I grew up poor-living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still to have a dream.
My dream was . By the time I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and anything that moved on the football field. I was also : My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me to believe in myself. He me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular _ with Coach John changed my life forever.
A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket-money for a new bike, new clothes and the of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.
When I told John, he was as as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He said. “Your days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head , trying to think of the to explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his in me.
“How much are you going to make at this job?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”
That simple question made for me the difference between something right now and having a . I devoted myself to sports that summer and the year I was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was a $20,000 contract. My baseball scholarship got me through university and in 1984 I signed with Denver Broncos for $1.7 million and bought my mother the house of her dreams.
A.happy B.polite C.shy D.honest
A.live B.afford C.make D.need
A.athletics B.music C.business D.money
A.throw B.play C.pass D.hit
A.right B.popular C.lucky D.wrong
A.how B.why C.when D.whether
A.gave B.taught C.brought D.asked
A.accident B.matter C.problem D.experience
A.aim B.idea C.start D.purpose
A.keep B.end C.give D.pick
A.mad B.puzzled C.frightened D.shameful
A.living B.playing C.working D.learning
A.moving B.nodding C.shaking D.hanging
A.answers B.excuses C.words D.ways
A.sadness B.regret C.hopelessness D.disappointment
A.direct B.clear C.straight D.bare
A.wanting B.changing C.dreaming D.living
A.wish B.dream C.score D.desire
A.by B.for C.over D.within
A.paid B.got C.offered D.presented