In the Eastern Han Dynasty, a man named Sun Jing was a famous politician. As a young man, he was diligent in study and often forgot eating and sleeping. When he was reading, he tied his hair to the roof beam with a rope. Therefore, when he dozed, he would feel pain and wake up as his hair was pulled upward by the rope, so that he would go on studying.

　　Su Qin in the Warring States Period was another example like Sun Jing. He felt sleepy when he was reading, so he took an awl and stabbed it into his own legs. Thus, the sudden pain would wake him up, and he could continue reading.

　　故事梗概

　　东汉时，有一个叫孙敬的年轻人，孜孜不倦勤奋好学，从早读到晚很少休息，有时候到了三更半夜的时候很容易打盹，为了不影响学习，孙敬想出一个办法，他找来一根绳子，一头绑在自己的头发上，另一头绑在房子的房梁上，这样读书疲劳打瞌睡的时候只要头一低，绳子牵住头发扯痛头皮，他就会因疼痛而清醒起来再继续读书。

　　战国时期的苏秦是一个有名的政治家，但是他在年轻的时候学问并不多，到了好多地方都没有人关注，即使有雄心壮志也得不到重用，于是他下定决心发奋图强努力读书。由于他经常读书读到深夜，疲倦到想要打盹的时候就用事先准备好的锥子往大腿上刺一下，这样突然的痛感使他猛然清醒起来，振作精神继续读书。

　　古有孙敬头悬梁，苏秦锥刺股，来告诫后人要认真读书学习。

　　重难点词汇及短语

　　politician政治家

　　diligent 勤奋的

　　beam 横梁

　　doze打瞌睡

　　wake up醒来

　　awl 锥子

　　stab刺