It was her giggling that drew my attention. Note taking really wasn't all that funny.
Walking over to the offender, I asked for the __16__. Frozen, she refused to give it to me. I waited, all attention in the classroom on the quiet __17__ between teacher and student. When she finally__18__ it over she whispered, “Okay, but I didn't draw it.”
It was a hand－drawn__19__ of me, teeth blackened and the words “I'm stupid” coming out of my mouth.
I managed to fold it up calmly. My mind, __20___, was working angrily as I struggled not to __21__ . I figured I knew the two most likely candidates for drawing the picture. It would do them some __22__ to teach them a lesson, and maybe it was high time that I did it!
Thankfully, I was able to keep myself __23__ .
When there were about six minutes remaining, I showed the class the picture. They were all silent as I told them how __24__ this was for me. I told them there must be a reason__25__ and now was their chance to write down anything they needed to tell me. Then I let them write silently while I sniffed in the back of the classroom.
As I __26__ the notes later, many of them said something like, “I've got nothing __27__ you.” or “I'm sorry you were hurt.” Some kids said, “We're afraid of you.” But two notes, from the girls who I __28__ were behind the picture, had a list of issues. I was too __29__， too strict...
Reading those notes, I realized that over the course of this year, instead of__30__ my students, I had begun commanding them to __31__. Where I thought I was driving them to success I was __32__ driving them away.
I had some apology to do. But the next day in the classroom, one boy and one girl each handed me a card. The one__33__ by all the boys expressed sincere regret for the ugly joke. The one from the girls asked for__34__.
This was a lesson for both the kids and me. Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the __35__.
( )16. A. note B. advice C. reason D. help
( )17. A. battle B. competition C. argument D. conversation
( )18. A. took B. thought C. turned D. handed
( )19. A. statue B. graph C. picture D. poster
( )20. A. otherwise B. however C. therefore D. besides
( )21. A. leave B. cry C. explain D. argue
( )22. A. good B. harm C. favor D. punishment
( )23. A. amused B. controlled C. uninterested D. relaxed
( )24. A. meaningful B. forgetful C. regretful D. hurtful
( )25. A. aside B. above C. beneath D. behind
( )26. A. wrote B. finished C. read D. collected
( )27. A. beyond B. from C. against D. for
( )28. A. figured B. promised C. concluded D. confirmed
( )29. A. talkative B. mean C. clumsy D.considerate
( )30．A. forcing B. encouraging C. comforting D. teaching
( )31. A. appreciate B. apologize C. compromise D. achieve
( )32.A. actually B. normally C. immediately D. generally
( )33.A. decorated B. offered C. signed D. bought
( )34.A. thankfulness B. forgiveness
C. compensation D.communication
( )35.A. friendship B. education C. knowledge D. future