杨晓东

A

My First Day

I was still shy in the presence of a crowd. And my first day at the new _1_ made me a laughing stock of the classroom. I was sent to the blackboard to write my _2_. I knew my name， and knew how to write it， but standing at the blackboard with the _3_ of so many pupils on my back made me _4_ inside and I was unable to write a single letter.

“Write your name，” the teacher called to me. I _5_ the white chalk to the blackboard and， as I was about to write， my mind went blank （空白）; I could not remember my name， _6_ the first letter.

Somebody laughed and I became _7_. “Just forget us and write your name，” the teacher called and walked to my side， _8_ at me to give me confidence.

“What's your name？” she asked. “Richard，” I _9_. “Then write it.”

I turned to the blackboard and lifted my hand to write， but then I was _10_ again. I tried to  _11_ my senses but I could remember nothing. I realized how totally I was _12_ and I grew weak and leaned （斜靠） my hot forehead _13_ the cold blackboard. The room burst into a loud _14_ and my muscles froze. I sat and _15_ myself. Why did I always appear so speechless _16_ I was asked to perform in a crowd？ I knew how to write as well as any other pupil in the classroom， and there was no _17_ I could read better than any of them， and I could talk _18_when I was sure of myself. Then why did strange _19_ make me freeze？ I sat with my ears and neck _20_， hearing the pupils around me whisper， hating myself.

1. A. school B. house C. office D. lab

2. A. address       B. name             C. website           D. hobby

3. A. tears       B. pressure         C. eyes             D. smiles

4. A. freeze       B. struggle         C. fall               D. think

5. A. bought   B. picked           C. carried out         D. lifted

6. A. still           B. ever             C. even           D. also

7. A. delighted     B. nervous           C. disappointed       D. angry

8. A. pointing       B. looking           C. smiling         D. waving

9. A. whispered       B. explained         C. shouted           D. nodded

10. A. cried       B. stupid           C. quiet           D. blank

11. A. form         B. collect           C. make         D. lose

12. A. fighting       B. laughing           C. failing           D. happy

13. A. by         B. before           C. from           D. against

14. A. laughter       B. noisy             C. happiness           D. cheer

15. A. calmed         B. hid               C. comforted         D. blamed

16. A. where     B. that             C. when           D. since

17. A. need         B. doubt       C. wonder           D. use

18. A. correct       B. anxiously         C. clear             D. freely

19. A. faces         B. teachers         C. headmasters         D. classrooms

20. A. shaking     B. suffering       C. burning       D. hurting

B

On the way to the university. I often read advertisements. One day， I saw in a newspaper a teacher _1_ at a school about ten miles from where I lived. Being very short of _2_ and wanting to do something useful， I applied （申請） for it， _3_ as I did so， that without a degree or  _4_ of teaching my chances of getting the job were _5_.

However， three days later， a letter _6_， calling me to Corydon for a _7_ with the headmaster. It proved to be a _8_ journey; a train to Corydon station， a ten-minute bus ride and then a walk of at _9_ a quarter of a mile. As a result I arrived there， feeling _10_ hot to be nervous. It was clearly the _11_ himself that opened the door. He was short and round.

The school， he said， is made up of one _12_ of twenty-four boys between seven and thirteen. I should have to teach all the subjects except art， _13_ he taught himself. I should have to divide the class into _14_ groups and teach them in turn at three different levels， and I was  _15_ at the thought of teaching maths _16_ at which I wasn't very good at school. Worse perhaps was the idea of _17_ to teach them on Saturday afternoon because most of my friends would be _18_ themselves at that time.

Before I had time to ask about my salary （薪水）， he got up to his _19_. “Now，” he said， “you'd better meet my wife. She is the one who really _20_ this school.”

1. A. kept     B. lost       C. wanted     D. found

2. A. money   B. time     C. students     D. clothes

3. A. expecting   B. whispering     C. fearing       D. hoping

4. A. material     B. experience     C. means       D. books

5. A. nice     B. possible     C. slight       D. helpful

6. A. arrived     B. returned     C. wrote       D. received

7. A. match       B. meeting     C. quarrel       D. visit

8. A. difficult     B. pleasant       C. comfortable     D. short

9. A. most     B. least       C. last       D. first

10. A. very     B. almost     C. so       D. too

11. A. teacher     B. headmaster   C. student     D. door-keeper

12. A. group     B. class     C. dozen     D. score

13. A. what     B. that       C. which     D. this

14. A. one     B. two     C. three       D. four

15. A. excited     B. disappointed   C. glad     D. angry

16. A. lesson     B. book     C. subject     D. problem

17. A. forcing     B. having     C. forgetting     D. managing

18. A. playing     B. studying     C. enjoying     D. helping

19. A. office     B. feet       C. hands       D. wife

20. A. runs       B. starts     C. observes     D. begins