The praise that changed the life
改变一生的赞美
When he was small, Hill was an acknowledged bad boy.
At the age of 9, his father married his stepmother. At that time they lived poor in the countryside while his stepmother was from a wealthy family.
His father introduced Hill to his stepmother as he said, “Dear, I hope you notice in the entireshire this is the worst boy, who has made me have no other way. Maybe before tomorrow morning he will throw a stone at you, or do a bad thing you will never imagine.”
To Hill’s surprise, his stepmother went up to him with a smile, held up his head and looked at him carefully. She then turned around to tell her husband, “You’re wrong. He is not the worst boy in the entire shire, but the most intelligent and creative boy. Only he doesn’t find a place to vent（发泄） his passion.”
His stepmother’s words warmed his heart, his tears almost rolling down. With this, he started building friendship with his stepmother. And this became the drive of his life, making him create 28 successful golden rules, which helped tens of thousands of ordinary people set foot on the road to success and prosperity.
Before his stepmother came, no one praised him smart, and his father and neighbors identified him as a bad boy. However, his stepmother’s words changed his life’s destiny.
When Hill was 14 years old, his stepmother bought him a used typewriter and said to him, “I believe you will become a writer.” Hill accepted his stepmother’s gift and expectation, and startedcontributing to a local newspaper. He understood and enjoyed his stepmother’s enthusiasm while he saw with his own eyes she had changed his family with her enthusiasm. Therefore, he would live up toher.
The strength from his stepmother aroused Hill’s imagination, inspired his creativity, helped himlink with a lot of wisdom and made him a rich man and famous writer in the United States and one of the most influential figures in the 20th century.
Praise will never be superfluous（多余）, especially for children. A sincere praise may be better than 10.000 severe reproaches.
拿破仑•希尔小时候是一个公认的坏男孩。
他9岁时，父亲把继母娶进了家门。当时，他们还是居住在乡下的贫苦人家，而继母则来自富有的家庭。
父亲一边向继母介绍拿破仑•希尔，一边说：“亲爱的，希望你注意到这个全郡最坏的男孩，他已经让我无可奈何。说不定到不了明天早上，他就会拿石头扔向你，或者做出你完全想不到的坏事。”
出乎拿破仑•希尔意料的是，继母微笑着走到他面前，托起他的头认真地看着他。接着，她回头对丈夫说：“你错了，他不是全郡最坏的男孩，而是全郡最聪明、最有创造力的男孩。只不过他还没有找到发泄热情的地方。”
继母的话说的拿破仑•希尔心里热乎乎的，眼泪几乎滚落下来。就是凭着这一句话，他和继母开始建立友谊。也就是这一句话，成为激励他一生的动力，使他日后创造了成功的28项黄金法则，帮助千千万万的普通人走上成功和致富的道路。
在继母到来之前，没有一个人称赞过他聪明，他的父亲和邻居认定他就是坏男孩。但是，继母就只说了一句话，便改变了他一生的命运。
拿破仑•希尔14岁时，继母给他买了一部二手打字机，并对他说：“相信你会成为一名作家。” 拿破仑•希尔接受了继母的礼物，理解了她的期望，并开始向当地的一家报社投稿。他了解继母的热忱，也很欣赏她的那股热忱，他亲眼看到她用自己的热忱改变了他们的家庭。所以，他不愿意辜负她。
来自继母的这股力量，激发了拿破仑•希尔的想象力，激发了他的创造力，帮助他获得了许多智慧，使他成了美国的富豪和著名的作家，成了20世纪最有影响的人物之一。
赞美永远都不多余，尤其是对孩子。一次真诚的赞美，可能胜过一万次严厉的责备。
拓展训练
Another person’s enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother.
I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father 36 me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is 37 for being the worst boy in this county and will probably start throwing rocks at you no 38 than tomorrow morning.”
My stepmother walked over to me, 39 my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are 40 . This is not the worst boy at all, 41 the smartest one who hasn’t yet found an outlet（释放的途径）for his enthusiasm.”
That statement began a(n) 42 between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors ha d built me up in my 43 as a bad boy . My stepmother changed all that.
She changed many things. She 44 my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into the county seat, where my father’s career could be more 45 and my brother and I could be better 46 .
When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand 47 and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I 48 it had already improved our lives. I accepted her 49 and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of 50 that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the 51 beneficiary (受益者). My father became the 52 man in town. My brother and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president.
What power 53 has! When that power is released to support the certainty of one’s purpose and is 54 strengthened by faith, it becomes an irresistible（不可抗拒的）force which poverty and temporary defeat can never 55 .
You can communicate that power to anyone who needs it. This is probably the greatest work you can do with your enthusiasm.
【小题1】A. rushed B. sent C. carried D. introduced
【小题2】A. distinguished B. favored C. mistaken D. rewarded
【小题3】 A. sooner B. later C. longer D. earlier
【小题4】A. dragged B. shook C. raised D. bent
【小题5】A. perfect B. right C. wrong D. impolite
【小题6】 A. but B. so C. and D. or
【小题7】 A. agreement B. friendship C. gap D. relationship
【小题8】A. opinion B. image C. expectation D. mind
【小题9】A. begged B. persuaded C. ordered D. invited
【小题10】A. successful B. meaningful C. helpful D. useful
【小题11】A. treated B. entertained C. educated D. respected
【小题12】A. camera B. radio C. bicycle D. typewriter
【小题13】A. considered B. suspected C. ignored D. appreciated
【小题14】A. belief B. request C. criticism D. description
【小题15】A. teaching B. writing C. studying D. reading
【小题16】A. next B. same C. only D. real
【小题17】 A. cleverest B. wealthiest C. strongest D. healthiest
【小题18】A. enthusiasm B. sympathy C. fortune D. confidence
【小题19】A. deliberately B. happily C. traditionally D. constantly
【小题20】A. win B. match C. reach D. doubt
答案 DABCC ABDBA CDDAB CBADB