It's also an excuse-making machine that frequently tries to convince us not to take action we know good for us. If we hadn't learned about these excuses, or how to overcome them, we would never have succeeded in making positive changes. ②So why does the mind mess with us and make unreasonable excuses? Because the mind wants comfort, that's the reason. It's afraid of discomfort, pressure and change. The mind is absorbed in its comfort zone, and anytime we try to stretch that zone too far, for too long, the mind tries desperately to get back to "ground zero" at any cost. These damaging excuses, such as "I can't do it", "It is too hard for me", "It's too late now" and so on, are no strangers to our minds. ③It seems too difficult at first, so you think you can't stick to the positive change you're making. This excuse can be countered (对抗) by looking at the fact that other people were no more capable than you thought you were so that the negative thought will not stand in your way any more. For example, my 60-year-old next-door neighbor finished running a marathon, so I told myself, "If she can do it, so can I!" Truth be told, the only person who tells you "I can't" is yourself. If you hear those words echoing in the back of your mind, tune them out. ④I've witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages: 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and so forth. ⑤Another common excuse is that "I've already failed too much." If you break down, it's fine, because you are only human. Just don't stay down; take a rest, and then pick yourself up so you can go to where you'd rather be. As Winston Churchill said, "Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It is courage to continue that counts." ⑥Some people feel like quitting when they have almost reached their goal, while others attain goals through their efforts until the last second. So make some necessary adjustments to get rid of the bad habit of making excuses. Keep going! No excuses! Think, work, and climb, that's how you'll move your life forward. 1. 1) What does "ground zero" in Paragraph 2 mean? (No more than 5 words)2) What did the author realize when he knew his neighbor finished the marathon? (No more than 10 words)3) What is the main idea of Paragraph 5? (No more than 12 words) 4) What is the author's purpose in writing this passage? (No more than 15 words) 5) What excuse do you often make when you are faced with an important and hard exam? What should you do then? (No more than 25 words)

    ①The human mind is a wonderful thing. It's also an excuse-making machine that frequently tries to convince us not to take action we know good for us. If we hadn't learned about these excuses, or how to overcome them, we would never have succeeded in making positive changes.

    ②So why does the mind mess with us and make unreasonable excuses? Because the mind wants comfort, that's the reason. It's afraid of discomfort, pressure and change. The mind is absorbed in its comfort zone, and anytime we try to stretch that zone too far, for too long, the mind tries desperately to get back to "ground zero" at any cost. These damaging excuses, such as "I can't do it", "It is too hard for me", "It's too late now" and so on, are no strangers to our minds.

    ③It seems too difficult at first, so you think you can't stick to the positive change you're making. This excuse can be countered (对抗) by looking at the fact that other people were no more capable than you thought you were so that the negative thought will not stand in your way any more. For example, my 60-year-old next-door neighbor finished running a marathon, so I told myself, "If she can do it, so can I!" Truth be told, the only person who tells you "I can't" is yourself. If you hear those words echoing in the back of your mind, tune them out.

    ④I've witnessed people reinventing themselves at all ages: 48-year-olds starting families, 57-year-olds graduating from college for the first time, 71-year-olds starting successful businesses, and so forth.

    ⑤Another common excuse is that "I've already failed too much." If you break down, it's fine, because you are only human. Just don't stay down; take a rest, and then pick yourself up so you can go to where you'd rather be. As Winston Churchill said, "Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It is courage to continue that counts."

     ⑥Some people feel like quitting when they have almost reached their goal, while others attain goals through their efforts until the last second. So make some necessary adjustments to get rid of the bad habit of making excuses. Keep going! No excuses! Think, work, and climb, that's how you'll move your life forward. 

1. 1) What does "ground zero" in Paragraph 2 mean? (No more than 5 words)

2) What did the author realize when he knew his neighbor finished the marathon? (No more than 10 words)

3) What is the main idea of Paragraph 5? (No more than 12 words) 

4) What is the author's purpose in writing this passage? (No more than 15 words) 

5) What excuse do you often make when you are faced with an important and hard exam? What should you do then? (No more than 25 words)