Unit4 Friendsforever
SectionA Startingout&Understandingideas
A级必备知识基础练
Ⅰ.单句填空
1.She preferred (live) with the animals and study them rather than (teach) at the university.
2.All the good traditional customs must (deliver) to the younger generations.
3.To make sure that he was at home,I called him up advance.
4.The man is a (crime).How could the people elect him to office
5.The course is designed for students who are familiar computers.
6.The site is extremely expensive (maintain)and it will cost between three and five million yuan to repair it.
7.My piano playing has improved (significance) since I started with a new teacher.
8.The Internet (able) us to exchange ideas with many others to check our claims.
9.The policeman went through his suitcase,but he didn’t find anything (usual).
10.After all,we tend (do) what we like doing and what we delight in.
Ⅱ.短语填空
make friends,be up to,communicate with,thanks to,keep in touch with,share with,lose track of,keep in mind,throw the baby out with the bathwater,in view
1.In order to avoid your friend,you’d better call your friend now and then.
2. our hard work,we can fulfill the task on time.
3.The Internet has replaced the phone as a quick way to family and friends.
4.It’s very important to as many English words and phrases as possible.
5.We should enter nature,get to know nature,and with nature.
6.Not knowing the language here,I found it hard to local people.
7.What’s he lately I haven’t seen him for days.
8.Therefore,it seems to me that we when we insist on changing our plan.
9.The data is privileged information,not to be the general public.
10.There was nobody in the street for everyone gather around to watch the Spring Festival Gala program.
Ⅲ.完成句子
1.当你想抽烟时,无论你在做什么,(停下来去)找点儿别的事做!
when you want to smoke—do something else!
2.教他自力更生这很重要。
we teach him how to do things for himself.
3.尽管他们很累,他们还是熬夜准备报告。
,they stayed up preparing the report.
4.正如一句谚语所说的:“千里之行,始于足下。”
:“A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.”
5.在接下来的半小时里,如果这个问题必须要解决会怎样
this problem has to be solved in the next half hour
B级能力素养提升练
Ⅳ.阅读理解
My 10-year-old Donna said,“Mum,I made a new friend at school today.Can she come over tomorrow ” Donna was a shy girl and I wanted her to make some friends to bring her out of her shell.
“Sure,honey,that sounds great,” I said,thinking back to my own best friend,Lillian.We lived across the street from each other in Washington Heights,New York.We met at the age of 10,too.Like my daughter,I was shy,but Lillian drew me out.She was one of the friendliest people in school,with shiny black hair and a mile-wide smile.
In senior high school,Lillian went on a trip to Florida.This was the first time we had to be away from each other for a few days.“I’ll be back soon,” she told me.But three days later,Lillian’s sister told me that she had fallen into a river and hadn’t come out any more.Soon,my family moved to New Jersey.Whenever I thought of her,tears came into my eyes.
The next day Donna brought her new friend home.“Hi,Mrs.Loggia,” the little girl said.Her hair was so shiny and black and she shot me a big smile.“My name is Laura.”
My daughter’s new friend was so much like Lillian.I was still puzzled(迷惑) when Laura’s mum came to pick her up later that afternoon.I opened the door to let her in.“Judy!” she cried.“It’s me,Lillian’s sister,from Washington Heights.” Yes,my daughter’s friend looked familiar.She was Lillian’s niece(侄女).
1.Who is my daughter
A.Lillian. B.Donna.
C.Judy. D.Laura.
2.The underlined words in the first paragraph “to bring her out of her shell” mean .
A.to help her become less shy
B.to help her become smart
C.to help her live happily
D.to help her walk out of her house
3.Laura looked familiar to the writer because she .
A.was Lillian’s niece
B.was as old as her daughter
C.was from Washington Heights
D.had shiny black hair and a big smile
4.Why did the writer lose her best friend
A.Because she moved to New Jersey.
B.Because they were different from each other.
C.Because her best friend travelled to Florida.
D.Because her best friend lost her life on a trip.
Ⅴ.七选五
Americans use the word “friend” in a very general way.They have school friends,work friends,sports friends and neighborhood friends.These friendships are based on common interests. 1 Because American society is one of rapid changes,American friendships develop quickly.
People from the United States may at first seem friendly. 2 They exchange information about their family,hobbies and work.They may smile warmly and say,“Have a nice day” or “See you later”.But American friendliness is not always an offer of true friendship.
So we should learn how Americans view friendship to help us avoid misunderstandings.
1.Be willing to take the first step.Don’t wait for them to approach you.Americans in another country may not know you can speak English.They may be embarrassed if they can’t speak your language.
2. 3 Ask them where they’re from,why they came to your country,etc.Remember to be careful to avoid personal questions about age,salary and appearance.
3.Show an interest in their culture,their country or their job.Americans like to talk about themselves!
4.Invite them to join you for dinner or just for coffee or tea.Try to set a specific time.Americans sometimes make general invitations like “Let’s get together sometime”.Often this is just a way to be friendly. 4
5. 5 Maybe they’re just being friendly.But maybe they do want to be your good friends.It will take time to tell.After all,there are some differences between the two cultures.
A.Don’t expect too much at first.
B.It is not always a real invitation.
C.Use small talk to open the conversation.
D.Americans often chat easily with strangers.
E.Don’t pay a visit to Americans without being asked.
F.When the shared activity ends,the friendship may fade.
G.Americans value strong life-long friendships with non-Americans.
SectionA Startingout&Understandingideas
Ⅰ.1.tolive;teach 2.bedelivered 3.in 4.criminal
5.with 6.tomaintain 7.significantly 8.enables
9.unusual 10.todo
Ⅱ.1.losingtrackof 2.Thanksto 3.keepintouchwith 4.keepinmind 5.makefriends 6.communicatewith 7.beenupto 8.throwthebabyoutwiththebathwater 9.sharedwith 10.inview
Ⅲ.1.Whateveryou’redoing 2.It’simportantthat
3.Althoughtheywereverytired 4.Asonesayinggoes 5.Whatif
Ⅳ.【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文。文章主要讲述了作者的女儿交到了新朋友Laura,这让她想起了自己已故的好友Lillian,作者最后了解到女儿的朋友Laura居然是Lillian的侄女。
1.B 细节理解题。根据文章第一段“My10-year-oldDonnasaid,‘Mum,Imadeanewfriendatschooltoday.’”可知Donna是作者的女儿。故选B项。
2.A 词义猜测题。根据第一段“DonnawasashygirlandIwantedhertomakesomefriendstobringheroutofhershell.”可知,作者想让害羞的唐娜交些朋友,“tobringheroutofhershell”是她这样做的目的,结合常识和选项可知,作者这样做是为了让女儿不再害羞,所以画线部分表示“让她不再害羞”,与tohelpherbecomelessshy同义。故选A项。
3.D 细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句中对Lillian的外貌描写“withshinyblackhairandamile-widesmile”和倒数第二段倒数第二句对Laura的外貌描写“Herhairwassoshinyandblackandsheshotmeabigsmile.”可知,因为Laura有着跟Lillian一样乌黑的秀发和灿烂的微笑,所以作者认为Laura有似曾相识的感觉。故选D项。
4.D 细节理解题。根据第三段“Inseniorhighschool,LillianwentonatriptoFlorida.”和“Butthreedayslater,Lillian’ssistertoldmethatshehadfallenintoariverandhadn’tcomeoutanymore.”可知,Lillian在佛罗里达旅行时,掉进河里,去世了,所以作者失去了她的好友Lillian。故选D项。
Ⅴ.【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了美国人如何看待友谊,以帮助我们避免误解。
1.F 根据上文“Thesefriendshipsarebasedoncommoninterests.”和下文“BecauseAmericansocietyisoneofrapidchanges,Americanfriendshipsdevelopquickly.”可知,美国人的友谊基于共同的兴趣,发展得很快,但是也有可能不会长久。F项中的“sharedactivity”和“commoninterests”对应,F项“当共同的活动结束时,友谊可能会消失”符合语境。故选F项。
2.D 根据上文“PeoplefromtheUnitedStatesmayatfirstseemfriendly.”和下文“Theyexchangeinformationabouttheirfamily,hobbiesandwork.Theymaysmilewarmlyandsay,‘Haveaniceday’or‘Seeyoulater’.”可知,空处说明美国人很友好,并善于交谈。D项中的“chateasily”和“exchangeinformation”对应。D项“美国人经常很容易和陌生人聊天”符合语境。故选D项。
3.C 空处为段落主题句。根据下文“Askthemwherethey’refrom...salaryandappearance.”可知,本段主要讲述了如何开启谈话。C项“用闲聊来开启对话”符合语境。故选C项。
4.B 根据上文“Americanssometimesmakegeneralinvitationslike‘Let’sgettogethersometime’.Oftenthisisjustawaytobefriendly.”可知,空处说明这样的邀请只是客套话,不是真正的邀请。B项“它并不总是一个真正的邀请”符合语境。故选B项。
5.A 空处为段落主题句。根据下文“Maybethey’rejustbeingfriendly...therearesomedifferencesbetweenthetwocultures.”可知,本段主要说明对于美国人的友谊不要有很大的期待。A项“一开始不要期望太多”符合语境。故选A项。
1SectionB Usinglanguage
A级必备知识基础练
Ⅰ.单句填空
1.Even though the problem was difficult (solve),I didn’t give up,because I firmly believed that “Where there is a will,there is a way”.
2. (inspire) by the memory of his mother,he composed many wonderful pieces of music.
3.You can visit here in the early morning or late afternoon for the most (comfort) weather.
4.We must have the (patient) to continue to work until we will find a peaceful solution.
5.These students were anxious (know) the results of the exam.
6.Just to give you an example of his (generous)—he gave me his old car and wouldn’t take any money for it.
7.Judging from the way he laughed as he told it,the joke was meant to be (humour).
8.When he retired,he tried to distance himself politics.
9.It was a popular decision to postpone (build) the new factory.
10.Of course,the original content is high quality,attracting many customers.
Ⅱ.用适当的关系词填空
1.When the girl studied in England,she lived with a host family members always helped her.
2.The number of people come to visit the Forbidden City each year reaches one million.
3.The man is talking about the teachers and things encouraged him greatly in school.
4.The International Red Cross is an organization purpose is to help the sick and the needy.
5.When facing hardships,only those are confident will achieve success.
6.You can also share your unhappy things with somebody you trust and listen to their suggestions.
7.Do you have anything is important to tell me
8.In senior high school you will study more courses are different from your junior middle school courses.
9.She omitted information was material to the case.
10.Tu Youyou is the first Chinese has won a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Ⅲ.语法专练
Do you know the man 1. wrote this book He was Jason,one of the engineers 2. came from Russia in the 1950s.He worked in the same factory 3. my father once worked.When he came to China,the first thing 4. he did was to visit the factory 5. did research on trolleybuses and found out the reason 6. China was so backward in it.Then he spent every minute 7. he could spare to help China develop transportation.8. is mentioned above,Jason was a foreigner 9. made great contributions to our country and was a kind man to 10. we should say thanks.
B级能力素养提升练
Ⅳ.完形填空
As an old saying goes,“Good fences(栅栏) make good neighbors.” With many people 1 to stay at home during the pandemic,some find good fences can 2 make good friends.
My family lives next to 99-year-old Mary O’Neill.Although Mary’s daughter visits her 3 ,the pandemic leaves the old lady in 4 .Amazingly,Mary manages to develop a special 5 with her neighbor—my son Benjamin Olsen,aged two.Mary 6 through the fence as Benjamin learns to walk,talk,and 7 run and play.And when Benjamin sees Mary,he sees a close friend,and 8 her “Mimi”.Mary will also call out “Hey Benjamin!” when she sees him.It’s just been so pleasant to watch the 9 scene.Mary’s daughter and I,both 10 the relationship has a unique function that has kept the elderly woman 11 the long period of being separated from others.
As the pandemic limitations have lifted,Mary and Benjamin’s friendship continues to grow on both sides of the 12 .Only now,the gates can be opened.Benjamin 13 Mary on her steps to play games,blow bubbles and enjoy the activities that bring joy to the pair—one at a young age,and the other with a(n) 14 heart.
Friendship can just happen in so many different ways.We are 15 they were able to form this,because it means a lot to both sides.
1.A.forced B.allowed
C.invited D.sent
2.A.never B.also
C.only D.already
3.A.more or less B.one by one
C.now and then D.up and down
4.A.panic B.loneliness
C.freedom D.joy
5.A.custom B.agreement
C.interest D.friendship
6.A.visits B.checks
C.watches D.passes
7.A.actually B.eventually
C.regularly D.suddenly
8.A.calls B.assures
C.makes D.regards
9.A.warm B.cold
C.bitter D.strange
10.A.doubt B.advise
C.predict D.believe
11.A.resisting B.defending
C.surviving D.involving
12.A.fence B.family
C.society D.road
13.A.replaces B.senses
C.joins D.inspires
14.A.old B.young
C.close D.far
15.A.confident B.regretful
C.disappointed D.moved
Ⅴ.语法填空
Amy’s friendship was on the rocks,so she wrote a post on a forum exchange for advice about it.Since primary school,Amy,who was an awkward student then,and her friend Jenny,a popular and 1. (friend) girl,have been good friends for eight years.Whether they are walking to school,doing homework or just hanging out at the weekend,they are hardly 2. of each other’s sight.However,Jenny broke Amy’s heart.
They originally planned to watch a film last Saturday afternoon.But unfortunately,Jenny had a cold so that they didn’t make it.Today,Amy received a horrible surprise that Jenny had been seen 3. (chat) with another girl in a café on Saturday afternoon.When 4. (hear) this,Amy was 5. (terrible) angry and at a loss,not knowing what to do next.
On the forum,Amy got two 6. (reply),one of 7. says that this friendship is worth 8. (save),for her friend Jenny perhaps wants to make 9. apology for her behaviour and give Amy an 10.(explain).However,in the other reply,it is suggested that Amy should rethink this friendship and move on if this friendship is not equally valued.
SectionB Usinglanguage
Ⅰ.1.tosolve 2.Inspired 3.comfortable 4.patience
5.toknow 6.generosity 7.humorous 8.from
9.building 10.of
Ⅱ.1.whose 2.who/that 3.that 4.whose 5.who
6.whom/who/that 7.that 8.which/that 9.that/which
10.that
Ⅲ.1.who/that 2.who/that 3.where 4.that 5.which/that 6.why 7.that 8.As 9.who/that 10.whom
Ⅳ.【语篇解读】本文是一篇夹叙夹议文。作者通过描写疫情期间人们被迫待在家里,自己2岁的儿子和99岁的邻居玛丽成为朋友的故事,了解到友谊可以有很多不同的方式。友谊对于双方意义都很大。
1.A 句意:正如一句老话所说:“好篱笆造就好邻居。”疫情期间,许多人被迫待在家里,一些人发现好篱笆也能造就好朋友。根据下文“stayathomeduringthepandemic”可知,疫情期间,人们是不得不待在家里,所以是被迫待在家里。故选A项。
2.B 根据上文“Goodfencesmakegoodneighbors.”和本处“goodfencescan makegoodfriends”可知,这属于递进关系,好篱笆造就好邻居,好篱笆也能造就好朋友。故选B项。
3.C 句意:虽然玛丽的女儿偶尔会去看望她,但疫情让这位老妇人感到孤独。根据上文“Myfamilylivesnextto99-year-oldMaryO’Neill.”可知,玛丽是作者的邻居,再结合上文可知,疫情期间人们被迫待在家里,所以玛丽的女儿是偶尔来看她。故选C项。
4.B 根据上文的although和下文“theelderlywoman thelongperiodofbeingseparatedfromothers”,可知这是转折关系,虽然玛丽的女儿偶尔会去看望她,但是由于疫情不能出门,长久与他人分隔,自己一个人还是感到孤独的。故选B项。
5.D 句意:令人惊讶的是,玛丽与她的邻居——我两岁的儿子本杰明·奥尔森——建立了一种特殊的友谊。根据下文“AndwhenBenjaminseesMary,heseesaclosefriend”可知,玛丽和本杰明之间是朋友关系。故选D项。
6.C 句意:玛丽通过篱笆看着本杰明学会走路、说话,最后跑和玩。根据上文“stayathomeduringthepandemic”和下文的“whenBenjaminseesMary”与“Marywillalsocallout‘HeyBenjamin!’whensheseeshim.”可知,疫情封锁期间,人们被迫待在自己家里,可得出玛丽并未越过篱笆和本杰明直接接触,她应该是通过篱笆看着本杰明成长。故选C项。
7.B 句意同上。根据上文“Benjaminlearnstowalk,talk”和下文“runandplay”可知,玛丽通过篱笆见证了本杰明的成长,本杰明从学会走路、说话,到最后跑和玩。故选B项。
8.A 句意:当本杰明看到玛丽时,他看到的是一个亲密的朋友,称呼她为“咪咪”。根据下文“ her‘Mimi’和“Marywillalsocallout‘HeyBenjamin!’whensheseeshim.”可知,本杰明称玛丽咪咪,玛丽喊他本杰明。故选A项。
9.A 句意:看到这温暖的一幕真是太开心了。根据上文“AndwhenBenjaminseesMary,heseesaclosefriend”可知,玛丽和本杰明的关系是非常好的,所以这两个人见面的场景应该是很温馨的。故选A项。
10.D 句意:我和玛丽的女儿都相信这段关系有独特的作用,使这位老妇人在与他人长期分离的过程中艰难度过了下来。根据下文“MaryandBenjamin’sfriendshipcontinuestogrowon”可知,他们两个人的友谊还在继续,所以我和玛丽的女儿是相信这段友谊的。故选D项。
11.C 句意同上。根据上文“AlthoughMary’sdaughtervisitshernowandthen,thepandemicleavestheoldladyinloneliness.”可知,玛丽独自一人居住,特别孤单,是本杰明和她之间的友谊让她在孤单的日子里有了快乐,渡过了难关。故选C项。
12.A 句意:随着疫情限制的解除,玛丽和本杰明的友谊继续在篱笆的两边成长。只是现在,大门可以打开。根据文章第一段“somefindgoodfencescan makegoodfriends.”通过词义复现可知是篱笆。故选A项。
13.C 句意:本杰明和玛丽一起在她的台阶上玩游戏,吹泡泡,享受给他们带来快乐的活动——一个年轻,另一个有一颗年轻的心。根据下文“thepair”可知,是两个人在玩耍,本杰明联合玛丽一起玩。故选C项。
14.B 句意同上。根据上文“MaryandBenjamin’sfriendshipcontinuestogrowon”和“99-year-oldMaryO’Neill”及“myson-BenjaminOlsen,agedtwo”可知,玛丽99岁,本杰明2岁,他们是朋友,所以玛丽是有一颗年轻的心。故选B项。
15.D 句意:我们很感动他们能够形成这一局面,因为这对双方都意义重大。根据下文“becauseitmeansalottobothsides”可知,这段老少友谊对于双方都意味着很多,所以他们之间的友谊是非常让人感动的。故选D项。
Ⅴ.1.friendly 2.out 3.chatting 4.hearing 5.terribly 6.replies 7.which 8.saving 9.an 10.explanation
1SectionC Developingideas&Presentingideas&Reflection
A级必备知识基础练
Ⅰ.单词拼写
1.We shared the belief that if you’re (幸运的) enough to have success,you should put something back.
2.No matter how (普通的)a job is,it plays a part in society.
3.He got up and (拖) his chair towards the table.
4.Their dress was (朴素的) and dull in colour.
5.Honesty is a good (品质) which the Chinese honour and admire.
6.The next (场景) takes the story forward five years.
7.I differed with my (伙伴)sometimes but we usually reach an agreement.
8.The (地点) made it difficult to lead a quiet life.
9.They went abroad to see and experience new (环境).
10.I have a great sense of (幽默) and people say I have a wonderful personality.
Ⅱ.短语填空
turn around,in my opinion,on earth,make one’s fortune,be ashamed of,ought to,work out,team up with,turn up,be set in
1.You ought to yourselves because you’ve caused this problem.
2.The teacher and wrote the title on the blackboard.
3.They another family to rent a house for the summer last year.
4.He advised me regularly to keep fit for I often feel dizzy and unhealthy.
5.Every single employee at the meeting,even people who usually stayed away.
6.The film a prehistoric era known as The Croodaceous,a period which contains fantastical creatures.
7. ,his suggestion about going camping won’t at tomorrow’s meeting because of the high cost.
8.He was wandering around the pyramid,wondering how this wonder was built.
9.He (发财) through his business ability,as well as his skill in invention.
10.The man be fired.You shouldn’t let him get away with stealing from the shop.
Ⅲ.完成句子
1.你需要去客户服务中心修你的电脑。
You need to go to the customer service center and .
2.要不是观众们鼓励性的欢呼,我们队不可能赢得这么重要的比赛。
But for the encouraging cheers from the audience,our team such an important match.
3.眼下他们打算明年夏天结婚,有消息说。
Right now they next summer,the source explains.
4.不管你怎么说,他都不会相信你。
,he will not believe you.
5.想获取更多信息,你可以访问我们的网站。
,you can visit our website.
B级能力素养提升练
Ⅳ.应用文写作
假定你是李华,暑假在伦敦学习,得知当地美术馆要举办中国画展览。请写一封信申请做志愿者,内容包括:
1.写信目的;
2.个人优势;
3.能做的事情。
注意:
1.词数80左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
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Ⅴ.读后续写
阅读下面材料,根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段,使之构成一篇完整的短文。
ThePriceofaDream
I grew up in a poor family with six brothers,three sisters—a group of foster kids,my father and my wonderful mother.My parents worked day and night to keep a roof over our heads and food on our table.It’s true that we had little money and few goods,but we got plenty of love and attention.I was very happy and energetic.I understood that no matter how poor a person was,he could still afford a dream.
My dream was athletics.I fell in love with baseball at an early age.I practiced hard every day and that made me a little closer to my dream.By the time I was sixteen,I had made great progress:I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fast ball and hit anything that moved on the field.I was also lucky:my high school coach was Ollie Jarvis,who not only believed in me,but also taught me how to believe in myself.One particular incident(事件) with my coach Ollie Jarvis changed my life forever.
It was the summer holiday in Senior 2 and one of my friends recommended me for a summer job.This meant a chance for money in my pocket—certainly,money for a new bike and new clothes,and I could also begin to save money for a house for my mother,which was what I had always dreamed of.The prospect(前景) of this summer job was attractive and I wanted to jump at this chance.Then it hit me that I would have to give up summer baseball training to deal with the work schedule.I was afraid of telling my coach,who would certainly be against my plan.I hesitated for several days.At last,I spurred(给……打气) myself with the advice my mother often gave us,“If you make your bed,you have to lie in it.” I made up my mind.
注意:续写词数应为150左右。
When I told my coach Ollie Jarvis,he was as angry as I expected him to be.__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________“Well,” he asked,“is $3.5 an hour from the summer job the price of a dream ”__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
SectionC Developingideas&Presentingideas&Reflection
Ⅰ.1.fortunate 2.ordinary 3.dragged 4.plain 5.quality
6.scene 7.partner 8.location 9.surroundings
10.humour
Ⅱ.1.beashamedof 2.turnedaround 3.teamedupwith 4.toworkout 5.turnedup 6.issetin 7.Inmyopinion
8.onearth 9.madehisfortune 10.oughtto
Ⅲ.1.haveyourcomputerrepaired 2.couldn’thavewon
3.aretogetmarried 4.Nomatterwhatyoumaysay
5.Togetmoreinformation
Ⅳ.DearGalleryDirector,
MynameisLiHua,astudentfromChina.IintendtostudyinLondonduringthesummervacation.I’mgladtolearnthatyourmuseumwillholdanexhibitionofChinesepaintings.Iwouldliketodosomevoluntaryworkfortheexhibition.SoIamwritingthisletteraskingtobeavolunteer.
IamgoodatEnglishandfamiliarwithChinesepaintings.Iwouldliketovolunteertohelpvisitors,introduceChinesepaintings,spreadChineseculture,andstrengthenworldculturalexchanges.MyaimistoletChinagototheworldandlettheworldunderstandChina.Iwouldappreciateitifyoucouldagreetomyrequest.
Yours,
LiHua
Ⅴ. WhenItoldmycoachOllieJarvis,hewasasangryasIexpectedhimtobe.“Youhaveyourwholelifetowork,”hesaid,withaseriouslookonhisface,“butyourplayingdaysarelimited.Youcan’taffordtowastethem.”Istoodbeforehimwithmyheadhanging,tryingtothinkofthewordsthatwouldexplaintohimwhymydreamofhavingmoneyinmypocketandbuyingmymotherahousewasworthfacinghisdisappointmentinme.“Howmuchareyougoingtomakeatthissummerjob,son ”hedemanded.“$3.5perhour,”Irepliedinalowvoice.
“Well,”heasked,“is$3.5anhourfromthesummerjobthepriceofadream ”Thatsimplequestionsetmethinking.Itmademeunderstandthedifferencebetweenwantingsomethingrightnowandhavingalong-termgoal.Determinedtoputallmyheartintobaseball,IpromisedthecoachthatIwouldgiveupthejob.Thatsummer,Idedicatedmyselftobaseballtraining,andthenextyear,Iwasgivenabaseballscholarshiptoauniversity.Finally,Isignedwithafamousteamfor$1.7million,andcertainlyboughtmymotherthehouseofmydream.
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