Meet badminton superstar Chou Tien-Chen. He has been dreaming of becoming an Olympic champion ever since he was first introduced to the sport as a 5-year-old. That's a lofty goal for any kid. To even come close to reaching that goal would take years of practice and training. Chou is up to the challenge. [= ready for the challenge]
Aim high
In the early stages of his career as a professional athlete, Chou found himself stuck in a losing streak. He's lost 10 consecutive matches. But that didn't stop Chou from continuing to aim high. He didn't lose heart. [He didn't give up.]
In 2016, Chou qualified to compete in the Olympic Games and finished in fifth place. Today, he's ranked third in the world, and he's setting his sights on winning Olympic gold in 2020.
Stay focused
In an interview, Chou explained his focus. He said, "There is no plan B." For Chou, quitting is not an option, and he continues to work hard to hone his skills. His focus and determination seem to be guiding his career.
Language Lab
guts n.
guts [plural] informal : courage
- It takes a lot of guts for William to start a career at his age.
- The girl had the guts to fight against the unfair treatment she received at her workplace.
- The boy has the guts and brains to become an entrepreneur in the future.
streak n.
/ˈstriːk/
a period of repeated success or failure
- The team seems to be on a lucky streak now; they've won game after game lately.
- The football team's fans are hoping the team's losing streak will end soon.
- The baseball team's winning streak seems to be continuing after 10 wins.
qualify v.
to have the right to do, have, or be a part of something
- You have to be over 18 years old to qualify for the draft.
to have the skills that are required or do the things that are required to become a member of a team or to be allowed in a competition
- This certificate qualifies you to be a kindergarten teacher.
qualification n.
- Good English ability is one of the qualifications for this job.
hone v.
to make (something, such as a skill) better or more effective
- Mark became one of the top sales reps after honing his communication skills.
- This summer camp was designed to hone students' life skills.
to sharpen (something, such as a knife) with a stone
- The craftsman honed his knife blade with a whetstone.
Info Cloud
Hello friends welcome to Info Cloud. Today, we would like to talk about what happens when your plan doesn't work out.
When there is a problem with your original plan, you need a new one. We often refer to this plan as plan B.
It's not uncommon to hear people use letters when planning advance projects or trips. The original plan is always plan A.
The truth is it's not unusual for plan A to not work out which is why most people come out with plan B, just in case.
So, Rex. Exactly, how many letters can be added to the word plan.
I guess you could go all the way to z, if you had to, but plan A and plan B are the most common ones you'll hear.
Another way to talk about this kind of plan is to use the phrase backup plan.
Much like plan B, a backup plan is the plan you prepare in case things don't work out. There is a chance of rain tomorrow, we may need a backup plan.
We hope all of your plans work out, but it's always good to have a plan B or backup plan, just in case.
- Plan B
- There's a problem with the original plan.
- We are going with plan B now. - backup plan
