There are a great number of people in the world while few people are great.I think there is probably only one great person out of 10，000 at best，and most probably much less than that.
The reason why there are only few of them is that most people do not pay the price of greatness.There are so many people who want to be great，why only very few of them actually pay the price? The answer to the question explains the difference between the almost 100% people who want to be great and the much less than 0.01% who actually be so.The reason is that the road to greatness is full of pains.
Greatness requires sacrifices and there is no sacrifice without pain.The kind of sacrifices required for greatness is the ones that make the process continuously painful for long time.If you only want to be good it may be painful just every now and then，and many people can still handle it.But being great is a total difference.The pain is much deeper and it is continuous，so very few people can endure this kind of pain.Most people naturally choose things that bring pleasures to them.It"s unnatural to choose pain over pleasure，let alone doing it continuously for long time.But that"s what I believe is the secret to greatness: The secret to greatness is choosing pain over pleasures continuously for long time.
小题1:What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?| A．To compare. | B．To list statistics. | | C．To lead up to the topic. | D．To give information. |
小题2:If one person only wants to be good，what will he/she face?| A．Occasional pains. | B．Continual work. | | C．Constant pains. | D．Various difficulties. |
小题3:What is the main idea of the passage?| A．Pleasures mean greatness. | | B．Greatness equals sacrifices. | | C．What"s greatness. | | D．Greatness lies in continuous pains. |
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小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:D |
要成为成功人士，就要忍受长期痛苦。
小题1:C 通读全文，文章由提出问题、分析问题到最后解决问题，所以第一段由伟人和普通人的数量对比来引发中心问题，因此第一段的作用就是引导主题。
小题2:A 细节理解题。根据第三段第三句“If you only want to be good it may be painful just every now and then，...”可知答案。
小题3:D 主旨大意题。文章最后一句“The secret to greatness is choosing pain over pleasures continuously for long time.”是文章的主题句。 |
核心考点
试题【There are a great number of people in the world while few people are great.I thi】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
In our whole life，we will come across different kinds of people and things.____，our views of the world，life and value have been changing all the time.To be honest，one of my English teachers has made a great ____on me.
Although she was short，old and ugly，she was talented，____and passionate(热诚的)．Thus，we called her “a crazy stone”．She didn"t mind it____；instead，she seemed to love her____very much.In addition，she was so____with students that she knew how to raise our____and get along well with us.Therefore，we studied English well and___her.
To be honest，I am fond of listening to____told by others in my daily life.Maybe I have heard so many that it is____for me to laugh.But she was a(n)____．Her jokes were always so funny，for she always led you to the scenes of them and____an interesting atmosphere.Although I____the university ten years ago，I still remember several jokes，one of which I would like to____with you.
Before having an English lesson，there was a handsome boy who made a selfintroduction.He said that he was able to do____and finally made a conclusion that he was rather untalented.After hearing that，Stone____the teacher"s desk and said an old saying: “Innocence is the virtue(美德) for____”．Hearing this we all burst into laughter.
Although I met several good teachers when I was in the high school and during my college，“a crazy stone” is the best teacher in my____．It was she that made me get____in English.It was she that educated me how to fight for success and____difficulties.
| 小题1: | | A．But | B．Although | C．Because | D．Therefore |
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| 小题2: | | A．expression | B．promise | C．influence | D．reputation |
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| 小题3: | | A．humorous | B．serious | C．active | D．bright |
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| 小题4: | | A．after all | B．at all | C．above all | D．in all |
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| 小题5: | | A．description | B．occupation | C．nickname | D．students |
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| 小题6: | | A．strict | B．friendly | C．popular | D．familiar |
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| 小题7: | | A．force | B．enthusiasm | C．inspiration | D．power |
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| 小题8: | | A．respected | B．agreed | C．pushed | D．thanked |
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| 小题9: | | A．lessons | B．experiences | C．tales | D．jokes |
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| 小题10: | | A．impossible | B．easy | C．difficult | D．likely |
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| 小题11: | | A．model | B．teacher | C．laugher | D．exception |
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| 小题12: | | A．enjoyed | B．came | C．created | D．reduce |
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小题13:．| A．lived in | B．came into | C．left for | D．graduated from |
| 小题14: | | A．spend | B．communicate | C．share | D．talked |
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| 小题15: | | A．anything | B．nothing | C．everything | D．something |
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| 小题16: | | A．stood on | B．walked to | C．broke down | D．pushed away |
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| 小题17: | | A．men | B．students | C．women | D．teachers |
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| 小题18: | | A．heart | B．life | C．school | D．world |
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| 小题19: | | A．hurt | B．down | C．interested | D．rewarded |
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| 小题20: | | A．ignore | B．overcome | C．escape | D．face |
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Being able to call on the old boy"s network helps you get your foot in the door，but has little impact on your later success.Having good connections does change your possibility of being offered a higher wage when you start working，but has no impact on your eventual wage.Coming from a wealthy background has little impact on lifetime earnings.Over time，brain power soon overtakes(超过)，and intelligence is the factor，which will determine your earnings and success.The speed of your rise through the ranks is determined largely by your own intelligence.
The study monitored earnings and promotions over the course of 25 years.Scores were used to assess the SocioEconomic Background(SEB)－wealth and connections－and standard Army intelligence tests used to assess intelligence.The study is sure to infuriate(激怒)those angered by wealthy groups such as Oxford"s upper－crust(上流社会)Bullingdon Club，of which both David Cameron and Borris Johnson were members.
Professor Yoav Ganzach says that these findings have a positive message for those，who can"t rely on nepotism(裙带关系)for their first job.“Your family can help you start your career and you do get an advantage，but it doesn"t help you progress.And once you start working，you can go wherever your abilities take you，” he says.When intelligence and SEB are pitted directly against once another(相互较量)，intelligence is a more accurate predictor of future career success，he say.
小题1:How many factors which may influence one"s career are mentioned in the passage?小题2:Who will be encouraged most after reading the passage?| A．People who are lack of money. | | B．People who can"t depend on nepotism. | | C．People with high intelligence. | | D．People with wide connections. |
小题3:What"s the main idea of the passage?| A．Earnings and promotions are up to your own. | | B．A study conducted by Professor Yoav Ganzach. | | C．SEB is very important in one"s first career. | | D．Success is determined by your own brain power. |
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(2013·高考天津卷，D)When asked about happiness，we usually think of something extraordinary，an absolute delight，which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids，happiness has a magical quality.Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫不掩饰的)．
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes.Suddenly it’s conditional on such things as excitement，love and popularity.I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy－love，marriage，birth－also bring responsibility and the risk of loss.For adults，happiness is complicated (复杂的)．
My definition of happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”．The more we can enjoy what we have，the happier we are.It’s easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends，the freedom to live where we please，and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday.First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunchbox and had the house to myself.Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing，which I love.When the kids and my husband came home，I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work.I don’t think that my grandmother，who raised 14 children，had much of either.She did have a network of close friends and family，and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We，however，with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area，have turned happiness into one more thing we’ve got to have.We’re so selfconscious about our “right” to it that it’s making us miserable.So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success，without noticing that the people who have those things aren’t necessarily happier.
Happiness isn’t about what happens to us－it’s about how we see what happens to us.It’s the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative.It’s not wishing for what we don’t have，but enjoying what we do possess.
小题1:As people grow older，they________.| A．feel it harder to experience happiness | | B．associate their happiness less with others | | C．will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness | | D．tend to believe responsibility means happiness |
小题2:What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 5 and 6?| A．She cares little about her own health. | | B．She enjoys the freedom of traveling. | | C．She is easily pleased by things in daily life. | | D．She prefers getting pleasure from housework. |
小题3:What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?| A．Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness. | | B．Psychologists’ opinion is well proved by Grandma’ case. | | C．Grandma often found time for social gatherings. | | D．Grandma’s happiness came from modest expectations of life. |
小题4:People who equal happiness with wealth and success________.| A．consider pressure something blocking their way | | B．stress their right to happiness too much | | C．are at a loss to make correct choices | | D．are more likely to be happy |
小题5:What can be concluded from the passage?| A．Happiness lies between the positive and the negative. | | B．Each man is the master of his own fate. | | C．Success leads to happiness. | | D．Happy is he who is content. |
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(2013·高考湖南卷，C)It’s such a happylooking library，painted yellow，decorated with palmtree stickers and sheltered from the Florida sun by its own roof.About the size of a microwave oven，it’s pedestrianfriendly，too，waiting for book lovers next to a sidewalk in Palm Beach County Estates，along the northern boundary of Palm Beach Gardens.
It’s a library built with love.
A year ago，shortly after Janey Henriksen saw a Brian Williams report about the Little Free Library organization，a Wisconsinbased nonprofit that aims to promote literacy and build a sense of community in a neighborhood by making books freely available，she announced to her family of four，“That’s what we’re going to do for our spring break！”
Son Austin，now a 10thgrader，didn’t see the point of building a library that resembles a mailbox.But Janey insisted，and husband Peter unwillingly got to work.The 51yearold owner of a ship supply company modified a small wooden house that he’d built years earlier for daughter Abbie’s toy horses，and made a door of glass.
After adding the library’s final touches (装点)，the family hung a signboard on the front，instructing users to“take a book，return a book，”and making the Henriksen library，now one of several hundred like it nationwide and among more than 2,500 in the world，the only Little Free Library in Palm Beach County.
They stocked it with 20 or so books they’d already read，a mix of science fiction，reference titles，novels and kids’ favorites.“I told them，keep in mind that you might not see it again，”said Janey，a stayathome mom.
Since then，the collection keeps replenishing (补充) itself，thanks to ongoing donations from borrowers.The library now gets an average of five visits a day.
The project’s best payoff，says Peter，are the thankyou notes left behind.“We had no idea in the beginning that it would be so popular.”
小题1:In what way is the library “pedestrianfriendly”？| A．It owns a yellow roof. | | B．It stands near a sidewalk. | | C．It protects book lovers from the sun. | | D．It uses palmtree stickers as decorations. |
小题2:Janey got the idea to build a library from________.| A．a visit to Brian Williams | | B．a spring break with her family | | C．a book sent by one of her neighbors | | D．a report on a Wisconsinbased organization |
小题3:The library was built________.| A．by a ship supply company | | B．on the basis of toy horses | | C．like a mailbox | | D．with glass |
小题4:What can we infer about the signboard?| A．It was made by a user of the library. | | B．It marked a final touch to the library. | | C．It aimed at making the library last long. | | D．It indicated the library was a family property. |
小题5:The passage tells us that the users________.| A．donate books to the library | | B．get paid to collect books for the library | | C．receive thankyou notes for using the library | | D．visit the library over 5 times on average daily |
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(2013·高考天津卷)As I held my father’s hands one night，I couldn’t help but notice their calluses(老茧)and roughness.His hands tell the story of his life as a ____，including all his struggles.
One summer，I remember，a drought (旱灾) hit Ontario，turning it into a ____ desert.On one of those hot mornings I was picking sweet corn with my dad to fill the last ____ from the grocery store.Fifty dozen was all we needed，which ___ took twenty minutes.That morning，however，the process didn’t ___ quickly.After forty minutes of aimlessly walking in the field，we ____needed twenty dozen.I was completely frustrated and ___.Dropping the basket heavily，I declared, “If the store wants its last twenty dozen，they can pick it themselves！”Dad ____，“Just think，my little girl，only ten dozen left for each of us and then we’re ____.” Such is Dad－whatever problem he ____，he never gives up.
____，the disastrous effects of the drought were felt all over our country.It was a challenging time for everyone，____ Dad remained optimistic.He ____ to be grateful for other things like good health and food on our plates.Only then did I truly begin to ___ Dad and his faith that guided us through the hard times.
Dad is also a living example of real ____.From dawn to dusk，he works countless hours to___ our family.He always puts our happiness ____ his own，and never fails to cheer me on at my sports games ___ his exhaustion after long days.His loving and selfless nature has inspired me to become more sympathetic and ____，putting others first.
Dad，the life ____ I have learned from you will stay with me forever.You are my father，teacher，friend and，most importantly，my hero.
| 小题1: | | A．teacher | B．gardener | | C．farmer | D．grocer |
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| 小题2: | | A．stormy | B．lively | | C．disappearing | D．burning |
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| 小题3: | | A．order | B．form | | C．gap | D．position |
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| 小题4: | | A．repeatedly | B．normally | | C．finally | D．really |
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| 小题5: | | A．go | B．begin | | C．occur | D．change |
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| 小题6: | | A．yet | B．still | | C．even | D．nearly |
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| 小题7: | | A．surprised | B．nervous | | C．angry | D．frightened |
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| 小题8: | | A．apologized | B．cried | | C．complained | D．laughed |
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| 小题9: | | A．lost | B．done | | C．gone | D．touched |
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| 小题10: | | A．meets with | B．brings up | | C．works out | D．thinks about |
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| 小题11: | | A．Thankfully | B．Hopefully | | C．Unfortunately | D．Strangely |
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| 小题13: | | A．happened | B．seemed | | C．continued | D．aimed |
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| 小题14: | | A．face | B．appreciate | | C．examine | D．question |
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| 小题15: | | A．love | B．pride | | C．friendship | D．honesty |
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| 小题16: | | A．support | B．settle | | C．start | D．impress |
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| 小题17: | | A．after | B．before | | C．beside | D．under |
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| 小题18: | | A．in spite of | B．in terms of | | C．in control of | D．in place of |
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| 小题19: | | A．careful | B．regretful | | C．considerate | D．humorous |
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| 小题20: | | A．history | B．motto | | C．patterns | D．lessons |
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