Have you heard of the story of the four-minute miles? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proves it wrong in 1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when people, who do not know how to swim, fall in deep waters? They drown. If an animal who has not learned swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal does not.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts would jam (堵塞) if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful directing force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshops of children to learn how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India, said snakes were slippery, slimy(黏糊糊的) and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they handled my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
1.From the first paragraph, we know that _________.
A. several people have run a mile in four minutes.
B. Roger Banister set a record
C. nobody has run a mile in three minutes.
D. Roger Banister tied a world record
2. By comparing a drowning animal and a person, the writer tried to show _________.
A. the power of confidence
B. the responses of humans and animals to dangers
C. the difference between humans and animals
D. the power of belief
3.Which of the following statements would the writer agree with?
A. Our beliefs are impossible to change
B. How we act mainly depends on our beliefs.
C. Our beliefs create or destroy our nervous system
D. Our beliefs always go against the truth
4.The children visiting the writer’s workshops might_________.
A. learn how to keep off snakes
B. become brave and realistic
C. become clever and strong
D. learn to review their beliefs
I was cleaning out an old box when an old card caught my eye：Queen City Casket Company．“What is it?” I wondered．I 36 it over．There，in faded ink, was a hand-scrawled(手写的) 37 . Immediately my mind traveled 38 many years．
I was nine years old, walking down the cold，wet streets of Springfield，with a bag of magazines on my shoulder．On my 39 that day．I came to that Company finally, whose owner, Mr. Rader，had always taken me there to ask his workers 40 they wanted any magazines．
Shaking off the 41 like a wet dog．I entered Mr. Rader's office．After a quick glance ,he 42 me over to the fire-place．Noticing the 43 in the top of my 44 ，he said，“Come with me!”，pulling me into his pickup 45 ．we pulled to a stop before a shoe store．Inside，a salesman 46 me with the finest pair of Oxfords I had 47 seen．I 48 about 10 feet tall when I got up 49 them．“We’d like a pair of new socks too．” Mr Rader said．
Back in his office, Mr Rader took out a 50 ，wrote something on it, and handed it to me．With 51 eyes，I read，“Do to others as you would have them do to you．” He said affectionately(深情地)，“Jimmy，I want you to 52 I love you”．
I said good-bye, and for the first time I 53 a flicker of hope that somehow things would be 54 ．With people like Mr Rader in the world，there was hope，kindness and love，and that would always make a 55 ．
1.A．read B．thought C．turned D．passed
2.A．address B．1ist C．message D．information
3.A．forward B．so C．ahead D．back
4.A．return B．rounds C．trip D．arrival
5.A．if only B．how C．whether D．why
6.A．dust B．sweat C．tail D．rain
7.A．led B．followed C．watched D．carried
8.A．hole B．mud C．water D．cover
9.A．magazine B．shoe C．sock D．bag
10.A．truck B．factory C．home D．store
11.A．dressed B．fitted C．showed D．comforted
12.A．ever B．already C．never D．hardly
13.A．appeared B．seemed C．looked D．felt
14.A．for B．with C．on D．in
15.A．pen B．paper C．card D．notebook
16.A．tearful B．unbelievable C．curious. D．puzzled
17.A．admit B．know C．consider D．express
18.A．sensed B．received C．lost D．gained
19.A．mistaken B．fight C．all right D．possible
20.A．deal B．fortune C．choice D．difference
They decided to drive the cow away ______ it did more damage.
A. unless B. until C. before D. although
No matter how frequently _______, the boy was always in low spirits.
A. encouraged B. encouraging
C. to be encouraged D. was encouraged
I don’t mind her criticizing me, but ______ is how she does it that annoys me.
A. it B. that C. this D. which
—Why didn’t you come to Mike’s birthday party yesterday?
—Well, I _____, but I forgot it.
A. should B. must C. should have D. must have
