Stephen would take my literature lesson. After we introduced ourselves to each other, we talked about what the class would cover and all the things he would learn. It was a course in which he would learn a lot of facts and details in one term. As I talked, I saw Stephen’s eyes getting big with fear.
I told him to do his assignments (作业) and hand them in on time. I also told him that most successful students made a calendar of all the assignments so they could plan their work load.
As the fall term went by, I learned more of Stephen’s story. He had struggled in school. It had taken him longer to finish than most young people. Family members, including his mother, kept reminding him that he was a failure. But he kept at it. He told me that before coming to our school, no one had believed he had much potential (潜力).
Stephen didn’t become an “A” student. His name didn’t appear on any honors list. One reason was that he never did real well on tests. Still, he managed to pass most of his courses by being in class every day, turning in all of his assignments on time and breaking down his studying into bite-sized digestible portions (易理解的部分). By passing course after course he began to gain a measure of self-esteem (自尊). He was a great singer and he was on the school’s cross-country team.
Every time I saw him at school he would say, “One bite at a time.” His secret, he said, was that he was practicing what I taught him before classes ever started: “Take it one bite at a time.”
On graduation day, he said with a bright smile, “One bite at a time.”
65. Before Stephen began his class, _____.
A. the author had known him for a long time
B. the author told him something about his lessons
C. he was confident about his studies
D. he made a study plan
66. From the passage we can know that Stephen’s family _____.
A. kept encouraging him to continue his studies
B. thought he had much potential to study well
C. didn’t think he would do well at school
D. thought it would take him more time to study than others
67. What do we know about Stephen?
A. He was honored for his good results.
B. He didn’t do anything except study.
C. He only broke down his literature lesson into bite-sized portions.
D. He tried his best to pass his courses.
68. Which of the following can best describe Stephen’s story?
A. Nothing is difficult to a willing heart.
B. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. Well begun, half done.
D. Failure is the mother of success.
