书城外语用耳朵听最优美的散文
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第3章 破茧成蝶(2)

Jerry was the kind of guy you love to hate.He was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say.[A]When someone would ask him how he was doing,he would reply,"If I were any better,I would be twins!"

He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant.The reason the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude.He was a natural motivator.[B]If an empIoyee was having a bad day,Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious,so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him,"I don't get it!You can't be a positive person all of the time.How do you do it?"

Jerry replied,"Each morning I wake up and say to myself,Jerry,you have two choices today.You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood."I choose to be in a good mood.Each time something bad happens,I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it.I choose to learn from it.Every time someone comes to me complaining,I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life.I choose the positive side of life.”

"Yeah,right,it's not that easy,"I protested.

"Yes,it is,"Jerry said.“Life is all about choices.When you cut away all the junk,every situation is a choice.You choose how you react to situations.You choose how people will affect your mood.You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood.[C]The bottom line:It"s your choice how you live life."

难点重点,一目了然!

长难句解析 Sentence Structures

A When someone wouId ask him how he was doing,he wouId repIy,"If I were any better,I wouId be twins!"

如果有人问他近况如何,他会说:“如果我能再好的话,我就成了双胞胎!”

该句话中运用了if引导的虚拟语气。

B If an empIoyee was having a bad day,Jerry was there teIIing the empIoyee how to Iook on the positive side of the situation.

如果有个员工哪一天过得不顺利,杰瑞就会告诉他怎样看到事情好的一面。

look on 观看,旁观;看待。例如:We all look on him as a very promising young man.我们都认为他是一个非常有前途的年轻人。

C The bottom Iine:It's your choice how you Iive Iife.

事实是:要如何生活是你的选择。

the bottom line 不得不接受的局面(事实)。例如:The bottom

line is that drinking and driving can kill.事实是酒后驾车会出人命。

Calamity 灾难

Track 004.MP3

朗读指数:★★★★☆

背诵指数:★★★☆☆

难度指数:★★☆☆☆

总词汇量:0314词汇

每个好故事都有灵魂!

今日关键语导读 Today's Key Points

当灾难厄运突然袭来时,我们往往会措手不及,甚至会抱怨命运的不公平。只知道抱怨而不去试着解决,事情的发展往往会越来越糟。灾难来临时,我们也许依然坚持,也许无奈放弃。可灾难过后我们是成为涅的凤凰还是成为灾难的俘虏,这是你选择的结果。

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A girl grumbIed to her father about her hard life.[A]She did not know what she had to do and wanted to give up.She felt ignored for fighting and fighting.One problem has been finished but the other came.

Her father,a cook,took her into the kitchen.He poured water into three pans and boiled them.After boiling,in the first pan was put some carrots,in the second one was put some eggs and in the last one was put with coffee.[B]He waited for them for a few minutes without any words from his mouth.

[C]The girl closed her mouth and waited impatiently,confused by what her father did.After approximateIy 20 minutes,her father turned off the stove,took out the carrots and put them in a bowl.He took the eggs and put them in a bowl.After that the coffee was poured into a cup.

Turning back to his daughter,he asked,"My sweet heart,what do you see?""Carrots,eggs and coffee!"She replied.

Her father told her to close her eyes and asked her to touch the carrots.She did and felt that the carrots were soft.After that he asked her to take the eggs and break them.After peeIing them,she got the eggs,cooked and hard.The last,the father asked her to smell the coffee.She asked,"What's the meaning,father?"He explained that each had suffered the same unfortunate experience--the boiling water,but each had a different reaction.The strong and hard carrots had become soft and weak after being in the boiling water.The fragiIe eggs with thin epidermis covering the liquid interior became hard after cooked.The coffee grounds were very unique,but they could change water.

"Who are you?"asked the father,"When caIamity knocks at your door,what is your reaction?Are you carrots,eggs or coffee?"

难点重点,一目了然!

长难句解析 Sentence Structures

A She did not know what she had to do and wanted to give up.

女孩向父亲抱怨生活的不易,说自己有些不知所措,甚至想放弃。

what she had to do作为know的宾语,是宾语从句。

B He waited for them for a few minutes without any words from his mouth.

父亲一言不发,静静等待着。

当我们在作文中需要表达“某人鸦雀无声、沉默良久、一言不发”时可借用本句中的表达法without any words from one's mouth。

C The girI cIosed her mouth and waited impatientIy,confused by what her father did.

女孩不知所以,心中困惑,但也只有站在旁边一言不发,不耐烦地等待着。

该句子中confused为过去分词作状语,表示状态。

Dell's Story 戴尔的故事

Track 005.MP3

朗读指数:★★★☆☆

背诵指数:★★★☆☆

难度指数:★★★★☆

总词汇量:0331词汇

每个好故事都有灵魂!

今日关键语导读 Today's Key Points

有些时候我们自己做出的决定会被周围的人误解,这时我们并不应该彷徨,而是应该重新审视自己的决定是否足够理智,是否足够可行。如果深思熟虑后,你依旧肯定自己的做法,那就朝着自己的目标努力吧!你会收获一片阳光!

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On January 2,1984,I went back to Austin earlier than I would have to attend classes,and I did all the things I need to do to set up a business.I registered the company with the State of Texas as"PC's Limited".I placed ads in the cIassified section in our local newspaper.

Through my previous contract with customers and the small ads I placed in the paper,I was already getting a lot of business.I was selling between$50,000 to$80,000 upgraded PCs,upgrade kits and add-on computer components to people in Austin area.[B]Not long after starting the classes I was able to move from a stuffy room that I shared with a roommate to a condominium with high ceilings and two bedrooms.I didn't,however,tell my parents for a few months that I moved.