2024年5月18日发(作者：岑乐松)
unit 5
part i pre-reading task
listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following
questions:
1.
2.
3.
what happened to the singer
what helped her pull through all the hardships she suffered
what is the tone of the song
part ii
text a
look at the following two sayings and then see if the story of michael stone bears
out the points they make.
¡ª¡ª moliere
when it is dark enough, you can see 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
1111
a coach's dream. besides being an honor student and only child, michael stone
continued to help his parents with their farm 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 missed his final jump. he knew it was time for his final jump.
since the other vaulter had fewer misses, michael needed to clear this vault to
win. a miss would get him second place. nothing to be ashamed of, but michael
would not allow himself 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 set 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 tense. 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 these 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 used to tell him when you felt tense, 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
2222
2024年5月18日发(作者：岑乐松)
unit 5
part i pre-reading task
listen to the recording two or three times and then think over the following
questions:
1.
2.
3.
what happened to the singer
what helped her pull through all the hardships she suffered
what is the tone of the song
part ii
text a
look at the following two sayings and then see if the story of michael stone bears
out the points they make.
¡ª¡ª moliere
when it is dark enough, you can see 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
1111
a coach's dream. besides being an honor student and only child, michael stone
continued to help his parents with their farm 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 missed his final jump. he knew it was time for his final jump.
since the other vaulter had fewer misses, michael needed to clear this vault to
win. a miss would get him second place. nothing to be ashamed of, but michael
would not allow himself 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 set 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 tense. 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 these 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 used to tell him when you felt tense, 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
2222