Some people bring out the best in you in a
way that you might never have fully realized on your own.My mom was one of
those people.
My father died when I was nine months
old,making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen.While I was growing
up,we lived a very hard life.We had little money,but my mom gave me a lot of
love.Each night,she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my
life,“Kemmons,you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life
if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen,I was hit by a car and the
doctors said I would never walk again.Every day,my mother spoke to me in her
gentle,loving voice,telling me that no matter what those doctors said,I could
walk again if I wanted to badly enough.She drove that message so deep into my
heart that I finally believed her.A year later,I returned to school—walking on
my own!
When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit,my mom lost her
job.Then I left school to support the both of us.At that moment,I was
determined never to be poor again.
Over the years,I experienced various levels
of business success.But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took
with my wife and five kids in 1951.I was dissatisfied with the second-class
hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for
each child.That was too expensive for the average American family.I told my
wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra
for children.There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly,mom was one of my strongest
supporters.She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style.As in
any business,we experienced a lot of challenges.But with my mother’s words
deeply rooted in my soul,I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years
later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn.In 1979 my
company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1 billion
a year.
You may not have started out life in the
best situations.But if you can find a task in life worth working for and
believe in yourself,nothing can stop you.
1.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during
his childhood was_______.
A.caring B.moving
C.encouraging D.interesting
2.According to the author,who played the
most important role in making him walk back to school again?
A.Doctors. B.Nurses. C.Friends. D.Mom.
3.What caused Kemmons to start a motel by
himself?
A.His terrible experience in the hotel.
B.His previous business success of various
levels.
C.His mom’s support.
D.His wife’s suggestion.
4.Which of the following best describes
Kemmons’ mother?
A.Modest,helpful and hard-working.
B.Loving,supportive and strong-willed.
C.Careful,helpful and beautiful.
D.Strict,sensitive and supportive.
5.Which of the following led to Kemmons’
success according to the passage?
A.Self-confidence,hard work,higher-education
and a poor family.
B.Mom’s encouragement,clear
goals,self-confidence and hard work.
C.Clear goals,mom’s encouragement,a poor
family and higher education.
D.Mom’s encouragement,a poor family,higher
education and opportunities.