When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you' ll most certainly be right．” It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, “If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?”
Remembering that I' ll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life．
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer．The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months．My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die．
I lived with that diagnosis all day．I was completely in despair．Later that evening, I had another examination and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery．I had the surgery and I' m fine now．
This was the closest I've been to facing death．To tell the truth, no one wants to die．And yet death is the destination we all share．No one has ever escaped it．It clears out the old to make room for the new．Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life．Don' t be trapped by dogma(教条)－which is living with the results of other people' s thinking．Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice．And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart．It somehow already knows what you truly want to become．Everything else is secondary．
(1)
The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because ________．
Nelson Mandela is one of the great political leaders of our time．His lifelong efforts to the fight against racial(种族)oppression(压迫)in his country won him the admiration(钦慕)of millions worldwide, as well as the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize．As the leader of South Africa’s anti-partheid(反种族隔离)movement, Mandela was a key player in helping to move his country toward multiracial government(多民族政府)and majority rule．
Mandela’s long, hard struggle is a victory of dignity(尊严)and hope．He’s a man of true courage．If determination and patience were considered talents, Mandela would win hands down in any sort of competition．
accomplishments(成就)& fame(名誉)
Nelson Mandela’s greatest accomplishments were his role in ending apartheid, and becoming South Africa’s first elected black president．He has been the recipient(收件人)of dozens upon dozens of awards, prizes and honors from countless associations and organizations, but perhaps none more prestigious(声望很高)than the Nobel Peace Prize, which he shared with former South African President Frederik W．de Klerk, in 1993．
He has been awarded several other major peace prizes, such as the UNESCO(United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)Peace Prize in 1991(also shared with F．W．de Klerk); the Africa Peace Award in 1995 and the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 2002．
Mr．Mandela also received dozens of honorary degrees(名誉学位)from universities the world over, including the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Glasgow, London, Nottingham, and Oxford, as well as an Honorary Doctorate from the Sorbonne University in Paris(all in July 1996), and Harvard Business School’s Statesman of the Year Award in 1995－to name but a few．He has also been presented(赠送)with the key to cities such as Rome, Rio de Janeiro, London, Dublin, and Sydney, Australia(where he became the first person ever to receive the Freedom of that city)．In July of 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States highest civilian(公民)award．
Model
There’s something admirable about having been a leader fighting for a people’s freedom and equality in an unjust society．Mandela has become a worldwide symbol(楷模)of the struggle of the oppressed(被压迫者)over the oppressor．He has been celebrated in song by artists the world over, in many different languages．One entitled “Nelson Mandela”was recorded by British 2-Tone group The Special A．K．A(formerly The Specials); making the top 10 in the UK and a few other European nations in 1984．
Personal style
As a president, Mandela sported the typical garb(服饰)of high-ranking government officials： expensive, well-tailored(缝制精致的)suits．Now retired(退役)from public life, Mandela the elder statesman dresses in an ordinary way．
He attends many activities, often where he is the guest of honor, in bright, colorfully patterned(典型的)traditional African robes(长袍)or shirts all the better for getting down when the music begins．
(1)
Mandel was not only admired(钦慕)for his long fight against ________but also for ________．
(2)
How many peaceful prize has Mandela got?He has got________ in 1991, ________in 1995 and ________ in 2002．
(3)
Mandela is a man full of ________and his greatest success was to play a part in getting rid of ________ and to be elected ________．
阅读理解
Working Wives
Last week, we published an article about modern marriage．A recent survey showed that in England 51 percent of married women go out to work．People were asked what they thought of “working wives”．The results were as follows：
We asked readers to write and tell us their opinions．Here are some of the hundreds of letters we received．?
I’m a(woman)photographer．I make plenty of money, travel a lot, and meet a lot of people．I enjoy my work, and would hate to stay at home．I would never marry a man who wanted me to give up my work．
O’Leary
At present there are over 1,000,000 unemployed men in Britain．If a woman gets a job, she puts one more man out of work．Perhaps that man has a wife and twelve children to support．Let women stay at home where they belong to．
Ted Stubbs
I am a mother of twelve children．When I go to work, my husband looks after the children．He is very good with the children and enjoys staying at home with them．And I enjoy my job as a bus driver．
Boot Battersea
We are twin sisters, who both got married recently．One of us(Doreen)kept her job．The other(Doris)gave up her jobs．But Doris gets bored staying at home, and Doreen gets bored going out to work．So now Doreen works for a week, while Doris stays at home．Then Doris does Doreen’s job for a week, while Doreen stays at home．At work, they never know if it’s Doreen who’s working today!
Doris & Doreen Bean Hendon
(1)
Last week we published an article about _________．
[ ]
A．
marriage nowadays
B．
working women
C．
working wives
D．
a strange marriage
(2)
The woman photographer would not marry a man who _________．
[ ]
A．
has less money than her
B．
likes staying at home
C．
is not very gentle
D．
wants her to stay at home
(3)
Ted Stubbs thought that women going out to work _________．
[ ]
A．
would make men lose chances for work
B．
would be better than men
C．
would weaken the right of the husband at home
D．
would be meaningless
(4)
When the bus driver goes to work, _________．
[ ]
A．
her children take care of themselves
B．
a nurse looks after her children instead of her
C．
her husband looks after the children
D．
she has to have everything ready for the children
阅读理解
Mr Perfect
With a healthy image, handsome face and Japan's coolest haircut, Takeshi Kaneshiro(金城武)is one of Asia's most attractive stars．
When “Turn Left Turn Right”(《向左走向右走》)opens in Chinese cinemas next month, there's no doubt the 29-year-old boy will get even more attention．
Takeshi stars as John, a lonely violin player who falls in love with a translator called Eve, played by Gigi Leung(梁咏琪)．
Many of Takeshi's fans like to copy his haircut, clothes and even his smile．But they will find it hard to copy the way he plays the violin in the movie．He impressed his director To Keifung(杜琪峰)by learning to play the violin in a few weeks．
This attitude to hard work is one of the reasons why Takeshi is such a good role model for young people．Like many young people, he values friendship more than anything else．“My best friends are my former schoolmates,” he once said, “We became close when we were at school and will be friends forever．”
Besides his good looks and hairstyle, he is well known for his healthy image．He started his acting career at the young age of 15 but, unlike other pop stars, he has rarely behaved badly．He stays away from drugs, alcohol and cigarettes．Violence, rude words and dirty jokes seldom appear in his movies．
“I hated foreign language classes when I was in school, but now I find speaking several languages helps me a lot in my career,” he said．For someone who only took up acting, Takeshi has come far．No doubt his star will rise even higher．
(1)
The title “Mr．perfect” suggests that ________．
[ ]
A．
Takeshi always plays a perfect role in the film
B．
Takeshi impressed his audience and fans with a perfect image
C．
Takeshi acts perfectly in all the films
D．
Takeshi can speak Chinese perfectly
(2)
According to the passage, which of the following is right?
[ ]
A．
Takeshi has become even more attractive because of the film “Turn Left Turn Right”．
B．
Takeshi falls in love with Gigi Leung
C．
Fans like to copy his life style including the way he smokes．
D．
Takeshi will be more successful in the future．
(3)
Why is Takeshi thought to be “healthy”?
[ ]
A．
He works hard．
B．
He is seldom ill．
C．
He behaves in a healthy way．
D．
Both A and C
(4)
The reason why Takeshi took up acting is that ________．
[ ]
A．
he wanted to buy a motorbike
B．
he loves movies more than anything else
C．
he was attracted by some movie stars when he was 15
