When I was eight, I wrote my first poem．My mother read and cried, "Buddy, you didn't really write this beautiful poem!"
Shyly, but
,I said yes．She poured out her
．"It was nothing short of talent!"
”What time will Father be home?" I asked．I could hardly wait to
my work to him．I spent quite some time
for his arrival．I wrote the poem out in my finest flourish（花体字）’drew a fancy border around it and
I placed it right on my father's plate on the dining table． My father had begun his motion-picture career as a writer．1 was sure he would be able to
my poem．
At almost 7 o'clock my father burst in．He seemed
．He circled the dining-room table, complaining about his employees．
Suddenly he paused and glared at his plate．"What is this?" He was reaching for my poem．
¨Ben, Buddy has written his first poem!” my mother began． "And it's beautiful, absolutely amaz…”
“If you don't mind, I'd like to decide for myself．" Father said．
I
my head as he read that poem． It was only ten lines．But it seemed to take hours．Then I heard him dropping the poem back on the table． Now came the moment of
．
“I think it's terrible," he said．
I couldn't look up． My eyes were getting
．
“Ben, these are the first lines of poetry he's ever written," my mother was saying． "He needs
，”
“I don't know why．" My father held his ground． "Isn't there enough
poetry in the world already? "
I couldn't
it another second． I ran from the dining room crying． Up in my room I
myself on the bed and cried the worst of the
out of me．
That may have been the end of the story, but not of its
for me． I realized how fortunate I had been． I had a mother who said, "I think it's wonderful!" and a father who drove me to hear with "I think it's awful．"
Every one of us needs that mother force, from which all
flows; and yet the mother force alone is incomplete． It needs the balance of the force that
,"Watch． Listen． Review． Improve．"
Those
voices of my childhood ring in my ears through the years, like two opposing winds blowing me． Between the two poles of
and doubt, both in the name of love, I try to follow my true course．
| 小题1: | | A．proudly | B．slowly | C．anxiously | D．honestly |
|
| 小题2: | | A．praise | B．surprise | C．criticism | D．belief |
|
| 小题3: | | A．recite | B．show | C．describe | D．introduce |
|
| 小题4: | | A．waiting | B．planning | C．praying | D．preparing |
|
| 小题5: | | A．quickly | B．confidently | C．nervously | D．casually |
|
| 小题6: | | A．read | B．revise | C．appreciate | D．polish |
|
| 小题7: | | A．upset | B．calm | C．tired | D．relaxed |
|
| 小题8: | | A．shook | B．raised | C．lowered | D．turned |
|
| 小题9: | | A．truth | B．struggle | C．decision | D．discussion |
|
| 小题10: | | A．wet | B．wide | C．dark | D．bright |
|
| 小题11: | | A．practice | B．judgment | C．instruction | D．encouragement |
|
| 小题12: | | A．awful | B．elegant | C．fluent | D．controversial |
|
| 小题13: | | A．hold | B．see | C．stand | D．control |
|
| 小题14: | | A．seated | B．threw | C．left | D．kept |
|
| 小题15: | | A．confusion | B．pressure | C．tiredness | D．disappointment |
|
| 小题16: | | A．significance | B．development | C．difficulty | D．challenge |
|
| 小题17: | | A．failure | B．honor | C．creation | D．improvement |
|
| 小题18: | | A．orders | B．persuades | C．cautions | D．declares |
|
| 小题19: | | A．conflicting | B．warning | C．disturbing | D．inspiring |
|
| 小题20: | | A．confidence | B．confirmation | C．distrust | D．disapproval |
|
