After my 21 second－graders finished reciting the text, they settled back in their seats. But Duane remained __1__. Duane was a bright and lovable student, __2__ his mother, a single parent, had many problems such as drinking. __3__ that he might have had a bad night, I walked over to him to see what was wrong. As he looked up, I could see the __4__ in his dark eyes.
“ Mrs. Brown, aren't you going to open my present？” he asked __5__. “I put it on your desk.”
Getting back his gift from my desk, he handed it to me. I noticed my gift __6__ to be a matchbox. Duane told me that this was really a jewelry box __7__ a matchbox. As I opened it, the __8__ of two beer caps surprised me. Duane __9__ me that they were two silver earrings. He had noticed that I __10__ wore earrings and wanted me to have some pretty ones.
I was __11__ by Duane's creativity and thoughtfulness. __12__ birth, one of my ears was slightly deformed (畸形的). Fearing that wearing earrings might __13__ to the ear, I avoided wearing them. But how could I __14__ to wear these precious earrings given by this __15__ child?
As I placed the earrings on my ears, my __16__ clapped, and Duane stood proudly beside me.
Since then, the matchbox remained on my desk. It __17__ me of Duane's act of kindness and the lessons he taught me. Although his __18__ at home was bad, Duane continued to see the good in life. Although poor, he still wanted to __19__. Whenever I see Duane's gift on my desk, I feel encouraged. If I am having __20__ reaching a student, I'll try to be like Duane and give that student a piece of my heart.
1. A. sitting B. crying C. standing D. speaking
2. A. unless B. though C. so D. since
3. A. Wondering B. Thinking C. Finding D. Pointing
4. A. hope B. joy C. hurt D. determination
5. A. disappointedly B. angrily C. happily D. shyly
6. A. happened B. appeared C. used D. ought
7. A. as well as B. more than C. except for D. rather than
8. A. shape B. color C. design D. sight
9. A. persuaded B. fooled C. told D. encouraged
10. A. only B. often C. once D. never
11. A. frightened B. touched C. knocked D. influenced
12. A. Since B. Until C. Before D. By
13. A. do harm B. draw attention
C. add weight D. have an effect
14. A. refuse B. offer C. agree D. wait
15. A. generous B. honest C. special D. sad
16. A. hands B. class C. audience D. friends
17. A. convinced B. reminded
C. proved D. showed
18. A. performance B. experience
C. situation D. health
19. A please B. take C. give D. accept
20. A. chance B. possibility C. intention D. difficulty
