I never planned to be a teacher. I was headed for a law school, for a real career. Teaching was something to “get out of my system”. I would teach a couple of years and then go to get a real job. After the first couple of years, I promised myself I would leave if I didn’t love my job any more. Twenty-nine years later, that day still has not come.

So, why do I stay? I stay because I laugh and learn every day. The children are funny, insightful, and honest. If my shoes don’t match my outfit, they tell me. If my argument that Invisible Man is an important twentieth century classic doesn’t convince them, they tell me.

I stay because every single day is different. Some days, my lessons are great, and I have classes of students who are engaged in reading, writing and thinking. Some days, my lessons fall flat, and I realize that I need to start from the beginning - even after 29 years.

I stay because I love to see the children realize that they have learned something; I love to see the children write well; I love the feeling of reading a well-argued essay, and I love smiling as I write a final “Awesome job!” on a paper on which a student has worked hard.

I stay because what I’ve learned in 29 years is that I do have a “real” job - the most real job there is. It’s the one that leads to other jobs, that helps to create good thinkers who go on to be productive in our society, and that supports our community as it grows and times change. My job is among the ones that matter most.

【小题1】The author became a teacher because he _________.

A．needed money to go to a law school	B．loved dealing with children
C．loved teaching very much	D．failed to get a “real” job

【小题2】We can infer from Paragraph 2 that the author _________.

A．often pays no attention to his outfit	B．is good at convincing his students
C．enjoys his time with his students	D．doesn’t read many classics

【小题3】What does the underlined phrase “fall flat” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．end in failure

B．pay off

C．make sense

D．fall into ruin

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．What the author has learned as a teacher.

B．What the author thinks of being a teacher.

C．Why the author didn’t choose to become a lawyer.

D．Why the author chooses to stay as a teacher.