本文作者： 郭文华 （北京）
E

Just like everyone, I have experienced ups and downs in my life. I am an aerospace engineer from India. I was told by my relatives, close friends and others that it was 1 for a non-IT student to pursue a master’s degree in IT and graduate from a US university.

I had never taken courses 2 to computers or programming. I was never interested in being a 3 , but things changed. Computers became my companion and I 4 how dependent on them I was. I 5 imagining the back end processes happening inside the CPU and they amazed me. That’s why I 6 to pursue a master’s degree in IT.

At first, it was way too 7 . Coming from a middle-class family, the huge cost per credit was a big 8 . My English accent was terrible. Most 9 , the course seemed impossible at first. But I never 10 .

I got a few offers, but I decided to choose my university 11 it promised its students to help them learn practically. During my first month, it was difficult to understand the Americans’ 12 and finish my assignments. But I never gave up. I walked two miles to the 13 every day so that I could use my travel money to buy a meal. I started looking for 14 and I got an offer to work as a student assistant, which meant lifting benches and chairs every day.

I took it as a(n) 15 , and I believed that hard work was my strength. Right now I am graduating with a GPA of 3.96/4 and a job offer from a multinational company that has asked me to start right after 16 .

If you think you can never achieve something, you need to 17 yourself and start working on your 18 . Hard work always pays off. To be 19 , you need to start from somewhere and always question yourself about the limits of how far you would go to 20 your goals.

1. A. interesting B. hard C. important D. practical

2. A. adjusted B. limited C. related D. tied

3. A. teacher B. programmer C. designer D. master

4. A. wondered B. believed C. judged D. realized

5. A. started B. stopped C. considered D. avoided

6. A. learned B. refused C. decided D. agreed

7. A. difficult B. exciting C. different D. boring

8. A. mistake B. issue C. event D. question

9. A. probably B. surprisingly

C. importantly D. regretfully

10. A. kept up B. gave up

C. turned up D. picked up

11. A. because B. but C. so D. though

12. A. fashions B. opinions C. accents D. manners

13. A. shop B. university C. hotel D. restaurant

14. A. jobs B. places C. goals D. friends

15. A. decision B. task C. advantage D. challenge

16. A. celebration B. operation C. discussion D. graduation

17. A. speak to B. believe in C. know about D. stand for

18. A. degrees B. dreams C. adventures D. problems

19. A. successful B. grateful C. cheerful D. thoughtful

20. A. set B. change C. achieve D. rebuild

F

I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to spread a little love and kindness today.

I had doctor’s 1 in a town that’s about 45 minutes from where I live. After both my appointments were 2 , I started walking away from the building and 3 an elderly woman walking back and forth. I 4 myself and asked if she was waiting for someone or she needed 5 .

As it turned out, she was having 6 walking the distance and had asked for a wheelchair and a staff member to 7 her up. No one had come for several minutes. Virginia heat is kind to no one, and I was 8 for this dear lady’s health.

I asked her to 9 while I went to get her wheelchair myself. I ran to the help desk and asked for a 10 to assist a lady outside. The receptionist (接待员) asked me, “Is she 11 ?” I was insulted (侮辱) by the question and answered, “She’s a bit large I suppose, but if transporting her is a(n) 12 for you, I am willing to do it myself.”

She looked sort of shocked by my 13 , but the woman outside needed help, no matter her 14 . The help-desk woman and I walked to the now-seated lady. The help-desk woman stuck out her hand to help the lady who said to her, “No, I’m fine, I want to grab (抓) on to her 15 help.” She was talking about me.

I helped the woman into the wheelchair but first locked the brakes (刹车) so that she would be 16 . After she was seated, she softly 17 me for my help. How could I not have helped her?

When I returned home, I called my best friend to ask if she 18 me. She did. She needed me to take her and her boyfriend to the store. I 19 , and took them back home. I thanked them for the opportunity to help them and told them I 20 it.

1. A. calls B. orders C. examinations D. appointments

2. A. made B. done C. arranged D. booked

3. A. recognized B. knocked C. noticed D. greeted

4. A. excused B. helped C. expressed D. adjusted

5. A. advice B. reference C. treatment D. assistance

6. A. pressure B. trouble C. danger D. fear

7. A. pick B. get C. make D. keep

8. A. ready B. responsible C. thankful D. concerned

9. A. help B. move C. sit D. stand

10. A. wheelchair B. cane C. friend D. stranger

11. A. heavy B. sick C. old D. weak

12. A. business B. mistake C. issue D. choice

13. A. wisdom B. comment C. suggestion D. calmness

14. A. shape B. age C. character D. size

15. A. with B. by C. for D. about

16. A. stronger B. steadier C. slower D. faster

17. A. called B. begged C. asked D. thanked

18. A. found B. needed C. expected D. followed

19. A. had B. would C. did D. could

20. A. appreciated B. understood C. seized D. won

名人语录

The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today.

By Franklin Roosevelt (1882–1945, the 32nd President of the United States)

实现明天理想的唯一障碍是今天的疑虑。

——富兰克林·罗斯福

轻松一刻

Man: God, how long is a million years?

God: To me, it’s about a minute.

Man: God, how much is a million dollars?

God: To me it’s a penny.

Man: God, may I have a penny?

God: Wait a minute.