After eleven months of unemployment, Dad gathered our family in the living room one December night and said, “I accepted a new job in Austin, Texas.” I would start over in a new high school. My crying continued well into the night.

While my sister and I were allowed six months to finish the school year and to sabotage my relationships with people who cared about me, I withdrew into myself to make leaving seem painless. However, gradually I found myself counting down my days before the beginning.

Suddenly I decided to add some certainty to my unclear future. I diligently researched highschools and neighborhoods, and in turn my parents gave me a say in where we would begin the search for our new home in Austin. Once we purchased our new house, I could see my future unfold before me. With knowledge comes power, I’d use my circumstance as a chance for self-improvement.

I emailed the tennis coach at my new high school about trying out for the team, which turned into a conversation as he said that the team looked forward to having me. He went on to inform the team of my arrival. For the first time I felt like I could take the role of the confident girl I wanted to be.

I successfully threw myself into everything I could, enjoying the process of uncovering what I liked. At my old school I would never have given math club a second thought, though I was skilled at it. But in the new school, I decided to challenge myself and join Mu Alpha Theta, a mathematics honor society. Shocking as it may be, I actually enjoyed being a “mathlete”, but even more shocking was the fact that no one teased me for my decision.

It was then that I realized the courage and confidence I had sought had been waiting beneath my insecurities to finally surface when the time was right. While every new beginning contains an element of fear, it also contains an element of promise.

【小题1】How did the author react to her father’s getting a new job?

A．She felt excited.	B．She remained unconcerned.
C．She was sorrowful.	D．She was confused.

【小题2】What does the underlined word “sabotage” mean in paragraph 2?

A．Strengthen.	B．Establish.
C．Accompany.	D．End.

【小题3】What made the author decide to join Mu Alpha Theta?

A．She wanted to challenge herself.

B．She could make friends in the club.

C．It was her dream to join a math club.

D．It was a chance to become an athlete.

【小题4】What lesson did the author learn from the experience?

A．Good endings promise good beginnings.

B．All new beginnings have promise in them.

C．Challenging oneself can boost confidence.

D．Moving to a new school has positive effects.