As he stood in front of the group of overachievers he said，"OK，time for a quiz."He pulled out a one-gallon，wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him.He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them，one at a time，into the jar.When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside，he asked，"Is this jar full？"
Everyone in the class yelled，"Yes."The time management expert replied，"Really？"He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of graveI.He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar，causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks.He then asked the group once more，"Is this jar full？"
[B]By this time the class was on to him."Probably not，"one of them answered."Good！"he replied.He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand.He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel.Once more he asked the question，"Is this jar full？"
"No！"the class shouted.Once again he said，"Good."Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim.Then he looked at the class and asked，"What is the point of this illustration？"[C]One eager student raised his hand and said，"The point is，no matter how full your schedule is，if you try really hard，you can always fit some more things in it！"
"No，"the speaker replied，"that's not the point.The truth this illustration teaches us is if you don't put the big rocks in first，you'll never get them in at all.What are the‘big rocks'in your life？Time with your loved ones，your education，your dreams，a worthy cause，teaching or mentoring others？Remember to put these big rocks in first or you'll never get them in at all."
难点重点，一目了然！
长难句解析 Sentence Structures
A One day，an expert in time management was speaking to a group of students and，to drive home a point，used an illustration those students will never forget.
一天，一个时间管理方面的专家为一群学生讲课。他现场做了演示，给学生们留下了一生都难以磨灭的印象。
drive home使人理解。例如：Speaking to a small group of reporters here in Riyadh，the president sought to drive home the impact higher oil prices are having in the United States and elsewhere.在对利雅德的一小群记者讲话时，总统谈了高油价对美国和其他国家的影响。
B By this time the cIass was on to him."ProbabIy not，"one of them answered."Good！"he repIied.He reached under the tabIe and brought out a bucket of sand.
这时候班里的学生要找他的茬。“也许不会，”一个学生回答。“太好了！”他回答道。他把手伸到桌子下面，拿出一桶沙子。
be on to sb.找某人的茬。例如：The reason for the quarrel was they were on to each other.他们争吵的原因是它们互相找对方的茬。
C One eager student raised his hand and said，"The point is，no matter how full your scheduIe is，if you try really hard，you can aIways fit some more things in it！"
一个学习勤奋的学生举手发言：“这说明，不管你的时间表排得多满，如果你真的去努力，你总能挤出时间来做其他事！”
no matter how无论如何；不管怎样。例如：No matter how strenuous the work was，no complaint ever passed her lips.不论工作多艰巨，她从来没有怨言。
The Birth of Wiffle 洞洞球的诞生
Track 018.MP3
朗读指数：★★★☆☆
背诵指数：★★★★☆
难度指数：★★★★☆
总词汇量：0361词汇
每个好故事都有灵魂！
今日关键语导读 Today's Key Points
人们很多时候会被脑中的习惯左右，这种习惯有时候会减轻脑力负担，只需依照旧有的方式去做。但是，更多时候会扼杀突如其来的灵感之苗，因此不会有新的突破。财富的创造、成功的诞生，都需要创造力和持久的努力。姆兰尼就是其中的一个传奇。
文中障碍词抢先攻克！
障碍词先听为快 Words and Expressions
精彩文字，耳听心受！
好英文娓娓动听 Words and Expressions
David wanted to play baseball，but fl fty years ago，in his small town，he cannot find enough players to form two full teams or an empty Iot big enough for field.And when he played ball in his backyard，he just broke windows and got into trouble.
So David began to playing a plastic golf ball and a broom handle for a bat.His father David，a former semi-pro baseball pitcher，realized his son was hurting his arm trying to throw curves with the little plastic ball，he set out to find a better solution.
[A]Mullaney got a bunch of hollow plastic hollow ball from a local factory，sat down at his kitchen table and started cutting different size holes in the balls with a razor knife.He thought maybe the holes would change the ball's flight and help son throw curves and sliders without hurting his arm.
All the balls failed except the one eight oblong holes cut into one of the hemispheres.The ball's curved naturally quickly without a violent snap of the wrist.In fact，David was now striking out many batters，he called his new ball a"wiffle ball".
A year later，he borrowed twenty thousand from his family and friends and started producing wiffle balls in his little suburban town of Shelton，Connecticut.I didn't want investors，he said，I wanted to manage my own company.
[B]This was the beginning of one of the hottest fads of the fifties and perenniaI best seller well known all around the world.Since then millions of boys and girls have enjoyed countless hours of safe，wholesome fun playing with a wiffle ball and bat.Esquire magazine has even called the wiffle ball nation treasure.
By producing high quality products at an affordable price，three generations of Mullaney's have enjoyed this success，profitable family business.For many years there had been a lot of people to buy them out，but they are still in the small factory working hard，making a new wiffle ball every couple of seconds.
Creativity and persistence are two of the important sources for wealth.[C]If he gave up his attempts at trying new things，he would not have invented the wiffle ball，or would he have made such a big fortune.
难点重点，一目了然！
长难句解析 Sentence Structures
A Mullaney got a bunch of hollow pIastic hollow ball from a IocaI factory，sat down at his kitchen tabIe and started cutting different size hoIes in the balls with a razor knife.
姆兰尼从当地的一个工厂弄来一串塑料空心球，坐在厨房的餐桌旁，开始用剃刀在球上刻大小不一的洞。
a bunch of一群；一束；一堆。例如：Learning a language is a lot more than learning a bunch of pronunciation rules.学习语言当然比学习一些发音方法更复杂。
B This was the beginning of one of the hottest fads of the fifties and perenniaI best seller well known all around the worId.
就这样，五十年代最狂热的时尚之一开始孕育起来，闻名世界的永久的畅销产品诞生了。
该句中出现多个of，这些都为所属关系，要注意翻译的语序。