I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was ___36___ and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be ___37___ but a failure.”

After five years of ___38___ jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best ___39___ that could have happened to me. I ___40___ I wanted to do something positive (积极的) with my life because I wanted to prove to ___41___ that what people said about me was ___42___. Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s ___43___ it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my ___44___ and went to college. My first novel (小说) ___45___ while I was at college.

After college I taught during the ___46___ in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a ___47___ in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of ___48___ that job to write full time ___49___ I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself—___50___ was a working-class boy who’d ___51___ school early, now teaching at the university.

My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and ___52___, have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. ___53___ what does it mean? I ___54___ wish all the people that have put me down had ___55___: “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”

36. A. bright   B. useless       C. simple D. hopeful

37. A. anything      B. something  C. everything  D. nothing

38. A. low      B. poor   C. good   D. useful

39. A. support B. happiness   C. surprise      D. thing

40. A. admitted      B. decided      C. planned      D. told

41. A. me       B. them   C. her     D. it

42. A. wrong  B. right   C. stupid D. faulty

43. A. see       B. know  C. understand  D. face

44. A. experiment  B. practice      C. writing       D. composition

45. A. came on      B. came in      C. came out    D. came back

46. A. day      B. night   C. month D. year

47. A. graduation   B. pass    C. degree D. success

48. A. giving in     B. giving back       C. giving out  D. giving up

49. A. while   B. if C. when  D. or

50. A. there    B. here    C. it D. that

51. A. left      B. attended    C. changed     D. graduated

52. A. tired     B. calm   C. nervous      D. famous

53. A. And     B. But     C. However    D. Well

54. A. just      B. exactly       C. so       D. very

55. A. praised B. said    C. answered    D. advised

I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was 21 and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be 22 but a failure.”

After five years of 23 jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best24 that could have happened to me. I 25  I wanted to do something positive (积极的) with my life because I wanted to prove to26 that what people said about me was 27. Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s28 it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my29 and went to college. My first novel (小说)30 while I was at college.

After college I taught during the31 in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 32 in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of33 that job to write full time 34 I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself — 35 was a working-class boy who’d 36 school early, now teaching at the university.

My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and 37 , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 38 what does it mean? I39 wish all the people that have put me down had 40 : “I believe in you. You’ll succeeD.”

21.A.bright              B.useless         C.simple         D.hopeful

22.A.anything            B.something      C.everything     D.nothing

23.A.low                B.poor           C.good          D.useful

24.A.support             B.happiness       C.surprise        D.thing

25.A.admitted            B.decided         C.planned        D.told

26.A.me                 B.them          C.her           D.it

27.A.wrong              B.right          C.stupid         D.faulty

28.A.see                 B.know          C.understand     D.face

29.A.experiment          B.practice        C.writing        D.composition

30.A.came on             B.came in        C.came out     D.came back

31.A.day         B.night        C.month       D.year

32.A.graduation           B.pass           C.degree       D.success

33.A.giving in     B.giving back   C.giving out    D.giving up

34.A.while               B.if           C.when          D.or

35.A.there        B.here         C.it           D.that

36.A.left           B.attended             C.changed             D.graduated

37.A.tired          B.calm                C.nervous      D.famous

38.A.And          B.But                 C.However     D.Well

39.A.just         B.exactly              C.so            D.very

40.A.praised    B.said C.answered D.advised

Dear Guys,

I’d like to talk to you about the shame you subjected me to last night. Let me first refresh your memory: You, a group of fit, young men, were playing soccer on the field across from my apartment building. I, a better-than-average looking young woman, was walking along the sidewalk with my groceries. That’s when your ball came flying over the fence and landed in front of me.

One of you approached and asked politely if I would throw the ball back to you. Fighting the urge to drop my bags and run screaming down the street, I reluctantly agreed.

Before I continue, let me explain something that I didn’t have a chance to mention last night: I hate sports. More specifically, I hate sports involving balls. This results from my lack of natural ability when it comes to throwing, catching and hitting. I’m bad at aiming too. So you can understand why I’d be nervous at what I’m sure seemed to you like a laughably simple request. However, wanting to appear agreeable, I put my bags down, picked up the ball and, eyes half-shut, and threw it as hard as I could.

It hit the middle of the fence and bounced back to me.

Trying to act casually, I said something about being out of practice, then picked up the ball again. If you’ll remember, at your command, I agreed to try throwing underhand. While outwardly I was smiling, in my head, I was praying, Oh God, oh please oh please oh please. I threw the ball upward with all my strength, terrified by what happened next.

The ball hit slightly higher up on the fence and bounced back to me.

This is the point where I start to take issue with you. Wouldn’t it have been a better use of your time, and mine, if you had just walked around the fence and took the ball then? I was clearly struggling; my smiles were more and more forced. And yet, you all just stood there, motionless.

Seeing that you weren’t going to let me out of the trouble, I became desperate. Memories of middle school softball came flooding back. I tried hard to throw the ball but it only went about eight feet, then I decided to pick it up and dash with ball in hand towards the baseline, while annoyed thirteen-year-old boys screamed at me that I was ruining their lives. Children are cruel. Being a big girl now, I pushed those memories aside and picked up the soccer ball for the third time. I forced a good-natured laugh while crying inside as you patiently shouted words of support over the fence at me.

“Throw it granny-style!” one of you said.

“Just back up a little and give it all you’ve got!” another offered.

And, most embarrassing of all, “You can do it!”

I know you thought you were being encouraging, but it only served to deepen the shame.

Anyway, I accepted your ball-throwing advice, backed up, rocked back and forth a little, took a deep breath and let it fly.

It hit the edge of the fence and bounced back to me.

I surprised myself --- and I’m sure you as well --- by letting out a cry, “DAMN IT!!!” I then willed myself to have a heart attack and pass out in front of you just so I’d be put out of my misery. Alas, the heart attack didn’t happen, and you continued to look at me expectantly, like you were content to do this all night. I had become a sort of exhibition for you. I could feel your collective thoughts drifting through the chain-link: “Can she really not do it? But I mean, really?”

Unfortunately for you, I wasn’t really game to continue your experiment. Three failed attempts at a simple task in front of a group of people in a two-minute period was just enough blow for me for one night. I picked up the ball one last time, approached the fence and grumbled, “Please just come get the damn ball.”

And you did. And thanks to you, I decided at that very moment to never throw anything ever again, except disrespectful glances at people who play sports.

Sincerely, Jen Cordery

1. The writer agreed to throw the ball because _______.

A. she needed to have a relax carrying the heavy groceries

B. she wanted to refresh her childhood memories

C. she could not refuse the polite request from the young man

D. she had fallen in love with the young man at first sight

2.Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “game”?

A. anxious                                      B. brave                                C. afraid                                D. curious

3.Why did the writer mention her middle school memory?

A. To explain why she failed the attempts to throw the ball back.

B. To complain that she had not mastered the ball throwing skills.

C. To show how cruel those 13-year-old boys were.

D. To express her dislike towards softball.

4.What the boys said before the writer’s third attempt actually made the writer ________.

A. inspired                                     B. encouraged                     C. embarrassed                   D. depressed

5.What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this open letter?

A. To express her regret over what she did the day before.

B. To announce that she would never play ball games again.

C. To explain her own inability to throw the ball over the fence.

D. To criticize the young men for their cruelty to her dignity.

 

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