完形填空

　　Every night after dinner, my mother and I would sit at the kitchen table．She would present new tests, taking her 　　1　　 from stories of amazing children she had read in newspapers and magazines．

　　The first night she brought out a story about a three-year-old boy who knew the capitals of all the states in our country and 　　2　　 most of the European countries．A teacher also said the little boy could also pronounce the names of the foreign cities correctly．

　　“What’s the capital of Finland?” my mother asked me, looking at the magazine story．

　　All I knew was the capital of California．“Nairobi!” I guessed, saying the most 　　3　　 word I could think of．She checked to see if that was possibly one way to 　　4　　 “Helsinki” before showing me the answer．

　　The tests got 　　5　　．One night I had to look at a page from the Bible(圣经)for three minutes and then report everything I could remember．I said all I remembered．And 　　6　　 I saw my mother’s disappointed(失望的)face once again, something inside of me began to 　　7　　．I hated the tests, the raised hopes and failed expectations．Before going to bed that night, I looked in the mirror in the bathroom and when I saw only my face looking back－and that it would always be this 　　8　　 face－I began to cry．I made loud noises like a mad animal．

And then I saw what seemed to be the prodigy(奇才)side of me－because I have never seen that face before．I looked at myself in the mirror, blinking(眨眼)so I could see more 　　9　　．The girl looking back at me was angry, strong．This girl and I were the same．I had new thoughts．I won’t let her 　　10　　 me．I won’t be what I’m not．

　　So the following nights when my mother presented 　　11　　 tests, I performed listlessly, my head on one arm．I pretended(假装)to be bored．And I was．I started to 　　12　　 other things．Soon, she noticed I was absent-minded．We had a talk and I told her what I thought and how I felt about the tests．Then the whole evening, she seemed to be thinking．

　　The next day, she presented me some easier tests．I found my pleasure and confidence back again, and we started to be on the way to make me a prodigy I could be．