I Can’t Accept Not TryingI Can’t Accept Not Trying Michael JordanMichael Jordan

Michael Jordan,the world-famous basketball star,has clearly been successful in choosing and accomplishing both personal and professional goals.In his book he writes about how he approached the challenges he faced.As you read this excerpt,think about how his book’s title,I Can’t Accept Not Trying,applies to his experiences.

Background Information

Quote

“I can accept failure,but I can’t accept not trying.”

------- Michael JordanD:\乔丹.rm

Michael Jordan was the dominant basketball player in the world during the 1990s. He won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award five times, and six times led the Chicago Bulls to the league championship. Jordan led the Bulls to his first three championships came in 1991, 1992 and 1993 with superb shooting and playmaking and a competitive killer instinct. In October of 1993 he stunned his fans by retiring from basketball and beginning a professional baseball career, saying that playing baseball had been an early dream of his. He played the 1994 baseball season for the minor league Birmingham Barons. In March of 1995 he ended his baseball career and returned to the Bulls. With Jordan, the Bulls won three more championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. He retired from basketball in 1999. In the year 2000 he became a part owner and executive for the NBA's Washington Wizards. In 2001 Jordan began considering another comeback as an NBA player, and that fall, at age 38, he returned once again to play for the Wizards. He played for two more full seasons, retiring again in April of 2003.

Reading Analysis

Read Text A and complete the following table.

Part Topic Paragraph Main idea

1 My own agenda 1-2 Although everyone had a different agenda for me, I had my own.

2 How I set short-term goals and tried to achieve them

3-4 I set short-time goals and focused on them. When a goal was achieved, I set another realistic goal.

5-7 I visualized where I wanted to be and gained confidence every time I reached my goal.

3 My reasons for setting and achieving short-term goals

8-14 Take small steps and try your best, and you will have some accomplishments along the way.

UnderstandingUnderstanding the Textthe TextAnswer the following questions.

1.What’s Michael Jordan’s ultimate goal?

2.How did he approach his goals?

3.What did he think of everyone’s suggestion that he shouldn’t go to the University of North Carolina after high school?

4.What did he learn when he got cut from the varsity team in high school?

5.How did he achieve his goal of becoming a starter on the varsity?

6.What did he visualize each time?

7.What did he gain every time he reached his goal?

8.What does the writer think of success?

9.Why does he always set short-time goals?

10.What’s the best way of accomplishing something?

Topics for discussionTopics for discussion

1.In the text the writer says that each time he set a goal, he visualized where he wanted to be, what kind of player he wanted to become. Do you think it was of some help to his success? Why ?

2.The writer says that if you’ve done your best, then you will have had some accomplishments along the way. Do you agree with the writer? Use examples to illustrate your opinion.