Over the last six years I have learned what patience is. Growing up I did not have this virtue（优点）and it is a very important virtue to have. Now I can see that if you are patient you will almost always get what you want if you are supposed to have it. I gained patience when I lost my freedom. I knew that I would eventually get it back in time.
I was locked up in prison for a period of six years because at 19 years old I was playing with a handgun and I accidentally shot and killed my friend. The first couple of years was the hardest.I was always stressed out about everything.Time was dragging by because I was always paying attention to it.While I was locked up，Tom who I talked to helped put this virtue in me.He told me that it was possible that he would never make it home but that being patient and believing that one day he would was what had made him feel better.After a while I realized why he said a lot of things to me.Once I stopped paying attention to the days and just kept in mind that I would get freedom，it seemed that my time passed quickly.
Now I am home and can see that patience paid off for me. I now use this virtue in my daily activities. I know that sometimes life gets hard and that it will pay in the end to stay patient and not to get discouraged. So if you are having a hard time in life，be patient and it will eventually work out one way or another.
小题1:We can learn from the passage that the writer ______.
A．got patience in prison
B．always wants to know what patience is
C．began to teach others how to be patient
D．is a successful man now through failure小题2:The writer was put in prison because he ______.
A．sold handguns
B．stole a handgun
C．played handguns with friends
D．killed his friend accidentally with a handgun小题3:During the first few years when he was in prison the writer ______.
A．made a couple of good friends
B．thought time passed too slowly
C．felt his life was full of unexpected things
D．was very nervous and frightened小题4:In the writer's opinion people will get a good result at last if they ______.
A．try their best to help others
B．turn to others for help
C．keep patient and don't lose heart
D．set different goals and keep them up
