It was her giggling (咯咯笑) that drew
my attention. Note taking really wasn’t all that funny.
Walking over to the offender (肇事者), I asked for the
36 . Frozen, she refused to give it to me. I waited, all attention in the classroom on the quiet
37 between a teacher and a student. When she finally
38 it over she whispered, “Okay, but I didn’t draw it.” It was a hand-drawn
39 of me, teeth blackened and the words “I’m stupid” coming out of my mouth.
I managed to fold it up calmly. My mind,
40 , was working angrily as I struggled not to
41 . I figured I knew the two most likely students who drew the picture. It would do them some
42 to teach them a lesson, and maybe it was high time that I did it.
Thankfully, I was able to keep myself
43 .
When there were about six minutes remaining, I showed the class the picture. They were all silent as I told them how
44 this was for me. I told them there must be a reason
45 and now was their chance to write down anything they needed to tell me. Then I let them write silently while I was seated in the back of the classroom, with tears in my eyes.
As I
46 the notes later, many of them said something like, “I’ve got nothing
47 you.” or “I’m sorry you were hurt.” Some kids said, “We’re afraid of you.” But two notes, from the girls who I
48 drew the picture, had a list of issues. I was too
49 , too strict…
Reading those notes, I realized that over the course of this year, instead of
50 my students, I had begun commanding them to
51 . Where I thought I was driving them to success I was
52 driving them away. I had some apology to make. But the next day in the classroom, one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one
53 by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for
54 .
This was a lesson for both the kids and me. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the
55 .
1.
| A. note
| B. advice
| C. reason
| D. help
|
2.
| A. battle
| B. competition
| C. argument
| D. conversation
|
3.
| A. took
| B. thought
| C. turned
| D. handed
|
4.
| A. statue
| B. graph
| C. picture
| D. poster
|
5.
| A. otherwise
| B. however
| C. therefore
| D. besides
|
6.
| A. leave
| B. cry
| C. explain
| D. argue
|
7.
| A. good
| B. harm
| C. favor
| D. punishment
|
8.
| A. amused
| B. controlled
| C. uninterested
| D. relaxed
|
9.
| A. meaningful
| B. forgetful
| C. regretful
| D. hurtful
|
10.
| A. aside
| B. above
| C. under
| D. behind
|
11.
| A. wrote
| B. finished
| C. read
| D. collected
|
12.
| A. beyond
| B. from
| C. against
| D. for
|
13.
| A. figured
| B. promised
| C. concluded
| D. confirmed
|
14.
| A. talkative
| B. mean
| C. funny
| D. considerate
|
15.
| A. forcing
| B. encouraging
| C. comforting
| D. teaching
|
16.
| A. appreciate
| B. apologize
| C. promise
| D. succeed
|
17.
| A. actually
| B. normally
| C. immediately
| D. generally
|
18.
| A. decorated
| B. offered
| C. signed
| D. bought
|
19.
| A. thankfulness
| B. pardon
| C. congratulation
| D. communication
|
20.
| A. friendship
| B. education
| C. knowledge
| D. future
|
ways. Each day went perfectly,
and a wild excitement 50 Susan. She was doing it!
e bus, the driver said, “Miss, I sure 52 you.” Curious, Susan asked the driver 53 .
to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鷗) are far less agile (靈活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to
have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.”
___.
