Lesson 13
What You See Is What You Get
Guidance
"What you see is what you get." You only get one life to live, so why not live the best life possible? 你看到了什么你就能够成就什么，你有什么样的理想就能成为什么样的人。人生只有一次，为什么不尽量过得更精彩呢？
1 You've heard the expression, "What you see is what you get." My grandfather used to say, "If you looked at a tree long enough, it will move." We see what we want to see. Psychologists tell us that nothing controls our lives more than our self-image . We live like the person we see in the mirror. We are what we think we are. If you don't think you'll be successful, you won't. You can't be it if you can't see it. Your life is limited to your vision . If you want to change your life, you must change your vision of your life.
2 Arnold Schwarzenegger was not that famous in 1976 when he met with a newspaper reporter. The reporter asked Schwarzenegger, "Now that you've retired from bodybuilding , what do you plan to do next?" Schwarzenegger answered very calmly and confidently, "I'm going to be the No. 1 movie star in Hollywood." The reporter was shocked and amused at Schwarzenegger's plan. At that time, it was very hard to imagine how this muscle-bound bodybuilder, who was not a professional actor and who spoke poor English with a strong Austrian accent, could ever hope to be Hollywood's No. 1 movie star!
3 So when the reporter asked Schwarzenegger how he planned to make his dream come true, Schwarzenegger said, "I'll do it the same way I became the No. 1 bodybuilder in the world. What I do was to create a vision of who I want to be, and then I start living like that person in my mind as if it were already true." Sounds almost childishly simple, doesn't it? But it worked! Schwarzenegger became the No. 1 highest paid movie star in Hollywood. Remember: If you can see it, you can be it.
4 There's a successful businessman who often wears a shirt with these words on it: "Don't just pursue your dreams. Chase down and tackle ! " You only get one life to live, so why not live the best life possibly? So you can be fully satisfied at what you see and get.
(346 words)
Word bank
Practice
Ⅰ. Comprehension
1. Arnold Schwarzenegger used to be _____ before he became a Hollywoodstar.
A. a newspaper reporter
B. a professional actor
C. a successful businessman
D. a bodybuilder
2. Why was the reporter shocked when he heard Arnold Schwarzenegger would the No. 1 movie star in Hollywood?
A. Because he was a successful businessman.
B. Because he only worked in a small film company.
C. Because he was not a professional actor and spoke poor English.
D. Because he was good at nothing except bodybuilding.
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger planned to _____ in order to become a Hollywoodstar.
A. continue to build his body
B. create a film company
C. practice speaking English
D. live a life like a movie star
4. Translate the sentence "Don't just pursue your dreams. Chase down and tackle!" into Chinese.
_________________________________
Ⅱ. Writing practice
Do you have a dream? What do you want to be in the future? How do you plan to achieve it? Discuss with your partner and write down something about it.
_________________________________
_________________________________