写作遇到瓶颈，除了思路，最关键是积累素材与干货，学会做阅读笔记，完成词块积累.下面小编和大家一起学习《Inspiring women leading the way》。
Time magazine revealed its new project earlier this month – FIRSTS: Women Who Are Changing The World. The project introduced 46 powerful US women who have broken the glass ceiling v in politics, science, business, sports and entertainment – fields that are traditionally dominated (主导) by men. They talked to Time about the hardships they went through and challenges they faced on their path to success.
To offer you some inspiration, TEENS has picked five of the greatest stories.
But Winfrey’s life has been one of achievement since an early age, despite very difficult circumstances (处境). She was born to a single, poor mother in the rural south of the US. She was molested (性骚扰) at age 14 and gave birth to a child who died in infancy (幼儿期). Most girls would have been understandably knocked back by experiences like this, but Winfrey was able to rise above them.“I find ways to be alone so that I can recharge and get clarity (清醒的.头脑). For just a few moments each day, I consciously count my blessings, take a deep breath, and try to absorb the wonder and glory of my experiences. I know for sure that if you don’t replenish (补充) your well, it runs dry.”“
– Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
When former US President Barack Obama awarded Oprah Winfrey (1954-) the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013, it was recognition of the achievements of a woman who has become one of the most influential figures in the US. She has a TV talk show watched by millions of people and the trust, it seems, of almost the whole country.
By the time she was 19 she was presenting the evening news on TV in Tennessee. By the mid-1980s, she had launched the Oprah Winfrey Show. Just how influential is Oprah? When she features a book on her show, it almost always makes it onto the New York Times bestsellers list. But perhaps Oprah’s most important role is that of “America’s mother”. On her show, she often offers up a kind of moral wisdom that is meant to guide ordinary people through difficult times.
It’s impossible to convey the range of Oprah Winfrey’s achievements – her financial worth is said to be $3 billion (19 billion yuan). She is a philanthropist (慈善家), and she’s also been an actor. Indeed, she was nominated (提名) for an Oscar in her role as Sofia in the 1985 Steven Spielberg film The Color Purple.
Most of these remarkable things were achieved before she was 50. Still only 63, there seems no doubt that we haven’t heard the last of Oprah Winfrey.
Sheryl Sandberg
If you look at the facts of Sheryl Sandberg’s (1969-) career, it would seem that she’s made effortless progress from being top of the class in high school to academic brilliance at Harvard to the height of the business world. She’s been at or near the pinnacle (顶峰) of two giant internet companies, Google and Facebook.
If you look at the facts of Sheryl Sandberg’s (1969-) career, it would seem that she’s made effortless progress from being top of the class in high school to academic brilliance at Harvard to the height of the business world.
She has suffered great sadness in her life as well as enjoyed success. In 2015, her husband, and the father of their two children, died from a heart attack at the early age of 47.
Apart from this, it might look as if life has been easy for Sandberg. But the appearance of her “effortless” progress disguises a lot of hard work and obstacles (困难) due to prejudice against her sex.
(She couldn't disguise the fact that she felt uncomfortable.她无法掩饰她那不安的心情。)
Some of this is revealed in her book Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead. Talking about women and success, Sandberg writes: “As a man gets more successful, he is better liked by men and women, and as a woman gets more successful, she is less liked by men and women.”
She is concerned about the general inequality between the sexes. Equality between men and women seems to be the ideal she thinks we should aspire to (向往). This view is summed up in her comment that: “A truly equal world would be one where women ran half our countries and companies and men ran half our homes”.
(She found it hard to live up to his high ideals.她觉得很难做到他的高标准要求。)
It's my ideal of what a family home should be.这是我心目中完美的家庭住宅。)
Sandberg also has her critics. Many say that her criticism of sexism is fine, but she pays attention only to powerful and wealthy women. They argue that little she says about women and work has much to do with lower-paid women.
If you don’t know about Sheryl Sandberg, look out for her. She is sure to remain in the spotlight for years to come, whether in business, or perhaps even politics.
Serena Williams
Someone drawing up a list of the greatest athletes in the world would surely reserve a high place for US tennis star Serena Williams (1981-). Williams has been at the top of her game since the late 1990s. She has won all the major tennis competitions – the “grand slams (大满贯)” – several times over. (I'd prefer to reserve (my) judgement (= not make a decision) until I know all the facts.在了解全部事实之前我不想发表意见。The management reserves the right to refuse admission.管理部门有权拒绝接收。)
Someone drawing up a list of the greatest athletes in the world would surely reserve a high place for US tennis star Serena Williams Although she’s had her ups and downs since that time, it’s always been clear that she’s a special player.
The story of Serena Williams cannot be told separately from that of her sister, Venus, also a superb and successful player. The children were playing tennis from an early age, but in circumstances a little different from those of future champions of the sport. They come from a black and working class family, who couldn’t rely on private coaching. Serena therefore played first on the public courts with the rest of the neighborhood kids. Given this, the determination that all the top players have must have been even stronger in Serena.
Williams’ parents wanted their children to have a proper schooling. For this reason, Serena didn’t start to compete in professional games until 1997, when she was 16. But once she’d started, success came quickly. Although she’s had her ups and downs since that time, it’s always been clear that she’s a special player.
She has always been very straightforward and tough. Some people didn’t think Williams was traditionally beautiful. To prove them wrong, she shot photos for fashion magazines, and now she has a successful clothing line. A thief took her cellphone when she was eating at a restaurant, so Williams chased him down to get the phone back. Afterward, she posted a picture of herself as Superwoman online. “She is the kind of person who would get revenge (复仇) on you,” said Williams’ mother.
Even at the age of 36 – an age by which most tennis stars have retired from the sport – she is still a strong player, regularly competing with players far younger than she is for championship titles. “I want to be known as the greatest ever,” Williams said.
【本文作者：徐州七中彭向梅。(公众号：草根英语行思教)】
本文为原创文章，版权归作者所有，未经授权不得转载!
书香门第
