Tom’s teacher Dwyer liked helping others and he had done that for many years. Tom wanted to follow his example, but he found it was too tiring. One day, Tom went to see Dwyer. They sat quietly in Dwyer’s old house, cutting wood with their knives in front of the fireplace. Tom finally spoke up.
“I don't know how you do it,” he said.
“Do what?” asked Dwyer.
“I don’t know how you stay motivated (积极的) to help people after so many years. I feel like giving up and I’ve hardly started.”
Dwyer smiled and replied, “Can you blow out that candle for me?” Tom did as he was asked.
“Now can you blow out this fire?” Dwyer asked.
“Don’t be silly,” Tom replied. “Of course I can’t.”
Dwyer put down his knife and his piece of wood and looked in the eye of Tom. He said , “When your motivation is as small as the candle’s flame (火焰), it’s easy to be extinguished, but when it is a fire you see before you, nothing can blow it out.”
After hearing that, Tom decided to try harder.
My challenge to you is to find a big reason for doing what you want to do. Then you won’t give up when you meet with difficulties and when you feel tired. If you don’t have a big reason to press on, it’s easy for you to give up.
So let me ask you, is your motivation like a candle or a fire? And what are you going to do to keep it from dying down?
【小题1】When Tom tried to help others, he ________ .| A．felt greatly motivated | B．found it hard to keep on |
| C．found he was very happy | D．wanted to visit his teacher |
| A．He didn’t need the fire. | B．He had little wood in the house. |
| C．He wanted to play a trick on him | D．He wanted to teach him a lesson. |
| A．recognized | B．controlled | C．put out | D．given up |
| A．help others | B．learn from others |
| C．face difficulties bravely | D．stay strongly motivated |
