自考英语二(新版)-原文-Unit-2-Mistakes-to-Success

Unit2MistakestoSuccessAFamousQuoteSuccessisgoingfromfailuretofailurewithoutlosingyourenthusiasm.----WinstonChurchillWinstonChurchill（1874-1965）,BritishConservativepoliticianandstatesmanknownforhisleadershipoftheUnitedKingdomduringtheSecondWorldWar.Widelyregardedasoneofthegreatestwartimeleadersofthecentury,heservedasPrimeMinistertwice.HeistheonlyBritishPrimeMinistertohavereceivedtheNobelPrizeinLiterature.TextASplitMilkPre-readingQuestions:1.Didyoumakeanymistakesonyourwaytosuccess?Givesomeexample.2.Doyoubelievethatmakingmistakesisanecessaryingredientforsuccess?Explain.Haveheardofthestoryaboutspiltmilk?Well,weallknowthereisnousecryingoverspiltmilk.Butthisstoryisdifferent.Iwouldhopeallparentswouldrespondinthismanner.Irecentlyheardastoryaboutafamousresearchscientistwhohadmadeseveralveryimportantmedicalbreakthroughs.Hewasinterviewedbyanewspaperreporterwhoaskedhimwhyhewassomuchmorecreativethantheaverageperson;whatsethimsofarapartfromothers?Herespondedthat,inhisopinion,itallcamefromanexperiencewithhismotherthatoccurredwhenhewasabouttwoyearsold.Hehadbeentryingtoremoveabottleofmilkfromtherefrigeratorwhenhelosthisgripontheslipperybottleanditfell,spillingitscontentsalloverthekitchenfloor–averitableseaofmilk!Whenhismothercameintothekitchen,insteadofyellingathim,givinghimalecture,orpunishinghim,shesaid,“Robert,whatagreatandwonderfulmessyouhavemade!Ihaverarelyseensuchahugepuddleofmilk.Well,thedamagehasalreadybeendone.Wouldyouliketogetdownandplayinthemilkforafewminutesbeforewecleanitup?”Indeed,hedid.Afterafewminutes,hismothersaid,“Youknow,Robert,wheneveryoumakeamesslikethis,eventuallyyouhavetocleanitupandrestoreeverythingtoitsproperorder.So,howwouldyouliketodothat?Wecoulduseasponge,atowel,oramop.Whichdoyouprefer?”Hechosethespongeandtogethertheycleanedupthespiltmilk.Hismotherthensaid,“Youknow,whatwehavehereisafailedexperimentinhowtoeffectivelycarryabigmilkbottlewithtwotinyhands.Let’sgooutinthebackyardandfillthebottlewithwaterandseeifyoucandiscoverawaytocarryitwithoutdroppingit.”Thelittleboylearnedthatifhegraspedthebottleatthetopnearthelipwithbothhands,hecouldcarryitwithoutdroppingit.Whatawonderfullesson!Therenownedscientistremarkedthatitwasatthatmomentthatheknewhedidn’tneedtobeafraidtomakemistakes.Instead,helearnedthatmistakeswerejustopportunitiesforlearningsomethingnew,whichis,afterall,whatscientificexperimentsareallabout.Eveniftheexperiment“doesn’twork”,weusuallylearnsomethingvaluablefromit.Wouldn’titbegreatifallparentswouldrespondthewayRobert’smotherrespondedtohim?TextBTheCakePre-readingQuestions:1.Haveyoueverbeenwronglyblamedbyyourparents?Howdidyoufeelatthatmoment?2.Whatsuggestionswouldyougivetotheparentswhoareblindedtotheirchildren’smerits?Cindyglancednervouslyattheclockonthekitchenwall.Fiveminutesbeforemidnight.“Theyshouldbehomeanytimenow,”shethoughtassheputthefinishingtouchesonthechocolatecakeshewasfrosting.Itwasthefirsttimeinher12yearsshehadtriedtomakeacakefromscratch,andtobehonest,itwasn’texactlyandaesthetictriumph.Thecakewas…well,lumpy.Andthefrostingwasbitter,asifshehadrunoutofsugarorsomething,which,ofcourse,shehad.Andthentherewasthewaythekitchenlooked.Imaginethehugeblenderfillwithallthefixingsforchocolatecake---includingtherequisitebowls,pansandutensils.Nowimaginethattheblenderisturnedon,highspeed,withthelidoff.Doyougettheidea?ButCindywasn’tthinkingaboutthemess.Shehascreatedsomething,averitablephoenixofflourandsugarrisingoutofthekitchenclutter.Shewasanxiousforherparentstoreturnhomefromtheirdatesoshecouldpresentheanniversarygifttothem.Sheturnedoffthekitchenlightsandwaitedexcitedlyinthedarkness.Whenatlastshesawtheflashofthecarheadlights,shepositionedherselfinthekitchendoorway.Bythetimesheheardthekeyslidingintothefrontdoor,shewasTHISCLOSEtoexploding.Herparentstriedtoslipinquietly,butCindywouldhavenoneofthat.Sheflippedonthelightsdramaticallyandtrumpeted:“Ta-daaa!!”Shegesturedgrandlytowardthekitchentable,whereslightlyoff-balancetwo-layerchocolatecakeawaitedtheirinspection.Buthermother’seyenevermaditallthewaytothetable.“Justlookatthismess!”shemoaned.“HowmanytimeshaveItalkedtoyouaboutcleaningupafteryourself?”“ButMom,Iwasonly…”“Ishouldmakeyoucleanthisuprightnow,butI’mtootiredtostayupwithyoutomakesureyougetitdoneright,”hermothersaid.“Soyou’lldoitfirstthinginthemorning.”“Honey,”Cindy’sfatherinterjectedgently,“takealookatthetable.”“Iknow-it’samess,”hiswifesaidcoldly.“Thewholekitchenisadisaster.Ican’tstandtolookatit.”Shestormedupthestairsandintoherroom,slammingthedoorshutbehindher.ForafewmomentsCindyandherfatherstoodsilently,neitheroneknowingwhattosay.Atlastshelookedupathim,hereyesmoistandred.“Sheneversawthecake,”shesaid.Unfortunately,Cindy’smotherisn’ttheonlyparentwhosuffersfromSituationalTimbercularGlaucoma–theoccasionalinabilitytoseetheforestforthetrees.Fromtimetotimeweallallowourselvestobeblindedtoissuesoflong-termsignificancebystuffthatseemsawfullyimportantrightnow,butisn’t.Muddyshoes,lostlunchmoneyandmessykitchensaretroublesome,andtheydeservetheirplaceamonglife’sfrustrations.Butwhat’salittlemud–evenonnewcarpet–compared