I was terribly shy as a child. I couldn’t bear to be noticed and if I spoke people would notice me, so I spoke as little as possible. About four years ago, I was hanging out with my friends on a playground. I noticed two little girls, who came to play near where we were. The elder sister pulled the younger girl away from us but couldn’t go far, as her sister threw herself on to the ground crying and refusing to get up. I was longing to comfort her but felt unable to do so.
Then I thought: Why am I waiting for someone to give me permission to do what I feel is right? I went over to the little girl and held out my hand. I had merely intended to help her up first but instead she pulled me down into a tight hug. I instantly felt the surge of her emotions flood through me. We knelt on the ground hugging tightly for what felt like a longtime; at one point I tried to move away but she wouldn’t let me go. The elder girl had run off, and reappeared with a man I took to be their father. She pointed at me accusingly (谴责地). It occurred to me that he would probably be angry at a stranger hugging his child and might shout at me or even hit me. I then decided that it didn’t matter if he did hit me. At that moment, the only thing that mattered in the world was comforting the little girl in my arms.
To my surprise, the man wasn’t angry. He just nodded and held his arms out to his child. She calmed down and went to him willingly. He carried her away and the sister followed them. I watched them disappear into the crowd.
That day, I learned that I can speak, and if-I can’t speak, I can take action, which is often easier. I still find speaking difficult. But now I know that if I need to, I can.
【小题1】Why did the author approach the little girl on the playground?| A．To scold her for crying on the playground. |
| B．To join in the play with her and her sister. |
| C．To understand why she was so emotional. |
| D．To offer comfort and assistance to her. |
| A．Her friends would protect her. |
| B．She didn’t care about the consequences. |
| C．She believed the father was friendly. |
| D．She was trying to impress the little girl. |
| A．The significance of seeking permission before helping others. |
| B．The benefits of taking action and making a difference to others. |
| C．The necessity of caution when interacting with strangers’ kids. |
| D．The importance of overcoming shyness and becoming brave. |
