unit 5
part i pre-reading task
listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following questions:
1.what happened to the singer
公司发展2.what helped her pull through all the hardships she suffered
3.what is the tone of the song
part ii
text a
look at the following two sayings and then e if the story of michael stone bears out the points they make.
开普狮
¡ª¡ª moliere
日本料理when it is dark enough, you can e the stars.
¡ª¡ª charles a, beard
true height
david naster
where he flew would always coincide with his mother's stories. wherever he flew was with a keen eye for detail and the free spirit of his mother's love. his dad, on the other hand, was not a dreamer. bert stone was a hardcore realist. he believed in hard work and sweat. his motto: if you want something, work for it!
from the age of 14, michael did just that. he began a very careful training program. he worked out every other day with weightlifting, with some kind of running work on alternate days. the program was carefully monitored by michael's coach, trainer and father. michael's dedication, determination and discipline was a coach's dream. besides being an honor student and only child, michael stone continued to help his parents with their far
m chores. mildred stone, michael's mother, wished he could relax a bit more and be that "free dreaming" little boy. on one occasion she attempted to talk to him and his father about this, but his dad quickly interrupted, smiled and said, "you want something, work for it!"
when michael cleared the bar at 17 feet 2 inches and 17 feet 4 inches, again he showed no emotion. as he lay on his back and heard the crowd groan, he knew the other vaulter had misd his final jump. he knew it was time for his final jump. since the other vaulter had fewer miss, michael needed to clear this vault to win. a miss would get him cond place. nothing to be ashamed of, but michael would not allow himlf the thought of not winning first place.
he rolled over and did his routine of three finger-tipped push-ups. he found his pole, stood and stepped on the runway that led to the most challenging event of his 17-year-old life.
the runway felt different this time. it startled him for a brief moment. then it all hit him like a wet bale of hay. the bar was t at nine inches higher than his personal best. that's only
one inch off the national record, he thought. the intensity of the moment filled his mind with anxiety. he began shaking the tension. it wasn't working. he became more ten. why was this happening to him now, he thought. he began to get nervous. afraid would be a more accurate description. what was he going to do he had never experienced the feelings. then out of nowhere, and from the deepest depths of his soul, he pictured his mother. why now what was his mother doing in his thoughts at a time like this it was simple. his mother always ud to tell him when you felt ten, anxious or even scared, take deep breaths.
so he did. along with shaking the tension from his legs, he gently laid his pole at his feet. he began to stretch out his arms and upper body. the light breeze that was once there was now gone. he carefully picked up his pole. he felt his heart pounding. he was sure the crowd did, too. the silence was deafening. when he heard the singing of some distant birds in flight, he knew it was his time to fly.
as he began sprinting down the runway, something felt wonderfully different, yet familiar. t
he surface below him felt like the country road he ud to dream about. visions of the golden wheat fields emed to fill his thoughts. when he took a deep breath, it happened. he began to fly. his take-off was effortless. michael stone was now flying, just like in his childhood dreams. only this time he knew he wasn't dreaming. this was real. everything emed to be moving in slow motion. the air around him was the purest and freshest he had ever nd. michael was soaring like an eagle.
with all the media attention and sponsorship possibilities, michael's life would never be the same again. it wasn't just becau he won the national junior olympics and t a new world record. and it wasn't becau he had just incread his personal best by 9 l/2 inches. it was simply becau michael stone is blind.
(1170 words)
new words and expressions
bear out
如何快速长头发prove that (sth.) is true ֤ʵ
sweat
我最喜欢的玩具50字
vi. ³öº¹
n. º¹Ë®
towel
n. ë½í£¬ÊÖ½í
pole-vault
管理员怎么禁言vi., n. ³Å¸ÍÌø¸ß
vault
n. ³Å¸ÍÌø¸ß (=pole vault)£»³ÅÎïÌøÔ¾一品豆腐
grace
n. quality of being smooth and elegant, esp. in movement or structure ÓÅÃÀ£¬ÓÅÑÅ£»ÑÅÖÂ
gymnast
n. Ìå²Ù¼Ò£¬Ìå²ÙÔ˶¯Ô±
body builder
n. ½¡ÃÀÔ˶¯Ô±
mere
a.nothing more than ½ö½ö£¬Ö»²»¹ý
fantasy
n. »ÃÏë
numerous
a.very many Ðí¶àµÄ£¬ÎÞÊýµÄ
日本姓名passion
n. strong feeling, esp. of love ÈÈÇé
detail
n. small, particular fact or item ϸ½Ú£¬ËöËéµÄÊÂ
