正贤英语—中学生经典英语美文欣赏系列

正贤英语—中学生经典英语美文欣赏系列

Bill Gates' 11 Rules

In Bill Gates' Book for high school and college graduates，there is a list of １１thing s they did not learn in school．In his book，Bill Gates talks about how feel－good，politically－correct teachings created a full generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this education set them up for failure in the real world．

The １１things are：

１．Life is not fair，get used to it．

２．The world won' t care about your selfesteem1)．The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself．

３．You will not make ４０thousand dollars a year right out of high school．You won' t be a vice president with a car phone，until you earn both．

４．If you think your teacher is tough，wait till you get a boss．He doesn't have tenure2)．

５．Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity．Your grandparents had a different word for burger3) flipping；they called it opportunity．

６．If you mess up4)，it's not your parents' fault，so don' t whine about our mistakes，learn from them．

７．Before you were born，your parents weren't as boring as they are now．They got that way from paying your bills，cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are．So before you save the rain forest from the parasites5) of your parents' generation，try“delousing6)”the closet in your own room．

８．Your school may have done away with winners and losers，but life has not．In some schools they have abolished failing grades；they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer．This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance7) to anything in real life．

９．Life is not divided into semesters．You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself．Do that on your own time．

１０．Television is NOT real life．In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs．

１１．Be nice to nerds．Chances are you'll end up working for one．

Listener

Many people neglect this most important communication skill.

Do you know that we spend an average of our waking day communicating? Of this communication time, 9% is spent writing, 16% reading, 30% talking and 45% listening. Immediately after hearing something, most of us can recall only 50% of what we hear. Within two to eight weeks, we can recall only 25% or less of the original message. Our mental attitudes reduce our ability to retain what we hear.

Some suggestions to being a good listener are mentioned below.

First of all, stop talking----you can't listen while you are talking.

Ask questions----when you don't understand, when you need further clarification, when you want them to like you and when you want to show that you are listening.

Don't interrupt----give them time to say what they have to say.

Concentrate on what they are saying---- actively focus your attention on their words, their ideas and their feelings as they relate to the subject.

Look at the prospect---- by looking, it gives them confidence that

you are, in fact, listening. It helps you to concentrate too.

Leave your emotions behind----try to forget your own worries and problems. Leave them outside of the meeting room. They will prevent you from listening well.

Understand the main points ----concentrate on the main ideas and not the illustrative material.

Don't argue mentally----when you are trying to understand other people, it is a handicap to argue with them mentally as they are speaking. This only sets up a barrier between yourself and the speaker.

Use the difference in rate----you can listen faster than you can talk. So use this rate difference to your advantage by staying on the right track, anticipating what they are going to say, thinking back over what they have just said and evaluating the development of their argument. You speak at about 100 to 150 words per minute, but you think at 250 to 500.

Learn to listen and you will achieve a great success in your life.

Honesty is one of the greatest gifts

I believe honesty is one of the greatest gifts there is. I know they call

it a lot of fancy names these days, like integrity and forthrightness. But it doesn't make any difference what they call it; it's still what makes a man a good citizen. This is my code, and I try to live by.

I've been in the taxicab business for thirty-five years, and I know there is a lot about it that is not so good. Taxicab drivers have to be rough and tumble fellows to be able to take it in New York. You've got to be tough to fight the New York traffic eight hours a day, these days. Because taxi drivers are tough, people get the wrong impression that they are bad. Taxi drivers are just like other people. Most of them will shake down as honest fellows. You read in the papers almost every week where a taxi driver turns in money or jewels or bonds, stuff like that, people leave in their cabs. If they weren't honest, you wouldn't be reading those stories in the papers.

One time in Brooklyn, I found an emerald ring in my cab. I remembered helping a lady with a lot of bundles that day, so I went back to where I had dropped her off. It took me almost two days to trace her down in order to return her ring to her. I didn't get as much as “thank you.” Still, I felt good because I had done what was right. I think I felt better than she did.

I was born and raised in Ireland and lived there until I was nineteen years old. I came to this country in 1913 where I held several jobs to earn a few dollars before enlisting in World War Number I. After being

discharged, I bought my own cab and have owned one ever since. It hasn't been too easy at times, but my wife takes care of our money and we have a good bit put away for a rainy day.

When I first started driving a cab, Park Avenue was mostly a bunch of coal yards. Hoofer's Brewery was right next to where the Waldorf-Astoria is now. I did pretty well, even in those days.

In all my years of driving a taxicab, I have never had any trouble with the public, not even with drunks. Even if they get a little headstrong once in a while, I just agree with them and then they behave themselves.

People ask me about tips. As far as I know, practically everyone will give you something. Come to think of it, most Americans are pretty generous. I always try to be nice to everyone, whether they tip or not. I believe in God and try to be a good member of my parish. I try to act toward others like I think God wants me to act. I have been trying this for a long time, and the longer I try, the easier it gets.

Think Positive Thoughts Every Day

If your life feels like it is lacking the power that you want and the motivation that you need, sometimes all you have to do is shift your point of view.

Welcome to Faith Radio Online-Simply to Relax, I'm Faith. By training your thoughts to concentrate on the bright side of things, you are more likely to have the incentive to follow through on your goals. You are less likely to be held back by negative ideas that might limit your performance.

Your life can be enhanced, and your happiness enriched, when you choose to change your perspective. Don't leave your future to chance, or wait for things to get better mysteriously on their own. You must go in the direction of your hopes and aspirations. Begin to build your confidence, and work through problems rather than avoid them. Remember that power is not necessarily control over situations, but the ability to deal with whatever comes your way.

Always believe that good things are possible, and remember that mistakes can be lessons that lead to discoveries. Take your fear and transform it into trust; learn to rise above anxiety and doubt. Turn your “worry hours” into “productive hours”. Take the energy that you have wasted and direct it toward every worthwhile effort that you can be involved in.

This is Faith at Faith Radio Online-Simply to Relax. You will see beautiful things happen when you allow yourself to experience the joys of life. You will find happiness when you adopt positive thinking into your daily routine and make it an important part of your world.

If I Had My Life to Live Over

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television—and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it … live it … and never give it back.

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more money, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with

those who do love us. Let's think about what God has blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally.