Small moments sometimes last a very long time. And a few words—though they mean
21 at the time to the people who say them—can have great power.
I recently heard a story from Malcolm Dalkoff, who has been a professional
22 for the last twenty-four years, mostly in advertising.
As a boy, Dalkoff was terribly shy and
23 . He had few friends and no self-confidence. Then one day, his high-school English teacher, Ruth Brauch, asked the class to write their own chapter that would
24 the last chapter of the novel since they had been reading To Kill a Mockingbird. Dalkoff wrote his chapter and turned it in. Today he cannot recall anything special about the chapter he wrote, or what
25 Mrs. Brauch gave him.
26 , what he does remember is the four words in the paper: “This is good writing.” Four words. They
27 his life.
“Until I read those words, I had no idea of who I was or what I was or what I was going to be,” he said, “After reading her
28 ,I went home and wrote a short story,
29 I had always dreamed of doing but never believed I could do.”
Over the rest of that year in school, he wrote many short stories and always brought them to Mrs. Brauch for instruction. “She was
30 , helping and honest. She was just what I needed,” Dalkoff said.
21
| A. much
| B. little
| C. well
| D. ill
|
22
| A .report
| B. designer
| C. writer
| D. teacher
|
23
| A .weak
| B. independent
| C. troublesome
| D. helpless
|
24
| A. follow
| B. change
| C. connect
| D. explain
|
25
| A .help
| B. encouragement
| C. grade
| D. words
|
26
| A. Therefore
| B. However
| C. Meanwhile
| D. Besides
|
27
| A .improved
| B. developed
| C. changed
| D. enriched
|
28
| A. chapter
| B. novel
| C. note
| D .explanation
|
29
| A. everything
| B. something
| C. nothing
| D. anything
|
30
| A. encouraging
| B. careful
| C. strict
| D. effective
|