Reading Materials

Reading Materials1. Is Failure a Bad Thing?In a person‘s whole life, there are usually some successes or failures. We all prefer successes to failures. However, you can‘t avoid failures. When a person meets with failures, he should not be discouraged（使某人丧失信心，泄气）, because failure is quite common.Different people hold different attitudes（看法，态度）toward failures. When faced with failure, some can stand up to it, draw a useful lesson from it and try their best to do what they are determined to do. Others, however, lose heart and give up. They do nothing but complain.I have a firm belief in the famous saying ― Success is never final and failure never fatal（致命的）.‖ I have had many failures in my life. However, I never lose heart. I believe that a bright future is just in front of me. So I am of the opinion that failure is not a bad thing.2. Antelope（羚羊）and LionIn Africa, when the antelope wakes up every morning, the first thing that comes to his mind is,‖ I must be able to run faster than the fastest lion, or I will be killed by a lion‖ And at just the same time, the lion wakes out of his dream, and the first thing flashing into his mind is,‖ I must be able to catch up with the slowest antelope, otherwise I will starve to death.‖ So, almost at the same moment both the antelope and the lion jump to their feet, and start running toward the rising sun.Such is life--- whether you are an antelope or a lion, you ought to dash（冲刺，猛冲）forward without hesitation（毫不犹豫）when the sun rises.4. The Benefits of Class ParticipationDuring the class, some teachers like to deliver the lecture all through the lesson while others expect student participation. As for me I prefer to participate in class for several reasons.First of all, student participation usually leads to a meaningful discussion, through which we students can better understand what the teacher is talking about. Through student participation teachers can get a clear idea how much the students have understood what they are talking about. Secondly, expressing your opinions in class and listening to those of the other students help you to think more deeply about the subject. Usually, most of the teachers are resourceful and having a discussion with the teacher allows the students to make the best of resource.So I believe students participation creates the best learning environment which benefits us a lot.5. There is no end to learning― There is no end to learning‖ is a proverb which means knowledge is like a boundless ocean and you can never make knowledge a part of yourself without hard work. If you want to realize your personal value, you must never stop learning.We learn not only inside the classroom but also outside the campus. Learning is a process in which man adapts to his surroundings. We learn not only from books but also from our own experience. ―To learn is to be young.‖ Not to learn is to die.‖ This saying applies to all ages.Knowledge will not be acquired without pain and hard work. Only when we focus our time and energy on our studies, can we accomplish our goals. Success is never final and failure never fatal.When I entered middle school, I know it is only the first step on the road leading to the sea of knowledge. The more I learn, the more I feel the need to learn.6. My idea of a Good StudentMany people think a good student is one who studies hard in all of their subjects and listens to their teachers all the time, but actually these students don‘t care about anything apart from study.What then is a good student? Firstly, he has clear values .He knows what he should and shouldn‘t do .He is respectful to teachers and old people and helps others as much as he can .It doesn‘t matter how he does in his exams, although this is certainly very important.Second, our responsibility as a student is to learn as much as possible .So a good student always tries to learn form both text-books and other books. Besides reading, he also likes and enjoys doing manual work .He develops in an all-round way.Third, he has a strong character and will-power –- because we face problems every day. Learning how to face the difficulties in study and in our lives is very important .A good student won‘t be afraid of difficulties. He‘ll always try his best though he knows he may fail. He will never give up. This makes a good student in my eyes.7. Why do We Have to learn English?We learn English because English is very important and useful. English is the most widely used language in the world. It is spoken by more than 400 million people as their first language. It is also spoken as a foreign language by people in many other countries. No matter where you go, English is spoken. In the modern world, English is an international language.After entering the WTO, China is becoming more open to the outside world .We need to learn more about China. Beijing‘s winning the bid to host the Olympic Games in 2008 has encouraged more people to learn English .The WTO and Olympic Games have brought us a lot of opportunities and challenges. Young people particularly must learn English if they want to have a better future . And if you want to have a good job or go study aboard in the future, you must learn English. 8. Generation GapYoung children are often unhappy when they are with their parents. They say their parents don‘t understand them. They often think their parents are too strict with them. Parents often find it difficult to win their children‘s trust.Young people like to do things without much thought. It‘s one of their ways to show that they have grown up and can solve any difficult problems themselves. Most elderly people plan ahead and don‘t like changing their plans. Young people often make their parents angry by the clothes they wear, the music they enjoy and something else. But they don‘t mean to cause any trouble. They just feel that by such means they can separate themselves from their parents‘ world and can make a new culture of their own. And if their parents don‘t understand them, they feel very sad. Sometimes instead of going out with their parents, they just stay at home alone.If you plan to do something, you‘d better win your parents over and get them to understand you. If so, your parents will certainly let you do what you want to do.9. Making FriendsOne of the most important things in the world is making friends. If you have a good friend, you are lucky. A good friend is more necessary than money or anything else in the world. You can be without money but you cannot be without friends. Sometimes only friends can help you, not of money. For example, if you fall into water and you can‘t swim, only your friend can save you.How can we make friends in the right way? First, you must know the person you want to make friends with. If you find he often tells lies, or he doesn‘t help others in trouble, you‘d better not make friends with him. A good friend will be happy when you win. He will be sad when you fail. If you have some questions about your studies, he will be quite willing to teach you until youunderstand. If you want to have this kind of friend, you must try your best to be like this. If you do that, I‘m sure you will have many good friends.10. Computer gamesThere‘s a famous saying, ―Everything has two sides, the advantages and disadvantages.‖Computer games are no exception.On one hand, computer games can stimulate our imagination and arouse our interest in electronics and computer sciences.On the other hand, computer games also have disadvantages. First, they are harmful to our eyes and health. Second, as we are still middle school students, playing computer games, we may forget those things that we should do. Also, games cost a lot of money, especially for those of us who do not have a regular income.Of course, we can not ban games, nor can we stop them from developing, because they are required by all kinds of people. I think we should not become obsessed, and if we have the ability to control ourselves, we should keep away from computer games.11. My View on Cheating ExamsCheating in exams is popular now in almost every school. Some students cheat in exams because they usually don‘t study hard enough, so they have no confidence in themselves while taking exams.Cheating in exams does a student no good. The purpose of a test is to show what a student has learned about a subject and what he needs to spend more time studying. Those who always commit cheating in exams are surely missing this point.Some measures should be taken to prevent cheating. Schools may help students realize cheating in exams is really cheating themselves. To survive and succeed in the 21-century, we students should study hard and gain a comprehensive knowledge. Besides, those who still cheat, once found, should be severely punished.12. BooksSome people say that gold and silver are the most valuable things in the world, but I consider books are more valuable than anything else.Books are our everlasting friends. They give us knowledge, teacher us how to tell right from wrong. Without books, we would become ignorant, and our life would become dull and meaningless.Reading books once in a while, you can not only obtain knowledge but also entertain yourself. So long as you have a book at hand, you‘ll never feel lonely. Every valuable book will open a new world before you.There are many books for us to read, but be careful, not all of them are worth reading. Some books can mislead us. Sometimes they can even harm and poison us. Therefore, we should read books critically.13. Are You Ready for the 2008 Olympics?Lots of people are happy that the 2008 Olympics will be held in Beijing. As a Chinese, I want very much o do what I can to help with this big event.In 2008, I will be a college student and a volunteer at the same time. From now on, I‘m going to work harder at English so that I can communicate better with foreign visitors and athletes. I n fact, I want to set up a college student group that will help visitors and the environment. We are going to do things like clean up city parks, plant trees, put up signs, give directions to visitors so on. Also, we can even teach some simple Chinese to foreign visitors so that they can get aroundthe city more easily. That would be a lot of fun, wouldn‘t it?In short, I‘ll try my best to make Beijing 2008 a beautiful memory for visitors.14. Honesty is the Best PolicyWhat is honesty? Honesty means speaking the truth and being fair and upright in act, Honesty is considered a virtue and is admired in every country and every culture. He who lies and cheats is dishonest. Dishonesty can result in guilty feelings, cause distrust and even ruin a person‘s r eputation. So dishonesty is generally looked down upon as something evil.As the saying goes, ―Honesty is the best policy‖. For one thing, if we want to be trusted and respected by others, we need to be honest. A liar is always looked down up and avoid by the people around him. For another reason, if we want to succeed in our work, the first qualification we should have is honesty. Whatever our aim is, we must work honestly to attain it.However, there are people who try to get benefits by dishonest means. For example, some students cheat in the examinations in order to get good marks. The same thing may be true of the businessmen who get money by deceiving customers. Yet for those dishonest people, it‘s advisable to keep this saying in mind,‖ You can fool some people all time, and you can fool all people some time, but you cannot fool all people all the time.Since honesty is so important, we must try our best to cultivate such a virtue.15. The Coolness in BoysI‘ve always wondered if I was a cool boy when I was in middle school. I think I was. Back then, my friends and I had a lot of good times. We learned how to make our own fun and laugh a lot. My friends from back then are still my friends today, which is very cool.Coolness is not something that comes and goes, like cloudy days and rainy weather. Coolness is something a boy learns as he grows up, by being himself, by making his own decisions and by being true and helpful to his friends.Coolness is not about being the loudest, the most popular, having the most friends, the best grades or the latest clothes. Coolness is about having confidence in oneself. A boy will never be cool if he doesn‘t learn to like himself.Coolness is not about always thinking who is cool and who is not, it is about finding what is special about each and every person.Coolness is not about saying the things that everybody wants to hear when you know they are not true. Coolness is about being honest all the time.Coolness is not something that other people can decide for you — it is something you have to decide for yourself.To be or not to be cool, that is the question. It is a question that boys must answer for themselves.16. You can never say too many “t hank you”sThere are many ways to show you are thankful for something that someone has given or done for you. You can give gifts, or you can give someone a kiss on the cheek. You may not have enough money to buy gifts for everyone you would like to thank, and you may be too shy to give a kiss. So instead, give them a smile and say, ―Thank you!‖Who should you say ―Thank you‖ to? Say it to your parents for their love and care. Say it to your friends and classmates when they do something nice for you. When they spend time with you, you can say, ―Thanks for a good time. I had fun.‖ If you have food on your face, and someone helps you clean it off, say, ―Thank you!‖ And when I buy milk tea, I always say it to the people who make my milk tea and seal it in its plastic cup. I love milk tea, and am thankful to have it. Withoutthe milk tea makers, I would have no milk tea.Thanksgiving Day is coming soon. Although it is an American holiday when we Americans thank our God, it is still a good chance for you to thank your ―gods‖: family, teachers, classmates, friends, neighbors...A ―Thank you‖ will always make someone happier. So say it! I‘m sure you‘ll be happy to see that!17. Those to wonderful peopleWe live with them, grow up with them and often take them for granted. They work hard, take us on exciting holidays, give us food, clothes and take good care of us. In return, we often shout at them, make their living area noisy and dirty and expect them to understand and love us at all times! So, who are those wonderful people? They are, of course, our parents.It is certainly not easy to be young. There are so many changes and so many problems and so little experience to help us. Our bodies and minds are changing fast, and the whole experience can be frightening. In fact, many of the answers to these difficult problems can be found from our parents. They have already dealt with most of the problems we face. Also, the more we get to know our parents as people, the more we understand that, even when they are angry with us, it is only because they care for us rather than the fact that they are horrible old people.Take the time to share in your parents‘ lives: Go fishing with Dad; help Mom prepare the evening meal, and really talk to them. Often you will be surprised by what they will tell you and this will lead to a much better understanding and a deeper love. So, start with something simple and see what wonderful things can follow ...18. All work and no play?Middle and high school days are both fun and busy. Students spend their days in class, listening to the interesting and sometimes boring words of the teacher. They spend the short breaks running, playing, and shouting happily before going back to the classroom again. But how should students spend their free time outside school?In Western countries, it is common for students to have a part-time job after school and at weekends. Students can earn their own money and learn more about the ―real world‖. They enjoy the extra independence and (of course) money, and parents enjoy the quiet house. However, it seems that, in China, parents worry so much about their children‘ studies that they would prefer to see their children spending most of their free time studying and preparing for all those exams.It is natural for parents to feel that way, but I believe the answer lies in balance. Sometimes, Western school children work long hours after school to make money, and so they become too tired to listen in class or have no time for homework. But Chinese students spend so much time on their studies that all else becomes less important until they want that new MP4 player.So, find a good and healthy balance! If you have a part-time job, you‘ll be happy, and your parents will also be happy because you‘re spending your hard-earned money and not theirs! 19. The Making of HeroesMany Chinese middle school students dream of becoming big heroes. How wonderful it is to be a hero，liked by tons of people，just like Yang Liwei or Jackie Chan！However，this is the reason why they feel bad：they think they are not brave enough. They don‘t have the courage to talk to new friends，do the things they like，or even answer their teacher‘s questions because they‘re afraid people will laugh at them.It‘s very natural for young people to be shy，especially in China，where kids are often told to be obedient. When I was a teenager, I was also terribly shy. When I was around strangers，Icould hardly breathe！But after some efforts I became as brave as my friends. I took a class，started to write for the school magazine and joined a sports team. Writing helped me grow and mature，and the friends I made on the sports team became my best friends. We played basketball，watched movies，and went swimming on hot，summer days. A few years later when I went to college in New York City，I felt self-confident，like a hero！If you are too shy，it‘s OK. Remember to be yourself. You don‘t have to do everything your friends do. If everyone was the same as everyone else，the world would be a boring place to live. Go to your classmates，friends，or someone you feel comfortable talking to about your life. If you don‘t like talking，try expressing yourself by painting，dancing，writing，playing a musical instrument，or playing a sport. Remember if you ‗re talking to new friends confidently，you area hero！20. Learning to live with pressureYour parents are unhappy with your grades; your teacher has decided to give you extra homework; there is a big test next week. What else can go wrong? So many problems at the same time, what to do? Well, dear friend, welcome to the world of ―pressure‖.―Pressure‖ means that people are expecting a lot of you. It also means that you sometimes have to do a lot of things in a short period of time. Pressure seems to be a part of modern life; everyone feels it. People feel pressure at work, students feel pressure at school and everyone sometimes feels the pressure of trying to please their friends and family.Pressure can be good thing. When you are under pressure it helps you to concentrate and think hard about the problems that have to be solved. It forces you to organize your time, to decide which problems are more important and which are less important. And, in the end, when you have faced these problems you become a better, stronger person.There is a saying, ―The only difference between a diamond and a piece of coal is that the diamond had a little more pressure put on it.‖ I suppose that means, the bigger the pressure, the bigger the diamond. How big a diamond do you want to be?Of course, pressure isn‘t always beneficial. Too much pressur e causes stress and it can harm your health. It affects your heart, your blood circulation and your nervous system. People who suffer from too much pressure or stress have trouble sleeping and eating. When this happens it‘s time to get help from a doctor. The worst way to handle ―negative‖ pressure is to keep silent; it will only make things worse.Life is filled with problems and pressures — they are never going away, so we have to face them and overcome them. In the end it makes us better people and we can shine like diamonds. 21.To gain experience from mistakesOne of the biggest mistakes a person can make is to try not to make mistakes. As you make decisions in your life, you will very likely make some mistakes. But making mistakes is a big part of how you gain experience and learn.A simple example. You do poorly on a test because you didn‘t study enough. One bad test is not the end of the world, but it can quickly teach you that if you don‘t study, you won‘t do well.Mistakes sometimes lead to arguments between people. This is true of people of all ages —young people and old people. This happens a lot — especially at work.There is a word in English that is very good to think about when you end up in an argument and want to learn from it. It is called ‗empathy‘ (or ‗to empathize‘). To empathize means to try and understand things from another person‘s point of view.If you learn to empathize, you will be able to learn very quickly from the mistakes you make andthe mistakes you think other people have made. You can turn mistakes into opportunities.For example, if you learn to empathize, you will understand the people you work with much better. Instead of getting angry when you don‘t agree with someone — a friend, or a colleague at work, you will learn to talk about problems and be more patient with people you disagree with.This might stop you from quitting a job or losing a friend when you get frustrated at someone — or they get frustrated at you.So next time you think you‘ve made a mistake, stop and ask yourself what you‘ve learned from it, and what you will do differently in the future.Show me the person in the room who has made a lot of mistakes, and I‘ll show you the person who has probably learned a lot.22. Do you realize how special you are?Man y kids think they are ordinary. They think they aren‘t the prettiest or the smartest.At the same time, they think they aren‘t even the ugliest or the silliest, which would at least make them stand out. Everyone feels that way sometimes, especially in middle school. Kids seldom realize how special they are. When they see amazing athletes or cool pop stars, they often think: What have I got?It is all part of growing up. Growing up means understanding what you can do and what you can offer the world. When y ou‘re young, you don‘t see that. But as you get older, you realize that just by being yourself, you do offer something to other people. Maybe you aren‘t the best, but that doesn‘t make you ―not amazing‖.Do yourself a favor. Think about your friends, carefully. Write down a list of things that you like about them. Think about why you are friends with them in the first place. You will get to know that in the end, no matter if they aren‘t the smartest or the prettiest or the most talented, they are great in their own way. And they feel just the same about you!Remember, it gets easier as you grow older. You will realize that being the best at something is great, but it‘s okay if you cannot be the best. If you just live your life and try hard, you are still pretty amazing.23. Mom，I love you!Mothers are great. They‘re always there for you. When you‘re hungry, they‘re there for you with food. When you‘re sad, they‘re there for you with words of encouragement. And when you‘re lying comfortably in your bed, mother is there...telling you to get up, telling you not to be so lazy, to tidy your room, to do your homework. And later, she‘s there telling you that the style of clothes you wear is awful, and your friends are no good, and ―Why can‘t you be more like your cou sin, the brilliant student?‖Yes, mothers are great, sometimes too great. No one in your life is going to know more about you and care more about you than your mother. In many ways, mothers are the centres of their children‘s universe. We depend on them f or so many things and they give us so much. That can lead to feelings of being ―smothered‖ by mother; of being too dependent on her; of being loved too much. And sometimes we just take ―good old‖ mom for granted. We think she has nothing better to do than take care of our every little need. That she must stop whatever she‘s doing and bring us food or sew on a button.Mother‘s Day is coming soon and this gives us a good chance to take a look at mom both as a mother and as a person. We can ask ourselves, ―Who is this woman who is my mother?‖ It‘s a good question because your mother was once a young girl who laughed and played and had dreams just like you. Is she happy now? Did the dreams she had as a young girl come true? Areyou adding to her happiness?Try to think of your mother as another human being — that special human being that has given you life. And try to make her life happier by showing your love and appreciation. You can do that by remembering to say, ―thank you‖ for the everyday things s he does like cooking your meals. You can do chores without being asked to, like cleaning your room. You can buy her a small gift, perhaps flowers. And, most important of all, you can show your love and appreciation by saying the magic words that all mother s want to hear, ―Hey, mom, I love you. Happy Mother‘s Day!‖24 Never Give UpWe often hear people say, ―Never give up.‖ These can be encouraging words and words of determination. A person who believes in them will keep trying to reach his goal no matter how many times he fails. In my opinion, the quality of determination to succeed is an important one to have. Therefore, I believe that we should never give up.One reason is that if we give up too easily, we will rarely achieve anything. It is not unusual for us to fail in our first attempt at something new, so we should not feel discouraged and should try again. Besides, if we always give up when we fail, we will not be able to develop new skills and grow as people. Another reason we should never give up is that we can learn from our mistakes only if we make a new effort. If we do not try again, the lesson we have learned is wasted. Finally, we should never give up because as we work to reach our goals, we develop confidence, and this confidence can help us succeed in other areas of our lives. If we never challenge ourselves, we will begin to doubt our abilities.In short, it is important that we do not give up when working for our goals. Whether we succeed in the end or not, we will learn something, and what we learn will help us to become better, more confident people. Furthermore, if we give up, we have non chance of attaining our goals, but if we keep trying, there is always a chance that we will succeed one day.。