A. Importance of Learning from Failure        B. Quality Shared by Most Innovators        C. Edison’s Innovation        D. Edison’s Comment on Failure        E. Contributions Made by Innovators        F. Successful Innovators

Even Intelligent People Can Fail

_________

The unusual things about the innovators (创新者) who succeeded in making our modern world is how often they failed. Turn on a light, take a photograph, watch TV, search the web, jet across the Pacific Ocean, talk on a cell-phone. The innovators who left us these things had to find the way to success through a maze (错综复杂) of wrong turns.

_________

We have just celebrated the 125th anniversary of American innovator Thomas Edison’s success in heating a thin line to white, hot heat for 14 hours in his lab in New Jersey, US. He did that on October 22, 1879, and followed up a month later by keeping a thread of common cardboard alight (点亮着的) in an airless space for 45 hours. Three years later he went on to light up half a square mile of downtown Manhattan, even though only one of the six power plants in his design worked when he turned it on, on September 4, 1882.

________

“Many of life’s failures,” Edison said, “are because that people did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Before that magical moment in October 1879, Edison had worked out no fewer than 3,000 theories about electric light. But in only two cases did his experiments work.

________

No one likes failure, but the smart innovators learn from it. Mark Gumz, the head of a camera maker, attributes some of the company’s successes in technology to understanding failure. His popular phrase is：“You only fail when you quit.”

_________

Over two centuries, the most common quality of the innovators has been persistence (坚忍不拔). That is another way of saying they had the emotional ability to keep on with what they were doing. Walt Disney, the founder of Disneyland, was so penniless after a series of financial failures that he was left shoeless in his office because he could not afford the $1.50 to get his shoes from the repair shop. Pioneering car maker Henry Ford failed with one company and was forced out of another before he developed the Model T Car.

　　Hong Kong action star and tourism ambassador Jackie Chan apologized for his disruption and insults (辱骂) to the audience at Jonathan Lee's concert in Hong Kong but refused to admit that he was drunk.

　　Chan told the media backstage on Monday, "I was drunk and I feel ashamed." Alex Fong, Chan's son, also apologized for his father's behavior and promised the media there would he no such things next time.

　　However, on Wednesday, Chan denied that he was drunk. "I would call it excitement on stage. I only made some jokes with Lee, not a big deal," he said.

　　Lee also defended his friend Chan, saying there was no smell of alcohol in his breath. "He is a forthright (直率的) person. We always use dirty words with each other in daily life but it is not right to say them in public," Lee said.

　　Actually, it was the second time that day that Chan disturbed an event. Guangzhou-based Information Times reported yesterday that at a TVB party, Chan criticized the Hong Kong public TV channel for keeping singers signed with the station from being interviewed by other media.

　　Since Chan is Hong Kong's tourism ambassador, his gaffe on stage drew attention of the Hong Kong Tourism Hoard. A spokeswoman for the board said they had contacted Chan but he was on a business trip. She refused to comment on whether Chan's behavior had hurt Hong Kong's image. No complaints have received so far according to the Hong Kong Leisure and Cultural Service Department.

(1) What did Jackie Chan do at Lee's concert according to this passage?

[　　]

A．He refused to admit that he was drunk.

B．He was drunk and felt ashamed.

C．He made some jokes with Lee.

D．He said some dirty words.

(2) Which of the following can best describe Lee's attitude towards Chan?

[　　]

A．He understood Chan well.

B．He made some remarks in favour of Chan.

C．He didn't think highly of Chan's behavior.

D．He criticised Chan's behavior.

(3) What would be the best title for this passage?

[　　]

A．Dirty Words on Stage

B．Jackie Chan's Story

C．Excitement on Stage

D．Jonathan Lee's Concert

(4) The underlined word "gaffe" in the last paragraph means ________.

[　　]

A．an improper behavior

B．ill-treatment

C．an excellent performance

D．an exciting remark

(5) Where can we probably read this passage?

[　　]

If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.
Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.
Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.
These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.
Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.
“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.
【小题1】What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?

A．Appear on comic TV shows.

B．Donate large sums of money.

C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.

D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.

【小题2】What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?

A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.

B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.

C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.

D．It is financially supported by the UK government.

【小题3】One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.

A．they sell a wide variety of goods

B．their business model is simple

C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced

D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices

【小题4】The passage is written mainly to __________.

A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK

B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day

C．analyze why charity shops are popular in the UK

D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

WASHINGTON — President Obama and his wife, Michelle, handed out Halloween treats to area children and military families at the White House Sunday evening．

Local students between 6 and 14 years old, along with children from military families, were invited to celebrate Halloween on the North Lawn．

The president and first lady, along with Mrs．Obama's mother, Marian Robinson, spent about 30 minutes passing out goodie bags．Obama wished each child a happy Halloween as he distributed the treats, pausing occasionally for hugs or to comment on costumes．

Later, the military families continued the celebration inside the White House．

The first couple joked to assembled reporters about children walking the long driveway in order to work off （消化掉） the snacks．"This is the Let's Move method of trick-or-treating （不给糖就捣蛋）," Obama said, referring to Mrs．Obama's campaign to combat childhood obesity （肥胖）．

The goodie bags contained a box of White House M&Ms, a cookie made by pastry chef （点心师） Bill Yosses, and dried fruit．

As they made their way across the lawn, the children meet a vast range of costumed characters ranging from a spooky Frankenstein （科学怪人,小说《弗兰肯斯坦》的主角） to the Scarecrow from "The Wizard of Oz．" Music from a jazz band dressed in pirate gear rang out across the White House grounds．

Multicolored pumpkins and gourds lined the driveway — individually, in gravity-defying stacks and as part of a large mound over 5 feet tall．Pumpkin-headed scarecrows （稻草人） made of cornstalks loomed over the path with menacingly raised arms．Under the White House portico, a mobile resembling bats flying through clouds fluttered around a lantern．

Some of the local trick-or-treaters were students at Bancroft Elementary, which helps tend the first lady's White House garden, and Tubman Elementary, which has a relationship with the White House chefs．

After trick-or-treating ended, the Obamas stood near the front door, welcoming the military families inside, helping children climb the short flight of steps and thanking parents for their service．

1.What is the news report mainly about?

A．President Obama and first lady celebrated Halloween with children．

B．President Obama and his wife Michelle handed out Halloween treats to children．

C．Children from military families were invited to celebrate Halloween at the White House．

D．Trick-or-treaters met a vast range of costumed characters from Frankenstein to the Scarecrow．

2.From the passage, we know that ______ do not necessarily appear when people celebrate Halloween．

A．Goodie bags

B．Pumpkins and Gourds

C．White House M&Ms

D．Costumed characters

3.When celebrating Halloween at the White House, the Obamas did the following EXCEPT______．

A．Wishing each child a happy Halloween

B．Thanking reporters for their covering the event

C．Helping children climb the short flight of steps

D．Hugging children and commenting on their costumes

4.The passage is mainly developed by ______．

A．analyzing causes	B．making comparisons
C．examining differences	D．following the time order

 

The day started out bad. She overslept and was late for work. Then everything __11__ happened at the office made her unhappy, too. By the time she reached the bus stop for her bus to go home, she had a bad stomachache.

__12__ usual, the bus was late, and full of people. There was no free seat for her and she had to stand in the bus. As the bus drove, it pulled her __13__ all directions, and she felt even __14__(bad).

Then she heard a voice from up front, "Beautiful day, isn’t it?" Because of the crowd, she could not see the man, __15__ she heard him as he continued to comment on the beautiful spring scenery, __16__ (call) attention to every building and thing that people could see as the bus passed by. Soon, all of the passengers __17__ (look) out of the windows. The man’s words were so powerful that she found __18__ smiling for the first time that day.

The bus reached her stop, and as she moved toward the door, she got a look at their "guide": an old gentleman __19__ a beard, wearing dark glasses and carrying a thin white cane. He was blind.

Sometimes it is not that there is no __20___(beautiful) in the world, it is just that there is no eye that can see that . Open your eyes and say, "Beautiful day, isn’t it?"