阅读理解
On my first day of teaching,I found that I spent 85 per cent of my energy disciplining and 15 per cent
teaching knowledge.Of course I had some wonderful,serious students who would do well wherever they
were in life,but others worked hard to push themselves to the limit (限度)．At night I went home
exhausted,often near tears.What gave me the idea I wanted to teach?
And then there was Matthew.
After school Matthew would come into my classroom to dust erasers or empty the wastepaper basket.
"Why do you come in to visit me?" I asked him one night.
"Because at home no one listens to me," was his reply.Later I found out that there were eleven children in his family,with Matthew near the middle.
One time when he came to see me,he said,"Miss Ausmus,the kids are saying that you and Mr D．like each other."
"Matthew,Mr D．is a nice man and we both teach some of the same students.He is not my boyfriend,
and it's not something the children should be talking about anyway."
Another time,he said,"Will you wait for me so I can marry you when I grow up?"
"Sorry,Matthew,but that won't work," I answered in a gentle way.
When my birthday arrived,his mother made me a cake.She delivered (递送) it after school,and as
Matthew was carrying it up the school steps,he tripped (绊倒),dropping the cake.I found him in tears.I
told him that bringing me a cake was very,very special,whether I was able to eat it or not.
After my second year of teaching,I said "goodbye" to Matthew and his family.
Years passed and in 1992,I went back to the little town to visit.Matthew's parents still lived in the same house.His mother greeted me warmly."Janet,"she said,"Thanks for all the time you spent encouraging
Matthew.You taught him to believe in himself.You are the reason he went to college."
I had made a difference in the life of a young boy.But I wonder...did Matthew ever know the difference he made in mine?
1. How did the author feel at the beginning of her teaching?
A. Embarrassed.
B. Excited.
C. Frustrated.
D. Amused.
2. By saying "others worked hard to push themselves to the limit",the author meant other students
________.
A. were forced to challenge themselves
B. made efforts to challenge their classmates
C. needed to be encouraged to learn
D. did everything they could to do well
3. Why did Matthew visit the author after school?
A. Because he had less communication at home.
B. Because he wondered if she liked Mr D.
C. Because he decided to marry her when he grew up.
D. Because he was going to celebrate her birthday.
4. Under the influence of the author,Matthew became________.
A. honest
B. sincere
C. confident
D. hardworking
5. What difference did Matthew make to the author?
A. He encouraged her to win Mr D．'s love.
B. He made her become enthusiastic about disciplining.
C. He gave her the courage to continue teaching.
D. He got her to understand what was true love.
