Ambition is a necessary quality in life. It is the force which drives us on to use whatever talent we have got. If we haven’t got some degree of ambition, these talents will not be used for our own and other’s benefit. We must continually want to be better than we are. Without ambition we are just jellyfish that flop through life. We only react to events; we don’t try to control them.

Ambition, however, can have several defects.

First of all it can be unrealistic. We may not be able to see the limits of our own abilities, so we do ambitious things that are completely beyond us. Our career masters can see our good qualities and our limitations objectively. They may tell us that we haven’t the ability to deal with people and would make good businessmen. We refuse to take their evaluation. We keep on trying. Many years and many disappointments later we are forced to accept their judgment. But what a waste of time our ill-founded ambition has caused us!

Secondly, our ambition can be too concentrated. We devote our attention to one narrow aim, such as getting distinctions in our science subjects. Everything that may draw us away from this aim is cut out of our lives. In the end we get our distinctions. But what damage we have caused ourselves in the process! We are isolated beings who only care about a particular examination. And we probably won’t make good scientists. We lack the breadth of view necessary for success in higher studies.

Thirdly, our ambition can be limited to lifeless objectives. We want to gain money, or power, or membership of some circles. Persons who feel inferior try to make up by seeking the respect of others through possessions of these artificial signs of worth.

Fourthly, our ambition may be self-centered. Instead of directing some of our ambition towards community improvement we may exploit members of the community in the interests of self-advancements. In later life we may be ambitious for the success of our children but we regard this success as only a further mark of our own success.

Ambition is necessary in the lives of individuals---necessary for their own improvement and for the improvement of the community in which they live. But, like all blind forces, it must be directed if it is not to cause disaster. It must be tightly controlled by the head and the heart. Otherwise ambition may demand too high a price in terms of human qualities.

Title

Ambition

Merit

With an ambition in our heart, we’re always trying our best to use our talent to 76.___________ ourselves, thus 77._____________ ourselves and others.

Imperfection

Unrealistic ambition may 78.______us from seeing the limits of our own abilities.

We devote our attention to one narrow aim, and we lack the breadth of view which is a 79_______________ for 80____________ success.

Our ambition can be limited to lifeless aims, which lead us to the way to build up our 81.____________ through possessions of artificial signs of worth.

Our ambition may make us among those 82._____________ people who gain their interests by sacrificing 83____________.

84._______

Ambition is a good servant but a bad 85.____________. Therefore, we must try to direct it in a proper way.

71. improve    72. benefiting  73.stop/prevent/keep   74. necessity/must  75. greater  76. reputation/fame  77. selfish/self-centered  78.others’  79. Conclusion  80. master

練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：閱讀理解

 (10·湖南B篇)

When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, "Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn't work out, you'll have something to rely on." Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, "the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course," she recalls.

     The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her morn," I don't know how to use a computer," she admits.

     Unlike her 1995 autobiography, After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病). All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. "I felt there was a need for a book like this," she says." I didn't want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we're self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease."

     But she hasn't always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow u p ---again---and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet.

     Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. "Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other," she insists. "It doesn't do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I've come to realize the importance of that as I've grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be."

61. Why did Mary feel regretful?

    A. She didn't achieve her ambition.

    B. She didn't take care of her mother.

C. She didn't complete her high school.

D. She didn't follow her mother's advice.                                                                           

62, We can know that before 1995 Mary        

    A. had two books published

B. received many career awards

C. knew how to use a computer

D. supported the JDRF by writing                                                                                     

 63. Mary's second book Growing Up Again is mainly about her         .

A. living with diabetes

    B. successful show business

C. service for an organization

D. remembrance of her mother                                                                                         

64. When Mary received the life-changing news, she         .

     A. lost control of herself                          B. began a balanced diet

C. Med to get a treatment                          D. behaved in an adult way                                

65. What can we know from the last paragraph?

     A. Mary feels pity for herself.

     B. Mary has recovered from her disease.

     C. Mary wants to help others as much as possible.

D. Mary determines to go back to the dance floor.                                                              

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：河北省正定中學(xué)2010屆高三下學(xué)期第一次考試 題型：閱讀理解


第二部分：閱讀理解 (共45分)
第一節(jié)（共20小題，每小題2分，滿分40分）
閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)
A
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit.
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee(被提名): public education.
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission(核心使命)---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing.
The United States does a good job enrolling (招生) teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that. Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos. The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive. About half of the low-income students with an average of at least 3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. “I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr. Bowen.
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel（擅長(zhǎng)）in producing drop-outs. “It’s really a waste,” Mr. Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country.” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen.
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.
41.Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A. The government.                      B. Public education
C. The Detroit automakers.                       D. The Wall Street firms.
42. What is a big problem with American higher education?
A. It is hard to enroll enough students into college.
B. Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.
C. Many college students stay away from classes.
D. It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government. 
43. The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______.
A. running to the end of the line                B. going to college
C. finishing college education                    D. working hard in college
44. Why do some students under--match ?
A. Because they have financial difficulty.  B. Because they face ambition crisis.
C. Because they lack confidence.             D. Because they can’t get guidance.
45. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B. America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C. low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D. relationship between American education and its economy

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2012-2013學(xué)年江蘇南通高三第一次調(diào)研考試英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

 Now came great news! It came from a neighboring state, where the family’s only surviving relative lived. It was Sally’s relative — a distant relative by the name of Tilbury Foster, seventy and single. Tilbury now wrote to Sally, saying he should shortly die, and should leave him thirty thousand dollars, cash; not for love, but because money had given him most of his troubles, and he wished to place it where there was good hope that it would continue its evil work. The bequest would be found in his will, and would be officially handed over provided that Sally should be able to prove to the executors (遺囑執(zhí)行人).

    As soon as Aleck had partially recovered from the strong emotions created by the letter, she sent someone to the relative’s home and subscribed for the local paper.

For the rest of the day Sally made confusion with his books, and Aleck could not keep her mind on her affairs, not even take up a flower-pot or book or a stick of wood without forgetting what she had intended to do with it. For both were dreaming.

“Thirty thousand dollars!”

All day long Aleck was absorbed in planning how to invest it, Sally in planning how to spend it.

There was no romance-reading that night. The children took themselves away early, for their parents were silent, disturbed, and strangely unentertaining. Two pencils had been busy during that hour — note-making; in the way of plans. It was Sally who broke the stillness at last. He said, with excitement, “Ah, it’ll be grand, Aleck! Out of the first thousand we’ll have a horse and a buggy for summer, and a cutter and a skin lap-robe for winter.”

    Aleck responded with decision and calmness.

    “You can spend a part of it. But the whole of the capital must be put right to work.

    “Why, yes. Yes, of course. Have you got it invested yet?”

    “No, there’s no hurry about that; I must look around first, and think, er…, I’ve turned it over twice; once in oil and once in wheat.”

    “Why, Aleck, it’s splendid! What does it amount to?”

    “I think — well, to be on the safe side, about a hundred and eighty thousand clear, though it will probably be more.”

    “My! Isn’t it wonderful? Good heaven! Luck has come our way at last, Aleck!”

    Then they went up to bed, but they left the candle burning in the sitting room. They did not remember until they were undressed; then Sally was for letting it burn; he said they could afford it, if it was a thousand. But Aleck went down and put it out.

    A good job, too; for on her way back she hit on a scheme that would turn the hundred and eighty thousand into half a million before it had had time to get cold. 

1. Why would Tilbury like to give all his money to Sally?

A. Because Sally was Tilbury’s only relative alive.

B. Because Tilbury loved Sally and his family deeply.

C. Because Tilbury wanted his money to continue its function.

D. Because Sally and his wife are good at investing.

2.The underlined word “bequest” in Paragraph1 probably means _________.

A. a gift of personal property                                         B. a proof of a person’s identity

C. a method of getting money                                        D. a reason for giving money

3.What do we know about Sally and his wife after receiving the letter?

A. They were in deep sorrow and stayed up all night.

B. They cared little about the bequest and lived their life as usual.

C. They paid a visit to Tilbury to confirm the truth of the letter.

D. They had a big ambition to invest the money and make huge profits.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Thrilling News                                                               B. Sally’s Distant Relative

C. The $30,000 Bequest                                                  D. A Smart Investment

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：2015屆山東曲阜師大附中高一下學(xué)期第一次質(zhì)量檢測(cè)英語(yǔ)試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity（逆境）. But it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage（勇氣）to try.

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series, began writing at age 6. Her good friend-Sean became the first person to encourage her and help her build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.

“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition（志向） to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to（注定）be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”

Though there were many difficulties, Rowling continued her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until l990 that she first came up with the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls（回憶）, it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that “the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into my head. To my great disappointment, I didn't have a pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details came up in my brain, and this thin, black-haired, bespectacled（戴眼鏡的）boy who didn't know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”

That same year, her mother died after a ten-year fight with serious diseases, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.

During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with depression（診斷患有抑郁癥）. Unemployed, she finished her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being refused by l2 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.

Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her friend’s encouragement as well as her ambition to write.

1. Who believed J. K. Rowling was to be a good writer?

A．Her friend Sean.                        B．Her mother.

C．Her daughter.                          D．Her husband.

2. Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.

A．a(chǎn)t the age of 6                          B．on a train journey

C．a(chǎn)fter her mother's death                  D．in her secondary school

3. She felt disappointed on the train because_________.

A．her train was delayed for four hours

B．she didn't have a pen with her

C．her mind suddenly went blank

D．no one would offer her help

4. It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is_________.

A．open-minded                          B．warm-hearted

C．good-natured                          D．strong-willed

5. The text mainly tells us_________.

A．a(chǎn)dversity makes a good novelist

B．the courage to try is a special ability

C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere

D．encouragement helps one succeed

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源： 題型：單選題

It was as a result of my dream ______ I began to explore a secret ambition I'd had ______ I was a child, to become a writer.


  1. A.
    which; when
  2. B.
    in which; as
  3. C.
    as; when
  4. D.
    that; since

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案