The other day, I received a most unexpected message in response to one of my essays: I am so proud of you and all you have accomplished. I shared your opinion …
It was signed Margaret Leibfried, who was my English teacher — a teacher who appeared at a vital (关键) point in my life and helped me believe that I could become a writer.
Thirty years ago, I entered high school as an introvert (性格内向的人) made all the more shy because I was the school’s only nonwhite student. I always felt in danger of being swept away by a sea of tall white athletes. I spent a lot of time alone, reading and writing stories, hoping to escape being teased.
Ms. Leibfried taught American literature and composition grammar, which involved the usual memorizing vocabulary, but also, thrillingly, reading novels.
Thrilling to me, that is. Many of my classmates expressed dislike for novels because they were “not real.” For once, I didn’t care what they thought. Ms. Leibfried seemed to notice my interest in both reading and writing, and she took the time to make me feel less shy; she even offered me reading suggestions, like one of her favorite novels, “The Bell Jar.”
That year’s big project was a book report, to be read aloud to the class. However, Ms. Leibfried suggested I do something “a little different.” Instead of a report, I chose a passage from “The Bell Jar” that I considered as the best to recite.
The morning of the presentations, I remember my hands sweating so badly as I walked to the front of the class that I kept my hands crossed, so I wouldn’t wipe them on my blouse.
When I finished, to my surprise, the class applauded. “Marie has picked out a particularly sensitive piece of writing and delivered it beautifully,” Ms. Leibfried said, smiling. I felt, maybe for the first time, confident.
小题1:What was the author’s high school life like before she met Ms. Leibfried?
A．Lonely.
B．Exciting.
C．Wild.
D．Busy小题2:In Paragraph 5, the author mainly tells us .
A．how she cared what her classmates thought
B．when she became interested in “The Bell Jar”
C．why many of her classmates disliked novels
D．how Ms. Leibfried helped and encouraged her小题3:Why did Ms. Leibfried ask the author to recite a passage in front of the class?
A．To test whether she had a good memory.
B．To make her earn the respect of her classmates.
C．To help deepen her understanding of “The Bell Jar.”
D．To guide her to build a good relationship with others.小题4:How did the author feel when she made the presentation?
A．Comfortable.
B．sad.
C．Nervous.
D．Confident.小题5:What was the author’s purpose in writing the text?
A．To express her thanks to her teacher.
B．To discuss the issue of racial prejudice (偏见).
C．To introduce one of her favorite books.
D．To suggest the ways to gain confidence.
