Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity on the court, falling behind for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just lost my job.
As I watched what my son was experiencing, I recalled the events earlier in the day—packing up everything in a box and saying goodbye to my colleagues. During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I would find work again—I was confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.
The game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing (落后的). I saw the determination on his back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again. With a tie game and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball, and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul (犯规).
As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. After he made the free throw, his team managed to stop the other team from scoring, winning the game and moving on to the finals (决赛).
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me. I had taught him perseverance (毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That short moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “adversity” in the first paragraph probably mean?| A．loss | B．confusion | C．success | D．difficulty |
| A．I lost my job because of little experience and poor ability. |
| B．I was proud of Nathan because he won the game in the finals. |
| C．Nathan’s team won a narrow victory in the basketball game. |
| D．Nathan had never doubted himself whenever he was in trouble. |
| A．I was sure my son would win. | B．I often taught my son lessons on basketball. |
| C．I was greatly proud of my son. | D．I was always confident about myself. |
| A．An Unforgettable Experience | B．A Lesson from My Son |
| C．A Moment of Self-doubt | D．An Exciting Basketball Game |
