Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Quite simple because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.
Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child’s hastily made table as “Perfect!” even though it doesn’t stand still. Another way is to shift(转移)blame. If John fails science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.
The trouble with failure prevention is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time and that it’s possible to enjoy a game even when you don’t win. A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honour roll on the baseball team, feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick comfort, prize or say “It doesn’t matter.” because it does. The young should be allowed to experience disappointment and be helped to master it.
Failure is never pleasurable. It hurts grownups and children alike. But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask “Why did it fail? Don’t blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, how you can improve. If someone else can help, don’t be shy about inquiring. Success, which encourages repetition of old behaviour, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. You can learn from a bad party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second. Even a failure that seems definitive can cause fresh thinking, a change of direction. After twelve years of studying ballet, a friend of mine applied for a professional company. She asked. That ballet master shook his head. “You will never be a dancer,” he said,” you haven’t the body for it.”
In such cases, the way to use failure is to take stock bravely asking “What have I left? What else can I do?” My friend put away her shoes and moved into dance treatment center, a field where she’s both able and useful. Failure frees one to take risks because there’s less to lose. Often there is recovery of energy — a way to find new possibilities.
1.The first paragraph tells us ______.
A. failure is very natural for every person
B. the reason why we don’t know how to fail
C. the reason why so many people are afraid of failure
D. one should be ready to face failure at any time
2.How many preventions may parents use when a child fails according to the passage?
A. only two B. no more than three C. less than three D. more than three
3. Which statement below does the writer support?
A. Failure is as good an experience as success.
B. Failure is the mother of success.
C. Failure is far from a good teacher like success.
D. Definitive failure gives us nothing but fresh thinking.
4. We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
A. failure is the recovery of energy
B. failure makes one free to do something dangerous
C. failure should be forgotten in our life
D. failure is likely to do us good in life
My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things seems to me to have been gained on a memorable raw afternoon towards evening near my parents’ tomb in the churchyard.
“Hold your noise!” came a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the tombs at the side of the church. “Keep still, you little devil(小鬼), or I’ll cut your throat!”
A fearful man, all in coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. He seized me by the chin(下巴).
“Tell us your name!” said the man. “Quick!”
“Pip, sir.”
“Show us where you live,” said the man. “Point out the place!”
I pointed to where our village lay, on the flat in-shore among the alder-trees and pollards, a mile or more from the church.
The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned me upside down, and emptied my pockets. There was nothing in them but a piece of bread.
“You young dog,” said the man, licking his lips, “what fat cheeks you ha’ got. Darn me if I couldn’t eat em, and if I han’t half a mind to’t!”
I earnestly expressed my hope that he wouldn’t, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.
“Now then lookee here!” said the man. “Where’s your mother?”
“There, sir!” said I.
He started, made a short run, and stopped and looked over his shoulder.
“There, sir!” I timidly explained, pointed to the tombstone. “That’s my mother.”
“Oh!” said he, coming back. “And is that your father alonger your mother?”
“Yes, sir,” said I; “him too; late of this parish(教区).”
1. The “voice” in the second paragraph came from______.
A. the church B. the man C. the bank D. the boy
2.The boy probably lived _____.
A. in the parish B. in the valley C. in the city D. in the country
3.We can infer from the passage _____.
A. the boy was very calm and smart
B. the man hit the boy in the face
C. the boy would forever remember the raw afternoon
D. the man was very kind and considerate
4.The passage is most probably adapted from________.
A. a news report B. a science fiction C. a novel D. a review
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
When Lucy walked into Hardaway High school on her first day as a high school student. She felt 36 by so many classes and the crowded 37 .
“I don’t like being in a big crowd.” Lucy said “It was 38 at first, because the school was really big. I lost 39 many times. I wasn’t 40 to seeing people so tall and big.
But a few weeks later, Lucy has felt 41 at home at school now, thanks to the school’s Mentoring(指导) Matters program. The club 42 a senior student and a new student a pair, in order to help new students easily adapt to the new 43 .
“It really 44 with my problems and helped me choose the right 45 ”said Lucy. She has made friends with a senior student 46 this program.
“We 47 get along well” she said. “We talked on the phone and she 48 my mother and my little sister.”
Kevin is working with a new student called Susan. He said, “At first I was saying 49 I made mistakes in my first year. I hope it can help her in some way.
Linda, a senior student, is in seven different 50 and has encouraged the new student Tony to 51 them, too.
“Don’t lose heart if no one talks to you at first Linda said, “Join clubs. Surround yourself with 52 people.” Besides, the two of them have worked together to 53 Tony’s science grades.
“I’m good at science myself, and I’m helping him pass.” Linda said.
Tony said he 54 the help and advice.
“If she didn’t do it, I would just be sitting in my 55 by myself.” Tony said, “she pushed me to want to do more.” Now the students are living in harmony.
36. A. puzzled B. shocked C. pleased D. excited
37. A. doors B. students C. hallways D. balcony
38. A. frightening B. satisfactory C. disappointing D. comfortable
1. A. it B. myself C. one D. me
2. A. attached B. suited C. devoted D. used
3. A. much B. well C. more D. better
4. A. makes B. gets C. has D. allows
5.A. study B. life C. touch D. subject
6. A. developed B. treated C. marked D. helped
7.A. book B. method C. path D. course
8. A. by B. through C. on D. across
9.A. could B. should C. would D. must
10. A. surprised B. met C. discussed D.informed
11. A. whether B. when C. what D. how
12.A. clubs B. groups C. teams D. classes
13.A. part B. join C. miss D. attend
14.A. loyal B.inactive C. positive D. important
15. A. change B.correct C. test D. improve
16. A. considered B. noticed C. enjoyed D. wondered
17.A. box B. chair C. room D. class
___________ and they will finish off the challenging job.
A. In a week B. A week later C. After a week D. Another week
The monitor said that the learning method he used improved his maths.
A. greatly B. nearly C. normally D. seriously
Meizhou Island is such a beautiful place of interest______ everyone likes to visit.
A. as B. that C. which D. where
