Our words can be a valuable tool to cheer up a person who is down. By offering some kind words, we can help them face their present and future with courage.

A car accident happened to me when I was four years old, I had a scar (伤疤) below my nose. Because some children laughed ________ me and called me “scarface”, I had little confidence (自信). Although my parents told me that I was ________, I did not see myself that way.

One afternoon, when school ended, I remained in my ________, waiting for my mother. Miss Pratt sat at her desk with other teachers and talked. I looked at the clock and ________ it was time for me to get ready to leave. I put on my wool coat and hat. One of the teachers looked at my ________ and said with a surprise, “Who is that girl? She is really pretty in her clothes.” Miss Pratt's answer was, “I agree, Mary is pretty.”

Pretty! The word surprised me. Teachers would not ________. Maybe it was true that I looked pretty.

At that moment I made up my mind to be the ________ child in my class to learn the tables(乘法表). Whatever it took, and no matter how much time, I would do. No one was going to stop me. This time I ________ myself.

About one week later, Miss Pratt said to the class that I was the first one to learn the tables and she told us she was ________ me. The whole class smiled and gave me a big hand. For the first time, I felt truly good about myself. I knew I was ________ by Miss Pratt's words. This might not happen if I didn't hear those kind words. I will never forget the words.