“What is success?” Mr Gruber asked his 6th grade business class. It was his opening conversation for the first class of the term.
“Success is riding in a sweet car, watching an 80-inch TV, and living in a place with at least twelve rooms.” One student answered, earning laughs from all the students.
Mr Gruber smiled, but shook his head. “Tom, that is excess(过量). That is not success.”
“How about being able to provide for your family?” A blonde girl named Sandy in the front suggested as an answer.
“Now we’re getting closer,” Mr Gruber smiled, “but try thinking about what you need and what you want.”
“Getting everything you want.” Tom shouted out an answer again, trying for more laughs.
Mr Gruber sighed. “ I believe we’ve already talked about excess versus(与…比较) success.” “Getting everything you need, but some of what you want?” James, sitting in the back wondered aloud.
“Quite right!” Mr Gruber clapped. “Success is getting everything you need and some of what you want. The more you get that you want, the more successful you are. You do reach a point where you are living in excess, though.”
“What does this have to do with business?” Tom asked. It seemed if it wasn’t funny, he wasn’t happy.
“Well, Tom, think of it this way: the point of business is to make a living to support your family. Once you have properly seen to (确保) their needs, you can then see to getting the extras that you want.”
“What if I don’t have a family?” he continued to be difficult.
“Then you have to provide for yourself, a family of one.”
“He has goldfish to think about!” Peter, Tom’s friend, shouted out.
“Then he needs to provide for a family of one with a fishbowl.” Mr. Gruber corrected himself.
Tom nodded, satisfied with that answer.
“So in the next nine weeks, we’re going to study basic business situations, like having a checking account and understanding credit cards.”
Tom rubbed his hands together excitedly. “When do we get to start spending?”
“You already are, Tom. You’re spending time with us!” Mr. Gruber laughed. “Now, let’s see what you guys know about credit cards…”
1.What class did Mr Gruber teach?
A. HistoryB. Science
C. MathsD. Business
2.Which student didn’t seem to be taking the class seriously?
A. Tom B. James
C. Peter D. Sandy
3.How did Mr Gruber make his class lively and interesting?
A. He himself kept talking.
B. He just read from a textbook.
C. He showed a movie to his students.
D. He got his students to take part in a discussion.
4.What do you think of Mr Gruber according to the passage?
A. Strange B. Patient
C. Shy D. Proud
5.What can be the best title of this passage?
A. Get What You Want B. Needs and Wants
C. Try to Get More Money D. How to Live Well
Mark Twain’s First Money
Mark Twain was asked one day if he could remember the first money he ever earned.
He thought a long time and then said , “Yes, it was at school. I can remember everything about it. School boys in those days did not take good care of their chairs and desks. There was a rule in our school that if anyone damaged his desk or chair, he would have to pay five dollars or the teacher would beat him in front of the whole school.”
“One day I damaged my desk in some way, I had to pay five dollars or be beaten before the whole school. My father said it would be too bad to have our family disgraced in front of the whole school. He agreed to give me five dollars to hand over the teacher. But before he gave me the money, he took me upstairs and gave me a beating.”
“But as I had one beating and I decided I would take another beating at school and keep the five dollars. So that’s what I did. That was the first money I ever earned.”
1.Mark Twain earned his first money _________.
A. when he was a pupil
B. when he became a writer
C. when he taught at a school
D. when he was beaten by his father
2.The school made the rule so that they could_____.
A. teach the students well
B. give the students a beating
C. keep the desks and chairs well
D. ask the students for more money
3.Mark Twain’s father______.
A. was happy to give him the money
B. got angry when he knew what Mark Twain had done at school
C. said sorry to the teacher when he heard the news
D. agreed to beat Mark Twain and then give him the money
4.Mark Twain’s father thought if he gave Mark Twain the money______.
A. he would not be beaten in front of the whole school
B. he would go to the school again
C. he would never do that again
D. he would earn the money
5.Mark Twain was beaten_______.
A. at home B. only by his father
C. at school D. both at school and at home
Carnegie was born in 1888 to a poor farming family in the central United States. The boy didn’t see a train he was 12 years old. In his teens, he had to get up at 3 a.m. every day to milk the cows in his family.
When Carnegie first entered college, he felt because of his clothes and ordinary looks. His mother him: “Why not try to be better in other things instead of just dress and good ?”
Carnegie tried to be more active in college. He joined the debate (辩论) team. But one after another, he lost 12 meets. The young man was very in himself. He said later that he thought of killing himself after so many failures. soon Carnegie was seen practicing public speaking on the riverside. Because of his hard work, he at last. In 1906, Carnegie won a famous speech contest and became widely known. The young man made his own words come true, “Believe that you will succeed, you will.”
In order to his success, Carnegie opened schools and wrote books. His best-sellers include How to Win Friends, Influence People, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. More than 50 million of his books have been printed in 38 languages. They are still helping people on the road to success.
1.A. when B. asC. untilD. while
2.A. hopelessB. tiredC. happyD. useless
3.A. repliedB. orderedC. protectedD. encouraged
4.A. collegesB. looksC. familiesD. speeches
5.A. interestedB. surprisedC. disappointedD. excited
6.A. AlthoughB. ThenC. SoD. But
7.A. succeededB. failedC. graduatedD. tried
8.A. orB. butC. andD. so
9.A. achieveB. shareC. realizeD. show
10.A. schoolsB. onesC. storiesD. Copies
—Would you like to watch the TV program A Bite of China with me?
— , but I’m busy reviewing for my test.
A. Not at allB. That’s all right
C. I’d love to D. My pleasure
It’s said that of the water around the world ________ polluted.
A. two third; haveB. two thirds; has
C. two third; are D. two thirds; is
I think health is than wealth.
A. much important B. much more important
C. more much important D. Important
