The CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs’ story about death

When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: “If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you’ll most certainly be right.” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered(遇到)to help me make the big choice in life.

About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors’ code for preparing yourself to die.

I lived with that diagnosis all day. I was completely in despair. Later that evening, I had another biopsy(活组织检查)and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I’m fine now.

This was the closest I’ve been to facing death. To tell the truth, no one wants to die. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.

Your time is so limited that you shouldn’t waste it repeating someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma(教条)----which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because_________.

   A. he had to rest at home

B. his disease was not serious at all

   C. his disease couldn’t be cured

D. he had to wait for the result of the test

How did the author feel after the diagnosis?

   A. Angry       B. Excited       C. Optimistic   D. Hopeless 

What does the author think of death?

A. He thinks it is nothing to be scared of.

B. He thinks it is not the end of life.

C. He thinks it is impossible to avoid.

D. He thinks it is the beginning of a new life

In the author’s opinion, we should ____________.

   A. follow others’ advice

B. take no notice of diseases

   C. take exercise and keep healthy

D have the courage to follow our heart

“Yes, I’ll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again.” It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband died ten years ago, she had prided herself on her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone.

This evening, however, she was standing at her living-room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little flat there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the room. One or two pieces of furniture remained, covered with sheet. All her pictures had been taken from the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, her husband used to say: “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.” Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, and always had “something alive in the room”.

The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, “Kate, you won’t forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It’s…”

“I know,” Kate interrupted gently. “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.” But in the little house, the two goldfish had stopped their circling. They were floating on the water, in the room with silent walls.

1.According to the passage, we know that Mrs. Robson ________.

A. was a person who liked to be alone

B. was not able to help herself

C. did not like asking people for help

D. wanted to live without her husband

2.On her last night in the house, Mrs. Robson was feeling __________.

A. a bit sad but not totally unhappy

B. happy but unable to help herself

C. proud and sad

D. in poor spirits

3. Mrs. Robson was going to __________.

A. be in hospital                 B. live with her daughter

C. meet her husband              D. live where she was born

4.The little house meant a lot to Mrs. Robson because________.

A. it was full of pets and plants

B. many friends and relatives visited it

C. it had a long and unforgettable history

D. an important part of her life was spent there

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网