There is, for many of us, a moment in life when we make a choice that changes us forever. This moment marks a turning point, when we realize that the life we're living is not a mirror of who we really are.

For some, the moment comes as a result of something dramatic: the sudden loss of a job, or the death of a loved one. For others, they have to deal with difficult situations, such as financial hardship. In these challenging times, it's more critical(关键时刻的) than ever for us to seize the possibility of positive change. As I travel and talk to people about their lives, I often see a distant, vacant look in their eyes -- a look that says “I’m so busy trying to survive my life that no soul left to live it”.

As a result, we end up feeling lonely. Yet we keep on going the way we've been going. We tolerate high levels of stress at work, take important relationships for granted, or put our health needs on hold. We get so caught up in the details of living that our busyness becomes an excuse from the inner voice that begs us to listen. When you finally pay attention to that little voice and begin to make even small changes, you will slowly improve yourself.

To start positive change, you need the power of your mind. I've come up with a five-step strategy that will help you. You will be able to identify what you want and then go after it. It's easier than you might think.

1. Reset your happiness set point. Don't limit yourself! When I decided that I wanted more control over my life, I set goals in physical, emotional, financial, professional, material, and play. I challenged myself to consider every possible choice. Imagine things you've never believed you could achieve. Don't let your past determine your future.

2. Trust your courage. Too often, when you're first learning to take control of your life, you doubt yourself. It's important to develop a strong connection with your inner guidance system. I've heard many stories about the persistent voice inside your head.

3. Take action. Once you have set goals, adjusted your beliefs, and got ready, you can start making things happen. Again, turn to those people you respect -- the ones achieving what you desire -- for support and guidance. They will both inspire you and give you practical advice on what steps you need to take.

4. Have faith. Believe that the positive energy of grace will support your efforts to improve your life. When you've done all you can, let go and trust that the right result will occur. When we have faith, we give up the need to be in control, and we set ourselves up to actually enjoy the process of change.

5. Be patient. This can be the toughest step. It's not easy to trust that your life will improve in a best way. Remind yourself of the benefits of patience. In my experience, those life changes are always worth the wait.

What does the author intend to say in the second paragraph?

A. The start of some turning points in one’s life is caused by crisis.

B. Loss of a job or the death of a loved one are all dramatic things.

C. No one can live a life without any turning points.

D. No one can predict his future of being good or not.

In the author’s opinion, we should ______________.

A. adjust our beliefs from time to time B. always control ourselves for anything

C. keep on going the way we are going   D. seize the challenging times to live an active life

The author suggests that when setting your happiness set points, you should _______.

A. know the limitation of your set point        B. build self-confidence without doubt

C. limit your goals in different ways           D. consider every possible choice with care

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A. When you've done all you can, you may believe that the right result will occur.

B. When you set goals, and take action, it is possible to make things happen.

C. When you first learn to take charge of your life, you will always doubt yourself.

D. If things do not happen in a way that is best, patience is always worth the wait.

There are many stories about people who did not let age stop them in the pursuit of their goals. I’m sure you have heard of recent 70-year-old college graduates, or teenagers who are 1 of many useful things or owners of companies. Actually, it can be done; it just 2 your attitude.
Michael had wanted to run his own business from an early age, but he was 3 a big risk taker. After many years of working for others, he put a business plan together and was about to make the 4 , but his friends told him that at 45 he was too 5 to start his own construction business. They thought it was a young man’s business while Michael needed a steady income to support his family. Michael was discouraged. 6 many of his friends worked in the very field that he was considering starting his business in, he 7 that they knew what was best, so he decided to give up his 8 . But his wife told him that he was foolish to do so. They discussed it and Michael 9 that he’d been using his age as a(n) 10 instead of as an advantage.
Have you put off a goal 11 age or another limiting factor? Does the limiting 12really have as much influence as you think? Age is just a number and each challenge is an opportunity. Your attitude 13 . You’re not too old to try something 14 and never too old to give up on your dreams. They may 15 a bit of adjustment, but if you want something enough, believe in yourself and your desires will have no bounds.

Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute mile? For years people believed that it is impossible for a human being to  1  a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it  2  in 1954．Within one year, 37 runners  3  the belief barrier．And the year after that, 300 other runners did the same thing．
What happens if you put an animal in a  4 ? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through．What happens when someone, who does not know how to swim, falls in deep waters? You  5 ．If an animal who has not learned swimming could  6  by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal does not．
These  7  show the power of beliefs．There is no other more  8  force in directing human behavior than belief．Our beliefs have the power to  9  and to destroy．
In a way it is our beliefs that determine how much we’ll be able to  10  our potential．So pay attention to some of your  11 ．Do you believe you are weak in mathematics? Do you believe that other people dislike you？Do you believe life is full of  12 ？
Belief is not  13 , however．It’s nothing but the generalization of a past incident．As a kid, if a dog bit you, you believed all dogs to be  14 ．To change certain behavior, identify the beliefs associated with it．Change those beliefs and a new pattern is  15  created．
1．A．run                       B．walk                   C．swim                  D．jog
2．A．right                    B．wrong                 C．fake                   D．true
3．A．broke                    B．built                  C．faced                 D．lowered
4．A．cage                       B．desert                    C．forest                D．pond
5．A．drown                   B．swim                  C．float                     D．sink
6．A．struggle                B．escape                C．drown                 D．leave
7．A．samples                B．cases                      C．situations         D．periods
8．A．terrible                    B．reasonable             C．considerable      D．powerful
9．A．damage                 B．provide              C．create                D．withdraw
10．A．discover              B．realize               C．show                   D．perform
11．A．problems             B．beliefs               C．possibilities         D．subjects
12．A．surprises                B．choices               C．problems            D．possibilities
13．A．beautiful                B．changeable         C．strong                D．mysterious
14．A．safe                    B．rude                   C．merciless         D．dangerous
15．A．occasionally       B．immediately       C．accidentally           D．automatically

There was a time when I thought my dad didn’t know a thing about being a good father. I couldn’t   31 him ever saying the words “I love you.” It seems to me his only purpose in life was to say “__32_  ” to anywhere I wanted to go and anything I wanted to do, including getting a   33 .  Some parents bought their kids cars when they got their driver’s licenses. Not my dad ---- he said that I’d have to get a job and buy my own.
So that is what I did. I got a job at a very nice restaurant and   34  every penny I could and   35 I had enough to buy my car, I did! The day I brought that car home, my dad was the first one I wanted to   36  to. “Look, dad, a car of my own. If you ever want a ride, I’ll only   37 you five dollars.” I offered with a smile.
“I see,” was all he said.
One day, there was something wrong with my father’s truck. So he needed a   38 to work. . The sun wasn’t even up when we left the house,   39  it was already getting warm out. It was going to be a(n)   40 day. As I dropped my dad off, I   41  him, dressed in his work clothes, getting his   42  from the trunk of my car. Watching his sun-weathered face, and even from a distance I could tell there were   43  lines than I ever remembered being there before. I realized how hard my dad works for the family. My father is a cement finisher. In that instant, it   44 to me that he actually got down on his hands and knees to sweat over hot concrete to make a living for his family. And he did this day in and day out,   45  hot it got. Never, not once, had I heard him   46  about it. To him we were “worth” it. And never once did he “charge” us for it.
When he closed the trunk, his tools set off to the side, he walked over to my window to   47  me five dollars. I rolled down the window and said “Good-bye, dad. Keep your five dollars. It’s my   48. Don’t work too hard. I love you.” His   49 met mine, then glanced away in the direction of his waiting tools, he   50  his throat and said, “Oh, and… me, too.”

There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many 36  , but because he was a good piano player, some people 37  came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老主顾) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.
The man said, “I have never 38  that before in public. I think I’m 39  at playing the piano.”
But the customer 40 . He told the waiter, “I’m 41  listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”
The waiter 42  across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get 43  , sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”
  44  in order to bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And 45  had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung before  46   that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the 47  himself!
He had talent he was 48  on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he 49  to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.
You, too, have skills and 50  . You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly 51  , but it may be better than you think! And with persistence (坚持), most skills can be 52  . Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you 53 ! The 54  is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is 55 “How will I use whatever ability I have?”.
Just think a minute…