ThemostimportantlessonIlearnedinhighschoolhadnothingtodowithmathsorAmericanhistory.ItcameatgraduationseveralminutesbeforeIleftMiramonteHighSchool.

Iwasrathershybackthencontentto 41aroundwithmyfewfriendsandtoconcentrateonmy 42 IwasdoingsowellthatbytheendofsenioryearIhadperfectscoresandenough 43 togotocollege.

Butmygoodrecordsoonbecamea 44 tomywell-being.InearlyJuneofsenioryeartheheadmastercalledmeintohisoffice.Heaskedmetogivealeave-takingspeechatgraduation.Ilookedathimmyheart 45 fast.Thiswasthe 46 formyhardwork?Isaidsomethingbutnotveryclearlyandhurriedawayfromtheoffice.

Iwas47 aboutthedecisionfinallyagreeingtocompromise.Iwasn’ttheonlyspeaker—Iwould48thehonorwithfiveotherstudents.Stillitwasdoubtfulwhetherthetaskwas 49 me.HowintheworldwouldIgiveaspeechtohundredsofpeople?

Graduationdaysoonarrivedandas 50 Iwasnervous.I’dbeenpracticingmyspeechfordaysandIhadit 51 .ButIhadneverbeenso 52 in mylife.Thefirsthalfhouroftheceremonypassedandthenmy 53 came.Mynamewasannounced.Imanagedtoreachtheplatformwithoutfallingdown.ButwithinminutesIfinishedmyspeech 54 backtomyseatandfeelingunsatisfiedwithmyperformance.

NowIstillhavethe 55 ofthatspeech.Myvoicetrembledalittlebut56 itwasclearandstrong.I’mproudofthattape.IachievedsomethingI’dnever 57 —Ispokeinfrontofhundredsofpeople. 58 Ididn’trealizeitatthetimethesuccessfulcompletionofthatspeechgavemethe 59 toparticipateinclassatcollegetogiveoralreportsandtoeventuallybreakfreeofmy 60 .

Ineverwouldhavechosentogiveaspeechatgraduation.ButIamgladIdid.Iknowitmaywellturnouttobeoneofmyshiningmoments.

41.A.hang B.look C.turn D.run

42.A.characters B.interests C.games D.subjects

43.A.money B.credits C.time D.standards

44.A.1uck B.benefit C.fear D.solution

45.A.burning B.breaking C.aching D.beating

46.A.punishment B.reward C.arrangement D.sympathy

47.A.doubtful B.optimistic C.gen