每日英语练习 - 2026-06-08（星期一）
📌 今日主题
TED 演讲精选 — Angela Duckworth《Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance》
Angela Duckworth 是一位心理学家和教育家，她在 TED 演讲中提出了一个颠覆性的观点：成功的关键不是天赋，而是”grit”——一种对长期目标的激情和坚持不懈的毅力。她通过在西点军校和全国拼字比赛中的研究数据证明，毅力比智商更能预测一个人的成就。
📝 英文原文
When I was 27, I left my job as a math teacher in the inner city and I went back to school to study psychology. I was interested in one big question: Why do some kids do well when life knocks them down, while others who have every advantage still fall apart?
I studied thousands of kids across Chicago, and I started with a simple hypothesis: that grit was the key. Not talent, not IQ, not family wealth — but the combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals. I define grit as living life like it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
What I found was surprising. Grit predicted success in every domain I studied — West Point cadets completing their first summer training, students graduating from the Chicago public school system, National Spelling Bee champions winning their titles. Grit predicted better than IQ, better than family income, better than talent or skill.
The thing that makes grit special is that it’s not about being naturally gifted. It’s about what you do after failure. It’s about staying committed to the same goal for years, even when you face setbacks, criticism, or boredom. Grit is about holding on to your future, day in and day out, not just for a week, not just for a month, but for years.
🔍 重点词汇
| 单词/短语 | 音标 | 中文释义 | 例句 |
|---|---|---|---|
| grit | /ɡrɪt/ | 坚毅，毅力 | Grit is more important than talent for long-term success. |
| perseverance | /ˌpɜːsɪˈvɪərəns/ | 坚持不懈 | Her perseverance through hardships inspired everyone. |
| hypothesis | /haɪˈpɒθəsɪs/ | 假设，假说 | The scientist tested her hypothesis with experiments. |
| cadet | /kəˈdet/ | 军校学员 | The cadets trained hard for their first summer. |
| setback | /ˈsetbæk/ | 挫折，阻碍 | Despite setbacks, he never gave up on his dream. |
| domain | /dəˈmeɪn/ | 领域，范围 | Her research spans multiple domains of psychology. |
| commit | /kəˈmɪt/ | 承诺，投入 | You need to commit to a goal for the long term. |
| naturally gifted | /ˈnætʃrəli ˈɡɪftɪd/ | 天生有天赋的 | Being naturally gifted doesn’t guarantee success. |
| marathon | /ˈmærəθən/ | 马拉松；长期持久的事 | Life is a marathon, not a sprint. |
| knock down | /nɒk daʊn/ | 打倒，击退 | When life knocks you down, you have to get back up. |
💡 实用表达
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“Living life like a marathon, not a sprint” — 把生活当作马拉松而不是短跑。这个比喻非常形象，用来强调长期坚持的重要性，比”要有耐心”更有力。
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“Predicted better than IQ” — 比 IQ 更能预测。用于比较和强调某个因素的关键作用，比如在商务汇报中：“This metric predicted revenue better than any other indicator.”
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“What you do after failure” — 失败之后你做了什么。这个短语可以用来提问或引导讨论，比如面试中：“Tell me what you do after failure.”
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“Day in and day out” — 日复一日。强调持续性和规律性，口语中比 “every day” 更地道。
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“Hold on to your future” — 紧握你的未来。一个激励性的表达，比 “don’t give up” 更有画面感。
🎯 练习步骤
- 通读全文：先完整读一遍英文原文，理解大意
- 精读标记：逐句阅读，标记不熟悉的词汇和表达
- 跟读练习：大声朗读 3 遍，注意断句、重音和语调
- 脱稿复述：合上文本，用自己的话复述大意（中英文都可以）
- 结构化输出：用以下框架组织你的复述：
- 这段话在说什么？（一句话概括）
- 主要观点是什么？（列 2-3 个要点）
- 我的感受/看法？（一句话）
🗣️ 口才小贴士
用”问题驱动”的方式开场
Angela Duckworth 的演讲开头没有直接给出答案，而是先抛出一个她花了多年研究的大问题：“Why do some kids do well when life knocks them down, while others who have every advantage still fall apart?” 这种”问题驱动”的开场方式有三个好处：
- 抓住注意力 — 问题天然具有悬念，让听众想知道答案
- 建立共鸣 — 一个好问题往往能触动每个人的经历
- 为后续论证铺路 — 整个演讲都在回答这个问题，结构自然清晰
下次你做演讲或做汇报时，试试用一个问题作为开场，而不是直接说”今天我要讲的是……”。效果会完全不同。