ThemostimportantlessonIlearnedinhighschoolhadnothingtodowithmathsorAmericanhistory.ItcameatgraduationseveralminutesbeforeIleftMiramonteHighSchool.

Iwasrathershybackthencontentto   41   aroundwithmyfewfriendsandtoconcentrateonmy   42   IwasdoingsowellthatbytheendofsenioryearIhadperfectscoresandenough   43   togotocollege.

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

Iwas   47   aboutthedecisionfinallyagreeingtocompromise.Iwasn’ttheonlyspeaker—Iwould   48   thehonorwithfiveotherstudents.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.Myvoicetrembledalittlebut  56   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.luck