I had been playing hockey（冰球）for about 10 years. I was always the one sitting 

I had been playing hockey（冰球）for about 10 years. I was always the one sitting at the end of the bench, and  26  got into a game. I went to all the  27  and showed up even when it was so  28  that your ‘breath froze’ and when the other players had decided to stay home. I felt I had  29  enough and thought of quitting.

 I finally decided to  30  the news to my mom that I was leaving the team. My mom may have looked like a tiny and quiet lady but on  31  my words, she said, “Remember, ‘A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.’ Your mother didn’t raise  32  , so think about yourself in a  33  way and see yourself as a winner!” So I worked harder than ever at getting in better shape,  34  my shot accuracy and changing my  35  .

Once in a match, we  36  our first game badly. What’s worse, one of our best players got hurt. I was sitting at my  37  place, at the end of the bench, when the coach came over and told me I was going  38  . I was nervous, excited and terrified all at the same time.

The opposing team was fast and I had to admit I was a little  39  .  But my mom’s words   40  out in my head like a church bell. Instead of being afraid, I was “pumped” and I very quickly found that all my  41  work was paying off.  I was as fast a skater as anyone else on the ice, and I seemed to get the   42   to score. The crowd went quiet.  All the time I spent on the ice when everyone had gone home had 43  me for this moment.

Won! I won!

 The lesson I learned from my mom’s  44  has stayed with me over the years. I hear them whenever I am faced with a challenge, or whenever I  45  myself.  

26. A. once         B. seldom           C. usually          D. even

27. A. meetings     B. shows            C. matches          D. practices  

28. A. cloudy       B. wet              C. cold             D. windy

29. A. suffered     B. explained        C. planned          D. escaped

30. A. write        B. break            C. read             D. report

31. A. noticing     B. gathering        C. hearing          D. analyzing

32. A. talkers      B. dreamers         C. attackers        D. losers

33. A. positive     B. familiar         C. brief            D. convenient

34. A. testing      B. improving        C. questioning      D. affecting

35. A. aim          B. taste            C. habit            D. attitude

36. A. lost         B. controlled       C. practiced        D. continued

37. A. usual        B. safe             C. secret           D. private

38. A. off          B. in               C. by               D. up

39. A. annoyed      B. awkward          C. scared           D. bitter

40. A. ran          B. gave             C. stood            D. rang   

41. A. delicate     B. extra            C. creative         D. casual 

42. A. chance       B. message          C. order            D. note

43. A. spared       B. requested        C. prepared         D. sent

44. A. actions      B. reasons          C. words            D. promises

45. A. judge        B. express          C. comfort          D. doubt

BDCAB     CDABD      AABCD     BACCD