Question

Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has.There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding.

We experience this tiredness in two ways: as start-up fatigue(疲惫) and performance fatigue.In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it has either too boring or too difficult.And the longer we delay it,the more tired we feel.

Such start-up fatigue is very real,even if not actually physical,not something in our muscles and bones.The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.

Years ago,I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors.Applying my own rule,I determined to write them in alphabetical(按字母顺序),never letting myself leave out a tough idea.And I always started the day's work with the difficult task of essay-writing.Experience proved that the rule works.

Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle.Though willing to get started,we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that,however hard we work,we fail again and again.In such a situation,I work as hard as I can-then let the unconscious take over.

When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica (《大英百科全书》),I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles.Nothing like this had ever been done before,and day after day I kept coming up with solutions, but none of them worked.My fatigue became almost unbearable.

One day,mentally exhausted,I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved.I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself,not with me.Relived,I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep.

An hour later,I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind.In the weeks that followed,the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind provided correct at every step.Though I worked as hard as before,I felt no fatigue.Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing.

Human beings,I believe must try to succeed.Success,then,means never feeling tired.

1.What does the author recommend doing to prevent start-up fatigue?

A. Writing essays in strict order.    B. Building up physical strength.

C. Leaving out the toughest ideas.    D. Dealing with the hardest task first.

2.On what occasion does a person probably suffer from performance fatigue?

A. Before starting a difficult task.    B. When all the solutions fail.

C. If the job is rather boring.    D. After finding a way out.

3.What could be the best title for the passage?

A. Success Is Built upon Failure    B. How to Handle Performance Fatigue

C. Getting over Fatigue: A Way to Success    D. Fatigue: An Early Sign of Health Problems

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

【解析】本文是一篇说明文，作者围绕失败、疲倦、成功之间的关系展开论述，重点提出

start-up fatigue 和 performance fatigue两种类型的疲倦问题，并分别以自己的亲身经历提出解决办法，最后指出克服疲倦的关键是获得成功，解题抓住对start-up fatigue 和 performance fatigue的特点描述以及解决措施，明确作者态度，可顺利解题。

1.细节理解题，根据文章第三段的信息“The solution is obvious though perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.”可知预防“start-up fatigue”的措施是总是最先着手最困难的工作，故选D。

2.细节理解题，根据文章第五段介绍“Performance fatigue”的信息“.....we cannot seem to do the job right .....we fail again and again.”可知当我们一次又一次的面对失败，我们会产生疲倦，作者在文中以本人举例自己亲历编写百科全书经历过

面对“Performance fatigue”，一度让作者无法忍受，故选B。

3.主旨大意题，题干要求选择最适合的标题，全文围绕失败、疲劳、厌倦之间的关系讨论，最后一段“I believe must try to succeed.Success,then,means never feeling tired.”指出人们只有取得成功，才能够克服疲倦。C选项Getting over Fatigue: A Way to Success 符合题意，故选C。

【名师点睛】

主旨大意题型范围一般包括：短文标题、主题大意或段落大意等。此题要求考生在理解文章后归纳文章要点，概括中心思想。考生需要分析文章的篇章结构，抓住文章的开头或结尾，从而找出概括文章的主题句。主题句特点:(1)语言特点：归纳性、概括性、抽象性。（2）位置特点：主题句常出现在总结性语言的信号词后面，如：in a word,as a result,in conclusion等。

例如：本题中第三小题。

【解题剖析】

该小题属于主旨大意题，文章开篇提到失败是最消磨人、最让人疲倦的，接着提出两种类型的疲倦：start-up fatigue and performance fatigue.作者正文进行两种疲倦的展开讨论，文章末段点出关键，“Human beings,I believe must try to succeed.Success,then,means never feeling tired.”可见人们无论怎样，克服疲倦只能通过成功来化解。题干要求选择文章标题，可顺利选出C选项 Getting over Fatigue: A Way to Success .