Why You Should Celebrate Your Mistakes

When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish(珍视) it like it's the most precious thing in the world, because in some ways, it is.

Most of us feel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves.

And that's only natural: most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes. We've been scolded when we make mistakes at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.

Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world: they make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible.

By trial and error-trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes-we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly.

Mistakes make walking possible for the smallest toddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible.

Think about how we learn: we don't just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don't just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing usually...then you construct a model in your mind...then you test it out by trying it in the real world...then you make mistakes...then you revise the model based on the results of your real-world experimentation and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you've pretty much learned how to do something. That's how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new, because if you succeed in something, it's probably something you already knew how to do. You haven't really grown much from that success---at most it's the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it's a good journey.

So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.

1.Why do most of us feel bad about making mistakes?

A. Because mistakes make us suffer a lot.

B. Because it's a natural part in our life.

C. Because we've been taught so from a young age.

D. Because mistakes have ruined many people's careers.

2.According to the passage, what is the right attitude to mistakes?

A. We should try to avoid making mistakes.

B. We should owe great inventions mainly to mistakes.

C. We should treat mistakes as good chances to learn.

D. We should make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.

3.The underlined word "toddler" in Paragraph 6 probably means __________.

A. a small child learning to walk

B. a kindergarten child learning to draw

C. a primary school pupil learning to read

D. a school teenager learning to write

4.We can learn from the passage that __________.

A. most of us can really grow from success

B. growing and improving are based on mistakes

C. we learn to make mistakes by trial and error

D. we read about something and know how to do it right away

Nearly a quarter century after a German boy threw a message in a bottle off a ship in the Baltic Sea, he's received an answer.

A 13?year?old Russian, Daniil Korotkikh, was walking with his parents on a beach when he saw something lying in the sand.

“I saw that bottle and it looked interesting, ” Korotkikh told The Associated Press on Tuesday.“It looked like a German beer bottle and there was a message inside.”

It said, “My name is Frank, and I'm five years old.My dad and I are travelling on a ship to Denmark.If you find this letter, please write back to me, and I will write back to you.” The letter, dated 1987, included an address in the town of Coesfeld.

The boy in the letter, Frank Uesbeck, is now 29.His parents still live at the letter's address.

The Russian boy and the German man met each other earlier this month through an Internet video link.The Russian boy said he did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea.He believed it had been hidden under the sand where he found it for a long time.

Uesbeck was especially happy that he was able to have a positive effect on a life of a young person far away from Germany.“It's really a wonderful story, ” he said.“And who knows? Perhaps one day we will actually be able to arrange a meeting in person.”

1.What is this passage mainly about?

A.Message in a bottle. B.A beautiful beer bottle.

C.Travelling on a ship. D.Meeting an old friend.

2.When the German boy threw the bottle into the sea, ________.

A.he was going back home

B.he was already 29 years old

C.he was walking with his parents on a beach

D.he was travelling to Denmark by ship with his dad

3.According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.Korotkikh's parents still live in the town of Coesfeld.

B.The German boy did not believe that the bottle actually spent 24 years in the sea.

C.Frank Uesbeck and Daniil Korotkikh have met each other in person.

D.Daniil Korotkikh and Frank Uesbeck have got in touch with each other.

4.Why was Uesbeck very happy when he got the information of the 24 years' message bottle?

A.Because he could have a new friend.

B.Because the two boys could surf the Internet together.

C.Because he finally got what he had lost.

D.Because he could have a positive influence on a life of a young person.

Most of the time, people wear hats to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions. Hats are also worn to show politeness and as signs of social position. But nowadays, hats, especially women's hats, are much more than that. More exactly, hats have changed into fashion and style symbols by many movie stars. What's more, people now consider many different features(特点) when choosing even a simple hat. Many designers point out that, when choosing the right hat, it's important to consider the color of your skin as well as your hair, your height, and the shape of your face.

First of all, the color of the hat should match the color of your skin and hair. For instance, black hats should be avoided if you are dark skinned. If a purple hat is placed on top of red hair, one will look as attractive as a summer flower. Second, the height of the hat is also an important point. Tall women should not go for hats with tall crowns, just as short women should choose hats with upturned brims to give the look of height. Third, and most importantly, the shape of the face decides the kind of hat one should pick. A small, gentle hat that fits the head looks good on a small face. However, women with big, round faces should choose a different style.

As the saying goes, "Fine feathers make fine birds." A good hat can not only help your dress but also support your features, so why not choose the best possible one next time you want to be in public?

1.What does the underlined word “harsh” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A. good B. strange C. poor D. different

2.According to the article, which of the following women would look most attractive?

A. A big-faced woman who wears a small, nice hat.

B. A short red-haired woman who wears a purple hat.

C. A tall woman who wears a hat with a huge upturned brim.

D. A small dark-skinned woman who wears a black hat with a tall crown.

3.What does the last paragraph suggest?

A. Hats are worn on the head to keep warm.

B. Hats can help you look better in public.

C. Hats are not as important as character.

D. Hats can make you look much taller.

4.What is the best title for the article?

A. How to Show Your Social Position.

B. How to Improve Your Features.

C. How to Choose a Proper Hat.

D. How to Design a Nice Hat.

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