Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Simply because no one tells us how to fail so that failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth. We forget that failure is part of the human condition and that every person has the right to fail.

Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child’s poorly made table as “Perfect!” even though it doesn’t stand still. Another way is to shift (转移) blame. If John fails science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.

The trouble with failure-prevention ways is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, no one can win all the time and that it’s possible to enjoy a game even when you don’t win. A child who’s not invited to a birthday party, who doesn’t make the honor list on the baseball team, feels terrible, of course. But parents should not offer a quick comfort, prize or say, “It doesn’t matter” because it does. The young should be allowed to experience disappointment — and be helped to master it.

Failure is never pleasurable. It hurts grown-ups and children alike. But it can make a positive contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask “Why did I fail?” Don’t blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong and how you can improve. If someone else can help, don’t be shy about inquiring.

Success, which encourages repetition of old behavior, is not nearly as good a teacher as failure. You can learn from a bad party how to give a good one, from an ill-chosen first house what to look for in a second. Even a failure that seems definitive can create fresh thinking, a change of direction. After 12 years of studying ballet a friend of mine took an interview for a professional company. She was turned down. “Would further training help?” she asked. The ballet master shook his head. “You will never be a dancer,” he said, “You haven’t the body for it.”

In such cases, the way to use failure is to take assessment bravely and ask, “What have I left? What else can I do?” My friend put away her shoes and moved into dance treatment center, a field where she’s both able and useful. Failure frees one to take risks because there’s less to lose. Often there is recovery of energy— a way to find new possibilities.

1. The first paragraph tells us ______.

       A. the reason why so many people are afraid of failure

       B. the reason why we don’t know how to fail

       C. failure is very natural for every person

       D. one should be ready to face failure at any time

2. The second paragraph tells us ______.

       A. how a mother praised her children

       B. two ways of failure prevention most parents used when their children fail

       C. how to shift blame

       D. parents should blame their children at the proper time

3. According to the author, what should a child know in the real world?

       A. Ways to avoid failure.

       B. No one can be best all the time at everything.

       C. No parents should offer quick comforts.

D. He can get pleasure as well as success.

The winter skies are grey and it’s cold outside. The nights come early and we spend a lot more time __1__ and alone. Many people __2__ winter: so cold, so dark, so boring. But I like winter because I have more time to read.

For many students reading means school; it means __3__. Reading is something your teacher assigns and it’s something you’re __4__. Reading is something you have to do, not something you want to do. But for me and many other people, reading is the most __5__ thing we can imagine. Getting lost in a good book can __6__ a cold winter evening disappear. Dull grey skies are no __7__ for the fantastic adventures of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings《指环王》or for romantic trouble-making of Jane Austen’s Emma《爱玛》, or for the youthful problems of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye《麦田守望者》.

      All of those books are studied in North American high schools. They are interesting and well written books that __8__ young people. __9__, even there, many high school students don’t enjoy reading the books because they are __10__ their school work: “Oh, my God! Two hundred pages! I’ll never be able to read __11__ much.” But sometimes a funny thing happens. They begin to read and they begin to follow the __12__. Suddenly, the world inside the book becomes more exciting and more wonderful than the world they __13__. At the moment the thought __14__ reading is work disappears and reading becomes __15__.

      Reading anything is __16__ but reading good books is a terrific （极好的） way to improve your English. Good writers write English very well and __17__ you with good examples to follow. And good books will tell you more about English __18__: what people think, how they talk, how they interact with each other. But don’t let me __19__ it by telling you that reading is good for you. Just think of it as a good way to __20_ on a cold winter evening.

1．A．indoors                       B．indoor               C．outdoors                  D．outside

2．A．like                             B．prefer               C．hate                         D．love

3．A．job                              B．worry               C．try                          D．work

4．A．checked                      B．tested on           C．examined                 D．based on

5．A．enjoyable                     B．reasonable          C．comfortable             D．considerable

6．A．want                           B．cause                C．make                       D．force

7．A．contest                        B．challenge           C．competition              D．match

8．A．appeal to                     B．respond to        C．react to                    D．reply to

9．A．Fortunately                  B．eventually         C．Unfortunately           D．Accidentally

10．A．free from                   B．part of              C．in place of                D．far from

11．A．not                            B．very                 C．this                         D．that

12．A．story                         B．subject              C．idea                          D．theme

13．A．leave for                    B．care about         C．flee from                 D．live in

14．A．what                         B．that                  C．this                         D．which

15．A．a comfort                  B．a failure            C．a success                 D．a pleasure

16．A．bad                           B．mean                C．great                       D．grand

17．A．provide                      B．offer                 C．give                         D．award

18．A．custom                      B．language            C．culture                     D．art

19．A．break                        B．spoil                 C．make                       D．develop

20．A．keep warm                B．stand still          C．stay calm                 D．stay cool

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）

The winter skies are grey and it’s cold outside. The nights come early and we spend a lot more time  16   and alone. Many people   17   winter: so cold, so dark, so boring. But I like winter because I have more time to read.

For many students reading means school; it means   18  . Reading is something your teacher assigns and it’s something you’re   19  . Reading is something you have to do, not something you want to do. But for me and many other people, reading is the most   20   thing we can imagine. Getting lost in a good book can   21   a cold winter evening disappear. Dull grey skies are no   22  for the fantastic adventures of Frodo in The Lord of the Rings《指环王》，or for romantic trouble-making of Jane Austen’s Emma《爱玛》, or for the youthful problems of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye《麦田守望者》.

All of those books are studied in North American high schools. They are interesting and well written books that   23   young people.   24  , even there, many high school students don’t enjoy reading the books because they are   25   their school work: “Oh, my God! Two hundred pages! I’ll never be able to read   26   much.” But sometimes a funny thing happens. They begin to read and they begin to follow the   27  . Suddenly, the world inside the book becomes more exciting and more wonderful than the world they   28  . At the moment the thought   29   reading is work disappears and reading becomes   30  .

Reading anything is   31   but reading good books is a terrific way to improve your English. Good writers write English very well and   32   you with good examples to follow. And good books will tell you more about English   33  : what people think, how they talk, how they interact with each other. But don’t let me  34   it by telling you that reading is good for you. Just think of it as a good way to   35   on a cold winter evening.

16. A. indoors                   B. indoor                            C. outdoors              D. outside

17. A. like                           B. prefer                                      C. hate                      D. love

18. A. job                            B. worry                                       C. try                          D. work

19. A. tested                     B. tested on                      C. examined             D. examined on

20. A. enjoyable            B. reasonable                             C. comfortable      D. considerable

21. A. want                        B. cause                                       C. make                     D. force

22. A. contest                   B. challenge                      C. competition        D. match

23. A. appeal to                B. respond to                             C. react to                D. reply to

24. A. Fortunately B. Luckily                            C. Unfortunately      D. Accidentally

25. A. free from                B. part of                            C. in place of            D. far from

26. A. not                           B. very                                C. those                    D. that

27. A. story                        B. subject                           C. instruction            D. theme

28. A. leave for                 B. care about                             C. flee from              D. live in

29. A. what                        B. that                                C. this                        D. which

30. A. a comfort               B. a failure                         C. a success             D. a pleasure

31. A. bad                          B. mean                              C. great                     D. grand

32. A. provide                   B. offer                               C. give                       D. award

33 A. custom                     B. language                       C. culture                  D. art

34. A. break                       B. spoil                                C. make                     D. develop

35. A. keep warm            B. stand still                      C. stay calm             D. stay cool