This I Believe

I believe in the challenge to accomplish something out of the ordinary. I have ___41__ this belief from the Guinness Book of World Records. That book showed me the value of equal ____42__and competition. It proved to me, early on, that I could rise above anonymity and ___43___ remarkable things.

The Guinness Book of World Records taught me to believe in the “accessibility of the “___44__”. I was attracted by the descriptions in the book: the fastest, the longest, the widest, the most …whatever you can imagine. It opened up the possibility of what I might be able to do.

The Guinness Book of World Records taught me tenacity and perseverance and, more __45___, the desire to do something unexpected. So many people in the book were __46___ by family and friends for what they were doing. Yet they did it. I see them as success stories --- the ___47____ people who did something extraordinary.

I am not saving the world. I am not the best at what I do, but I am only 24 --- there is still time.

The Guinness Book of World Records helped give me a different ___48___ on the impossible, and encouraged me to try something unusual. I believe in making the “dream ” a ___49____, and I hope to someday break a few records myself.

Each year around 800 people – most of them children – need treatment in hospital for injuries caused by fireworks. A third of the accidents take place at back garden firework parties and about a third of the   41   are to children under the age of 13. The cost of medical treatment after firework accidents can be as much as ￡20 million a year.

Martin Pearcey, 11, is one of the lucky ones: he could have been   42   in one eye.

Like hundreds of others on November 5（Guy Fawkes’s Night）, Martin went to his   43   park to see the fireworks display. He was with his brothers, John and Dave.

“A gang of kids had taken the   44   material out of several fireworks and had put it in a pile on the ground,” remembers John.

“When they lit it, it went off and   45   Martin in his eye.”

John   46   Martin to their grandmother’s house nearby, where the eye was immediately bathed in cold water. He was then taken to hospital, where a sterilized（消毒的） patch was put over it.

“At first he couldn’t see a thing because the eye was so swollen(肿胀的),” says Martin’s elder sister, Pat. “It was weeks before it would open   47   again.”

His dad agrees. “He was lucky not to lose the sight of that eye.”

“Little kids shouldn’t be able to get hold of fireworks,” adds Pat. “I think organized   48   are much safer.”

And young Martin now says, “I don’t mind fireworks when grown – ups are   49  , but I don’t like it when little kids have them. I think fireworks are a bit stupid, really.”

By choosing to let go of the past, we sweep out all the ashes that weigh us down and affect every aspect of our health, and our peace of mind.

  My friend Jean was divorced after a thirty-year marriage that produced three daughters, one son and eight grandchildren. Because she actually raised them single-handedly, Jean was hurt and angry that the children didn't take her part after the divorce. For months she refused to attend any family celebration to which her former husband Jim was invited. When I reasoned that her children’s understanding of the relationship with and between the parents was probably altogether different from hers, she stuck to the belief that she was right.

  One day Jean called in tears. “Saturday is my granddaughter's birthday, and I want to be with her, but I can’t bring myself to face my former husband.”  “Jim isn't the problem,” I said gently, “it's false pride. Instead of holding on to the painful past, which is over and done, let the feelings go and get on with your life. You're depriving yourself of the joy of sharing in these important occasions, while Jim feels free to experience them. Tell me, would you rather be right, or be happy?”

  That must have done the trick because when Saturday arrived, Jean appeared at her daughter's home carrying her famous chocolate-chip cookies and a beautiful birthday

cake.

How great it feels to let go! And the more we practice the art of letting go of all negativity, the better able we become to devote our thoughts, our time, and our energy to living joyfully in the present, what ever age we happen to be.

It can be inferred that ____.

   A. Jim did very little to bring up the children during their marriage.

   B. The writer thought Jean and Jim shouldn't have divorced.

   C. The children were on their father's side and didn't invite Jean to any family celebration.

   D. Jean had been too tough on Jim before they divorced.

The underlined phrase “depriving yourself of” is closest in meaning to ____ .

   A. persuading yourself to get              B. taking away from yourself

   C. taking false pride of yourself            D. talking yourself into showing

In the writer's opinion, ____.

A. Jean and Jim should be remarried

B. a broken family could live together in peace

C. to be happy is more meaningful than to be right

D. everyone should look into the future

By choosing to let go of the past, we sweep out all the ashes that weigh us down and affect every aspect of our health, and our peace of mind.
My friend Jean was divorced after a thirty-year marriage that produced three daughters, one son and eight grandchildren. Because she actually raised them single-handedly, Jean was hurt and angry that the children didn't take her part after the divorce. For months she refused to attend any family celebration to which her former husband Jim was invited. When I reasoned that her children’s understanding of the relationship with and between the parents was probably altogether different from hers, she stuck to the belief that she was right.
One day Jean called in tears. “Saturday is my granddaughter's birthday, and I want to be with her, but I can’t bring myself to face my former husband.”  “Jim isn't the problem,” I said gently, “it's false pride. Instead of holding on to the painful past, which is over and done, let the feelings go and get on with your life. You're depriving yourself of the joy of sharing in these important occasions, while Jim feels free to experience them. Tell me, would you rather be right, or be happy?”
That must have done the trick because when Saturday arrived, Jean appeared at her daughter's home carrying her famous chocolate-chip cookies and a beautiful birthday
cake.
How great it feels to let go! And the more we practice the art of letting go of all negativity, the better able we become to devote our thoughts, our time, and our energy to living joyfully in the present, what ever age we happen to be.
【小题1】 It can be inferred that ____.

A．Jim did very little to bring up the children during their marriage.

B．The writer thought Jean and Jim shouldn't have divorced.

C．The children were on their father's side and didn't invite Jean to any family celebration.

D．Jean had been too tough on Jim before they divorced.

Recently I was invited to attend a party that helps children seriously injured in the big earthquake that happened this May. I went because I  31  .

At the party, all the children were given paints in bright, beautiful colors. After a short time, as I  32 , I saw blue clouds, orange sunrises and purple flowers. The 33 were all bright.

The boy sitting next to me was painting a heart, but it was  34  and lifeless. It lacked (缺乏) the bright colors that his fellow (同伴) “_35_” had used.

I thought maybe he took the only paint that was  36  and it just happened to be dark. But when I asked him about it, he said his  37  was that color. I asked him why and he told me that he was very  38 . He looked straight into my eyes and said, “There is  39  anyone can do that will help.”

I certainly  40  why he was sad. I said, “It isn’t  41  that there is nothing anyone can do to help. Other people may not be  42  to make you recover better…but we can do things  43  giving bear hugs (拥抱), which will  44  when you are feeling sad.” I also told him that I’d be happy to give him one  45  he could see what I meant. He immediately gave me a huge hug and I thought my own heart would burst with the  46  I felt for this sweet boy.

As the day was coming to an end, I was getting ready to  47  home. I turned around and found that standing there with  48  on his face was the little boy. He said, “My heart is  49  colors. It is getting brighter. Those  50  really do work.” On my way home I felt my own heart had changed to a brighter color, too.