A. based      B. schedule      C. individual     D. determined     E. achieving

F. ambitious   G. success       H. studying       I. marvel         J. smarter

The Secret of Success

The secret of success is that there is no secret. Some people succeed because they are just __41__ than other people. Some people succeed because they just work harder than other people. And some people succeed because they are just plain lucky.

　　Ma Donghan is a student at Tsinghua University who is __42__ to be successful and she’s not going to leave it to luck. Ma is obviously smart because she’s a student at the best university in China, but her plan for success is __43__ on the old fashion value of hard work. You can see that by the weekly schedule she’s set up for herself which was recently posted online.

　　Every hour of every day is accounted for. There is her classroom __44__, of course, but then blocks of time are set aside for __45__ each subject and also for a few activities like playing sports. There are no hours set aside for just relaxing and there are only five hours allotted (分配) each night for sleeping. She has set a very __46__, almost punishing schedule for herself, but it seems to be working.

　　Other students __47__ at Ma’s diligence and discipline but doubt that they could achieve the same level of success. Perhaps not, but Ma is obviously a unique and special __48__. She has set high goals, made a plan to achieve those goals, and worked hard to keep to her plan. This is what other students can learn from Ma.

In school, as in life, __49__ is never guaranteed and not everyone will find him or herself at the top of the pyramid. The important thing to remember is that having a plan and working hard to stay with the plan will bring you a level of success that just being smart and lucky cannot.

Only by working hard , _______ .

Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. based      B. schedule      C. individual     D. determined     E. achieving

F. ambitious   G. success       H. studying       I. marvel         J. smarter

The Secret of Success

The secret of success is that there is no secret. Some people succeed because they are just __1__ than other people. Some people succeed because they just work harder than other people. And some people succeed because they are just plain lucky.

　　Ma Donghan is a student at Tsinghua University who is __2__ to be successful and she’s not going to leave it to luck. Ma is obviously smart because she’s a student at the best university in China, but her plan for success is __3__ on the old fashion value of hard work. You can see that by the weekly schedule she’s set up for herself which was recently posted online.

　　Every hour of every day is accounted for. There is her classroom __4__, of course, but then blocks of time are set aside for __5__ each subject and also for a few activities like playing sports. There are no hours set aside for just relaxing and there are only five hours allotted (分配) each night for sleeping. She has set a very __6__, almost punishing schedule for herself, but it seems to be working.

　　Other students __7__ at Ma’s diligence and discipline but doubt that they could achieve the same level of success. Perhaps not, but Ma is obviously a unique and special __8__. She has set high goals, made a plan to achieve those goals, and worked hard to keep to her plan. This is what other students can learn from Ma.

In school, as in life, __9__ is never guaranteed and not everyone will find him or herself at the top of the pyramid. The important thing to remember is that having a plan and working hard to stay with the plan will bring you a level of success that just being smart and lucky cannot.

Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television. And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake. Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken.
“I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite （精英） university,” she said. “When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts. I wouldn’t be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn’t fit in. But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else.”
This was Mrs. Obama’s only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington. Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school.
Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford’s still poor record on diversifying student intake.
Mrs. Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House. Her message—which she repeated time and again—was work hard, have self-belief, and don’t be afraid to fail. It was very un-British, but rather effective. Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her.
And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out. Had Mrs. Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard. But now—thanks in part to her—some of these children just might.

1. 1.

   According to the passage, Michelle Obama ____________.

   1. A.
      graduated from Anderson College
   2. B.
      paid her first visit to the UK this time
   3. C.
      was confident when she entered the college
   4. D.
      came from a family without good background
2. 2.

   It is implied in the passage that these 40 young girls ____________.

   1. A.
      were all from the United States
   2. B.
      were students of Oxford University
   3. C.
      came from different cultural backgrounds
   4. D.
      stayed with Mrs. Obama because of hard work
3. 3.

   Michelle Obama thinks success may come from the following EXCEPT ____________.

   1. A.
      working hard
   2. B.
      believing in yourself
   3. C.
      good opportunities
   4. D.
      facing failure without fear
4. 4.

   What can we learn from the underlined sentence?

   1. A.
      The British pupils couldn’t understand her message.
   2. B.
      Her message reached the British pupils successfully.
   3. C.
      Repetition is not the British way to give a message.
   4. D.
      All effective messages are not conveyed in British.