There are two basic
ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have
generally viewed personal growth as an external (外在的) result or a
product that can easily be identified and measured.The
worker who gets a rise, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who
learns a new language—all these examples of people who have measurable results
to show for their efforts.
By contrast (对照)
, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since it
is a journey and not the specific signposts or landmarks along the way.The
process is not the road itself, but the attitudes, feelings people have , and
their caution or courage, as they meet with new experiences and unexpected
difficulties.In this process, the journey never really ends;there
are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges
to accept.
In order to grow, to
travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to face the
unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first.How
we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is necessary for our ability to
grow.Do we see ourselves as quick and curious? If so, we tend to
take more chances and be more open to unfamiliar experiences.Do
we think we’re shy and indecisive? Then our sense of fear can cause us to
hesitate, to move slowly, and we think we are slow to adapt (适应)
change or that we’re not smart enough to deal with a new challenge.Then
we are likely to take a more passive role or not try at all.
These feelings of
insecurity (不安全) and self-doubt are both unavoidable and
necessary if we are to change and grow.If we protect
ourselves too much, then we stop growing.We become trapped
inside a shell of our own making.
1.In
the author’s eye, one who views personal growth as a process would ______.
A.succeed
in climbing up the social ladder
B.grow
up from his own achievements
C.face
difficulties and take up challenges
D.aim
high and reach his goal each time
2.Which
of the following can be viewed as the process of personal growing?
A.Our
manager was always willing to accept new challenges.
B.Jane
won the first prize in the speech competition.
C.Jerry
picked up French during his stay in Paris.
D.Father’s
salary rose from 5, 000 to 7,000.
3.For
personal growth, the author is in favor of all the following EXCEPT _______.
A.being
curious about more changes
B.being
quick in self-adaptation
C.having
an open mind to new experiences
D.staying
away from failures and challenges
4.Which
of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.It
is not so easy to measure personal growth.
B.To
try and fail on the new road facing the unknown is unavoidable.
C.There
are only two ways to see a person’s growth.
D.If
you are too shy to take any risks in life, you cannot grow up.
5.The
best title for this passage should be ______.
A.Facing
New Challenges B.Growth—Product
or Process
C.Two
Basic Ways of Growth D.Overcoming
Internal Fears