Once I spoke at a high school. After the speech, I was asked to see a special student. An illness had kept the boy at home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed. He was Matthew. When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal weight lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles(障碍) and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain(抱怨). He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. He knew what he was talking about. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion(冠军). You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I got the news that Matthew had died and a letter Matthew had written me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. The doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you some day I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I’ll never make it. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you.
Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
1.The boy wished to meet the writer because .
A. he wished to take part in the Olympics
B. he admired the author very much
C. he hoped to make friends with the author
D. he enjoyed weightlifting
2.Which of the statements is TRUE?
A. Matthew was good at weight lifting.
B. Rick had the similar disease as a child.
C. Matthew never gave up in face of disease.
D. Rick encouraged the boy to become a champion.
3.Why did the boy refuse the writer’s medal?
A. He didn’t need Rick’s pity.
B. Rick looked on the medal as the most important thing.
C. The gold medal was very dear to Rick.
D. He thought he was not worthy of it.
4.What can be inferred from Matthew’s letter?
A. Rick was unhappy before death．
B. Rick kept in touch with Matthew．
C. Matthew sent some pictures to Rick．
D. Matthew got an Olympic gold medal．
One of the most inspiring quotes(名言)I ever heard was by Brian Tracy. He said: “The________between successful people and unsuccessful people is that successful people________many more times than unsuccessful people.”
I deeply understood the ________ of the quote soon after my fist book was published.
I was living in Atlanta at the time and __________ my fist signing sale for my new book at the phoenix and Dragon, the largest bookstore in the city. Although a nice sign was placed outside the room __________ images of both me and my book, The 9 Insights of the Wealthy Soul, not a single customer entered the room. _________ each minute passed, I became increasingly _________.
At 6:25 pm, just before the store’s _________, I began to get myself ready to leave. At that moment, just when I couldn’t fell any ________, a middle-aged couple walked into the room. I managed to __________ my emotions and introduced myself and my book.
The couple turned the pages each other, and the husband __________ to his wife. She then told me, “I think we’ll get the book.”
Despite the impulse (冲动）to jump __________, and hold their hands to thank them for being my ________ readers, I realized the woman was trying to say something else.
“The ________ we’re buying it is that our son died two years ago,” she said. “Maybe your book will help us __________ it .”
At that moment, I knew if never sold a copy of the book, my four years of ________ had been meaningless.
Although I would have many more challenging years __________ my book became a bestseller, this couple’s story was all the _________ I needed at that point to keep me _________.
Thanks to them, I would realize that the greatest of lives are made all in the same way : One challenge ... one challenge ... one difficulty ... one step ... and one small __________ at a time.
1.A. distance B. balance C. difference D. advantage
2.A. hesitate B. fail C. complain D. survive
3.A. wisdom B. impression C. honor D. analysis
4.A. refused B. decided C. waited D. arranged
5.A. including B. decorating C. declaring D. showing
6.A. While B. With C. As D. When
7.A. curious B. clam C. angry D. anxious
8.A. disappearing B. closing C. crowded D. opening
9.A. good B. bad C. worse D. better
10.A. express B. escape C. read D. hide
11.A. replied B. reacted C. nodded D. pointed
12.A. in the air B. in a row C. on the rise D. on the ground
13.A. reliable B. first C. unusual D. final
14.A. reason B. effect C. purpose D. result
15.A. look through B. come across C. find out D. get over
16.A. writing B. advertising C. studying D. waiting
17.A. since B. until C. after D. unless
18.A. material B. information C. decision D. power
19.A. putting forward B. falling down C. moving ahead D. standing by
20.A. success B. failure C. basis D. pleasure
Though you failed , you should never _____
A. put up B. give up
C. call up D. come up
---Julie, are you going to Mike’s birthday party on Sunday?
-- ___I am invited
A. Unless B. Since
C. Though D. While
---I’m afraid to ask questions because of my poor ____
---You’d better practice speaking more.
A. instruction B. pronunciation
C. introduction D. construction
She is_______, so her students are afraid to talk with her .
A. shy B. serious
C. kind D. nervous
