For years, I have advocated the importance of hard work, determination, persistence, and practice as key ingredients of success. Malcolm Gladwell, who has written The Story of Success, seems to support my theory. He says it takes about 10,000 hours of practice to attain true expertise.
“The people at the very top don’t just work harder than everyone else,” Gladwell writes. “They work much, much harder.” Achievement, he says, is talent plus preparation. Preparation seems to play a bigger role.
For example, he describes the Beatles: They had been together seven years before their famous arrival in America. They spent a lot of time playing in clubs, sometimes for as long as eight hours a night. Overnight success? Not exactly. Estimates are that the band performed 1,200 times before their big success in 1964. By comparison, most bands don’t perform 1,200 times in their careers.
Neurologist Daniel Levitin has studied the formula for success extensively and shares this finding: “The emerging picture from such studies is that 10,000 hours of practice is required to achieve the level of mastery associated with being a world-class expert in anything. In study after study of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, the number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems it takes the brain a long time to digest all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery.”
Two computer giants, Bill Joy, who co-founded Sun Microsystems, and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, also were proof of the 10,000-hour theory.
The abilities these people possessed were far-ranging, yet the formula for success was the same: hard work and lots of it. Some people just make it look easy. Of course, you probably didn’t see the first 9,999 hours of hard work.
1.According to the passage, what made Beatles different from most other bands?
A.Their great talent. B.Their persistent effort.
C.Their charming looks. D.Their outstanding achievements.
2.How does the author support the theme of the text?
A.By stating arguments. B.By giving examples.
C.By providing statistical data. D.By making comparisons.
3.According to the passage, the opinions that Malcolm Gladwell may agree with include the following EXCEPT that____ .
A.life is full of ups and downs
B.work transforms talent into genius
C.success takes hard work and devotion
D.the way to learn to do things is to do things
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.When will the first half of the course be delivered?
A.On Tuesdays and Thursdays.
B.On Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
C.On Wednesdays and Thursdays.
2.How often will the class meet in the research lab?
A.Twice a week. B.Once a month. C.Twice a month.
3.What might NOT be closely related to one’s grades according to the passage?
A.Classroom tests. B.Attendance rate. C.Research papers.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the woman most probably doing?
A.She’s looking around a house for rent.
B.She’s viewing the house she wants to buy.
C.She is talking about the loan with the bank staff.
2.What does the woman like best in the kitchen?
A.The wine storage area.
B.The advanced equipment.
C.The relaxing colors of the wall.
3.What does the woman think of the man’s offer on the house at first?
A.It’s unreasonable. B.It’s unexpected. C.It’s acceptable.
4.What does the woman imply in the end?
A.She’ll buy the house.
B.She’ll reconsider the price.
C.She’ll discuss with her husband.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is Sue’s suggestion for people with difficulties?
A.Believing in themselves. B.Challenging their life. C.Asking for help.
2.How does Sue explain her job to kids?
A.She makes children’s programs.
B.She gets involved in legal decisions.
C.She explains the function of the law in simple words.
3.What does Sue think happiness is?
A.Sharing things with others. B.Solving problems. C.Having her opinions heard.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What do we know about the man?
A.He might have caught a cold.
B.He is going to Machu Picchu.
C.He is a very considerate person.
2.What does the woman tell the man to avoid in the end?
A.Covering your mouth with the elbow (肘).
B.Sneezing directly at someone’s face.
C.Washing your hands after coughing.
3.What are the speakers talking about?
A.Travel plans. B.School lessons. C.Health habits.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the conflict between the woman and the man?
A.Adam prefers chocolate milkshake.
B.Adam takes a big bite of plain bread.
C.Adam’s food is changed to milkshake.
2.What is the possible relation between Adam and the woman?
A.Father and daughter. B.Mother and son. C.Husband and wife.
