Passage Two
Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.
With those born with natural talents, it feels as if they excel without really trying. But what about those of us who don’t have a natural talent? We’ve been told all our lives that if you work hard, you too can succeed. But with the release of Angela Duckworth’s Grit, we are given a new key to success.
“As much as talent counts, effort counts twice,” says Duckworth in Grit. She introduces a new concept that talent may be overrated, and if you want real success, what you need is grit, the perfect combination of passion and persistence. Even if you have natural talent, it’s nothing without grit.
Duckworth says grit is the difference between success and failure. A person who has grit is more likely to succeed than a person who does not. When we think about attaining success—whether it’s landing that job or learning that new skill—our thoughts are immediately burdened by all the things we must first learn. If you want that new job, you have to learn the job skills, then the interview skills, then the dress part—and you must be perfect at all of them. Grit is different because it tells us that perfection isn’t the goal.
Grit lifts the unreasonable expectations off our shoulders. Grit tells us that the door is open wider than we first thought possible. Grit allows us to redefine our goals. Think about it: what’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but gave up because you “don’t have the skills for it”? What’s something you love but aren’t good at?
The real workings of grit are to have sustainable passion and continue to try. Effort means more than your natural ability. Even if you haven’t mastered a skill, grit tells you that you can still succeed if you can transform your passion into action. In a way, Duckworth is giving new hope to people who have shut the doors on their dreams. She is saying it is possible that you can accomplish anything. If at first you fail, then try one more time with grit.
[51] 对于天赋异禀的人而言,他们仿佛无需真正努力就能出类拔萃。但我们当中那些没有天赋的人呢?我们一生都被告知,只要勤奋努力,也能成功。然而,随着安吉拉·达克沃斯所著的《坚毅》一书的问世,我们获得了一把通往成功的新钥匙。
“天赋固然重要,努力则更为关键。”达克沃斯在《坚毅》中如此阐释。[52] 她提出一个全新观点:天赋或许被高估了,若想获得真正的成功,需要的是坚毅,也就是激情与毅力的完美融合。即便拥有天赋,缺乏坚毅也终将一事无成。
达克沃斯指出,坚毅是成败的分水岭。拥有坚毅品质的人,比缺乏者更有可能成功。[53] 当我们思考如何获得成功时——无论是争取一份工作,还是学习一项新技能——思绪总会被“必须先掌握的所有知识”压得喘不过气。若想得到那份新工作,就需先学习工作技能,再研习面试技巧,还要讲究着装礼仪——且必须在各方面都做到完美。而坚毅的不同之处在于,它告诉我们:完美并非终极目标。
坚毅卸下了我们肩头不切实际的期望。它让我们知晓,成功的大门比最初想象中的更为开阔。[54] 它更让我们重新思考自己的目标。试想:是否有某件事你一直想做,却因“缺乏相应技能”而放弃?是否有某件事你热爱着,却不够擅长?
坚毅的真谛在于怀揣持久的激情并持续尝试。努力的意义远超天赋本身。即便尚未掌握某项技能,坚毅也会告诉你:若能将激情转化为行动,依然可以成功。从某种意义上说,达克沃斯为那些已经对梦想关上大门的人带来了新的希望。[55] 她宣告:一切皆有可能。若初次尝试失败,就带着坚毅再试一次。
What does the passage say about people born with natural talents?
问:关于天赋异禀的人,文章说了什么?
定位:文章第一段第一句:“With those born with natural talents, it feels as if they excel without really trying.”
解析:
What does Duckworth say about talent?
问:达克沃斯如何评价天赋?
定位:文章第二段第二句:“As much as talent counts, effort counts twice” 以及 “talent may be overrated”。
解析:
What does the passage say about people thinking of attaining success?
问:关于想要取得成功的人,文章说了什么?
定位:文章第三段第三句:“our thoughts are immediately burdened by all the things we must first learn” 以及第四段第一句:“Grit lifts the unreasonable expectations off our shoulders”。
解析:
How does the author think grit can be helpful to us?
问:作者认为坚毅对我们有怎样的帮助?
定位:文章第四段第三句:“Grit allows us to redefine our goals.”
解析:
What message does Duckworth try to convey in her book Grit?
问:达克沃斯在《坚毅》一书中试图传达什么信息?
定位:文章第五段最后两句:“If at first you fail, then try one more time with grit.” 以及全文对坚毅的定义(激情与坚持的结合)。
解析:
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