When Joe was about to start school, all signs pointed to success. Yet things turned out to be quite 36  . The fourth grade even found him at the 37   of the class. Joe struggled day and night, but it did not 38   —until one stormy afternoon.
On that afternoon,   39  the math teacher started to introduce difficult concepts, dark clouds
covered the sky, and the storm set in. Hard though she tried to make the kid,   40  , the thunder won the battle for their attention. No one  41  the concepts. Except for Joe. He understood them and answered all the questions correctly. The teacher patted him on the back, and told him to go around to the others and explain how he had managed it.   42  by his newfound success, Joe moved quickly throughout the room. Soon math time was followed by the time for 43  . All children naturally drew 44  pictures on such a day. Except for Joe.
Since then, Joe started 45  . Though he never made it to the top, his math teacher was always 46  and curious about the change: Why had that stormy day changed Joe?
On the day Joe graduated, he presented the teacher with his most 47   possession—the picture of a bright yellow sun. On the picture Joe had written: This is the day I  48  my brightness.

A．unfair B．boring C．disappointing D．dangerous

A．center B．top C．beginning D．bottom

A．happen B．work C．finish D．last

A．until B．since C．because D．as

A．concentrate B．change C．hide D．sit

A．challenged B．grasped C．doubted D．admitted

A．Relieved B．Surprised C．Encouraged D．Puzzled

A．class B．sports C．art D．tea

A．great B．dark C．different D．strange

A．improving B．painting C．recovering D．studying

A．worried B．amazed C．friendly D．cautious

A．familiar B．expensive C．admirable D．precious

A．woke up to B．put up with C．got on with D．looked down upon