自考英语二(新版)-原文-Unit-9-Facing-Life

Unit9FacingLife’sChallengesAFamousQuote:Theonlythingwehavetofearisfearitself.-FranklinDelanoRooseveltFranklinDelanoRoosevelt(1882-1945),the32ndPresidentoftheUnitedStates(1933-1945),heledthenationoutoftheGreatDepressionandlaterintoWorldWarII.Beforehedied,heclearedthewayforpeace,includingestablishmentoftheUnitedNations.HispresidencyiswidelyregardedasoneofthegreatestinUShistory.TextA:300HurdlesPre-readingQuestions:1.Haveyoueverdonehurdles?Whatdoyouthinkofit?2.Whatkindsofdifficultiesandchallengeshaveyouevermetinyourlife?Lifemaygiveyounegative,butdon’tdespair–itmayjustdevelopintoabeautifulpictureoneday.Thisyear,IrealizedmytheorythatIhaveonlife.Lifeislikea300mhurdlerace.SinceIrunthe300mhurdles,Iwouldknowwhattheraceislike.Thefirstthingtoanyraceisworryingaboutwhetheryouaregoingtowinornot.Thisrelatestoworryingaboutthepettythingsinlife.Doesitreallymatterifyouwin?Isitreallygoingtobetheendoftheworld?Orwillyoubeupsetifyouloseandforgetaboutit?Inlifeweworrytoomuchandliveinthemomenttoolittle.Nextistheliningupinourownindividuallanes.Weeachstartatdifferentspots,buttheraceisstillthesamedistanceforeveryone.Thisrelatestoourlivestakingustodifferentplacesandputtingusindifferentsituations,buthopefullywewillendupinthesameplace,butmaybeatdifferenttimes.Nowcomesthebeginningoftherace.Wealltrytokeepupwitheveryoneandpaceourselveswithotherpeople.Thissymbolizesthatattimesineveryone’slivesweworryaboutfittinginorbeingthesameasotherpeople,insteadofworryingaboutbeingunique.Ifanyonewerethesame,theworldwouldbeincrediblyboring.Nowcomesthefirsthurdle.Thishurdleistheeasiesttogetoverbecauseyouarenotwornoutfromrunning.Weallmakeitoverthishurdlewithease.Thissymbolizesthoseobstaclesinlifethatwestruggletogetover,butwealwaysmanagetodoso.Youcanlookatthathurdleintwoways:“Ican’tmakeitover,I’mtired”or“Iamonemorehurdleclosertofinishingthisrace.”Thisisanexampleoftakinganegativesituationandseeingsomethingpositiveinit.Thenextpartoftheraceiseveryhurdlebetweenthefirstandthelastone.Thesehurdlesgettougherandtougherandyoumayfeelasthoughyoucan’tgoon.Thishappensalotinlifetoo.Theremaybeasituationthatariseswhereyoufeelasthoughyoucan’tmakeitandallyoucanthinkisgivingup.Youmayfalloverthat“hurdle”orstrugglegettingoverit,butsomehowyoufinditinyourselftojumpoveritandmoveonwiththerace.Nextisthatlast100moftherace.Youfeelasthoughyoujustwanttosay,“NoIcan’tdothis.”Again,youmustfinditinyourselfthatyoucandoit,andyoumustfinishtheracestrongerthanwhenyouhadstartedit.Nowlastlyisthelasthurdle.Thishurdleisthetoughestoutofallofthem.Inlifewefindourselvesfallingandfalling,andmaybegettingtoolostinourproblemsthatwefeellikewehavebeenthroughenoughandthere’snohope.Thatlasthurdlesymbolizesthesesituations.It’sonestepclosetotheendoftherace.Onceyoufinish,youlookbackonitandyourealizethatyoumadeitnotbyleaping,butstepbystep.“Yardbyyard,lifeisveryhard.Butinchbyinch,lifecanbeacinch.”Allittakesisonestepatatime,onehurdleatatime.TextBAViolinwithThreeStringsPre-readingQuestions:1.Doyouknowanyonethatis/wasdeprivedofsomethinginlifebutstillleads/ledasuccessfulorbrilliantlife?2.Howdoyouunderstandtheslogan“Nothingisimpossible”?OnNov.18th,1995,ItzhakPerlman,theviolinist,cameonstagetogiveaconcertatAveryFisherHallatLincolnCenterinNewYorkCity.IfyouhaveeverbeentoaPerlmanconcert,youknowthatgettingonstageisnosmallachievementforhim.Hewasstrickenwithpolioasachild,andsohehasbracesonbothlegsandwalkswithaidoftwocrutches.Toseehimwalkacrossthestageonestepatatime,painfullyandslowly,isanawesomesight.Hewalkspainfully,yetmajestically,untilthereacheshischair.Thenhesitsdown,slowly,putshiscrutchesonthefloor,undoestheclaspsonhislegs,tucksonefootbackandextendstheotherfootforward.Thenhebendsdownandpicksuptheviolin,putsitunderhischin,nodstotheconductorandproceedstoplay.Bynow,theaudienceisusedtothisritual.Theysitquietlywhilehemakeshiswayacrossthestagetohischair.Theyremainreverentlysilentwhileheundoestheclaspsonhislegs.Theywaituntilheisreadytoplay.Butthistime,somethingwentwrong.Justashefinishedthefirstfewbars,oneofthestringsonhisviolinbroke.Youcouldhearitsnap–itwentofflikegunfireacrosstheroom.Therewasnomistakingwhatthatsoundmeant.Therewasnomistakingwhathehadtodo.Wefiguredthathewouldhavetogetup,putontheclapsagain,pickupthecrutchesandlimphiswayoffstage–toeitherfindanotherviolinorelsefindanotherstringforthisone.Buthedidn’t.instead,hewaitedamoment,closedhiseyesandthensignaledtheconductortobeginagain.Theorchestrabegan,andheplayedfromwherehehadleftoff.Andheplayedwithsuchpassionandsuchpowerandsuchpurityastheyhadneverheardbefore.Ofcourse,anyoneknowsthatitisimpossibletoplayasymphonicworkwithjustthreestrings.Iknowthat,andyouknowthat,butthatnightItzhakPerlmanrefusedtoknowthat.Youcouldseehimmodulating,changing,re-composingthepieceinhishead.Atonepoint,itsoundedlikehewasde-turningthestringstogetnewsoundsfromthemthattheyhadnevermadebefore.Whenhefinished,therewasanawesomesilenceintheroom.Andthenpeopleroseandcheered.Therewasanextraordinaryoutburstofapplausefromeverycorneroftheauditorium.Wewereallonourfeet,screamingandcheering,doingeverythingwecouldtoshowhowmu