Ask any person who is successful in whatever he or she is doing what motivates him/her, and very
likely the answer will be "goals". Goal Setting is extremely important to motivation and success. So what
motivates you? Why are you in college? If you are in college because that's what your parents want, you
may find it difficult to motivate yourself. Sure, it's possible to succeed with someone else providing the
motivation for you. ("If you graduate from college, I'll give you a car!" or worse "If you don't graduate
from college, you won't get a car.") But motivation that comes from within really makes the difference.
Certainly, you need some intelligence, knowledge base, study skills, and time management skills, but if
you don't have motivation, you won't get far. Think about this analogy. You have a car with a full tank of
gas, a well-tuned engine, good set of tires, quadraphonic CD system, and a sleek, polished exterior(外表). There it sits. This car has incredible potential. (Have you heard that before?) However, until a driver sits
behind the wheel, puts the key in the ignition(点火装置), and cranks it up, the car doesn't function. You
guessed it; the KEY is MOTIVATION.
Interest is an important motivator for a student. So is a desire to learn. When you link these two things
together, you create success. Often success in an endeavor leads to more interest and a greater desire to
learn, creating an upward spiral(螺旋形) of motivation toward a goal you have established.
So be honest with yourself. Are you genuinely interested in being in college? Have you set realistic
goals for yourself? How can you develop the internal motivation that really counts? When it comes to
motivation, KNOWING is not as important as DOING.
1. Why does the writer give the example of a car in the second paragraph?
A. Because people can never go far without a good car.
B. Because a good car motivates some college students to study harder.
C. Because a good car is a symbol of being a success.
D. Because motivation leads people to success like it starts a car.
2. What is the CORRECT understanding of the internal motivation and the external (外部的)
motivation?
A. Only the internal motivation can result in success.
B. Internal motivation outweighs external motivation.
C. Internal motivation and external motivation has equal importance.
D. External motivation is enough for people to achieve success.
3. According to the article the following factors can push people towards their goals EXCEPT
__________?
A. interest
B. the desire to learn
C. the knowledge of motivation
D. the sense of success
4. What's the main purpose of the article?
A. To inspire everyone to develop motivation for whatever they are doing.
B. To motivate college students to set goals for their college life.
C. To imply that the less motivated college students quit the college.
D. To call on parents to give up their over-protection of their children.
5. What may be the writer's advice to the potential readers?
A. The goals you set for yourself shouldn’t be far beyond your reach.
B. You needn't attend college if you are really not interested in it.
C. You should work harder to win praise from others.
D. Honesty is the best policy to solve problems in your life.
