My First Day
I was still shy in the presence of a crowd. And my first day at the new 36 made me a laughing stock（笑柄） of the classroom .I was sent to the blackboard to write my   37 . I knew my name, and knew how to write it , but standing at the blackboard with the  38  of so many pupils on my back made me  39  inside and I was unable to write a single letter.
“Write your name,” the teacher called to me. I  40 the white chalk to the blackboard, as I was about to write, my mind went blank, I could not remember my name,  41 the first letter. Somebody laughed and I became  42 .
“Just forget us and write your name,” the teacher called and walked to my side,  43 at me to give me confidence.
“What is your name?” she asked.
“Richard,” I   44
“Then write it.”
I turned to the blackboard and lifted my hand to write, but then I was  45  again. I tried to  46  my senses but I could remember nothing. I realized how totally I was 47 and I grew weak and leaned my hot forehead  48 the cold blackboard. The room burst into a loud  49 and my muscles froze. I sat and  50  myself. Why did I always appear so dumb  51  I was called upon to perform in a crowd? I knew how to write as well as any other pupil in the classroom, and there was no  52 I could read better than any of them, and I could talk  53  when I was sure of myself. Then why did strange  54  make me freeze? I sat with my ears and neck  55 , hearing the pupils around me whisper, hating myself.  

When I was a teenager, I volunteered to give out water at a marathon. Watching the different runners who passed by and grabbed a cup was 36 . The next year I signed up for the race. I did little preparation and my only goal was to finish. On the day of the race, it was 37  hot. I remember struggling at about the 5^th mile, thinking, “I am never doing this again!”
Have you ever felt that way about something? You eagerly choose a goal 38     soon realize it is 39 to achieve than you imagined it would be. That first 10 km race was quite an experience. I jogged, I walked, I jogged and I walked. Then 40 a decisive moment. Near the end, a 70-year-old man ran past me. I felt 41  that I was younger than him but I couldn’t keep up with him. I felt defeated for a second but then I realized 42 . He was running his race and I was running mine. He had different experience, training and goals and I had mine. 43  in life do we 44  ourselves with others and feel disappointed in ourselves when we really shouldn’t? I decided, then, that one day I would be one of those 70-year-olds who were still running. 45  I crossed the finish line, I was proud of my achievement. Since then I have run several races and run purely for fun.
In life we all 46  compare ourselves with others, which is only natural. But don’t let them weaken you. 47 , you should use them to inspire you and show you what is possible. Then you are a true winner.

       Diane Ray was completely self-centered and very spoilt. Her parents gave her   36  she wanted, knowing that she would throw a temper tantrum(耍小孩脾气)if they did not. She would scream and kick and  37  on the floor drumming her heels. Her parents always   38  .

       That was why she was alone on the  39  , wearing an expensive swimsuit. It has taken a massive tantrum to  40  her parents to buy it. They were back at the beach-house,  41  from the tantrum she had thrown when they told her that it was too dangerous to go diving  42  . “Dangerous ?” she had said. “You just don’t want me to have  43  . I’m going and if you try to stop me, I’ll scream.”

       “What are you doing ?” a voice asked. Diane jumped. She did not know that the man was there  44  he spoke .

       “I’m going diving, ” she answered.

       “You shouldn’t swim that day, ” the man  45  . “There is a storm coming up.”

       “You should mind your own   46  !” Diane replied and walked into the gentle waves.

       “If you go out there you’ll be  47  ,” the man called after her. She did not bother to reply.

       Diane slipped into the water and dived   48   until white caps began rolling in and it became harder to  49  against the current (水流). Saltwater hit against her face, making it  50  to breathe. Oh, why had she not listened to advice.

       Panicking, she began to  51  . Then, just as it seemed as if she would slip beneath the surface, she heard a  52  voice. “Hold on ! I’m coming.” With  53  , she say the old man rowing an ancient-looking boat towards her. “I hope you’ve learned a lesson. You put us both in  54  , ” he shouted angrily, as he dragged her over the side of the  55  . Gratefully, Diane thanked him and ran towards the beach-house.

36.  A. either                     B. neither                   C. nothing           D. everything

37.  A. jump               B. lie                   C. spin                D. sleep

38.  A. set out                   B. set in                     C. gave in           D. gave out

39.  A. beach                    B. bed                 C. floor                D. ship

40.  A. allow               B. warn               C. get                  D. prefer

41.  A. changing        B. recovering            C. appearing            D. traveling

42.  A. alone                     B. away                     C. again                    D. aside

43.  A. time                B. money                   C. food               D. fun

44.  A. when                     B. until                 C. after               D. once

45.  A. decided         B. intended        C. advised         D. repeated

46.  A. business        B. swimsuit        C. friends          D. parents

47.  A. angry                     B. sorry               C. confused              D. excited

48.  A. nervously              B. sadly                     C. shyly               D. happily

49.  A. rise                 B. swim                     C. stop                D. row

50.  A. difficult           B. easy               C. comfortable          D. suitable

51.  A. speak                    B. sing                C. sniff                D. scream

52.  A. calm               B. frightening            C. beautiful         D. disgusting

53.  A. regret                    B. relief               C. interest          D. ease

54.  A. power                    B. safety                    C.. danger          D. thought

55.  A. house                    B. wave                     C. beach                   D. boat

I was on my lunch break in the city, enjoying a salad at an outdoor café, when a shabby homeless lady came waking towards me. She was _36_ everyone who walked past her for spare_37_ and she looked very dirty. My _38  reaction was fear and I hoped she wouldn’t come near me, but she did.. I was on the phone and when she__39_ , I said “ I’m on the phone” in the nicest way I could, telling myself what she needed was a lesson in _40_. She walked away, mumbling(自言自语), “ I’m_41_ you. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’ll leave.” And she turned the corner.
_42_ ,I would feel relieved or satisfied, but something in me couldn’t _43_ . Without another thought, I looked in my _44_ for the spare change I had. I even started searching through my entire purse, the pockets, everything for all of the change I could _45_ find to give. I got up and walked towards this lady and gave her all I _46_. She held my hand and said, “ Thank you!” Her hand was 47 and dirty, but I didn’t mind 48 her hand. I wanted to be there for her , when normally I would  49 the other way. She looked at me and said, “Will you touch my face?” And for some reason, I did. I put my hand on her cheek and she started to 50  .  I could  51 it was as if she had not been touched by a loving, soft hand in ages, 52 . And so I held it there, trying to 53 her with my heart open. It was powerful.
She thanked me and walked away quietly. And I walked away with an open heart, trying to 54  
sense of what had just happened. It changed something in me and has made me want to be a 55 person to the people I meet during my day.

When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.
“What are you doing at home?” I asked casually.
“Andrew, I was    31    today,” he answered quietly.
I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you    32    at home?”
Then I noticed his    33    and realized he was telling me the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career.    34    our family has been his joy, and I guess I have    35    his work for granted.
My father’s unemployment    36   many changes in our lives. For starters, he was at home all the time, which meant my bed had to be    37  , my room cleaned up, and my     38    done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer     39    jobs. I began to notice how    40    he seemed, and how losing his job affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be    41   . For the first time, I    42   my dad as vulnerable (易受伤的). He asked my brother and me to    43    less. I gave up my pocket money,    44    it wasn’t much. I felt I was doing the right. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad    45    to go in a totally different direction. He    46    that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him    47    it, and I admired how much time and     48    he expended. I    49   knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really affected me.
Although this was one of the    50    experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity (逆境), and will be my foundations for success.