showed him a huge puddle of milk. |
| B．She shouted at him and punished him. |
| C．She asked him to clean the kitchen. |
| D．She allowed him to play in the mess. |
| A．Hardworking. |
| B．Careful. |
| C．Smart. |
| D．Protective. |
| A．tell readers how much he loved his mother |
| B．suggest that we should treat life as a big experiment |
| C．show that scientific discoveries come from everyday life |
| D．tell readers that they should keep an open mind about mistakes |
4 . One day a poor man was begging with an old wallet in his hand. As he felt sad at his own bad luck, he kept wondering why some wealthy people were never satisfied and were always wanting more.
“Here,” said he, “is the master of this house—I know him well. He is a wealthy businessman. He should have turned over his business to others, and then he could have spent the rest of his life happily, but he didn’t. Instead, he sent his ships to sea to trade with foreign lands. However, there were great storms on the water, so his ships were destroyed and his treasure disappeared in the sea. As for me, if I had only enough to eat and to buy clothing, I would not want anything more.”
Just at that moment, Fortune came down the street. She saw the poor man and stopped. She said to him, “Listen! I want to help you. Hold your wallet, and I will pour this gold into it, but only on this condition: all that falls into the wallet shall be pure gold, but every piece that falls upon the ground shall become dust. Do you understand?”
“Oh, yes,” said the poor man.
“Then be careful,” said Fortune. “Your wallet is old, so do not load it too heavily.”
The beggar was so glad that he quickly opened his wallet, and a stream of yellow dollars poured into it. The wallet grew heavy.
“Is that enough?” asked Fortune.
“Not yet.”
“Isn’t the wallet cracking （裂开）?”
“Never fear.”
The beggar’s hands began to tremble. Ah, if the gold would only pour forever!
“You are the richest man in the world now!”
“Just a little more, add just a handful or two.”
Another piece was added, and the wallet cracked. The treasure fell upon the ground and turned to dust. The beggar had nothing now but his empty wallet. He was as poor as before.
1. What happened to the wealthy businessman?| A．He was robbed of his money. | B．His ships sank at sea. |
| C．His treasure turned to dust. | D．He gave his money to the poor. |
| A．She wanted to make the poor man the richest in the world. |
| B．She had too much gold already. |
| C．She wanted to teach the poor man a lesson. |
| D．She liked the way the poor man spoke. |
| A．weak | B．happy |
| C．wise | D．greedy |
| A．The poor man and Fortune |
| B．The poor man and the businessman |
| C．The poor man and his wallet |
| D．The poor man and the gold |
5 . We had two dogs, Lucky and Lily Bit. Lucky loved to find ways to leave the confines (束 缚) of her indoor living routine, which made her a masterful escape artist. Lily Bit, on the other hand, did exactly as she was told, never straying, always staying close to home... except when she came under the influence of Lucky.
Whenever the two got out together, they could be seen out of sights often staying away for hours. More often than not, they’d arrive home near suppertime, covered in mud and leaves and smelling to high heaven from their afternoon outing in the woods.
I remember one such occasion when they’d once again mysteriously escaped, except this time, they returned clean and no worse for wear. It wasn’t until a few days later that we learned why. My wife ran into our neighbor Carl who lived a few houses down from us.
“I saw your two dogs the other day,” Carl said with a smile,
“Oh, yes? I’m so sorry. They’d been so good lately, so it was such a surprise when they got out. I sure hope they didn’t cause any trouble.” my wife replied,
“Oh, no, no trouble at all. Did you have any idea where they went?”
“No,” my wife answered.
“They attended my dog’s funeral (葬礼)” Carl said sadly.
“What?” Ann exclaimed, “Oh, no. I didn’t know Toby had died.
“Yep, it died a couple days ago. I was burying him in the back lot when your two dogs came running up. They sat down not far from me while. I finished burying him, then they left.”
“Wow that’s amazing! ” my wife replied. “Toby was Lily Bit’s father, you know. ”
“No, I didn’t know that,” Carl replied, “but I guess that explains why she felt like she needed to be there. She had to say her final goodbye.”
1. What words can best explain the meaning of the word “straying” underlined in Para. 1?| A．Wandering away. | B．Staying still |
| C．Shouting loudly. | D．Disobeying impolitely. |
| A．Their abilities were different. | B．Their hobbies were different. |
| C．Their personalities were different | D．Their physical features were different. |
| A．They got more united. | B．They looked in a mess. |
| C．They smelled nice as usual. | D．They got willing to do as told to. |
| A．To show his respect for dogs. | B．To be in memory of his dogs. |
| C．To suggest learning from dogs, | D．To think highly of his two dogs. |
6 . My wife Laura and I were on the beach, with three of our children, taking pictures of shore birds near our home in Alaska when we spotted a bear. The bear was thin and small, moving aimlessly.
Just a few minutes later, I heard my daughter shouting, “Dad! The bear is right behind us!” An aggressive bear will usually rush forward to frighten away its enemy but would suddenly stop at the last minute. This one was silent and its ears pinned back—the sign of an animal that is going in for the kill.And it was a cold April day.The bear behaved abnormally, probably because of hunger.
I held my camera tripod (三脚架) in both hands to form a barrier as the bear rushed into me. Its huge head was level with my chest and shoulders, and the tripod stuck across its mouth. It bit down and I found myself supporting its weight. I knew I would not be able to hold it for long.
Even so, this was a fight I had to win: I was all that stood between the bear and my family, who would stand little chance of running faster than a brown bear.
The bear hit at the camera, cutting it off the tripod. I raised my left arm to protect my face; the beast held tightly on the tripod and pressed it into my side. My arm could not move, and I sensed that my bones were going to break.
Drawing back my free hand, I struck the bear as hard as I could for five to six times. The bear opened its mouth and I grasped its fur, trying to push it away. I was actually wrestling (扭打) with the bear at this point. Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight ended. The bear moved back toward the forest, before returning for another attack.The first time I felt panic. Apparently satisfied that we caused no further threat, the bear moved off, destroying a fence as it went. My arm was injured, but the outcome for us could hardly have been better. I’m proud that my family remained clear-headed when panic could have led to a very different outcome.
1. The whole text is mainly arranged in_________.| A．result and inference | B．cause and effect |
| C．space order | D．time order |
| A．felt safe | B．got injured |
| C．found some food | D．took away the camera |
| A．calmness | B．patience |
| C．pride | D．cautiousness |
| A．excited | B．threatened |
| C．relieved | D．puzzled |
7 . From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them, are contained in the most awesome machine ever created：the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You were born rich. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem. Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to exercise over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are the perennial（长期的）victims and martyrs. They are leaves tossed（摇摆）by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can exercise control over your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
If you associate with positive-thinking people, you are definitely going to achieve success. On the contrary, the opposite happens. We are responsible for finding, planting, and nurturing the seeds that contain future victory, born from setbacks.
In short, in all areas of your life, whether they be financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.
1. People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they ______.| A．are ready to change their minds | B．are easily affected by windy weather |
| C．don't have the power to face their fate | D．can't exercise control over themselves |
| A．success is the result of hard work | B．working hard will lead to success |
| C．their failure is only because of bad luck | D．they don't make efforts to succeed |
| A．whether we will succeed depends on our attitudes |
| B．one’s expectation is the key to future success |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．setting our expectations is essential before taking action |
| A．the proof of the author's points | B．the conclusion of the argument |
| C．an introduction to another topic | D．a comparison between two views |
| A．The secrets of success． | B．Success is a choice． |
| C．Develop our confidence． | D．How to achieve success． |
8 . An old man lives with his little grandson.Every day the old man gets up early to read books.
One day the grandson asked,“Grandpa,I want to read books as you do.But I always forget what I read.What are the advantages of reading?”
The grandfather didn’t answer him,but said,“Take this little basket to the river and bring me back a basket of water.” The boy did as his grandpa said,but all the water leaked out before he got back home.The grandfather laughed and said,“You’ll have to walk faster next time.”
The next time the boy ran faster,but the basket was still empty before he returned home.The boy said,“See,Grandpa,it’s no use!”
“Is it no use?” the old man said.“Look at the basket.”
The boy looked at the basket and found that the basket was different.It was cleaner,inside and out.
“That’s what happens when you read books.You might not understand or remember everything,but when you read them,you will be changed,inside and out.”
1. What does the old man do every day?| A．He carries water. |
| B．He reads books. |
| C．He writes something. |
| D．He does some chores. |
| A．was too busy to do it |
| B．got up late |
| C．always forgot what he read |
| D．slept late |
| A．Once. | B．Twice. |
| C．Three times. | D．Four times. |
| A．We won’t have any changes. |
| B．We can understand everything. |
| C．We will be changed,inside and out. |
| D．We can never forget what we read. |
9 . When I was a child，I stayed with my grandmother a lot of the time while my mother was at work. One day some money problems started to arise for my grandmother and the family. They needed a little more income so she decided to sing at the nearby retirement home(养老院)．
So I had to go with her. I wasn't sure about it at first，but as soon as my grandmother actually persuade me to get on stage and start singing，I loved it. I just loved seeing that sparkle(光亮)in those people's eyes. They would stand up and dance and clap to the beat of the music. Eventually，we were singing at many of the homes in the surrounding area 5 out of 7 days a week.
Making other people happy has always made me happy. And during that experience I even discovered my gift，singing. My grandma still sings to those people 15 years later，only for no charge now. I moved to North Carolina when I was 13，leaving my grandma in Florida，but I still carry on her effort and try and go out of my way to do something kind，even if very small，for at least one person every day. There is no better feeling in the world than the one you get when you hear appreciation in someone's voice.
1. The author stayed with her grandmother as a child because ________.| A．her mother was busy working |
| B．her mother had no ability to care for her |
| C．her grandmother liked her more |
| D．her grandmother was richer |
| A．bring joy to the old people there |
| B．start a new career |
| C．make some money |
| D．satisfy her husband |
| A．the author had great confidence when she started to sing |
| B．the audience were surprised that the author could sing at such an early age |
| C．the audience didn't like the author at first |
| D．the author was loved by the audience |
10 . There are plenty of mindless activities to keep a child busy in this information age. Yet despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Alice wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition which she won last year.
As a writer, I know about winning contests—and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection letter from the publisher. I also know the pressure of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and destroyed hopes can resurface in our children.
A revelation(启示）came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied. “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”
I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地）told them. Telling myself that I was an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.
Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借鉴) my daughter’s experience.
While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.
1. The underlined sentence probably means that the author was __________.| A．trying to let her daughter enjoy her own life |
| B．helping her daughter develop real skills for writing |
| C．making sure that her daughter would win the contest |
| D．trying to get her daughter to do the thing as the author wished |
| A．She wanted to share her story with readers. |
| B．She had won a prize in the previous contest. |
| C．She believed she possessed real talent for writing. |
| D．She was sure of winning with her mother’s help. |
| A．she was afraid that Alice’s imagination might run wild while writing |
| B．she did not want to disappoint Alice who needed her help so much |
| C．she wanted to help Alice realize her dream of becoming a writer |
| D．she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance |
| A．Children need more room to develop. |
| B．Parents should co-opt children’s experience. |
| C．Children should be provided enough help. |
| D．Parents need to remind their children of their own choices. |
