A person may have an idea about himself that will prevent him from doing good work.
He may have the belief that he is not capable (有能力的) of it. A child may think he is __1__ because he doesn’t understand how to make the __2__ of his mental faculties (才能). Older people may be mistaken that they are incapable of learning things new because of their __ 3__.
A person who believe that he is incapable will not make a real __4__ because he feels that it would be useless. He won’t go at a job with confidence necessary for __5__ , and he won’t work his hardest way, even though he may think he is doing so. He is __6__ likely to fail, and the failure will __7__ his belief in his competence (才能) .
Alfred Alder, a famous doctor, had __8__ like this. When he was a small boy, he had a poor __9__ in maths. His teacher told his parents he had no ability in maths in order that they would not __10__ too much of him. In this way, they two __11__ the idea. He accepted __12__ mistaken thinking of his ability, felt that it was useless to __13__ and was very poor at maths, __14__ as they expected.
One day he worked at a problem which __15__ of the other students had been able to solve.
Alder __16__ in solving the problem. This gave him confidence (信心). He now __17__ with interest, determination and purpose, and he soon became especially good at __18__. He not only proved that he could learn maths well, but luckily he learned __19__ in his life from his own experience that if a person goes at a job with determination and purpose, he may __20__ himself as well as others by his ability.
1. A. clever B. shy C. useless D. stupid
2. A. biggest B. most C. highest D. deepest
3. A. ability B. age C. brain D. knowledge
4. A. decision B. success C. effort D. trouble
5. A. work B. study C. improvement D. success
6. A. truly B. really C. however D. therefore
7. A. lead to B. strengthen C. increase D. add to
8. A. an experience B. an example C. a thought D. a story
9. A. state B. mind C. start D. ending
10. A. blame B. expect C. get D. win
11. A. developed B. organized C. discovered D. found
12. A. his B. her C. its D. their
13. A. manage B. succeed C. try D. act
14. A. only B. almost C. just D. then
15. A. none B. no C. no one D. nobody
16. A. gave B. succeeded C. failed D. believed
17. A. lived B. worked C. played D. graduated
18. A. lessons B. medicine C. subjects D. maths
19. A. early B. deeply C. late D. simply
20. A. encourage B. love C. astonish D. disappoint
