I grew up poor－living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still to have a dream. My dream was . By the time I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and anything that moved on the football field. I was also : My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me to believe in myself.  He me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular _ with Coach John changed my life forever. A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket-money for a new bike, new clothes and the of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing. When I told John, he was as as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He said. “Your days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head , trying to think of the to explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his in me. “How much are you going to make at this job?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied. “Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the price of a dream?” That simple question made for me the difference between something right now and having a . I devoted myself to sports that summer and the year I was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was a $20,000 contract. My baseball scholarship got me through university and in 1984 I signed with Denver Broncos for $1.7 million and bought my mother the house of her dreams. 小题1: A．happy B．polite C．shy D．honest 小题2: A．live B．afford C．make D．need 小题3: A．athletics B．music C．business D．money 小题4: A．throw B．play C．pass D．hit 小题5: A．right B．popular C．lucky D．wrong 小题6: A．how B．why C．when D．whether 小题7: A．gave B．taught C．brought D．asked 小题8: A．accident B．matter C．problem D．experience 小题9: A．aim B．idea C．start D．purpose 小题10: A．keep B．end C．give D．pick 小题11: A．mad B．puzzled C．frightened D．shameful 小题12: A．living B．playing C．working D．learning 小题13: A．moving B．nodding C．shaking D．hanging 小题14: A．answers B．excuses C．words D．ways 小题15: A．sadness B．regret C．hopelessness D．disappointment 小题16: A．direct B．clear C．straight D．bare 小题17: A．wanting B．changing C．dreaming D．living 小题18: A．wish B．dream C．score D．desire 小题19: A．by B．for C．over D．within 小题20: A．paid B．got C．offered D．presented