Failure isn’t the end, unless you let it be. Don’t believe me? Here are four people who lived through failure before going on to become names known around the world.
Walt Disney
Disney began his career by being fired by a newspaper for not being creative enough. Later, his Mickey Mouse cartoons were rejected because they were considered to be “too scary for women”. Also, The Three Little Pigs was turned down because it only had four characters. Thankfully, we have the Disney Company today because Disney chose not to listen to any of his critics and press forward towards his dreams.
Stephen King
King is a best-selling writer whose work has been made into several motion pictures. However, his first work was rejected 30 times, which led to King throwing it in the trash. Thankfully, his wife persuaded him to keep working at it, and—from that poor start—Carrie was born.
Milton Hershey
The man who blessed us with the sweet milk chocolate treat we all love wasn’t a hit the first time around. He once worked for a local candy factory. But when he went out on his own, he failed miserably. Then he returned to the family farm and perfected the art of making delicious milk chocolate candy, which we enjoy today.
Theodor Geisel
This author struggled to write a novel that publishing companies would call “pure rubbish” several times — 27 to be exact. The man just wouldn’t quit, though. One fateful night, he ran into an old friend who was a children’s literature editor. The friend agreed to publish Geisel’s work. Better known today as Dr. Seuss, Geisel was never again called a failure after his first book became a hit.
1.Why is the Disney Company known to us nowadays?A.Disney was rejected many times. | B.Disney improved his works later. |
C.Disney got fired and began his career. | D.Disney ignored critics and fought for his dreams. |
A.His big family farm. | B.His successful art career. |
C.His delicious milk chocolate candy. | D.His experience in making milk chocolate. |
A.They have a gift for making money. | B.They suffered several defeats on the path to success. |
C.They are creative and highly educated. | D.They were successful at the very start. |
Miles was born in Alton, a city on the Mississippi River in Illinois on May 26,1926. Miles’s father was a dentist, while his mother was a music teacher. Miles had a good childhood, catching fish and riding horses with his older sister and younger brother. He was known as a naughty boy in school.
He recalls his story, “By the age of 12, music had become the most important thing in my life.” His mother, a violinist herself, dearly wanted her son to play the violin. But brass(铜管乐器) was Miles’s calling, and he remembers arguments between their parents as his dad overruled his mom to fight his son’s corner. He received his first trumpet(喇叭) in 1935 and began weekly music lessons with his father’s friend Mr Elwood, his lifelong teacher.
Talking about his schooldays, Miles said that Mr Buchanan was the biggest influence on his life. He was the person who took Miles all the way into music at that time. He wanted to be a musician that he had dreamed.
When he was 16, Miles met his girlfriend,Irene Birth.Although she was a beautiful young woman in many ways,it was her easy-going character that attracted Miles. At the weekends,Miles and Irene would take the bus over the Mississippi River to St Louis to watch movies and go dancing. Although Miles was too shy to really enjoy dancing, he always felt confident when he danced with Irene.
When he turned 17, she persuaded him to ask for a job in his band. It worked. Joining the band was a breakthrough for Miles, and marked the time when he first began to write and arrange music.
1.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.Miles had no schooling in his childhood. |
B.Miles had a comfortable family. |
C.Miles’s parents were strict with him. |
D.Miles caught fish for meals. |
A.Help Mother to beat Miles. |
B.Hit Miles in the corner. |
C.Defend Miles’s choice. |
D.Prevent Miles from choosing music. |
A.His father. | B.His mother. |
C.Mr Elwood. | D.Mr Buchanan. |
If you watch British television on March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities (名人) wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry. They’re not mad. It's all part of a money raising event called Red Nose Day.
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. For example, the former UK Prime Minister David Cameron once appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, but they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops. These small shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop except that they’re all second-hand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK. 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. The money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound unpleasant, but for shoppers who have less spending money, it has been a welcome option. Now, shopping at charity shops is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion. “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 from the US.
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.
1.Why did Cameron appear in One Direction’s music video?A.To earn a living. | B.To support the band. |
C.To help raise money. | D.To entertain the audience. |
A.Local bands. | B.People’s donation. |
C.British comedians. | D.The UK government. |
A.Red Nose Day. | B.British celebrities. |
C.Charity in Britain. | D.Second-hand shops. |
As Buddhism got popular in China during the Tang Dynasty, there was a strong need to make
Traditional woodblock printing is divided into four major steps: writing, carving, printing, and binding.
Carving lies at the center of woodblock printing as this difficult step can either make the final print
A five-meter scroll of the Buddhist scripture Diamond Sutra, which
Long lines at security checkpoints, tiny plastic cups of drink, small bags of biscuit, planes full of passengers, fees attached to every service—all reflect the realities of 21st century commercial air travel. It’s no wonder that many travelers have become nostalgic (怀旧) for the so-called “golden age” of air travel in the United States.
During the 1950s, airlines promoted commercial air travel; airline hostesses served full meals on real china, airline seats were large and frequently empty with enough legroom, and passengers were always dressed well.
After jets were introduced in the late 1950s, passengers could travel to even the most distant locations at speeds unimaginable a decade before. An airline trip from New York to London that could take up to 15 hours in the early 1950s could be made in less than seven hours by the early 1960s.
But the good memory of airline in that time can be tricky, and “golden ages” are seldom as beautiful as they seem. Until the introduction of jets in 1958, most of the nation’s commercial planes were propeller-driven (螺旋桨驱动) aircraft. Most of these planes were unpressurized, and with a maximum cruising (巡航) altitude of 10,000 to 12,000 feet, they were unable to fly over bad weather. Delays were frequent, turbulence (气流) was common, and air sickness bags were often needed. For much of this period, the old saying “Time to spare, go by air” still rang true.
Through the 1930s and into the 1940s, almost everyone flew first class. Airlines did encourage more people to fly in the 1950s and 1960s by introducing coach or tourist fares, but the savings were relative: less expensive than first class, but still pricey. Although the invention of jets did result in lower fares, the cost was still out of reach of most Americans.
1.Why do passengers treasure the memory of the “golden age” of air travel?A.Passengers behaved better in those days. |
B.People traveled by plane more frequently at that time. |
C.Commercial air travel has kept airplanes in short supply. |
D.The air travel experience is much worse than it used to be. |
A.By giving figures. | B.By following time order. |
C.By making comparisons. | D.By explaining principles. |
A.The flights were often delayed. |
B.The flights didn’t offer meals to passengers |
C.The flights could fly over 20,000 feet. |
D.The flights were affordable for most people. |
A.The convenience of the modern airplanes. |
B.The advantages of air travel in America. |
C.The reality behind air travel’s golden age. |
D.The old saying “Time to spare, go by air”. |
Edinburgh summer festivals 2023
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Set up in 1947, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s largest performance arts festival. Only the Olympic Games and the World Cup sell more tickets and it takes over venues (场馆) all over the city for most of August. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society publishes a free programme every year containing most of the performances — which can be picked up in venues across Edinburgh before and during the event.
The Edinburgh International Festival
First held in 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival has taken place every year since. It sees famous figures from the fields of music and the performing arts invited to perform in the city. Traditionally the majority of events are classical music concerts, opera, theatre productions, and dance performances.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival
Established in 1947, the Edinburgh International Film Festival is the world’s oldest uninterruptedly (不间断地) running film festival. Threatened by financial problems last year, including the closing of its Edinburgh Filmhouse home, it is coming in 2023 as a downsized event showing a selection of films from around the world.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival
First taking place in a single tent in 1983, the Edinburgh International Book Festival was originally held every two years but became a yearly literary celebration in 1997. It invites hundreds of authors, journalists, politicians and famous faces from around the world to come to the city to speak about both their books and those of others.
1.How long does the Edinburgh Festival Fringe last?A.About a week. | B.Almost a month. |
C.More than 40 days. | D.Around half a year. |
A.It kicked off in an old tent half a century ago. |
B.It is the world’s largest performance arts festival. |
C.It is the third largest event in terms of ticket sales. |
D.It has been continually held since it started. |
A.The Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
B.The Edinburgh International Festival. |
C.The Edinburgh International Film Festival. |
D.The Edinburgh International Book Festival. |