A
Tears ran down from my eyes as I saw the essay my high school English teacher had just handed back. A big F was written on top. I was hopeless. I was stupid! My face burned with shame when my classmates called me stupid.
“I'm the only one who doesn't know my ABCs！” I sobbed to Mum.
“I'll help，”she promised.
Every day I sat with her, but to me, cat looked like cta and red was reb. Frustrated, I would return to my bedroom and draw, filling the paper with houses, restaurants and offices.
“When I grow up, I want my own store，” I told Mum, pointing to my drawings.
“That's great！” she said.“But first you have to learn to read.”
Later, I was diagnosed with dyslexia (读写困难)．So Mum took me to a learning centre, where I was given reading exercises. But I still had a hard time. Finally, I graduated, but I was afraid of my reading skills.
“I'll never get a job！”I cried to Mum later again.
“Don't focus on what you can't do，” she comforted. “Concentrate on what you really can.”
But what can I do? I wondered. Suddenly, I thought of the drawings I'd made as a child and my dream of having my own store. I enjoyed sales so much that over the next few years, I tried my hand at other businesses. Today, I watch over seven branches. We have 187 employees and $15 million in sales.
While I'll never be what my teachers might have wanted, I am a success—on my own terms. The other day a student sent me a card, reading：“You gave me so much confidence. I hope to be like you when I am big.” Tears of joy filled my eyes. This was my A, I smiled.
本文是一篇记叙文。文章记叙了作者小时候因成绩不好而常被同学们嘲笑，但在母亲的帮助和鼓励下，作者最终找到了自己的价值，实现了小时候的梦想。
21．Why did the author feel so ashamed at school?
A．His teacher ignored him in class.
B．His teacher didn't grade his essay.
C．He failed to finish his essay in time.
D．His classmates looked down upon him.
答案：D
解析：细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后一句“My face burned with shame when my classmates called me stupid.”可知，作者因为同学们说他笨即瞧不起他而感到羞愧。故选D项。
22．Which of the following best describes the author's feeling to his mother?
A．Grateful. B．Guilty
C．Doubtful. D. Regretful.
答案：A
解析：推理判断题。从文中可知，作者的成功离不开母亲的帮助、鼓励和安慰。因此他对母亲心存感激。故选A项。
23．Which of the following statements can match the text?
A．No pain, no gain.
B．Never too old to learn.
C．Every man has his value.
D．Two heads are better than one.
答案：C
解析：主旨大意题。作者通过自己的亲身经历来说明成绩差并不意味着失败，每个人都有自己的价值，都可以取得属于自己的成功。故选C项。
