Unit1TextANever,evergiveup!1Asayoungboy,Britain'sgreatPrimeMinister,SirWinstonChurchill,attendedapublicschoolcalledHarrow.Hewasnotagoodstudent,andhadhenotbeenfromafamousfamily,heprobablywouldhavebeenremovedfromtheschoolfordeviatingfromtherules.Thankfully,hedidfinishatHarrowandhiserrorstheredidnotprecludehimfromgoingontotheuniversity.Heeventuallyhadapremierarmycareerwherebyhewaslaterelectedprimeminister.Heachievedfameforhiswit,wisdom,civicduty,andabundantcourageinhisrefusaltosurrenderduringthemiserabledarkdaysofWorldWarII.Hisamazingdeterminationhelpedmotivatehisentirenationandwasaninspirationworldwide.2Towardtheendofhisperiodasprimeminister,hewasinvitedtoaddressthepatrioticyoungboysathisoldschool,Harrow.Theheadmastersaid,"Younggentlemen,thegreatestspeakerofourtime,willbehereinafewdaystoaddressyou,andyoushouldobeywhateversoundadvicehemaygiveyou."Thegreatdayarrived.SirWinstonstoodup,allfivefeet,fiveinchesand107kilosofhim,andgavethisshort,clear-cutspeech:"Youngmen,nevergiveup.Nevergiveup!Nevergiveup!Never,never,never,never!"3Personalhistory,educationalopportunity,individualdilemmas-noneofthesecaninhibitastrongspiritcommittedtosuccess.Notaskistoohard.Noamountofpreparationistoolongortoodifficult.Taketheexampleoftwoofthemostscholarlyscientistsofourage,AlbertEinsteinandThomasEdison.Bothfacedimmenseobstaclesandextremecriticism.Bothwerecalled"slowtolearn"andwrittenoffasidiotsbytheirteachers.ThomasEdisonranawayfromschoolbecausehisteacherwhippedhimrepeatedlyforaskingtoomanyquestions.Einsteindidn'tspeakfluentlyuntilhewasalmostnineyearsoldandwassuchapoorstudentthatsomethoughthewasunabletolearn.Yetbothboys'parentsbelievedinthem.Theyworkedintenselyeachdaywiththeirsons,andtheboyslearnedtoneverbypassthelonghoursofhardworkthattheyneededtosucceed.Intheend,bothEinsteinandEdisonovercametheirchildhoodpersecutionandwentontoachievemagnificentdiscoveriesthatbenefittheentireworldtoday.4ConsideralsotheheroicexampleofAbrahamLincoln,whofacedsubstantialhardships,failuresandrepeatedmisfortunesinhislifetime.Hisbackgroundwascertainlynotglamorous.Hewasraisedinaverypoorfamilywithonlyoneyearofformaleducation.Hefailedinbusinesstwice,sufferedanervousbreakdownwhenhisfirstlovediedsuddenlyandlosteightpoliticalelections.Laterinlife,hesufferedprofoundgriefoverthetragicdeathofthreeofhisfourchildren.Yethisstrongwillwasthespurthatpushedhimforward,strengtheninghisoptimism,dedicationanddetermination.Itintensifiedandfocusedhiseffortsandenabledhimtotriumphovertheoverwhelmingfailuresandprofounddifficultiesinhislife.Ahundredyearslater,peoplefromaroundtheworldcommendAbrahamLincolnasthegreatestAmericanpresidentofalltime.5JustlikeChurchillandLincoln,onlythosewho"keeptheireyesontheprize",thosewhoupholdacommittedandfocusedwillandspirit,willfindtheirendeavorssuccessful.Manyartists,statesmen,writersandinventorshavehadthesameexperience.Theyachievedprosperitybecausetheypossessedafiercewilltokeeppreparingandworkingandapassiontosucceed.Theyattainedsuccess,notbecauseitwaseasy,butbecausetheyhadthewilltoovercomeprofoundobstaclesandtoworkdiligentlyinthepursuitoftheirgoals.6Aftergrowinguponacattleranchwithoutrunningwaterorelectricity,SandraDayO'Connorfoughttoachievethebesteducationpossible.Consistentlygraduatingatthetopofherclass,sheworkedherwayintoStanfordLawSchool,whereshegraduatedwithhonors.Butdespiteallofherhardwork,SandraDayO'Connor...
