My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!
When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the family. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
My real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was angry that the second-class hotel charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I decided to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. We experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.What Kemmons’ mom often told him during his childhood was ______.
| A.caring | B.moving |
| C.encouraging | D.interesting |
According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
| A.Doctors. | B.Nurses. | C.Friends. | D.Mom. |
What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
| A.His terrible experience in the hotel. |
| B.His previous business success of various levels. |
| C.His mom’s support. |
| D.His wife’s suggestion. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?
| A.Modest, helpful, and hard-working. |
| B.Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| C.Careful, helpful and beautiful. |
| D.Strict, sensitive and supportive. |