A
Tears ran down from my eyes as I saw the essay my high school English teacher had just handed back. A big F was written on top. I was hopeless. I was stupid! My face burned with shame when my classmates called me stupid.
“I’m the only one who doesn’t know my ABCs!” I sobbed to Mom.
“I’ll help,” she promised.
Every day I sat with her, but to me, cat looked like cta and red was reb. Frustrated, I would return to my bedroom and draw, filling the paper with houses, restaurants and offices.
“When I grow up, I want my own store,” I told Mom, pointing to my drawings.
“ That’s great !” she said, “ but first you have to learn to read.”
Later, I was diagnosed with dyslexia (失读症). So Mom took me to a learning centre, where I was given reading exercises. But I still had a hard time. Finally, I graduated, but I was afraid of my reading skills.
“I’ll never get a job!” I cried to Mom later again.
“Don’t focus on what you can’t do,” she comforted, “Concentrate on what you really can.”
But what can I do? I wondered. Suddenly, I thought of the drawings I’d made as a child and my dream of having my own store. I enjoyed sales so much that over the next few years, I tried my hand at other businesses. Today, I watch over seven branches. We have 187 employees and $15 million in sales.
While I’ll never be what my teachers might have wanted, I am a success--on my own terms. The other day a student sent me a card, reading: You gave me so much confidence. I hope to be like you when I am big. Tears of joy filled my eyes. This was my A, and I smiled.
21. Why did the author feel so ashamed at school?
A. His teacher ignored him in class.
B. His teacher didn’t grade his essay.
C. He failed to finish his essay in time.
D. His classmates looked down upon him.
22. Which of the following best describes the author’s feeling to his mother?
A. Grateful. B. Guilty. C. Doubtful. D. Regretful.
23. Which of the following can match the text?
A. No pains, no gains. B. Never too old to learn.
C. Every man has his value. D. Two heads are better than one.
