A
The experience of life can show one's “determination”. Complex challenges early in life helped the following people develop skills that got them to the top of their professions.
Sean Combs, CEO, Sean John
Combs began a generation of hiphop talent and made a lasting influence on fashion.But his story could have turned out much differently: His drug dealer father was killed when he was 3. “It made me work even harder，” he recently said.
Howard Schultz, Executive Chairman, Starbucks
Schultz grew up in public housing in Brooklyn, surrounded by poverty, and was the first in his family to go to college (on a football scholarship)．After training in sales, he set up the company that would later buy Starbucks.“In the course of the year I spent trying to raise money, I spoke to 242 people, and 217 of them said no，” he said.
Ursula Burns, Chairwoman, VEON; Former CEO, Xerox
Her family was so poor that her single mother traded office cleaning for health care.But Burns' early gift for maths won her a scholarship and an internship at Xerox, where she would compete her way to the top.“I'm a black lady from the Lower East Side，” she says, “Not a lot scares me.”
Geisha Williams, CEO, PG & E
Her parents fled Cuba when Williams was 5.By 7, she was her parents' main translator in talks with lawyers and accountants at grocery stores they owned.The experience did help her.“I went from thinking I could be a manager to thinking I could do something much bigger，” she told Fortune.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了四位事业有成的名人。他们早期生活艰难，却能化苦难为决心。最终，取得了巨大的成就。
1．How did the death of Combs' father influence him?
A．It made him even stronger.
B．He became a drug dealer.
C．It made him a failure.
D．He became a hiphopper.
解析：选A 细节理解题。 根据Sean Combs, CEO, Sean John部分中的“It made me work even harder”可知，他父亲的死亡使他变得更坚强，故选A。
2．Who did best in math at school?
A．Sean Combs. B．Geisha Williams.
C．Ursula Burns. D．Howard Schultz.
解析：选C 细节理解题。 根据Ursula Burns, Chairwoman, VEON; Former CEO, Xerox部分中的“But Burns' early gift for maths won her a scholarship and an internship”可知，Burns有杰出的数学天赋，在学校数学学得最好，故选C。
3．What can we learn from the passage?
A．Cuba is a good place to do business.
B．Difficulty in life pushed Williams forward.
C．No one wanted to help Schultz at first.
D．Poor family kids can be successful easily.
解析：选B 推理判断题。 根据Geisha Williams, CEO, PG & E部分的内容可推知，尽管Williams儿时的生活很艰难，但正是生活的艰难促进了Williams的向前发展，故选B。
