Pat McGee noticed her daughter hadn’t returned to the dentist’s waiting room just before her surgery (外科手术) was supposed to start. She walked to the bathroom and found Jessica,32, there, crying. “We’re going to say goodbye to the old Jessica,” she said. “And hi to the new Jessica.”Jessica, from St. Louis, US, had been wishing for this day since high school, when the bullying (欺凌) about her teeth started. Now that it was finally happening, she was nervous.
It was a social media post two months ago that got her there. Someone posted a photo of Jessica with a comment about her overbite—a serious problem that affects the teeth. The post was shared many times with many people making unkind remarks about her appearance.
The bullies didn’t know the road Jessica had traveled. She underwent nine operations on her ears from age 2 to 12 years old. She was almost deaf in her right ear. Her adult teeth didn’t start coming in until she was 11 or 12, and doctors couldn’t figure out why they were pushed outward. It got worse as she got older. Jessica had been trying for years to get her teeth fixed, but it was always too costly.
When her story got out, dentists wanted to help her. One of them, Maryann Udy, got in contact with Jessica and offered her new smile free of charge. The surgery was long and complicated. It took weeks for the swelling (肿胀) to go down and several months before Jessica’s new smile was ready.
Later that year, she looked at her old photos online and smiled. “I loved her,” she said. She’s grateful to be in less pain, to be on the path to a new smile. Sometimes, though, it feels like something is missing from who she was. Still, she loves taking selfies (自拍) and admiring her new appearance. “I looked good before,” she said. “I look even better now.”
【小题1】Why didn’t Jessica appear before the surgery?| A．She was too excited to face it. |
| B．She was anxious due to the long-time wishing. |
| C．She was hesitant because of those bad memories. |
| D．She was not sure about the success of the surgery. |
| A．Jessica couldn’t afford the surgery. |
| B．Her overbite was related to her car problem. |
| C．Jessica underwent nine operations on her teeth. |
| D．A photo of Jessica was posted online to seek help. |
| A．Jessica’s confidence. | B．Jessica’s old photos online. |
| C．Jessica’s individuality. | D．The bullying about Jessica’s teeth. |
| A．A new smile | B．A free surgery | C．A lucky post | D．Face-to-face with bullying |
