When Marion Sheppard began to go blind in her 40s, she cried, screamed, and felt sorry for herself. The doctor said she would never regain her vision (视力). It would only get worse, “This isn’t fair,” Sheppard said over and over again.
Since she was a little girl, Sheppard had always been a dance lover. But now she was so scared that she would never leave her apartment. She was afraid that, unable to see a stranger, she would be hurt on the streets. But mostly, she worried about the way she would appear to the world. She continually wondered, “What if people look at me differently and treat me differently?”
But after several months of sadness and fear, Sheppard started to tell herself, “You don’t understand yet, but you’ve got to keep moving.”
As hard as it was, Sheppard forced herself to go out. She pushed herself to attend various social events. As a single mother of one daughter, Sheppard continued her library job at The New York Times until her vision further got worse in her 50s. She kept moving, and she kept dancing, following her passion.
Sheppard was 61 when she attended a summer camp for the blind in 2008, where she taught her first dancing class. After that, she asked a Manhattan community center if she could teach there, but was refused because it would be too dangerous for the students. At last, she made the managers believe that she could teach very well as a volunteer.
Right up until the COVID-19 closed things down, Sheppard was teaching over a dozen people to move to the music. But Sheppard taught her beloved students on far more than dance steps. With confidence-building words and encouragement, she also gave them dignity (自尊) and independence.
In Sheppard’s classes, each student would dance in the center of the group, making moves as the others cheer them on. As Sheppard says, “We may be blind, but we’re doing our thing.”
6. What was Sheppard mostly afraid of after going blind?
A.The danger on the streets. | B.Losing the self-care ability. |
C.The way people treated her. | D.Being unable to dance anymore. |
7. When did Sheppard’s vision further get worse?
A.In her 40s. | B.In her 50s. | C.When she was 61. | D.In 2008. |
8. Why did the community center refuse Sheppard’s request?
A.It needed a lot of space. | B.It was Sheppard’s first class. |
C.It required volunteers in class. | D.It might cause danger to students. |
9. Which of the following is correct about Sheppard’s classes?
A.They are only for the blind. | B.They are cheaper than other classes. |
C.They are filled with lots of training. | D.They are good for people’s mental (精神的) health. |
10. What can we learn from Sheppard?
A.Willpower can fight off illness. | B.Dancing makes people happier. |
C.Dreams break down difficulties. | D.Good attitudes light up our lives. |