Here is a picture where we can see grass growing in stones strongly． This picture    36  me of my father, a most determined man． He was born in a very    37 black family in the country, and both of my grandparents were   38  ．My father began to work in the cotton(棉花) fields when he was seven years old． He had a strong desire to change his own fate（命运） ever since he was a little boy． He   39 himself how to read and write in the evening． Later with his parents'    40    he managed to go to school where he studied computer science at Yale University． He later became a professor of Stanford University and was an expert in programming． He could   41  programs (程序) for supermarkets, restaurants, hotels, parks and bookstores all by himself． I'm    42  of my father   43   of his determination.

The best way to know a strong man, I think, is to let him   44   a severe test． Whenever we want to test a man's character, we should find out whether he can   45   __ adversity （逆境）, because adversity can always prove the   46  character of a man．Only when we make up our own mind can we overcome any    47  ． Some people would give up halfway． Such men can hardly expect to succeed． If we do not give up hope, nothing is impossible．

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

Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable (一次性的) toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers. Many guests like the idea because they don't have to bring their own. But, if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring your own things. Starting from June, some hotels in Beijing will no longer provide guests with these disposables. They want to ask people to use less disposable things.
Many disposable things are made of plastic(塑料). People throw them away after only using them once. It is a waste of natural resources and is very bad for the environment. Do you know, one Chinese person makes as much as 400kg of waste a year! Most of that waste comes from disposable things. In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1,320 tons of plastic lunch bowls every year! Plastic can take between 100 and 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw out, the better. So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again.
Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:
Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.
After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then you can use it over and over again.
Do not use paper cups. At your school canteen(食堂), use your own bowl and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.
【小题1】Why do many hotels provide guests with some disposable things?

Have you ever stayed in a hotel? Most Chinese hotels often provide guests with things like disposable (一次性的) toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and slippers. Many guests like the idea because they don't have to bring their own. But, if you travel to Beijing, remember to bring your own things. Starting from June, some hotels in Beijing will no longer provide guests with these disposables. They want to ask people to use less disposable things.

Many disposable things are made of plastic(塑料). People throw them away after only using them once. It is a waste of natural resources and is very bad for the environment. Do you know, one Chinese person makes as much as 400kg of waste a year! Most of that waste comes from disposable things. In Beijing, people throw away about 19,000 tons of plastic bags and 1,320 tons of plastic lunch bowls every year! Plastic can take between 100 and 400 years to break down. So the less plastic we throw out, the better. So, wherever you travel, bring your own things and use them again and again.

Back at home and school, you can also do something to make our world a better place. Try to do these things in your daily life:

Use cloth shopping bags, not plastic ones.

After using a plastic bag, wash it out and let it dry. Then you can use it over and over again.

Do not use paper cups. At your school canteen(食堂), use your own bowl and chopsticks instead of disposable ones.

1.Why do many hotels provide guests with some disposable things?

A．Let their guests be convenient during their travelling.

B．Hope their guests use less disposable things.

C．Wish their guests to save money.

D．Want their guests to use more disposable things.

2.Some Beijing hotels will no longer provide guests with ____.

A．cheap food and drink                    B．disposable things

C．good service                           D．free TV programs

3.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Many disposable things are made of plastic.

B．Throwing disposable things away is a waste of natural resources.

C．Plastic is very bad for the environment.

D．Plastic breaks down easily.

4.What can we do to make our world a better place at home and school?

A．Use shopping bags made of plastic.

B．Do not throw away paper cups.

C．Use disposable plates, bowls and chopsticks.

D．Do not forget to reuse daily necessities(日用品).

5.We can tell from the story that ____.

A．people don't like disposable things at all

B．we can't use paper or plastic bowls at school

C．we should use less plastic things and protect our environment

D．hotels won't provide disposable things because they want to save money