失去，亦是另一種獲得

河南濮陽縣第三中學 劉世民

運動場上的一次失利，并不代表永遠的失敗，相反，這是成功的另一線生機……

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難詞探意

1. triumph /?tra??mf/ n. 偉大勝利

2. vent /vent/ v. 表達；發泄（感情，尤指憤怒）

It was a Wednesday afternoon and the rosters （候選名單）for the sixth-grade travel basketball team had just been posted online. It shouldn't have made me so anxious, but I knew how much my 12-year-old son wanted to make the team.

I stared at the screen for a few minutes, reading and rereading the list of 13 names. Finally, I had to admit to myself that my son hadn't made the cut. My heart sank. I wished that afternoon would be about triumph. It's easy to give your child a congratulatory speech when they are so happy. Like every parent, I love hugs, high-fives, and moments when I can say, “You did it! ”

Instead, I had to give my son a consolation speech, which is a lot less fun, but probably more important. It's not really a speech, but a continuation of a process. An ongoing discussion about sportsmanship, grace and not giving up took place. Although it was painful for me as a parent to see my son disappointed, I needed to keep my own feelings in check. Sure, I wanted to call the coach to say he made a big mistake, but I would not. Nor would I let my son know that I thought the whole thing was unfair. Instead, I put my own feelings aside and let my son have a safe place to vent his own emotions.

And when he was done, I needed to encourage him to continue to work on his skills and improve his game. That day was a loss, but the only way to get another win was for him to lace up his sneakers and get on the court again. My son is 15 years old now. And, after being cut from the travel team for three years in a row, he got to see his name on the roster for the high school team. Last week, my husband and I watched him play in his first game. The smile on his face when he made his first shot in is something I will never forget. After so many disappointments, it was a well-deserved win for him.And it wouldn't have happened if he had given up trying.

Reading Check

1. What made the author so anxious according to the first two paragraphs?

A. Her son's online posts.

B. Her son's making the team.

C. Whether her son entered the basketball team.

D. Whether her son participated in a team travel.

2. What does the underlined word “consolation” in paragraph 3 mean?

A. Comfort.

B. Congratulation.

C. Satisfaction.

D. Spirit.

3. What did the author tell to her son?

A. Crying out when feeling down.

B. Giving up at the right time.

C. Sportsmanship.

D. Beauty.

4. What can be inferred about the author's son?

A. He stopped working on his game skills.

B. He felt disappointed with his parents.

C. He played in the high school team at the age of 12.

D. He was finally accepted by his high school team.