What inspires you to work hard? Having your own goals is important. Good sleep also helps. But as it turns out, having a plant on your desk can improve your work as well.

Mike Robinson, an engineer from Canada, owns his own small company. One day, his wife suggested picking out some plants and putting them on his workers’ desks.

Robinson doubted the idea at first. What good would plants do? He thought they might even be distracting(让人分心的). But he decided to try out the idea.

First, Robinson bought 20 plants for his workers. He asked each worker to make a small sign that said ―My name is___ and write their own name on the sign. Then, they put the sign on the plant they chose and took it back to their desk. Soon Robinson found that his workers were working much harder and getting along much better than before. It could because his workers formed ―friendships" with their plants. They would take good care of them, and in turn, take more care with their work. Plants can help to create a relaxed atmosphere(氛围)as well.

What about you? Does your classroom have any plants? If not, you might want to ask your teacher about this.

You and your classmates could take turns taking care of some plants in your classroom? It could be a nice way to make your classroom more lively and get to know your classmates even better.

1.The story is mainly about_______.

A.how to get inspiration for your work.

B.how having a goal helps with your work.

C.why good sleep is important for your work

D.how plants can improve your work

2.What did Robinson think of his wife’s suggestion at first?

A.His company was too small to do it.

B.He didn’t think it would be different.

C.He thought it would cost too much money.

D.He didn’t want to try it.

3.What did the workers write on their signs?

A.Robinson’s name. B.Their plant’s name.

C.Their company’s name. D.Their own names.

4.Why did the workers work harder and get along much better than before?

A.Because Robinson gave them much more money than before.

B.Because looking after plants helped them take more care with their work.

C.Because the plants helped the workers become good friends with each other.

D.Because Robinson’s wife helped create a relaxed atmosphere for the workers.

5.In the writer’s opinion, having plants in the classroom______.

A.creates a crowded atmosphere

B.takes up too much time

C.helps students build good friendships

D.distracts students from their studies

I’m a 34-year-old man, married, lived in a nice house, and have a successful career. But my life was not always so great. I had a learning disability from an early age. I went to a special school where I got plenty of extra(额外的)help. Still, I suffered(遭受)the rest of my school days in public schools.

My life improved greatly when I discovered art. The art world gave me a chance to express myself without words. I went to a workshop and gradually became good at making things with clay. Here I learned my first important lesson: disabled as I was in language, I could still be smart and well express myself with clay. And my confidence(自信)came along.

I got my next lesson from rock climbing. It was a fun thing but I was scared from the start. I soon noticed it wasn’t an easy thing: it needed lots of practice. So I did it more. After about five years of climbing, I found myself in Yosemite Valley on a big wall. I learned that if you fall in love with something and do it all the time, you will get better at it.

Later I decided to learn how to read and write. I practiced reading and writing, which I used to avoid as much as possible. After two years, I was literate(有文化的).

Through the long process with art, climbing, and reading and writing, now I’ve got to a point in my life: I am smart enough to dive into(潜入)an area that is totally unknown, hard, but interesting.

1.The writer’s _____________________________________ made his school days difficult.

2.The writer got confidence from art because it gave him ___________________________.

3.What else did the writer learn besides art and climbing?

4.找出并写下第二段主题句。

_______________________________________________________________________________________.

5.将文中画线句子译成汉语。

_______________________________________________________________________________________.

Once there was a village beside a river. The lovely river flowed quietly to the sea. The river gave the people of the village water to drink.

In this village lived a family which had a young daughter named Amanda. She was q1. like the river. Amanda often walked through the forest near her house. She loved looking at all the beautiful trees. Her favourite was the willow tree.

Amanda had a special a2.. She would notice things that other people did not. She would notice the first golden leaf as summer turned to autumn.

One year there was l3. rain, so the river dried up in summer. The people of Amanda’s village dug a well, but they did not find water. This worried them. While walking through the forest one day, Amanda noticed the leaves of the trees. W4. rain, they turned dry and brown. Then she came upon the willow tree. It had green leaves!

“The willow’s leaves are still soft and green, but all the other leaves are dry and brown,” she said to h5.. “Maybe the willow’s roots can find water that other trees can’t.” Amanda ran back home and t6. what she found to her family. When she reached her house, she saw that o7. people from the village were there. They were talking about how to find water. “The leaves of the willow tree are still green,” Amanda said. “We should dig a well where the willow’s roots end. We might find water there.” The villagers looked at Amanda in surprise. She seldom spoke. In fact, many villagers n8. heard her speak. They knew that her message must be very important, so they f9. Amanda to the willow tree. There they dug a deep well where the willow’s roots stopped. Water filled the well just as Amanda expected.

Amanda and the willow tree helped to s10. her village. All the people from the village thanked her very much.

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