Have you ever been sad because of failure? Please remember, for often, achieving what you set out to do is not the most important thing.

A boy decided to dig a deep hole behind his house. As he was working, a couple of older boys stopped by to watch. “What are doing? ” asked one of the visitors. “I want to dig a hole all the way through the earth!” the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that digging a hole all the way through the earth was impossible. After a while, the boy picked up a jar. He showed it to the visitors. It was full of all kinds of stones and insects. Then he said calmly and confidently, “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I’ve found during this period!”

The boy’s goal was far too difficult, but it did cause him to go on. And that is what a goal is for-to cause us to move in the direction we have chosen, in other words, to cause us to keep working!

Not every goal will be fully achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you fall short of your aim, maybe you can say, “Yes, but look at what I’ve found along the way! There are so many wonderful things having come into my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really makes sense.

1.The older boys laughed at the boy because he was thought to be .

A. brave B. impolite

C. foolish D. warm-hearted

2. Why did the boy show the jar to the older boys?

A. To drive them away.

B. To show what he had found in digging.

C. To show how beautiful the jar was.

D. To attract them to join him in the work.

3. What can be learnt from the fourth paragraph of the text?

A. Not dream can come true.

B. All work will end successfully.

C. Goals shouldn’t be set too high.

D. Goals will make us work harder.

4.The best title for the text should be .

A. Joy in the Journey

B. A Boy Dug a Hole

C. No Pains, No Gains

D. Failure Is the Mother of Success

阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。

Your glasses may someday replace your smartphone, and some New Yorkers are ready for the switch. Some in the city can't wait to try them on and use the maps and GPS that the futuristic eyewear is likely to include.

“I'd use it if I were hanging out with friends at 3 a. m. and going to the bar and wanted to see what was open,” said Walter Choo, 40, of Fort Greene.

The smartphone-like glasses will likely come out this year and cost between $250 and $600, the Times said, possibly including a variation of augmented(增强的) reality, a technology already available on smartphones and tablets (平板电脑) that overlays information onto the screen about one's surroundings. So, for example, if you were walking down a street, indicators would pop up showing you the nearest coffee shop or directions could be plotted out and come into view right on the sidewalk in front of you.

“As far as a mainstream consumer product, this just isn't something anybody needs,” said Sam Biddle, who writes for Gizmodo.com. “We're accustomed to having one thing in our pocket to do all these things,” he added, “and the average consumer isn't gonna be able to afford another device (装置) that's hundreds and hundreds of dollars.”

Google publisher Seth Weintraub, who has been reporting on the smartphone-like glasses since late last year, said he is confident that this type of wearable device will eventually be as common as smartphones.

“It's just like smartphones 10 years ago,” Weintraub said. “A few people started getting emails on their phones, and people thought that was crazy. Same kind of thing. We see people bending their heads to look at their smartphones, and it's unnatural,” he said. “There's gonna be improvements to that, and this is a step there. "

1.One of the possible functions of the smartphone-like glasses is to ____.

A. program the opening hours of a bar

B. supply you with a picture of the future

C. provide information about your surroundings

D. update the maps and GPS in your smartphones

2.The underlined phrase "pop up" in the third paragraph probably means " ____".

A. develop rapidly B. get round quickly

C. appear immediately D. go over automatically

3.According to Sam Biddle, the smartphone-like glasses are ____.

A. necessary for teenagers

B. attractive to New Yorkers

C. available to people worldwide

D. expensive for average consumers

4.We can learn from the last two paragraphs that the smartphone-like glasses ____.

A. may have a potential market

B. are as common as smartphones

C. are popular among young adults

D. will be improved by a new technology

语法填空

Long ago, in a far-away place, an old tribal chief found himself terminally ill. So he called three most promising young villagers to his bedside and said, “As I 1. (leave)you soon, I hope you can do one more thing for me. Young men, you three are all 2. (usual)strong and resourceful, so I’d like you to strive to climb that high mountain we have always been worshipping 3. a sacred place. Try to reach the top and then turn back to tell me about your findings.

Three days later, the first young man returned smartly dressed and said 4. (smile), “Lord, I’ve been to the mountaintop5. I saw flowers of all sorts, spring water and singing birds. That’s a real nice place. ”

The old tribal chief replied with a smile, “Son, I’ve been there before. It’s not the mountaintop 6. the foot of the mountain. You can leave now. ”

A week later, the second young man also returned. “Lord, I’ve been to the mountaintop 7. a forest of tall pine trees and vultures circling in the air. That’s a really nice place. ”

“What a pity! ”said the chief. “Son, you’ve been halfway up the mountain rather than to the summit. Now you can leave. ”

A month later, the third young man showed up in rags, his hair off-colored but his eyes clear and bright.

“Lord, I succeeded in reaching the summit. There was nothing there but the highland wind and the blue sky 8. (hang)over the land. ”

“So you saw nothing at all? Not even9. butterfly? ”

“No, Lord, nothing. All you can see is yourself. You just feel how insignificant you are in this infinite universe10. standing at the top! ”

“Son, you’ve reached the real mountaintop. Congratulations! You will be undoubtedly made our new tribal chief! ”

My grandfather spent most of his life in a turbulent (动乱的) India. After settling in New York, he took up his true passion: gardening.

Grandfather’s garden was where I took refuge (避难) from a world of adults and schoolwork. My grandfather cultivated squash (南瓜) and tomatoes — it was not rare to find me somewhere in the garden, either secretly eating a tomato, or just sitting and admiring my grandfather’s hard work. However, as time went by, I did not have the chance to visit his house as often as I used to.

On my eleventh birthday, I received a gift bag wrapped in pretty paper from my grandfather. Excited to see what he had given to me for my birthday, I tore apart the paper only to find a yellow squash. I was very angry. What a stupid present!

But gradually, I realized that in my developing a relationship with his garden, I had unknowingly grown very close to my grandfather himself, something he wished to remind me of through his gift. His commitment towards doing things definitely influenced me. It could bring him a sense of accomplishment. Because of him, I try to model the idea of approaching everything with both drive and passion.

My grandfather passed away five years ago, but his influence on me could not be bigger than it is today. As I prepare to enter college and move on from my relatively sheltered high school life toward achieving complete independence, allowing my passions to find their way into whatever I may be doing will be very necessary. I still look up to my grandfather very much to this day, and I hope that one day I will be able to sow in my own garden, and give someone else a squash on his or her birthday — it was the most meaningful gift I have ever received.

1.When the author was young, she often visited the garden mainly to ______.

A. have a taste of her favorite vegetables

B. help her grandfather cultivate the garden

C. escape from the adults and schoolwork

D. admire her grandfather’s hard work

2.When the author saw the squash gift from her grandfather, she was ______.

A. excited B. confused

C. curious D. upset

3.Why did the grandfather send the author a squash?

A. Squash was the author’s favorite vegetable.

B. Squash was the greatest achievement of him.

C. He wanted to remind the author that they had been close.

D. He wanted the author to follow his career.

4.What’s the best title for the text?

A. A Special Gift — Yellow Squash

B. Grandfather and India

C. Life with Grandfather

D. Gardening and Life

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