19．
My friend Brett had just got a bike．A lot of kids in my neighborhood knew how to ride．I also wanted to ride，but all the boys told me I couldn't do it because I was a girl．I decided to prove them wrong，so Brett let me try his bike．I wasn't on for one minute before I fell off．He came over to see if I was OK，but then started laughing．
That night I told my dad the whole story about how I wanted to be as good as boys．A few days later my dad told me he had found a nice bike．He brought it home and that was when I became the laughing stock （笑柄） of the neighborhood．All the boys thought it was a joke that I actually wanted to learn how to ride．
My dad spent four long weeks teaching me everything I needed to know about the bike and the basics of riding．Day after day and night after night he worked with me，and I began to progress．
Each ride on my dirt bike，I got a little better，and finally I was ready for my first time on a trip with some boys．At first I couldn't keep up and the boys had to wait for me．My bike often got stuck in the muddy creeks．
Every time I came back，I would cry，and every time I cried my dad was there to put his arms around me．He would tell me not to listen to them and that with more practice，I would be as good as others or better than them．
Things eventually got easier，as if I could ride with my eyes closed．I am still made fun of，not because I'm an amateur （技术不熟练的人） or not good，but because they felt threatened that a girl can do what they did．
46．Why did all the boys say that the writer couldn't ride a bike？Because the writer was a girl．
47．Did the writer's father get her a bike？Yes，he did
48．How long did it take for the writer to learn to ride a bike？Four （long） weeks
49．What happened to the writer's bike when she first had a trip with some boys？The bike often got stuck in the muddy creeks．
50．What can you learn from the writer according to the story？Try your best and you can do what you wanted．/You can do anything with enough practice．
