I lost my sight when I was four years old when falling off a train to Atlantic City. But I was . My parents and my teachers saw something in me -a potential to live, you might call it -which I didn't see, and they encouraged me to blindness.
The hardest lesson I had to was to believe in myself. If I hadn't been able to do that, I would have walked with a stick for the rest of my life. When I say belief in myself I am not _ talking about the kind of self-confidence that helps me down an staircase alone. That is part of it. But I mean something bigger than that. Although imperfect in some aspect, I am a real, positive person. There is a special place where I can make myself fit.
It took me years to discover and this self-confidence. It had to start with the most basic things. Once a man gave me an indoor baseball. I thought he was making fun of me and I was .
"I can't use this," I responded.
"Take it with you," he urged me, "and roll it around. "
The words stuck in my head. "Roll it around! " By rolling the ball I could where it went. This gave me an how to achieve a goal I had thought impossible: playing baseball. At Philadelphia's Overbrook School for the Blind I invented a new kind of baseball. We called it ground ball.
All my life I have set ahead of me a series of goals and then tried to them one by one. I also knew my limitations. It was no good trying something that I knew at the start was wildly out of reach because that only the bitterness of failure. I would fail sometimes anyway but on the average I made .
A．unfortunate B．disappointed C．lucky D．ashamed
A．share with B．play with C．toy with D．fight with
A．meet B．learn C．avoid D．prepare
A．simply B．slightly C．frequently D．directly
A．unusual B．unfair C．unfamiliar D．uncomfortable
A．lengthen B．strengthen C．deepen D．widen
A．hurt B．amused C．greeted D．praised
A．find B．see C．smell D．hear
A．event B．offer C．idea D．excuse
A．receive B．achieve C．classify D．follow
A．refused B．removed C．caused D．replaced
A．sense B．mistakes C．friends D．progress
The first Christmas I spent away from home happened to be in England. At that time, shops in Poland were still ______ bare and decorations didn’t appear in the shop windows until about a week before the actual celebration of Christmas. Therefore, I was _______ to see so many English shops _______ decorated from top to bottom as early as November. I was enchanted(喜悦) and I loved it. By the middle of December, however, it had started to _______ me and when I could hear Christmas carols in every ______ I went to, I started to feel sad and ______. Never mind, I thought, as I was really looking forward to ________ Christmas the English way.
I spent Christmas Eve with an English family. The house was tastefully ______, there was a Christmas tree and roaring fire in the fireplace. My first ________ on that day came when instead of going to church, everybody went to the local pub. Surely, I thought, there can’t be anything ______ about it as they go there every Friday, Saturday and ______ in the middle of the week. So I missed our Polish special moments that happen on Christmas Eve, our traditional supper, breaking the bread and ________ each other only good things.
At first I thought that I ______ spending Christmas the way we do it in Poland but looking back, I know that it was a(n) _______ experience. Now, whenever I happen to spend Christmas in England, the thing I ______ most is the way it differs from the Polish way of celebrating Christmas.
A．pretty B．hardly C．somehow D．unexpectedly
A．excited B．surprised C．pleased D．worried
A．actively B．surprisingly C．strangely D．beautifully
A．displease B．puzzle C．interest D．frighten
A．school B．church C．restaurant D．shop
A．angry B．homesick C．heartbroken D．astonished
A．experiencing B．accepting C．touching D．making
A．built B．celebrated C．decorated D．arranged
A．shock B．story C．sadness D．happiness
A．interesting B．ordinary C．special D．important
A．even B．often C．never D．seldom
A．explaining B．introducing C．wishing D．congratulating
A．regretted B．forgot C．complained D．missed
A．useful B．unforgettable C．unpleasant D．unfortunate
A．experienced B．enjoyed C．hated D．Disagreed
My neighbor Jennifer is blind, but you’d never know it. She makes such good use of her other , including her "sixth sense", that she hardly gives the impression that she has anything. Jennifer looks after her children much like the rest of us, that she doesn’t push too hard on them, really benefit a lot from her relaxed attitude. She knows when to clean the house, and she moves around so fast that often don't realize she's blind.
I this the first time after my six-year-old daughter, Kayla, went to play there. When Kayla came home, she was very about her day. She told me they had baked cookies, played games and done art projects. But she was excited about her finger-painting project.
“Mom, guess what?” said Kayla, all smiles. “I learned how to colors today! Blue and red make purple, and yellow and blue make green! And Jennifer with us”. To my great , my child had learnt about color from a blind friend! Then Kayla continued, “Jennifer told me my showed joy, pride and a sense of accomplishment(成就感). She really what I was doing!” Kayla said she had never known how good finger paints felt Jennifer showed her how to paint without looking at her paper.
I realized Kayla didn't know that Jennifer was blind. It had just never in conversation. When I told my daughter that Jennifer was blind, she was for a moment. At first, she didn't believe me. “But Mommy, Jennifer knew exactly what was in my picture!” Kayla . And I knew my child was because Jennifer had listened to Kayla describe her art work. Jennifer had also heard Kayla's in her work.
We were silent for a minute. Then Kayla said slowly, “You know, Mommy, Jennifer really did ‘see’ my picture. She just used my .”
Indeed, she uses a special type of “vision” that all mothers have.
A．senses B．means C．methods D．ways
A．enjoyed B．found C．missed D．got
A．instead B．except C．since D．but
A．which B．it C．she D．who
A．children B．family C．guests D．friends
A．witnessed B．heard C．recognized D．realized
A．sad B．satisfied C．excited D．sorry
A．not at all B．not so C．a little D．especially
A．mix B．draw C．write D．paint
A．stayed B．painted C．talked D．studied
A．surprise B．encouragement C．delight D．excitement
A．attitude B．picture C．homework D．paper
A．understood B．found C．saw D．touched
A．after B．unless C．until D．when
A．talked about B．turned out C．referred to D．come up
A．curious B．quiet C．puzzled D．worried
A．cried B．insisted C．required D．informed
A．uncertain B．wrong C．worried D．right
A．shortcomings B．difficulties C．pride D．description
A．eyes B．pens C．hands D．paper
Some people are afraid of starting a casual conversation with a stranger because of a fear of not having anything interesting to say. Fear of rejection (拒绝) is also a for keeping silent. Small talk in a conversation can as a way of warming up and getting to each other. Most people, no matter successful they are at work, will find the process of small talk uncomfortable, even pointless(无意义的). , you will have a pretty small world you refuse to let others in. Starting off with a casual comment or question will make others , and even just greeting them with a simple “hello” will often be enough.
Once you have made the first , there is no turning back. You need to keep things before you can gracefully say goodbye. Think about what you would like to with a new friend and that is what you can ask the other person about. Work, family, hobbies or interests are some points of discussion. To keep the ball rolling, you can show that you are really in what they are saying. Once you find common of interest, things will definitely off from there.
Small talk can out to be a pleasant experience. The conversation be brief and casual without turning into a long and boring discussion. Do not let yourself the conversation. Stop worrying about how big of a fool you may appear to be. You may find out later on that you have the “ ” of getting people to open up to you by engaging them in small talk.
A．right B．reason C．result D．sign
A．take B．use C．mean D．serve
A．know B．learn C．recognize D．help
A．what B．whether C．why D．how
A．giving B．leaving C．making D．forcing
A．So B．Instead C．However D．Besides
A．unless B．until C．if D．Though
A．comfortable B．upset C．nervous D．satisfied
A．try B．plan C．wish D．move
A．changing B．rising C．improving D．going
A．know B．share C．do D．show
A．private B．present C．important D．general
A．careful B．surprised C．interested D．encouraged
A．ideas B．experiences C．points D．senses
A．take B．put C．get D．set
A．come B．turn C．find D．figure
A．should B．can C．will D．may
A．start B．complete C．consider D．control
A．still B．even C．ever D．almost
A．right B．advantage C．talent D．Habit
Every time I passed boys who were playing basketball, I stopped to silently watch them. I really envied them. But as a girl, I once thought that I could play basketball.
I like playing basketball though I'm not good at it. I've had a basketball I was a child. At first, I could play freely because no one when I was just a kid. But as I grew up it seemed harder and harder for me to enjoy basketball.
At school, it was always the boys who played basketball during PE classes. The girls were allowed to play volleyball or badminton.
My parents did not me play basketball at home. “Basketball is not fit for girls，” they said. when I went to play basketball with my friends, boys at me on the court as if I were an alien.
I was feeling and had lost hope of playing basketball. ， something changed the first day of high school. I made some friends who also enjoyed playing basketball. They me to get back on the court.
One of them told me with a smile, “Go your own ； let others talk.” This girl would always play basketball with me. Even the boy who sat next to me in class talked about with me almost every day.
I was inspired by them. Confidence and passion to my heart. I am ready to stand up and play. I will play as well as I can， for me, even the sky is boundless (无限的).
Basketball has become an important part of my . I am interested in it. I watch matches and enjoy playing almost every day. Through basketball, not only do I feel happy and confident, but also a lot.
I've heard the NBA star Tracy McGrady say, “Nothing is impossible.” It is from an advertisement on TV. I have to realize that life is just like playing basketball. You should have an . After that, just be confident and going. Never give up and you'll make it sooner or later.
I love the motto of the NBA. It can my strong feelings for basketball, “I love this game！”
A．ever B．often C．never D．always
A．when B．before C．after D．since
A．struggled B．cared C．enjoyed D．joined
A．only B．almost C．hardly D．not
A．encourage B．agree C．let D．permit
A．Still B．Yet C．Just D．Even
A．looked B．glared C．glanced D．stared
A．up B．down C．excited D．satisfied
A．Unluckily B．Naturally C．Unexpectedly D．Clearly
A．encouraged B．forbade C．ensured D．explored
A．effort B．way C．business D．direction
A．basketball B．sports C．interests D．dreams
A．stuck B．referred C．turned D．returned
A．but B．though C．and D．however
A．wish B．life C．work D．study
A．experience B．grow C．learn D．play
A．come B．turned C．refused D．happened
A．idea B．aim C．opinion D．effort
A．insist B．remain C．keep D．last
A．inform B．express C．ignore D．connect
I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people___ I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a____person.
I think my ____ _started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my____ _and be left alone. I thought I was smarter than everyone else, so I hardly ever_____ to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really____ _. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) ___ _. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I___ _ to help. That was really a big___ for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of___ _are still my best friends today.
A bigger cause of my new____ __, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer’s disease became my____ . Every time I came into her room, she was so ______ _ because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never____ __her, so I took her place. She let me ____ ___that making others feel good made me feel good, too. When she died, I was____ _, but I was very grateful to her.
I think I am a much_____ person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not_____ _ these experiences. They have ____ me to care about other people more than about myself. I _____ __who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.
A．since B．before C．or D．unless
A．famous B．simple C．different D．skilled
A．education B．career C．tour D．change
A．balance B．homework C．degree D．interest
A．talked B．wrote C．lied D．reported
A．careful B．lonely C．curious D．guilty
A．argument B．game C．experiment D．defence
A．dared B．offered C．hesitated D．happened
A．dream B．problem C．duty D．step
A．us B．which C．them D．whom
A．attitude B．hobby C．hope D．luck
A．friend B．partner C．guide D．guest
A．polite B．happy C．strange D．confident
A．bothered B．answered C．visited D．trusted
A．explain B．guess C．declare D．see
A．homeless B．heartbroken C．bad-tempered D．hopeless
A．quieter B．busier C．better D．richer
A．forget B．face C．improve D．analyze
A．forced B．preferred C．ordered D．taught
A．miss B．like C．wonder D．expect
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