If you lose 12 times in a row (连续地), will you just give up? Dale Carnegie ,a pioneer in public speaking and self- development, kept trying. And he became famous by showing people how to be successful.

Carnegie was born in 1888 in a poor farming family in the central United States. The boy didn’t see a train until he was 12 years old. In his teens, he had to get up at 3a.m. every day to milk the cows in his family. When Carnegie first entered college, he felt hopeless because of his clothes and ordinary looks. His mother encouraged him: “ Why not try to be better in other things instead of just dress and good looks?”

Carnegie tried to be more active in college . He joined the debate（辩论） team. But one after another, he lost 12 meets. The young man was very disappointed in himself. He said later that he thought of killing himself after so many failures. But soon Carnegie was seen practicing public speaking on the riverside . His hard work paid off at last. In 1906, Carnegie won a famous speech contest and became widely known. The young man made his own words come true : “Believe that you will succeed , and you will.”

In order to share his success, Carnegie opened schools and wrote books. His best- sellers include “How to Win Friends and Influence People “ and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” .More than 50 million copies of his books have been printed in 38 languages . They are still helping people on the road to success.

  根据短文内容选择最佳答案。

(   ) 1 What did Carnegie’s parents do for a living?

A They had a farm to take care of.   B They were famous speakers.

C They worked for the government.         D They made a living by selling farms.

(   ) 2 Which of the following statements is true about Carnegie’s teenage years?

A He had lots of friends to talk with.    B He seldom had enough sleep at night.]

C He couldn’t afford to go to school.  D He made lots of money by milking cows.

(   ) 3 At college, Carnegie tried to ______.

A wear fashionable clothes                 B take part in dance parties

C win the debates but failed                D make as much money as he could

(   ) 4 The last paragraph mainly talks about Carnegie’s______

   A family life             B achievements(成就) C personality      D writing skills

(   )5 It can be inferred(作出推论)from the story that             .

   A Carnegie was never ashamed of his poor family

   B Carnegie was always optimistic about his future.

   C Carnegie’s mother played an important role in his success.

   D Carnegie was a man with a good sense of humor.

One day, when I arrived at school, an ice cream truck was parked in the schoolyard. Ice cream men usually drove their trucks to primary schools. I had never thought one ice cream truck would come to bring ice cream to us older kids. When I went up to the truck, I was quite surprised to hear the man call out, "Free ice cream!" To make sure of his words, I asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?" "Free ice cream. Choose whichever you like." he said, smiling.
After I was certain that the man was just giving away the ice cream, I talked with him for a long time. He told me that his dream had always been to travel around giving away ice cream, and that's what he was now doing. With his mother's support, he kept doing what he loved even during hard times. Now, however, some large companies are helping him his plan.
The man said he wanted to encourage people to do exactly what their heart told them to do with their lives. I kept asking him, "So your dream was just to drive around and give away ice cream? It seems like a very unusual goal." "Yes, just meeting people and making them smile," he replied. At that point he handed me my ice cream. I thanked him, but what I got from him was much more than just an ice cream. It can't easily be explained in words. I believe what he is doing is exactly what a great person does all the time: small acts of big love.
【小题1】From the story we know that the writer was most probably_______ at that time.

“It’s 8:15 on a Sunday morning,” said the officer, Tidwell, “and this sort of thing seems an unlikely adventure(冒险) at such a time. Would you mind explaining?”

   The man was astonished(吃惊的) at the voice from behind. He turned about and said, “I know what you’re thinking, officer, but it isn’t true. It’s a very funny mistake.”

   “I think you’ve just left this house in a manner rather than the usual one. That may be quite all right, but I’d like to make sure.” Tidwell took out his notebook and a pen. “Name, address and occupation and then, please tell me your story.”

    “Charlie Crane, lorry(卡车) driver, from Nottingham, 51 Brecon Street. My story?”

    “Yes, What were you doing like a fly on that wall, Mr. Crane?”

    “Well, I had a breakdown yesterday and had to stay the night here. The landlady’s name is Mrs. Fern. She gave me breakfast at seven, and I was out of here in the right way and down at the lorry park by half past seven. It was only when I felt around for a cigarette that I realized I’d left $80 under the pillow(枕头) here. It’s a habit I’ve got into. I even do it almost every day.”

    “I see. Why didn’t you miss it when you meant to pay Mrs.? What’s her name?”

    “I paid her last night. You’ve got to pay when you take the room, see? So I came rushing back, but it’s Sunday, and she’d gone back to bed. I rang the bell and banged on the front door for ten minutes before I came round here. Up I went this pipe(管子) and the money was still there. You know the rest, and I hope you believe it because….”

   “Mr. Crane, whatever are you doing here? I thought you’d gone an hour ago.” It was Mrs. Fern.

1. What did Tidwell see?

A. He saw a man going to a park in a hurry 

B. He saw a man bringing a pipe out, through a window.

C. He saw a man leaving a house         

D. He saw a man trying to go up a pipe

2.When Mr. Crane was at home, he         .

A. kept his cigarettes under his pillow at night  

B. always carried his money about him at night

C. tried to give up the habit of smoking       

D. put his money under his pillow at night

3.What do you think happened in the end?

A. Mrs. Fern found the $80 in the house     

B. Tidwell took Mr. Crane to the police station

C. Mrs. Fern said sorry to Mr. Crane        

D. Mr. Crane was let go