One day a young man called Jim was told to take the  1  examination the next day．He was   2   so much that he couldn’t get to sleep．He wouldn’t join the army because he was in love with a beautiful girl．“If only I could find a  3   to make the doctor believe there is something    4  with my body,” he thought and thought．Suddenly, a good idea crossed his mind.

The next morning Jim got to the   5   on time and was led into a large room．He hurriedly found a seat to sit down and took out an out-of-date newspaper,   6   to read it．Soon it was his turn to be examined．When he came up to the doctor, the old man took a quick and sharp look at him．Then in a  7   he ordered Jim to take off his clothes, go straight to a corner and sit down on a chair there．No sooner had he seated himself on the chair than he heard the doctor murmuring to his assistant: “Finished! The boy is  8   up to the standard.”

“How can you draw such a  9   like that before you give me a 10  check? Jim shouted at the doctor．

“Don’t be impetuous（冲动）, young man! Put on your clothes, and then I’ll  11   it to you,” the doctor said   12  .“You said we didn’t examine you carefully, but I don’t think it

  13   for us to do that．When I told you in a low voice to take off your clothes, you did it as I told you．It shows you have good  14  ．When you were asked to go and sit on the chair, you did so, too．It shows you can see any subject within a certain distance． 15  , you were found reading the newspaper just now, and we are certain you are a man of intelligence.

  16 , you’re perfect in mind and body.” 

Half a year later, Jim was killed on the battlefield．At the news his girlfriend nearly went

 17  ．She kept weeping．“Don’t be like that, my dear.” It was an old man’s  18   voice．“Your Jim died a real man．He   19  his life to the people all over the world．It is right that we should be proud of him…” Saying this, the old man, her father, was choked（哽咽）．His only   20   was that he had never had Jim know who he was．This old man was the medical officer who had given Jim the health check．

The media has a great effect on us in our daily life. Believe it or not. I will tell you a true story of my own.

Last evening I was watching the evening news on television. The news was about a prize for scientific   1  ; I forgot what it was. The announcer, whose name was Ralph Story, said something, that caught my   2  . “All great discoveries, ”he said, “are made by people between the ages of twenty-five and thirty. ”  3   a little over thirty myself, I wanted to disagree with him.   4   wants to think that he is past the age of making any discovery. The next day I happened to be in the public library and spent several hours looking up the   5  of famous people and their discoveries. Ralph was right.

First I looked at some of the   6   discoveries. One of the earliest discoveries, the famous experiment that proved that bodies of different  7   fall at the same speed, was made by Galileo when he was 26. Madam Curie started her research that   8   to a Nobel Prize when she was 28. Einstein was 26 when he published his world changing theory of relativity. Well,   9   of that. Yet. I   10  , if those“best years”were true in other   11  . How about the field of   12  ? Surely it needed the wisdom of age make a good leader. Perhaps it   13 , but look when these people   14   their career. Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons at the age of 26. Abraham Lincoln  15   the life of a country lawyer and was elected to the government at what age? Twenty-six.

But why  16   the best years come after thirty? After thirty, I  17  , most people do not want to take risks or try   18   ways. Then I thought of people like Shakespeare and Picasso. The former was writing wonderful works at the ripe age of fifty, while the latter was   19   trying new ways of painting when he was ninety!

Perhaps there is still   20   for me.

1. A. invention　　　　　　　　　　  B. discovery　　　　　　　　 C. experiment　　　　　　　　　　  D. progress

2. A. mind　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. idea　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. attention　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. thought

3. A. As　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Being　　　　　　　　　　   C. However　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Beyond

4. A. Everybody　　　　　　　　   B. Somebody　　　　　　    C. Nobody　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Whoever

5. A. names　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. ages　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. addresses　　　　　　　　　　    D. education

6. A. pleasant　　　　　　　　　　   B. scientific　　　　　　　　  C. last　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. oldest

7. A. heights　　　　　　　　　　    B. sizes　　　　　　　　　　    C. weights　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. things

8. A. led　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. meant　　　　　　　　　　   C. stuck　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. referred

9. A. plenty　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. none　　　　　　　　　　    C. much　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. enough

10. A. believed　　　　　　　　　　 B. trusted　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. wondered　　　　　　　　　　    D. asked

11. A. fields　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. countries　　　　　　　　  C. courses　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. ages

12. A. agriculture　　　　　　　　  B. society　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. industry　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. politics

13. A. is　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. will　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. has　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. does

14. A. finished　　　　　　　　　　  B. went　　　　　　　　　　    C. started　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. failed

15. A. devoted　　　　　　　　　　  B. gave up　　　　　　　　    C. began　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. led

16. A. don’t　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. the　　　　　　　　　　　　   C. can　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. not

17. A. believe　　　　　　　　　　   B. know　　　　　　　　　　   C. guess　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. agree

18. A. other　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. new　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. best　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. their

19. A. always　　　　　　　　　　   B. still　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. seldom　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. enjoying

20. A. discovery　　　　　　　　   B. problem　　　　　　　　    C. wish　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. hope

Last evening I was watching the evening news on television. The news was about a prize for scientific   1  ; I forgot what it was. The announcer, whose name was Ralph Story, said something, that caught my   2  . “All great discoveries, ”he said, “are made by people between the ages of twenty-five and thirty. ”  3   a little over thirty myself, I wanted to disagree with him.   4   wants to think that he is past the age of making any discovery. The next day I happened to be in the public library and spent several hours looking up the   5  of famous people and their discoveries. Ralph was right.

First I looked at some of the   6   discoveries. One of the earliest discoveries, the famous experiment that proved that bodies of different  7   fall at the same speed, was made by Galileo when he was 26. Madam Curie started her research that   8   to a Nobel Prize when she was 28. Einstein was 26 when he published his world changing theory of relativity. Well,   9   of that. Yet. I   10  , if those“best years”were true in other   11  . How about the field of   12  ? Surely it needed the wisdom of age make a good leader. Perhaps it   13 , but look when these people   14   their career. Winston Churchill was elected to the House of Commons at the age of 26. Abraham Lincoln  15   the life of a country lawyer and was elected to the government at what age? Twenty-six.

But why  16   the best years come after thirty? After thirty, I  17  , most people do not want to take risks or try   18   ways. Then I thought of people like Shakespeare and Picasso. The former was writing wonderful works at the ripe age of fifty, while the latter was   19   trying new ways of painting when he was ninety!

Perhaps there is still   20   for me.

1. A. invention　　　　　　　　　　  B. discovery　　　　　　　　 C. experiment　　　　　　　　　　  D. progress

2. A. mind　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. idea　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. attention　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. thought

3. A. As　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. Being　　　　　　　　　　   C. However　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Beyond

4. A. Everybody　　　　　　　　   B. Somebody　　　　　　    C. Nobody　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. Whoever

5. A. names　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. ages　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. addresses　　　　　　　　　　    D. education

6. A. pleasant　　　　　　　　　　   B. scientific　　　　　　　　  C. last　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. oldest

7. A. heights　　　　　　　　　　    B. sizes　　　　　　　　　　    C. weights　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. things

8. A. led　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. meant　　　　　　　　　　   C. stuck　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. referred

9. A. plenty　　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. none　　　　　　　　　　    C. much　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. enough

10. A. believed　　　　　　　　　　 B. trusted　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. wondered　　　　　　　　　　    D. asked

11. A. fields　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. countries　　　　　　　　  C. courses　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. ages

12. A. agriculture　　　　　　　　  B. society　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. industry　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. politics

13. A. is　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  B. will　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. has　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. does

14. A. finished　　　　　　　　　　  B. went　　　　　　　　　　    C. started　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. failed

15. A. devoted　　　　　　　　　　  B. gave up　　　　　　　　    C. began　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. led

16. A. don’t　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. the　　　　　　　　　　　　   C. can　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. not

17. A. believe　　　　　　　　　　   B. know　　　　　　　　　　   C. guess　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  D. agree

18. A. other　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. new　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. best　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. their

19. A. always　　　　　　　　　　   B. still　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. seldom　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. enjoying

20. A. discovery　　　　　　　　   B. problem　　　　　　　　    C. wish　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. hope

I was working with a client who was completely burned out on her career and life and then ready for a career change. As we were talking, she said, “I just wish I had meaningful work. I don’t feel like I am making a difference. I am just wasting my life.” This is the theme I hear most often from clients who have been in the workforce awhile.All of us want to feel like we are making a difference. We want to believe our work means something. The problem comes in defining “meaningful work”. What is it? That answer is different for everyone. For some meaningful work might be helping others organize their office. For others it may mean making a million dollars.
What really matters is how you see it. What is meaningful work to you? Take out a piece of paper and answer these questions. How do you define meaningful work? When do you feel like you are really making a difference? What work have you done so far that feels the most meaningful? Write down whatever comes to mind.
What you want to do is meaningful. It is very easy to start judging yourself as being selfish. Stop! Allow yourself to be honest. The fact is when Picasso painted; he was doing it because he liked to paint. He was not thinking, “Oh, I hope this brings joy to others’ lives.” He painted because he wanted to. When Beethoven composed, he did it because he loved music. Even scientists searching for a cure for cancer are immersed in their work because it fascinates them.
Don’t look down on your work. It is easy to downplay the importance of work that feels meaningful. I remember Tony Robbins told a story of talking with the owner of a major company. The man said to Tony, “I wish I could do what you do because it makes such adifference in people’s lives”. Tony said, “You have got to be kidding! Look at what adifference you make. You provide work, health insurance and security for thousands ofpeople!” Don’t underestimate the value you provide.
Take a look at what you have written about meaningful work. Do you see any themes? How do you wish to contribute to this world? Whatever you choose, remember that the greatest gift you can give is to find work that makes you feel fulfilled and delighted. Respect your preference because giving your gifts to the world, whatever they look like, is the most meaningful action you can ever take.
【小题1】. What does the writer mean by mentioning the famous people?

Dear Ralph,

I’m a girl in Grade Two in senior middle school. In junior middle school I did very well in my studies. But when I entered senior middle school I began to __41__ the bitterness (苦涩) of failure.

A girl who was not as good as me in __42__ middle school surpassed (超过) me. My mother often scolds me. I can’t __43__ her, so when I return home I don’t want to talk to her. When I do a good job, she __44__ says, “Don’t be so __45__. Think of XXX, she did better than you.” Am I proud? __46__. I just want to give __47__ confidence. When I do something bad, she says, “What are you doing? Think of XXX, she is always better than you.” I had a(an) __48__talk with her. But she just said __49__, “When you grow up, you will know that I have done good for you.”

I can’t __50__ with her. I don’t want to go with her. What should I do?

Cinderella

Cinderella,

First analyze (分析) by yourself __51__ you have fallen behind. Is there something wrong with you, __52__ is the girl who surpassed you an outstanding person who is always at the __53__. And does it matter? Can you be number two and __54__ do well in exams and get into a good university?

To communicate, ask your __55__ about her own life. Did someone surpass her? If she regrets any experiences, she may hope you will realize her own __56__. This wish is common among __57__.

__58___, don’t blame that she should seek success. If she scolds but cannot help, she clearly knows study is important but does not know how to study__59__.

Do __60__ you think is best.