Here are several world-famous books that perfectly show the spirit of
perseverance and never giving up, suitable to share with your classmates.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Santiago, an old fisherman, fights a huge marlin alone for three days. Even though he finally brings back only a skeleton, he never surrenders. As the classic line goes, “A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Robinson is stranded on a desert island alone. He faces hunger, loneliness, and danger, but uses his wisdom and courage to survive for many years. He never gives up on life.
The Little Prince (part of the spirit)
Although it is a fairy tale, the little prince keeps exploring, insists on his inner faith, and never abandons his love for the rose.
Journey to the West (Chinese classic)
The Tang Priest and his four disciples experience eighty-one hardships on the way to getting scriptures. They never give up halfway and finally achieve their goal.
Beethoven by Romain Rolland
Beethoven lost his hearing when he was young, but he still created great music. He fought against fate his whole life and never bowed to difficulties.
任务一 阅读理解。
1. What does the underlined word “perseverance” probably mean?
A. giving up easily
B. being rich and successful
C. keeping trying and not giving up
D. making a lot of money
2. What happened to Beethoven when he was young?
A. He lost his voice.
B. He lost his hearing.
C. He couldn't write music.
D. He fought in a war.
3. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces some books that show the spirit of never giving up.
B. It tells the stories of several famous writers in the world.
C. It explains how to write a story about heroes.
D. It shows how to choose good books for classmates.
任务二 阅读与回答问题。
1. How long does Santiago fight with the huge marlin?
For three days.
2. Where is Robinson Crusoe stranded?
On a desert island.
3. What does the little prince never abandon?
His love for the rose.
4. How many hardships do the Tang Priest and his disciples experience?
Eighty-one hardships.
5. What can we learn from all these books?
（请自拟一句话作答）
No matter how hard life is, as long as we don't give up, we can become stronger.（言之有理即可）
