For the first time in Hong Kong’s history, an
entertainer has been written into middle school textbooks. He is considered one
of the best actors in Hong Kong. Yes, he is Chow Yun-fat.
The example of his long hard struggle for
success has been used in a chapter in a Hong Kong middle school textbook. Using
his experience, students can learn to make the most of their time and to grab
every opportunity to succeed.
On hearing about this,
Chow said happily, “I really hope that my experiences can make young people
understand that one should not be afraid of difficulties and setbacks (挫折), for they are the only way to
success.”
Indeed, Chow has travelled
a long and difficult path to reach his success. In 1955, he was born into a
poor family in Hong Kong. When he was 17, he had to leave school. He worked in
a number of jobs—as a postman, camera salesman and taxi driver. These
experiences paved (铺路) the
way for him to play all kinds of roles later in life.
Chow broke into the film
industry in the late 1970s. He was one of the hardest working actors and
starred in a number of popular TV dramas and films including “Shanghai Bund”(《上海滩》) and “A Better Tomorrow”. Since
1985, he has won many awards including Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards and Hong
Kong Film Awards.
In 1995, he went to Hollywood. Although he
was already over 40, he had to learn English. He even put chopsticks in his
mouth to practise pronouncing certain sounds. His film, “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon”, began to gain him more fame and recognition around the world.
In 1998, the mayor of Chicago set aside January 12 as “Chow Yun-fat Day”.
1.Chow Yun-fat has been written into middle
school textbooks mainly because ________.
A. he plays best in Hong Kong
B. he keeps on struggling for success
C. his experiences are very special
D. he is well thought of
2.Chow felt ________ when he learned that he
had been written into middle school textbooks.
A.
surprised B.
shy C.
sad D. happy
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Chow Yun-fat is proud of his success.
B. Chow Yun-fat prefers to make a living by
selling cameras rather than by performing.
C. Chow Yun-fat has won more
awards than other actors.
D. Chow Yun-fat is popular both
at home and abroad.
4.The underlined sentence (in paragraph 6)
suggests ________.
A. chopsticks is of great help
to practise English pronunciation
B. Chow Yun-fat is willing to
struggle with difficulties
C. Chow Yun-fat has suffered a
lot before he went to Hollywood
D. it is hard for a person who
is over 40 years old to learn spoken English
5.The author wrote this passage to ________.
A. introduce Chow’s films
B. praise Chow for his excellent performance
C. call on people to learn from Chow
D. show why Chow is popular