When I was 13 my only purpose was to become the star on our football team. That meant ___21___ Miller King, who was the best ___22___ at our school.

Football season started in September and all summer long I worked out. I carried my football everywhere for ___23___.

Just before September, Miller was struck by a car and lost his right arm. I went to see him after he came back from ___24___. He looked very ___25___, but he didn’t cry.

That season, I ___26___ all of Miller’s records while he ___27___ the home games from the bench. We went 10-1 and I was named most valuable player,___28___ I often had crazy dreams in which I was to blame for Miller’s ___29___.

One afternoon, I was crossing the field to go home and saw Miller _____30_____ going over a fence—which wasn’t _____31_____ to climb if you had both arms. I’m sure I was the last person in the world he wanted to accept _____32_____ from. But even that challenge he accepted. I _____33_____ him move slowly over the fence. When we were finally _____34_____ on the other side, he said to me, “You know, I didn’t tell you this during the season, but you did _____35_____ .Thank you for filling in for _____36_____.”

His words freed me from my bad _____37_____. I thought to myself, how even without an arm he was more of a leader. Damaged but not defeated, he was _____38_____ ahead of me. I was right to have _____39_____ him. From that day on, I grew _____40_____ and a little more real.

21. A. cheering for              B. beating out                     C. relying on                      D. staying with

22. A. coach                       B. student                           C. teacher                          D. player

23. A. practice                    B. show                             C. comfort                         D. pleasure

24. A. school                      B. vacation                         C. hospital                         D. training

25. A. pale                         B. calm                              C. relaxed                          D. ashamed

26. A. held                         B. broke                             C. set                                 D. tried

27. A. reported                   B. judged                           C. organized                       D. watched

28. A. and                          B. then                               C. but                                D. thus

29. A. decision                   B. mistake                          C. accident                         D. sacrifice

30. A. stuck                        B. hurt                               C. tired                              D. lost

31. A. steady                      B. hard                              C. fun                                D. fit

32. A. praise                       B. advice                            C. assistance                       D. apology

33. A. let                           B. helped                           C. had                               D. noticed

34. A. dropped                   B. ready                             C. trapped                          D. safe

35. A. fine                         B. wrong                            C. quickly                          D. normally

36. A. us                            B. yourself                         C. me                                D. them

37. A. memories                 B. ideas                              C. attitudes                         D. dreams

38. A. still                          B. also                               C. yet                                D. just

39. A. challenged                B. cured                             C. invited                           D. admired

40. A. healthier                   B. bigger                            C. cleverer                         D. cooler