Question

Changing Makes You More Confident

I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself. And unless otherwise assigned (指定) a seat by the teacher, I always _______ to sit at the back of the classroom.

All this changed after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I try out for the basketball team. At first I thought it was a _______ idea because I didn't have a good sense of balance, nor did I have the _______ to keep pace with the others on the team and they would laugh at me. But for the teacher who kept insisting on my "going for it", I wouldn't have decided to give it a try.

When I first started _______ the practice sessions, I didn't even know the rules of the game, much less what I was doing. Sometimes I'd get confused and take a shot at the wrong _______ - which made me feel really stupid. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one "new" at the game, so I decided to focus on learning the game, do my best at each practice session, and not be too hard on myself for the things I didn't know "just yet".

I practiced and practiced. Soon I knew the _______ and the "moves". Being part of a team was fun and motivating (激励, 动力). With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the process-friends who respected my efforts to work hard and be a team player. 1 never had so much fun!

With my improved self-confidence comes more _______ from teachers and classmates. I have gone from "_______" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, to raising my hand-even when I sometimes wasn't 100 percent sure. I had the right answer. Now I have more self-confidence in myself.

1.A.hoped B.agreed C.meant D.chose

2.A.good B.crazy C.common D.bright

3.A.ability B.night C.chance D.patience

4.A.enjoying B.preparing C.attending D.watching

5.A.direction B.decision C.competition D.discussion

6.A.steps B.rules C.orders D.games

7.A.praise B.advice C.comfort D.courage

8.A.dreaming B.talking C.fighting D.hiding

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.A

4.C

5.A

6.B

7.A

8.D

【解析】

文章大意：本文是一篇人生感悟类阅读，讲述自己过去不喜欢引起别人重视，到后来在老师建议下参加了篮球队，而从比赛中学会了如何交友，并最终变得积极乐观的故事。

1.句意：我总是选择坐在教室的后面。

hoped希望；agreed同意；meant意味着；chose选择。根据上文I used to hate being called upon in class mainly because I didn't like attention drawn to myself. And unless otherwise assigned (指定) a seat by the teacher,可知，我过去很讨厌在课堂上被点名，主要是因为我不喜欢被人关注。除非老师给我安排了座位，结合I always __1__ to sit at the back of the classroom.可知应该是我总是选择坐在教室的后面，此处表达的是“选择”，故答案选D。

2.句意：起初，我认为这是一个疯狂的想法。

good好的；crazy疯狂的；common普通的；bright明亮的。根据下文because I didn't have a good sense of balance, 因为我没有很好的平衡感，可知，起初我认为这个老师的建议是一个疯狂的想法，故答案选B。

3.句意：我也没有能力与别的队员保持步调一致，他们会取笑我的。

ability能力；night夜晚；chance机会；patience耐心。根据nor did I have the __3__ to keep pace with the others on the team and they would laugh at me.可知句意为：我也没有能力与别的队员保持步调一致，他们会取笑我的。 have the ability to do sth是固定短语，意为“有能力做某事”，故答案选A。

4.句意：当我第一次参加训练课程的时候，我甚至不知道游戏规则。

enjoying享受；preparing准备；attending参加；watching观看。根据下文I didn't even know the rules of the game, 我甚至不知道游戏规则。结合When I first started __4__ the practice sessions,可知句意为：当我第一次参加训练课程的时候，故答案选C。

5.句意：有时我会感到困惑，朝着错误的方向进行了投篮——这让我觉得自己很愚蠢。

direction方向；decision决定；competition比赛；discussion讨论。联系上文语境，我第一次参加训练课程的时候，甚至不知道游戏规则。结合Sometimes I'd get confused and take a shot at the wrong __5__- which made me feel really stupid.可知句意为：有时我会感到困惑，朝着错误的方向进行了投篮，这样使我觉得自己很愚蠢。故答案选A。

6.句意：很快我就知道了规则和“招式”。

steps步骤；rules规则；orders命令；games游戏。根据上文I practiced and practiced. 可知，作者不断的练习，不久就知道了规则和动作。前文提到过作者连游戏的规则都不懂，所以这里rule “规则”符合语境；故答案选B。

7.句意：随着我自信心的提高，老师和同学对我的表扬也越来越多。

praise赞扬；advice建议；comfort安慰；courage勇气。根据With my improved self-confidence comes more __7__ from teachers and classmates.可知，作者不断提高的自信，得到了老师、同学的赞扬，所以用praise，故答案选A。

8.句意：我已经从“躲在”教室后面，不想引起别人的注意，到举手——即使有时我不是百分之百肯定。

dreaming梦想；talking谈论；fighting打架；hiding隐藏。根据上文可知，作者总是选择坐在教室的后面。结合I have gone from "__8__" in the back of the classroom and not wanting to call attention to myself, to raising my hand-even when I sometimes wasn't 100 percent sure.可知句意为：我已经从“躲在”教室后面，不想引起别人的注意，到举手——即使有时我不是百分之百肯定。hide意为躲藏，from为介词，后接动词的ing形式，故答案选D。