A. No wonder you like it. B. Life was great when I was six. C. But I guess I wasn't used to them yet. D. The tests in primary school were easy! E. But now we can wear whatever we like. F. Oh, I don't mind wearing a school uniform. |
A: Guess what? My six-year-old brother started school this week.
B: Oh, that's good.
A: Really? Why?
B: Oh, school was really easy.
A: But not for me. I didn't use to like tests. I used to be very nervous about tests.
B: How come?
A: Well, yes, they weren't difficult. I think I still like high school more than primary school.
B: But we used to play every day! That was so much fun.
A: That's for sure. But we used to have to wear the school uniform.
B: I don't like thinking about what to wear. But one bad thing I remember is I used to hate P.E. class. But now I love it.
A: Oh, me, too!
Are you popular? Do all the students and teachers in your school like you and know your name? For some of you, that may be true. Some students are just more popular. They have a special personality that makes them attractive and lovely to almost everyone.
We have a word for that in English: charisma(个人魅力), an attractive, lovely and strong power. People are born with it. But to be successful in life, you need more than just charisma. You need more than just popularity. To be successful in life, you have to be friendly to others. You have to be an honest and hard-working person. These are the things we all should try to have and they are the things we are all able to do.
In school, we may wish that we were the most popular students. We may wish that everyone liked us and that everyone knew our names. But it's not something we should worry too much about. Being popular is nice but, remember, life isn't a popularity contest. Honesty and hard work will be the keys to your success.
A. Match each word with its meaning according to the passage.
personality | A. the quality of not cheating others or telling lies |
charisma | B. a strong personal quality that makes other people like you |
contest | C. the character or behavior of a person |
honesty | D. a competition or game in which people try to win |
B. Choose the sentence that has the same meaning.
Some students are just more popular.
A. More and more students are getting popular now.
B. Some students are liked or enjoyed by more people.
But to be successful in life, you need more than just charisma.
A. You need more characters besides charisma if you want to be successful.
B. Charisma is the most important to help you to be successful.
Honesty and hard work will be the keys to your success.
A. No matter what you do, you must be honest and work hard.
B. If you want to succeed, honesty and hard work are the two most important things.
Alfred: This party is such a great idea!
Gina: I agree. It's been three years we last saw each other.
Alfred: It's interesting to see how people (change).
Gina: Billy has changed so much! He used to be so shy.
Alfred: Yeah, his face always turned red he talked to girls!
Gina: I used to see him read) in the library every day.
Alfred: That's because he was a really good student. He (study) hard and got good scores on his exams.
Gina: Did he use to wear 6 (glass)?
Alfred: Yes, and he used to be thin, too. But look big and strong he is now!
Gina: He's so popular now. Look at all the girls around him!
Amy: Hi, Gary. I haven't seen you in ages. It must be five years. Gosh, you . seem to be different.
Gary: That's true. I'm a lot healthier now. I used to have some bad habits.
Amy: Such as …
Gary: Well, for one thing, I was a couch potato. You know, one of those overweight people who sit on a sofa and eat junk food while they watch TV. That was me! I used to watch TV for six or seven hours some days. Now, I never watch TV for more than two hours. Some days I don't even turn it on.
Amy: You look much slimmer, too. Is that just a matter of giving up junk food?
Gary: Five years ago, I never used to exercise. In fact, I hated exercise! I didn't use to watch exercise programs on TV then. Now, I exercise every morning, but I don't watch those programs very often. I usually do my own routine. I love to exercise now because it makes me feel terrific.
Amy: Didn't you use to smoke?
Gary: True. I used to smoke a pack of cigarettes a day. Then three years ago I quit smoking completely. I only miss smoking when I'm nervous. So now I chew gum at those times.
Amy: Let's get back to diet. Did you do anything else to lose weight?
Gary: Oh, yeah. I used to eat lots of meat, but I don't any more. I always like fruit and vegetables so I'm mostly a vegetarian now. I still eat fish once in a while, but not meat. So, by changing my diet and getting daily exercise, I'm in much better shape than the last time you saw me.
Amy: You're a real inspiration. You make me want to change my life, too.
A. Write U next to things Gary used to do, and N next to things he does now.
eat junk food
watch exercise programs
exercise every morning
smoke cigarettes
chew gum
eat fruit and vegetables
B. Match each word with its meaning according to the conversation.
couch potato | A. attractively thin and well-shaped |
slim | B. stop doing something or give up |
quit | C. someone who never eats meat or fish |
vegetarian | D. someone who watches TV for hours |
inspiration | E. someone who makes another person want to be better |