1    A is for Adult. You’re an adult now for the rest of your life. As an adult, people expect you to look, act, and dress professionally and appropriately. It does matter what people think of you now. Maintaining your individuality is great — and encouraged. But a certain amount of conformity and maturity in appearance and behavior is expected. 

2    B is for Better. Be better than you need to be. You are a work in progress — become a student of life. Be someone for whom good isn’t good enough. Look for new ways of doing things, and don’t be afraid of change. Strive to improve yourself professionally and personally every single day.

3    C is for Control. Take control of your life; don’t let life control you. Decide what you want. Don’t be wishy-washy. Life is not a dress rehearsal; every decision you make will either move you toward your goals or push you away from them. Make good decisions. As comedian Tim Allen once said, “If you don’t make decisions in life, life will make decisions for you.”

4    D is for Dream. Dare to dream. Dare to dream the impossible dream. If you dream it, you can create it; it depends on what you’re willing to do. Don’t listen to people who try to destroy your dreams. Most likely, someone tried to spoil theirs and probably succeeded. If you don’t think dreams are possible, ask anyone whose impossible dreams came true. They’ll tell you dreams really do come true.

5    E is for Enthusiasm. Enthusiasm matters a great deal. Enthusiasm is contagious. Infect the people you work with; create a more pleasurable, meaningful work environment. If you aren’t enthusiastic about what you’re doing, consider doing something else. Life is too short to curb your enthusiasm. 

6    F is for Failure. When you fail in school, you are held back; when you fail in life, you are set back. Failure is temporary and is nothing to be embarrassed about. Some of the greatest victories are a result of the worst defeats. Everyone faces personal struggles, failures, and moments of truth. Be a student of your own failure. There’s no shame in failing; the shame is in not trying.

7    G is for Give. Be known as a giver, not a taker. Make a difference in someone’s life; pay a compliment, do something nice, and volunteer. When you give to simply give, with no strings attached, you always end up getting more back. Try it and see for yourself.

8    H is for Happy. If you can wake up every day and be happy with yourself, your relationships, and your job, you are living life at its best. I know it isn’t easy; there’s always something to gripe about or problems that get in the way. Abraham Lincoln once said most people are about as happy as they make their minds up to be. Don’t complain; forget about your problems. Make your mind up to be happy.

9    I is for Invest. Invest in your future now. Just because you’re making money doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. Learn from the millions of people who wish they had invested their money rather than thrown it away. Don’t spend more than you earn; spend less. Stay out of debt and invest in yourself.

10    J is for Joyfulness. Find joy and meaning in everything you do. Find joy making others joyful; make your day by making someone else’s day. Call the store clerk, the driver, or the receptionist by name, and ask about his or her day. Then watch the response you receive. Reach out to others and make a personal connection; then feel and see joyfulness at its best.

11    K is for Knowledge. You may be done with your formal education, but some of your best lessons are yet to be learned. Become a lifelong learner; be a student of life. I heard this saying years ago: The more you know, the more you know you don’t know. The older I get, the more I understand it. Know that you don’t yet know all you need to know. Seek knowledge and learn something new every chance you get.

12    L is for Listen. There is a reason we all have two ears and only one mouth. Use yours proportionately. Listening is more than hearing. You are responsible for getting what someone’s telling you, so listen carefully. 

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1. It does matter what people think of you now. 

现在别人对你的看法至关重要。

本句是个强调句。助动词 do 的形式只有一般现在式 do/does 或过去式 did，选用哪种形式取决于原句的时态和主语。

2. Just because you’re making money doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. 

只因为你现在在挣钱并不意味着你就得把它花光。

本句中的 Just because 是连接词，用来引导名词从句，意思是“…这一点原因”、“…这一事实”，相当于 The fact that。又如：

Just because he is superior to me in wealth and social status doesn’t mean that he knows more than I do. 

仅仅因为他比我有钱、比我社会地位高并不意味着他就比我懂的多。

Just because he’s over sixty doesn’t mean he must retire. 

仅仅是年过60这一点并不意味着他必须退休。

3. Know that you don’t yet know all you need to know. 

要知道你还没有掌握所有你需要的知识。

本句中的 Know 是个祈使句型，后面跟的是其宾语从句。在宾语从句中，all 是第二个 know 的宾语，而后的 you need to know 是 all 的定语从句。

* Read the following paragraphs until you have learned them by heart.

A is for Adult. You’re an adult now for the rest of your life. As an adult, people expect you to look, act, and dress professionally and appropriately. It does matter what people think of you now. Maintaining your individuality is great — and encouraged. But a certain amount of conformity and maturity in appearance and behavior is expected.

B is for Better.  Be better than you need to be. You are a work in progress — become a student of life. Be someone for whom good isn’t good enough. Look for new ways of doing things, and don’t be afraid of change. Strive to improve yourself professionally and personally every single day.