阅读理解

　　Many years ago my student asked me the question,“Mrs．Kindred, why do you teach?”Without taking time to reflect, I answered,“Because someday I might say something that might make a difference in someone's life．”Even though I was sincere, that wasn't a very good answer and my student didn't let it slide．

　　“Let me get this straight,”he said,“You went to college for four years so you could come here every day because you have the hope that someday you might say something that will influence someone?”He shook his head as if I were crazy and walked away looking confused．I'm one of those people who look back and wish they had said something smart or witty, or swift．

　　Even though that particular student might no longer wonder why I teach, there are days when I wonder．On those days, I remind myself of the real reasons I teach：

　　It's in my blood．My mother was my most influential teacher, and she was a 6th grade reading teacher until her death in 1990．She instilled(逐渐灌输)in me a love of reading and the knowledge that education opens doors for．

　　Teaching is a way to make a difference．If you throw a stone in a pond the ripples go on and on until they reach the shore．You can't have ripples without a“stone．”Good teachers throw stones that make a positive difference, and that's what I strive to do．

　　I genuinely love teenagers．

　　I want to share with others what I know and what I have learned through the years．Life is full of ups and downs, and if I can help students avoid some potholes(洞坑)on the road of life, I want to do so．If they'll allow me to celebrate their victories with them, I want to do too．

　　Teaching isn't for everyone, but I know I made the right career choice．

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　　I am a teacher．Last Monday, at the beginning of class, I 　　1　　 asked my students how their weekend had been．A boy said that his weekend had not been so good．The boy then asked me 　　2　　 I always seemed to be so cheerful．

　　His question 　　3　　 me of something I'd read somewhere before, “Every morning when you 　　4　　 up, you have a 　　5　　 about how you want to face life that day．” I smiled and said to myself, “I choose to be cheerful．”

　　“Let me give you a(n)　　6　　,” I said．“In addition to teaching here, I also teach in another college, 17 miles down the freeway from where I live．A few weeks ago, I 　　7　　 those 17 miles to the school．I only had to 　　8　　 another quarter mile to reach the school, but then my car 　　9　　．I tried to start it again, but the engine wouldn't start．So I took my 　　10　　 and walked to school．”

　　“As soon as I got there, I called the garage and arranged for a tow truck(拖车)to meet me at my car 　　11　　 class．The headmaster asked me what had happened．“This is my 　　12　　 day,” I replied cheerfully．“Your car is broken and today is your lucky day?” she was 　　13　　．“What do you mean?” “I live 17 miles from here,” I replied．“My car could have broken down 　　14　　 along the freeway, but it didn't．　　15　　, it broke down in the perfect place：off the freeway and 　　16　　 walking distance from here．I'm still able to teach my class, and able to arrange for a tow truck to meet me．” The headmaster's eyes were 　　17　　 open and then she smiled．

　　I 　　18　　 the faces in my class．Although it was the early hour, no one seemed to be 　　19　　．My story had 　　20　　 them, or maybe it wasn't the story at all．

完形填空

　　I was fifteen months old, a happy kid…．until the day I fell．It was a 　　1　　 fall．I landed on a glass rabbit which cut my eye badly enough to make it blind．Trying to save the eye, the doctors stitched(缝合)the eyeball together where it was 　　2　　, leaving a big ugly scar(疤痕)in the middle of my eye．The attempt 　　3　　, but my mother, in all of her wisdom, found another doctor and the doctor said that if the eye were removed 　　4　　, my face would grow up badly ditorted(扭曲), 　　5　　 my scarred, sightless, cloudy and gray eye lived on with me．As I grew, this sightless eye in so many ways 　　6　　 me．

　　I walked with my face looking at the 　　7　　 so that people would not see the 　　8　　 me．Yet my mother would say to me, at every turn, “Hold your head up high and 　　9　　 the world．If you hold your head up high, it will be OK, and people will see your 　　10　　 soul．” She continued this 　　11　　 whenever I was trying to hide．

　　Mother’s words were of great help for me to face the world 　　12　　．As a teenager, even though I tended to look down to hide my shame, I found that sometimes when I held my head up high and let people know me, they 　　13　　 me．In high school, I was 　　14　　 both academically and socially．I was 　　15　　 elected class president．My mohter’s words helped me begin to realize that by letting people look at my face, I let them 　　16　　 the intelligence and beauty behind both eyes, even if they couldn’t see it on the 　　17　　．

　　Now I’m a happy wife and great mother．The message “Hold your head up high,” has been 　　18　　 many times in my 　　19　　 home．Each of my children has felt 　　20　　 value, and the gift my mother gave me has lived on in another generation．