I remember as a small child people would often ask me, "What are you going to be when you grow up?"
Well, it being a cowboy or some super hero. Later it was a fireman, a policeman, a lawyer... As I grew older my dreams for the future . When, at last, I was in college, I had my set on becoming a preacher (
牧师) like my father. I studied and prepared for that life. I reached the in the end and I was preaching full-time for much of my adult life.
However, for many, there is a “thief” that goes around stealing our . Sometimes, the thief will come as a parent, a relative, or a friend, but the thief is usually ourselves.
We find just about reaching the top, and a "small" inside says, “You’ll never make .""You can’t possibly do this." On and on the "small" voice our failure. Failure, though, is exactly how dreams are . It is one of the most important tools we have, because it teaches us invaluable (
极宝贵的) . When we learn these lessons well, we are ready success.
The message I always gave my children was that you do anything that your heart desires. Remember the saying, “Nothing is to a willing heart." There are “overnight" successes, but with determination, they will come. Imagine yourself in the life you dream of . Then in your heart, believe it will happen to you. Then work, work, work. You’ll get the picture.
So, be true to your dream, and don’t let anyone it from you —especially yourself.
A.insisted on B.felt like C.started out D.kept on
A.failed B.changed C.planned D.left
A.eyes B.brain C.heart D.experience
A.But B.Or C.So D.Yet
A.agreement B.decision C.position D.aim
A.hardly B.slightly C.nearly D.extremely
A.money B.plan C.friends D.dreams
A.tallest B.greatest C.poorest D.oldest
A.ourselves B.yourselves C.themselves D.itself
A.sound B.voice C.noise D.speech
A.it B.him C.her D.me
A.expects B.predicts C.answers D.suffers
A.met B.defended C.understood D.realized
A.stages B.suggestions C.lessons D.choices
A.to B.for C.at D.with
A.used to B.are able to C.have to D.ought to
A.interesting B.impossible C.necessary D.important
A.many B.a few C.no D.some
A.living B.spending C.planning D.changing
A.buy B.fool C.borrow D.steal
My classmates called me “the alien”,and they avoided me like the plague(瘟疫). As a young boy, I from a serious skin disease, which filled my arms with scars (疤痕). The true of my condition, however, was social: I lived a life of loneliness.
Doctors predicted (预言) that I would never fully recover, but my parents encouraged me to hope for the future, teaching me that my difficulty could be overcome. I therefore took a/an role in fighting against my disease, trying many medications and herbs, and my health greatly before I graduated. I realized that my personal had led to this improvement. I regained selfconfidence and made many friends at school.
Years later, my personal battle against disease, I learned a great deal about by overcoming difficulties.
I joined the Culture Club as a Special Event Director. I a group of six students in organizing various activities. I was the most advanced ESL student among the group. So I considered myself the most capable. But I quickly learned my . While preparing for our first presentation, I was with my team members and often rejected (拒绝) their . I performed most of their tasks myself, allowing them to me only with small details. As a result, the presentation was not very successful. The setback (挫折) me, and I spoke of it to the club's director. She responded that she my ability to succeed in the future. This comment filled me with , for I realized that I had never trusted my own team members. they were weak in English, they had many valuable talents. I immediately my policy, allowing my team members to choose the tasks they desired and to complete them on their own. For our program, we had many meetings, which gave to many good ideas. Most importantly, the atmosphere among us improved dramatically. We were and eager to devote time to the program, and I learned what true leadership is.
My experiences improved my ability to handle challenging situations.
A.judged B.suffered C.prevented D.separated
A.pain B.sign C.value D.meaning
A.important B.different C.leading D.active
A.developed B.removed C.increased D.improved
A.joy B.goal C.will D.life
A.over B.for C.like D.in
A.ability B.leadership C.quality D.friendship
A.taught B.found C.followed D.managed
A.method B.mistake C.effort D.right
A.satisfied B.strict C.patient D.familiar
A.ideas B.talents C.desires D.tasks
A.help B.guide C.show D.remind
A.disturbed B.discouraged C.encouraged D.educated
A.adopted B.admired C.trusted D.tested
A.pride B.delight C.surprise D.hope
A.As B.If C.Because D.Although
A.deleted B.considered C.regretted D.changed
A.birth B.hand C.gift D.rise
A.crazy B.successful C.happy D.independent
A.instantly B.undoubtedly C.unusually D.probably
I grew up in a tiny Baltimore row house in a faraway mountain area. My parents ______ the necessities of life but couldn’t give much more. If I asked my father for a pair of jeans, he would say, “If you want them, make the money and buy them yourself.” He wasn’t being mean; he just couldn’t ______ them. From age 12 on, I did part-time jobs after school.
When I ______ from high school, I joined the navy. Soon I was in a boot camp (新兵训练营) at Parris Island, S.C., where I learned that life in the navy centered around completing daily ______. These could be anything from cleaning the camp to conducting mock (模拟的) battles. Completing these tasks successfully ______ discipline, team-work and responsibility. It didn’t ______ whether you were black, white or Asian; everyone worked together for the ______ of the company.
I went on to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academic and later became an officer in the navy. The part of my job I ______ most was the consulting (咨询) meetings I ______ with the family members of the men and women in my ______, trying to help them deal with the long periods of ______. These proved popular and word of them spread. Before long I was being asked to give encouraging ______ to business groups, educators and kids across the country.
But I consider the boot camp my first real ______, and my life is still guided by the ______ lessons I learned there. It taught me discipline, friendship and the pride related to setting a task every day and working hard to ______ it.
A.provided B.got C.made D.bought
A.pay B.find C.produce D.afford
A.came B.returned C.escaped D.graduated
A.drills B.tasks C.exercises D.reports
A.included B.asked C.required D.met
A.matter B.mean C.exist D.work
A.good B.staff C.rest D.right
A.took B.hated C.enjoyed D.did
A.ended B.began C.continued D.held
A.charge B.situation C.position D.choice
A.lessons B.meetings C.training D.separation
A.gifts B.descriptions C.speeches D.performances
A.vacation B.place C.job D.travel
A.important B.bitter C.normal D.difficult
A.gain B.achieve C.show D.match
I was late, as usual. A friend of mine had invited me to a conference, and I had been in the parking lot for a good fifteen minutes. My mind was .Was my husband able to find the I laid out for the kids? Did the kids eat breakfast? More importantly, would he have enough to look for a parking spot in this jungle of cars in order to meet me here with the later on?
As I was the plan in my mind, I saw a parking space. Since there was not much , I decided to back up my giant truck between the two white lines so that leaving would be after the conference ended.
As I adjusted the of my truck and started reversing(倒车),another car came out of nowhere and to take my parking spot. I signaled to the that I was about to back up into the space, but she squeezed by me and her SUV in my spot! I couldn’t believe how rude she was! It made me so that I got out of my car and stared at the lady. By the way she was dressed, I could she was on her way to the conference.
I at her, “That was not very angelic behavior!”
Much to my surprise, she completely me, and I stormed off.
After a few minutes, I found parking space...behind a smelly dustbin and about a mile away from the conference. Once I myself down and tried to view the matter from a(n) angle, the possibility entered my mind that the woman may have needed the spot I did.
Later, I noticed she was actually one of the vendors(小贩) at the conference. She must have been to get there quickly in order to set up her booth and display her merchandise.
A.suffering B.struggling C.racing D.beating
A.passports B.clothes C.jewels D.cars
A.mind B.principle C.humour D.patience
A.directors B.kids C.managers D.headmasters
A.going through B.pulling through C.breaking through D.getting through
A.wonder B.energy C.room D.material
A.easier B.happier C.harder D.lower
A.circumstance B.attitude C.weight D.direction
A.attempted B.managed C.afforded D.pretended
A.assistant B.driver C.passenger D.actor
A.raised B.lifted C.parked D.pushed
A.fixed B.touched C.reliable D.angry
A.adapt B.tell C.adopt D.receive
A.greeted B.encouraged C.cheered D.shouted
A.persuaded B.presented C.ignored D.followed
A.another B.that C.other D.others
A.turned B.calmed C.broke D.brought
A.necessary B.proper C.attractive D.different
A.other than B.rather than C.more than D.less than
A.desperate B.surprised C.slight D.proud
The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond, California, USA. “ station? A train for Santa Fe collided (相撞) with a at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please come here at once. With an ambulance, too. A man is badly wounded,” said a(n) voice of a young woman.
“OK. We’ll come soon. Please stay there and wait,” replied the .
Within a minute, a police car and an ambulance off. Soon they got to the crossing, but only to find everything was . No collision, no wounded man.
“What a dirty !” said the policeman . “We must find out that and …”
They had not been able to say anything about a when they heard the whistle of a train was nearing them quickly. All of a sudden, a truck appeared. It came running towards them, too. When it was passing the crossing, it suddenly to move on. Right then and , before the eyes of all the people , the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it dozens of metres away.
When Randolph Bruce, the , was helped out of the damaged truck, he was badly wounded just the young woman had foretold (预言) on the phone. As he was taken to hospital in time, he was at last. Later the police did whatever they could to the woman who had them, but failed.
It is really that a foretelling should coincide (巧合) with the fact so .
A.Police B.Weather C.Railway D.Fire
A.train B.bus C.truck D.taxi
A.low B.anxious C.sweet D.angry
A.policeman B.official C.man D.doctor
A.began B.turned C.took D.started
A.fine B.bad C.silent D.pleasant
A.plan B.trick C.project D.idea
A.angrily B.excitedly C.sadly D.calmly
A.driver B.policeman C.boy D.woman
A.punishment B.reward C.praise D.curse
A.stopped B.continued C.refused D.began
A.where B.later C.after D.there
A.away B.present C.alive D.frightened
A.driver B.woman C.policeman D.boy
A.when B.because C.as D.if
A.alive B.awake C.dead D.saved
A.thank B.find C.meet D.punish
A.telephoned B.laughed C.visited D.repeated
A.interesting B.exciting C.surprising D.pleasing
A.carefully B.equally C.truly D.exactly
I’d been 16 for six days and was already prepared to deal with failure.
I remember that, when my mum me that morning, her voice wasn’t as screaming as it usually was. She had been for more than one hour getting everything ready, and I could feel she was me at the same time.
I stayed in bed for a few minutes. I was to leave its warmth and to face the suffering that I’d rather let myself forget for the past months. Finally, I dragged myself .
The first thing I thought of after getting up was to . I went to the kitchen and prepared a breakfast that was fairly , but was still too big for my appetite(食欲,胃口) that day. I kept telling myself that I eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and this wasn’t a(n) day. Besides maybe it would me a little. But I doubted it. I left the kitchen because even the made me feel sick.
I finished getting ready and tried to settle down. It didn’t , so I decided that my mum and I should go. We had time, so I thought we could practise parking. I , with the wheel hitting the pavement(人行道). After that, the little bit of confidence I had was . I tried two more times, but did not improve much. Then we went towards the driving site (地点).
I waited twenty minutes---just enough time to make myself believe that I was going to fail. Then, finally, it was my . I wasn’t sure of myself at all. I just wanted to get it over and make sure that I had to come back next Thursday.
The first thing I had to do was parking, which I did quite well. The that came with it hit me like a wave. The rest of the test went well and I passed it.
The of my mum made her face softer. I knew her worry was gone and she was happy for me.
A.woke B.cried C.told D.shouted
A.up B.over C.out D.in
A.smiling at B.looking at C.worrying about D.talking with
A.sad B.eager C.willing D.unwilling
A.convenience B.comfort C.quiet D.friendship
A.into bed B.onto bed C.out of bed D.in bed
A.work B.rest C.drink D.eat
A.small B.large C.delicious D.good
A.might B.could C.hated D.should
A.ordinary B.necessary C.lucky D.important
A.like B.hurt C.stop D.calm
A.milk B.smells C.smoke D.bread
A.work B.do C.calm D.use
A.no B.plenty of C.little D.a little
A.cried B.succeeded C.failed D.left
A.back B.greater C.there D.gone
A.start B.office C.test D.race
A.try B.turn C.car D.chance
A.happiness B.Confidence C.pride D.disappointment
A.tears B.lines C.smiles D.eyes