Question

Once when I was facing a decision that involved high risk, I went to a friend. He looked at me for a moment, and then wrote a sentence containing the best advice I’ve ever had: Be bold and brave — and mighty forces will come to your aid.

Those words made me see clearly that when I had fallen short in the past, it was seldom because I had tried and failed. It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all. On the other hand, whenever I had plunged into deep water, forced by courage or circumstance, I had always been able to swim until I got my feet on the ground again.

Boldness means a decision to bite off more than you can eat. And there is nothing mysterious about the mighty forces. They are potential powers we possess: energy, skill, sound judgment, creative ideas — even physical strength greater than most of us realize.

Admittedly, those mighty forces are spiritual ones. But they are more important than physical ones. A college classmate of mine, Tim, was an excellent football player, even though he weighed much less than the average player. “In one game I suddenly found myself confronting a huge player, who had nothing but me between him and our goal line,” said Tim. “I was so frightened that I closed my eyes and desperately threw myself at that guy like a bullet — and stopped him cold.”

Boldness — a willingness to extend yourself to the extreme—is not one that can be acquired overnight. But it can be taught to children and developed in adults. Confidence builds up. Surely, there will be setbacks (挫折) and disappointments in life; boldness in itself is no guarantee of success. But the person who tries to do something and fails is a lot better off than the person who tries to do nothing and succeeds.

So, always try to live a little bit beyond your abilities—and you’ll find your abilities are greater than you ever dreamed.

1.Why was the author sometimes unable to reach his goal in the past?

A. He faced huge risks.

B. He lacked mighty forces.

C. Fear prevented him from trying.

D. Failure blocked his way to success.

2.What is the implied meaning of the underlined part?

A. Swallow more than you can digest.

B. Act slightly above your abilities.

C. Develop more mysterious powers.

D. Learn to make creative decisions.

3.What can be learned from Paragraph 5?

A. Confidence grows more rapidly in adults.

B. Trying without success is meaningless.

C. Repeated failure creates a better life.

D. Boldness can be gained little by little.

4.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A. To encourage people to be courageous.

B. To advise people to build up physical power.

C. To tell people the ways to guarantee success.

D. To recommend people to develop more abilities.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.A

【解析】作者联系自己的经历说明大胆的重要性，并鼓励人们有勇气和胆量。

1.C 细节理解题。根据文中It was usually because I had let fear of failure stop me from trying at all.可知，作者以前不能达到他的目标是因为害怕阻止他尝试。故选C。

2.B 细节理解题。根据后文中They are potential powers we possess可知这些能力是我们潜在的力量，与B项表达的内容相符。故选B。

3.D 细节理解题。根据本段的内容叙述可知，大胆去做一件事比什么都不做要好。故D项答案符合，故选D。

4.A 推理判断题。根据文章叙述，可知作者的意图是说明大胆的重要性，并鼓励人们有勇气和胆量。故选A。