20.A.free
B. awake
C. alive
D. successful
(14)
It was Friday--the most
trying day of a teacher's week. As I was going to dismiss the class, Jan, who
sat in back of Bill, suddenly
shouted, "Teacher! Bill took my dime. It was 1 here by my ink bottle when I went to sharpen my
pencil and now it's 2 ."
Billy only dropped his head 3 .
The dime had 4 been there. I had seen it. And Billy was
the 5 one who had been near Jan's desk.
By now the children were
quiet, obviously waiting for me to take 6 . Perhaps I hadn't slept well the
night before; 7 perhaps it was the look of expectation in
the children's eyes. 8 , I lost my control. I scolded Billy
for being 9 .
"Give Jan her
dime." I ordered. Billy didn't say one word in 10 .
"Now turn all your 11 inside out and take off your shoes!"
He did 12 . But there was no dime.
" 13
your desk!" I
commanded. Patiently he did so. The dime wasn't there either. He returned the
books and papers to his desk without a word. Then he 14 his face in his arms.
Instantly I 15 my mistake. I, the person who could
defend him, had 16 him. That afternoon one of the boys
went to the front of the room to sharpen his pencil. "Hey!" he cried,
"Here's Jan's dime on the board ledge(突出的狭长部分). She must have 17 it here when she sharpened her
pencil."
I felt heartsick. I went to
Billy, and 18 him into my arms. "I'm so sorry,
Billy. I had no 19 to scold you. Will you ever pardon
me?"
Slowly he raised his eyes to
mine. There were no tears but the 20 in his eyes branded my heart forever.