Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘錄) from his speech.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投籃) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat(打敗) you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.

No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.

And even when you’re struggling(奮斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄氣), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

1.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?

A．To compare these two famous persons.

B．To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is.

C．If you want to be successful, you should fail first.

D．To show that failure is the mother of success.

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．No one can be successful without working hard.

B．Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way.

C．Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help.

D．One should try his best to make his dream come true.

3.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?

A．One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength.

B．One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty.

C．One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times.

D．One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness.

 

GERALD Christian is in Grade 8 at Ridge Road Middle School in North Carolina, US. She is a member of her school basketball team. Late last month, the 14-year-old faced a big problem. Her mother lost her job. She thought she couldn't pay the $ 50 fee for the city's sports meet this year.

    Christian was not the only one who had this problem. Some other middle school players in the city had the same problem.

    That's why famous NBA player Michael Jordan gave $ 250, 000 to the city earlier this month. He wanted to help the poor students. Jordan said: "I know there are kids who get an education by playing sports. We need to keep sports alive for them."

    Christian was shocked. "Really? I can't believe Michael did that for us. These days, I go to bed thinking about it and I wake up thinking about it," she said. "Now the problem is over. "

Christian wanted to say "thanks" to Jordan. "Michael, thank you for giving me the chance to show myself. I will do my best at the meet.

1.The underlined word "shocked" means ________.

A. moved        B. surprised        C. worried            D. afraid

2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Christian was a middle school student.

B. The students will have a sports meet.

C. Few of the players could pay the fee.

D. Christian's mother lost her job last month.

3.Christian thanked Jordan because he helped her ________.

A. to get a chance to show herself

B. to become a basketball player

C. to go on her study at school

D. to win the basketball match

 

Reading is an activity people enjoy a lot in their free time. Some like reading newspapers, and others enjoy novels or comic books. I like reading about the lives of great poeple. This always gives me a lot of ideas on how to make my own life better.
Great people are remembered not because they were handsome or beautiful, but because they did not give up when their lives were difficult. They used every opportunity to change their lives and make the world better.
One good example is Orville and Wilbur Wright, the two brothers who invented the airplane. The plane has made the world into a small village. Hard work, not good luck, is the reason why the Wright Brothers could invent this convenient machine and become remarkable people. Today we wtil remember them when we see planes in the sky.
When I feel sad, stories of great people always help me feel better. This is why I enjoy reading about great people’s lives.
【小題1】What does“This”mean in the first paragraph?

A．Being a great person.	B．Living in a special way.
C．Reading about the lives of great people.	D．Reading newspapers, novels, or comic books.

【小題2】Which book might the writer be most interested in?

A．How to Build a Strong Plane

B．Ten books That have Made Our World Better

C．Use Every Opportunity to Read in Your Free Time

D．Michael Jordan: The Man Who Changed Basketball History

【小題3】What does “remarkable”mean in the third paragraph?

A．Nice and polite.	B．Tall and handsome.
C．Special and famous.	D．Lucky and interesting.

Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘錄) from his speech.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投籃) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.

No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.

And even when you’re struggling(奮斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄氣), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

1.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?

A. To compare these two famous persons.

B. To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is.

C. If you want to be successful, you should fail first.

D. To show that failure is the mother of success.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. No one can be successful without working hard.

B. Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way.

C. Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help.

D. One should try his best to make his dream come true.

3.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?

A. One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength.

B. One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty.

C. One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times.

D. One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness.

 

Have successful people ever felt sad? Do they have any “secrets” to success? The answers to these questions can be found in US president Barack Obama’s “back to school” speech. Here is an excerpt(摘錄) from his speech.

I know that sometimes, you get the sense that you can be rich and successful without any hard work—that your ticket to success is through pop music or basketball or being a TV star, when chances are, you’re not going to be any of those things.

But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t love every subject you study. Not all the homework will seem rather important to your life right this minute. And you may not succeed at everything the first time you try.

That’s OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who’ve had the most failures (the opposite of success). JK Rowling’s first Harry Potter book was turned down 12 times before it finally came out. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots (投籃) during his career. But he once said, “I have failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understand that you can’t let your failures beat you—you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time.

No one’s born being good at things. You become good at things through hard work.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to tell when you don’t know something, and to learn something new.

And even when you’re struggling(奮斗), even when you’re discouraged (泄氣), and you feel other people have given up on you—don’t ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.

1.Why does Barack Obama mention (提到) JK Rowling and Michael Jordan in the third paragraph?

A. To compare these two famous persons.

B. To explain that the more failures he has, the more successful he is.

C. If you want to be successful, you should fail first.

D. To show that failure is the mother of success.

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. No one can be successful without working hard.

B. Failure can be good if you treat it in a right way.

C. Those who believe in themselves shouldn’t ask others for help.

D. One should try his best to make his dream come true.

3.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined sentence?

A. One shouldn’t ask questions because it is a sign of strength.

B. One should believe in himself though he will face much difficulty.

C. One doesn’t have to work hard when he has failed several times.

D. One doesn’t have to ask for help because it is a sign of weakness.