My name is Ben Mansury. I’m fifteen years old and study in a middle school. In school, I never join in any group discussion or stage (舞臺(tái)) program. So, I never knew what stage nervousness was.
Our community (社區(qū)) has a weekly “Students Ideas” program. About two years ago, I received a(n)   1   from the chairman of our community. He invited me to the “Students Ideas” talk the next morning to speak to the group.
The time between his call to the next morning was like several weeks for me. The whole night, I could not sleep. Many   2   were coming. One of them was to call the chairman, with regret, and tell him that I could not come. But finally, I thought, if I missed this   3  , the community would never invite me again to any of their programs. So, I decided to go.
I reached the hall in time. When my turn came and I started, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to   4   the words on the paper properly. I had no idea where I was standing and what I was talking. That was the day when I   5   my biggest weakness: public speaking.
After I finished, I met with the chairman and   6   what happened to me. He said that this happens to everyone. It is very   7  . He suggested that I should come again the next week.
I   8   a talk carefully. This time when I gave the talk, I was somewhat comfortable but not confident (自信的). Afterwards, I met with the chairman again and told him about the improvement I   9   I had made. He was kind enough to invite me again.
For around one month, I practiced a lot for my talk. This time I was feeling comfortable and both the chairman and my neighbors thought I did a good job.    
I learned that everything is   10   if we take the first step, as the saying goes: A journey of thousand miles begins with first step.

During his college years, Sherman Rogers spent a summer in logging(伐木) camp. When the boss had to leave for   41  days, he put Rogers in charge(掌管).
“What shall I do if the men   42  to follow my orders?” Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, a worker who complained all day, gave the other men a   43  time.
“Fire（解雇） them,” the boss said. Then, as if reading Rogers’ mind, he added, “I suppose you are going to fire Tony if you get the   44 . I’d feel badly about that. I have been logging for 40 years. Tony is one of the best workers I’ve ever had. I know he hates everybody and   45 . But he comes in first and leaves last. There has not been an   46  for eight years on the hill where he works.”
The next day, Rogers went to Tony, “Tony, do you know I’m in charge here today?” Tony said yes. “I was going to fire you the first time we quarreled,   47  I want you to know I’m not,” he told Tony, adding   48  the boss had said.
When he finished, Tony dropped the things in his hand and tears went down his   49 .
“Why didn’t he tell me that eight years   50  ?”
That day Tony worked   51  than ever before – and he smiled!
Rogers went back to   52  after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again who was now boss for one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he came to California and happened to be so   53 .
Tony replied, “Were it not for the one minute you talk to me back that day, I would kill somebody some day. One minute   54  my whole life.”
Have you got one minute to thank someone? One minute to appreciate(欣賞) her or him? One minute. It can make a   55  for a lifetime.

About three years ago. I felt very    1    (孤獨(dú)的). I didn’t like my classmates, my parents or anyone else. My classmates didn’t want to talk w  2   me . My patents always said that other kids were better than me. I thought I was the most unlucky person in the world.

One day I had a big fight with one of my classmates. I was very a  3    and I hit him in the face. Just at that moment, a boy stood up and s  4   the fight. He was the   5   (班長) of our class.

After that, he was kind and fine to me. He often helped me and we became good friends. Whenever I got sad or angry , he would help me to clam    6  .My life began to change. Now I become happier than before. And it s   7   that people around me change,too.  My parents don’t shout at me any l   8    and my classmates    9   (接受) me。I get    10   well with my classmates.

完形填空（共15小題；每小題1分，滿分15分）

閱讀下面短文，從短文后所給各題的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。

Monday morning is an important time at our school. All of the students go to the playground. We listen to music, and we  1 the national flag go up.

　 Usually, one student gives a talk on Monday mornings. One Monday last year, a boy gave the talk. He was   2 and excited! When I saw him, I wanted to have a try, too.

　 Can I really do it?

　 Last week, our teacher said our class should give the talk. My teacher   3 me, “I know you want to have a try. Next Monday morning, I want you to give the talk. Go and write something down.  4 for it, I’m sure you’ll do well.”

“Thank you.” I answered. It was such a great  5 for me! When I got home, I was excited. I wrote two pages for the talk. I read them again and again. When I read, I asked my parents  6 . I wanted to make my teacher happy.

Finally Monday morning came. I began to feel  7 .

When did I last give a talk to  8 many people? Never! This was my first time. Could I really  9 it? Maybe I couldn’t finish the talk.

When I got to school, we all went out to the playground. I  10 in front of everyone. I opened my mouth, but I couldn’t say anything.

“Take it easy,” I said to  11 . “Don’t be nervous. You can do it.”

Just then, I looked down at everyone. I saw about 1,000 eyes. They were all looking at me ! I couldn’t  12  stand up.

I took a look at their eyes more carefully. Their eyes seemed to say, “You can do it! Come on!   13 afraid, just talk!”

I took a big breath. Then I began to talk. It wasn’t hard. It was easy.

I don’t know 14 I finished my talk, but I tried my best to do it. I felt so good that day. I showed myself  15 everyone what I can do.

1.                A．watch          B．see            C．notice    D．look at

2.                A．surprised       B．proud          C．bored    D．careful

3.                A．spoke          B．a(chǎn)sked for        C．said to    D．showed

4.                A．Look out        B．Come on        C．Take care D．Get ready

5.                A．chance         B．news           C．time D．message

6.                A．to do          B．to listen         C．to see    D．to play

7.                A．excited         B．happy          C．nervous  D．surprised

8.                A．a(chǎn)fter           B．such           C．before   D．so

9.                A．do            B．speak          C．talk  D．take

10.               A．sat            B．stood          C．jumped   D．ran

11.               A．me            B．myself         C．my class   D．my parents

12.               A．be able to       B．hardly          C．never D．even

13.               A．Not be         B．Don’t         C．Don’tbe  D．Not

14.               A．where         B．how           C．why  D．whether

15.               A．with           B．a(chǎn)t             C．to    D．for