36、Life is not easy for me. When I was 14, I was quite nervous to talk with others. My classmates often laughed at me. I was sad but could do nothing. Later, something happened. It changed my life.

It was an English speech contest. My mother asked me to take part in it. “Come on, boy. Believe in yourself. You are sure to win.” said Mum. Then Mother and I talked about many different topics. At last, I chose the topic “Believe in yourself”. I tried my best to remember all the sentences and practiced them again and again. Luckily, I did well in the contest. I could hardly believe my ears when the news came that I had won the first prize. I heard the cheers from the teachers and students. They all said “Congratulations!” to me. My mother hugged me and cried excitedly.

From then on, no matter what I do, I try to tell myself to be confident.

根据短文内容，回答下列问题。

1. What was my problem when I was 14?

2. Who helped me to prepare（做准备） the contest?

3. How did I do in the contest?

4. What did my mother do when we hear the exciting news?

5. Confidence（自信心） is very important to us, isn’t it?