The frightening day of our diving test was here. Our parents thought we were lucky to have an Olympic-size swimming pool at the school. My mom stressed that the swimming pool was one of the best in our city. But I didn’t feel happy about it at all. Instead, I felt afraid of the swimming pool. It was mainly because I was terribly shy.
I was so shy that I always sat at the back of the room in class so I’d not be called upon to read. As for the present physical education class each Monday morning, I would work my way to the back of the line forming at the diving board so I would not have to practice the dives.
Now, it was another Monday morning - the morning of our diving test. My blood ran cold when the teacher Ms. Robbins announced that we would be graded for our final on the most difficult dive- the jackknife. And she added, “This diving test is important. The one who fails has to spare time in the following Monday mornings to practice diving in this swimming pool and attend this test again.”
My body kept shaking with fear as the line to the scary diving board shortened. As I watched, each student seemed to perform the challenging dive effortlessly. And shortly I would have to attempt something that I had never even practiced before.
Then I remembered someone telling me that when you picture yourself doing a skill over and over, it’s just as effective as physically practicing that skill. So I watched carefully as each classmate jumped at the end of the board once, added a jump for height, folded their body in half to reach for their toes, and finally straightened out like an arrow for going into the water. After carefully watching for a while, I was actually in a state of surprise, because all of a sudden I realized that it was possible for me to perform these four steps of diving.
Eventually all classmates except me finished jumping. The teacher announced that it was my turn.
注意：1. 续与词数应为150左右；2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
With my heart knocking wildly, I walked down the diving board towards its end.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Knowing I failed, I climbed out of the pool, embarrassed.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________High-school sports were about the biggest thing that happened in the town of Verden. And sports were important in Lauren Wray’s family. Both of Lauren’s brothers were high-school athletes. Like others, she longed to be on the basketball team too. But the special point was, she had Down syndrome (唐氏综合症).
Mr. Wray and his wife never told Lauren that she was different. They treated her like their other children. They didn’t want her to feel disabled or different.
One day, for the extreme love of playing basketball, Lauren ran to her father and announced with great excitement. “I’m gonna play basketball. Daddy. I am joining the girls’ high-school basketball team.” Hearing that, Mrs. Wray and Mr. Wray were too surprised to believe what their daughter said. Lauren’s reflexes (反应能力) were slow. They knew how hard and unbelievable it would be for her to play basketball, let alone to be on the basketball team. But they decided to stand by her.
The next afternoon. Mr. Wray parked in front of the school gym. Inside, Coach Forsythe saw Mr. Wray, and he said, “I am glad Lauren came out for the team.” Lauren stood alone at the other end of the basketball court, shooting free throws. Other girls played together on the other side. After every shot, Lauren excitedly shouted, “Woo hoo !” At first, Lauren was in high spirits and so energetic. But things didn’t go smoothly. Her disability made her so clumsy (笨拙的) in the field. Having not made the basket for a long time, she was so discouraged. She gained nothing from the first training.
注意：
1. 续写词数应为 150 左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1: Later that night, Mr. Wray found Lauren lay on the couch, downhearted.
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Paragraph 2: Mid November, the season’s first basketball game arrived.
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