No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts.
I learned this lesson from a(n)1many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a2football program.
It was a tradition for the school's old team to play3the new team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to prepare for the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited4I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we failed. I couldn't believe I had got into5 a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 6 that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 7me. I had to change my attitude about their ability and potential (潜力).
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little8. Most importantly, I began to treat them like9. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their10 , we met every day and practiced passing and kicking the football.
Six months after suffering our failure on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to11. Finally, we faced the number one team on the field. I felt that it would be a victory for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me the greatest 12of my life!
From the experience I learnt a lot about 13 the attitude of the leader can influence the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and 14 them. I helped them to see themselves 15, and they built themselves into winners.
Winners are made, not born.
Have you ever wanted to have a doll that could talk to you? In the book The Ventriloquist's Daughter, a girl named Liur gets a doll like this. But it doesn't turn out to be as fun as she thought
Lin Man-Chiu, an author from Taiwan, wrote the book. British translator Helen Wang translated it into English. The book tells a touching story about Liur and her father.
Liur loses her mother at a young age. Her grandfather sends her father to a medical school in the US. Five years later, he comes back with a doll named Carola, as he once promised he would. This doll is quite unusual—it can talk! However, Carola makes a lot of problems for the family.
After reading this book, I thought Liur and her father were just unlucky. In fact, this story is based on the author's own unhappy childhood. She had six sisters. Still, her grandfather wanted a grandson. Her father was under heavy pressure and didn't live with her and her sisters for a very long time. The author didn't like her father when she was young. But now she has forgiven him. The talking doll Carola stands for her father's burden (负担).
After I learned this, I understood the author's main message. Everyone has demons (心魔)in their lives, but we should do our best to beat them.
Do you know what a burpee is?
The burpee is one of the most basic exercises. It is made up of movements performed very quickly and repeatedly. Some fitness experts believe that it is the best exercise in the world because this exercise is one that anyone can do very easily and very cheaply. Best of all, you can get a great full-body exercise without going to a gym.
The inventor of the burpee was an American doctor, Royal H Burpee. He firstly developed it in 1932 as a test, called "The Burpee Test", to test a person's ability to move rapidly and smoothly.
Equipment (设备)needed: none
How to perform the basic burpee correctly:
⒈Begin a standing position, with your feet about hip-width apart (与臀部同宽).Stand with your back straight and your arms at your sides. Hold your abdominal muscles (腹部肌肉)in tightly throughout the exercise.
⒉Keep your back straight, squat down and place your hands on the floor.
⒊Push your feet back behind you, so that you move from a squat position to a full-length leg extension (伸展).Keep both arms and legs straight and strong. This is lie basic push up position.
⒋Bring your feet back to the squat position immediately by bending your knees quickly and placing your hands on the floor.
⒌Jump straight up as high as you can from the squat position, holding your arms up directly over your head.
For an intense workout (高强度的训练), do three sets of twenty burpees. Always move as fast as you can and perform each set without a stop.
It seems like it was only yesterday - getting out of school on a hot summer day. My friends and I would race each other to the street comer. We always wanted to be the first in line to see "Uncle Lee".
"Uncle Lee" arrived every day after school on his motorcycle. He happily sold us cold ice creams from the freezer on the side of his motorcycle. It wasn't much, but it made me and my friends so happy.
Recently, filled with these memories, I decided to take a trip back to my old school. I wanted to see if I could still buy an ice cream from old "Uncle Lee" Sadly, when I got there, I could not find him anywhere.
So I stopped by my old headmasters office. We had a nice chat and I told him all about my successful business. Then I asked him about "Uncle Lee". "Oh, that's right," he said to me, "you boys were always so fond of Uncle Lee'. I'm sorry to tell you, but he had to retire (退休)."
"Why is that?" I asked.
I'm not really sure," my headmaster went on, "I think the government wouldn't renew his license."
Without doubt, I was feeling quite sad when I left my old school. I decided to walk down those old streets for a while and reviewed the memories of my youth (青春).Then, just as I was thinking about going home, I saw him. It was "Uncle Lee"! He was, of course, much older, but I would never forget that face.
So I ran over to see him. He still remembered my name I couldn't believe it! We talked for a while, but it was getting late, so I had to go.
Later that night, I began to wonder more about why the government would make that old man stop doing the job that he loved. Then I thought about my own children. "They'll never have the chance to know an 'Uncle Lee'", I thought.
It is true that Hong Kong is changing every day. I only hope that we will not lose the things which make us truly special.
a. He went to see his old headmaster instead.
b. He met "Uncle Lee" along the old streets.
c. He felt sorry for the lost special things.
d. He bought an ice cream from "Uncle Lee".
It's almost that time of year again. Beijing held the "two sessions"(两会)in March. They are the National People's Congress (NPC, 全国人民代表大会)and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC, 中国人民政治协商会议).
This year, the NPC opened on March 5 and the CPPCC began on March 3. How much do you know about the sessions? Read on to learn more.
Q: What is the NPC?
A: At school, every class has a class committee (班委会).The committee holds meetings to make decisions for the class and generally improve the classroom environment. The NPC does the same thing, but for the whole country.
With nearly 3,000 deputies (代表), it is China's highest organ (机关)of state power. The deputies supervise (监督)the work that the government does. The deputies also make and change laws. Every five years, they vote for the leaders of the Chinese government.
All of the NPC deputies are elected (选举).They use their power on behalf of (代表)the Chinese people. Any Chinese national who is over 18 can take part in an election. The term length for an NPC deputy is five years.
Q: What is the CPPCC?
A: Leaders need suggestions for what they should do for the country. It's like you're your friends give you advice on what to do with your life. The CPPCC does this for Chinese leaders. Its 2,000 members supervise the work of the government and give suggestions.
The Communist Party of China (CPC) is China's ruling party (执政党), but there are also other political parties and organizations (组织). CPPCC members come from these parties and organizations. They are not elected like those of NPC but chosen by CPPCC. They include businessmen, teachers and even celebrities, such as Jackie Chan and Feng Xiaogang.
Q: What are the biggest topics at this year's sessions?
A: Attendees at this year's sessions discussed new prospects (前景)for the future. They set economic index (经济指标)targets for the year, such as what the GDP (国内生产总值)should be. They discussed environmental events, such as how to prevent groundwater pollution. In addition, they considered new efforts to fight corruption (腐败), according to Guangming Daily.
A. School activities
B. You can do art, drama, chess and music after school.
C.A modem and friendly school in Yinzhou
D. Call 5555 4321 for more information.
E. Our facilities (设施)
⑴ ⑵ ⑶ ⑷ ⑸
China wide process past far |
Pam: China is famous for tea, right?
Liu: Yes, both in the and now.
Pam: Where is tea produced in China?
Liu: Well, in many different areas. For example, Anxi and Hangzhou are known for their tea.
Pam: How is tea produced?
Liu: Well, as as I know, tea plants are grown on the sides of mountains. When the leaves are ready, they are picked by hand and then are sent for .
Pam: What happens next?
Liu: The tea is packed and sent to many different countries and places around China.
Pam: It seems that many people all over the world drink tea.
Liu: Yes, people say that tea is good for both health and business!
It was the best of times, it was the of times. It was the season of light, it was the season of darkness. It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of (sad). It was the year one thousand seven hundred and seventy—five・
In France there was a King and a Queen, and in England there was a King and a Queen. They believed that nothing would ever change. But in France things were bad, and getting worse. The people were poor, hungry and (happy). The King made paper money and spent it, and the people had nothing (eat). Behind (close) doors in the homes of the people, voices spoke in whispers (低声说)against the King and the rich: they were only whispers,they were the angry whispers of hopeless people.
Late one November night, in that same year 1775, a coach (四轮马车)going from London to Dover, stopped at the top of a long hill. The horses were tired, but as they rested, the driver heard another horse (come) fast up the hill behind them. The rider stopped his horse beside the coach and shouted:
"I want a passenger, Mr Jarvis Lorry, from Tellson*s Bank in London."
"I am Mr Jarvis Lorry, " said one of the passengers, putting his head of the window. "What do you want?"
"It's me! Jerry, Jerry Cruncher, from Tellson*s Bank, sir," Cried the man on the horse. "What's the matter, Jerry?" called Mr Lorry.
"A message you, Mr Lorry. You've got to wait at Dover for a young lady."
"Very well, Jerry," said Mr Lorry, "Tell them my answer is CAME BACK TO LIFE."
It was a strange message, and a stranger answer. No one in the coach understood they meant.
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Festivals |
The Spring-outing Festival |
The Chinese Thanksgiving |
Time & Reasons |
• in April • warm |
• in November • no festivals |
Activities |
• take a walk • fly kites •… |
• send gifts • make dinner •… |
Meanings |
• relax • enjoy nature •… |
• express thanks • value the happy life •… |
Your ways to celebrate it |
•… |
•… |
The new traditional festival I want to invent is …