The walls of failure surrounded me. My teacher’s eyes stared at my every move. My mom’s blank expression showed【小题1】(disappoint). “He is not giving his full potential,” I heard my teacher say. I gazed down, afraid, ashamed, and【小题2】(determine). My determination was not to put my best effort to improve but to give up.

My native language is Spanish.【小题3】hard I tried, English would not take root in my brain. I tried hours on end 【小题4】(improve) my grammar, pronunciation,and vocabulary. After the parent-teacher conference, my mother【小题5】(tell) that I was totally lacking interest. I spent that whole afternoon listening to my mother tell me【小题6】I should try. “You can never achieve what you do not try, she told me. The simple statement stuck deeply【小题7】my nine-year-old mind.

The next day, I found myself learning English words I never knew. A simple change in attitude made me successfully learn those words. My teacher’s welcoming smile, patience, and bright attitude, in addition to my desire to learn, were enough to make【小题8】difference. Within days, I found 【小题9】(I) having complete conversations in English and even【小题10】(use) idioms correctly. My mother’s words helped me to learn that success in life requires desire.