"Bill, you never miss！"Joe said admiringly. "Unless I'm in a real game, "Bill complained. "Then I miss all the time. " Joe knew that Bill was right. Bill performed much better when he was having fun with Joe in the schoolyard than he did when he was playing for the school team in front of a large crowd. " Maybe you just need to practice more, "Joe suggested. "But I practice all the time with you！"Bill said. He shook his head. " I just can't play well when people are watching me. " "You play well when I'm watching, " Joe pointed out. "That's because I've known you since we were five years old, "Bill said with a smile. " I'm just not comfortable playing when other people are around. " Joe nodded and understood, but he also had an idea.

The next day Joe and Bill met in the schoolyard again to practice. After a few minutes, Joe excused himself. " Practice without me, "Joe said to his friend. "I'll be back in a minute. "

Joe hurried through the school building, gathering together whomever he could find-two students, a math teacher, two secretaries, and a coach. When Joe explained why he needed them, everyone was happy to help. Joe reminded（提醒）the group to stay quiet as they all went toward the school's basketball court. As Joe had hoped, Bill was still practicing basketball. He made five baskets in a row without noticing the silent people standing behind him.

"Hey, Bill" Joe called out finally. Bill turned. A look of surprise came over his face. "I just wanted to show you that you could play well with people watching you," Joe said. "Now you'll have nothing to worry about for the next game!"

   Amanda Clement was sixteen years old. She sat _______ in the grandstand（大看台）with her mother but she _______ herself right out there on the baseball diamond（棒球场）with the players. Back home in Hudson, South Dakota, her brother Hank and his friends often _______ her to umpire（给……当裁判）games.

Mandy, as she was called, could only sit and watch Hank play. The year was 1904, and girls were not _______ to take part in the sport. But when the umpire for the preliminary（预赛）between two local teams didn't arrive, Hank asked Mandy to make the calls.

Mrs. Clement didn't _______ her daughter to umpire a public event, but at last Hank and Mandy persuaded her to agree. Mandy _______ took her position.

She did so _______ that the players for the big game asked her to umpire for them-with pay！Mrs. Clement was _______ at that idea. But Mandy finally persuaded her _______ to allow her to do it. Amanda Clement became the first ________ woman baseball umpire on record and could live a better life.

Mandy's fame ________ quickly. Before long, she was umpiring games in other states. Flyers（传单）, sent out to announce upcoming ________, called Mandy the "World Champion Woman Umpire". Her uniform was a long blue skirt, a black necktie, ________ a white blouse with UMPS marked across the front. Mandy ________ her long dark hair inside a cap.

Mandy's earnings for her work ________ an umpire came in especially handy. She put ________ through college and ________ a teacher and coach. Mandy died in 1971. People who knew her ________ her for her work as an umpire, teacher, and coach, and ________ she loved helping people ________ she loved the sport career.

In a different evening of November two years ago, we had a big party to celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the Concert Hall in our school. Present at the party was all the students and teachers, apart from some of the school leaders. Working together on stage, the teachers and students gave a lot of wonderfully American performances. For an example, they cooperated with each other perform witty skits（滑稽短剧）as well as singing and dancing. To our surprises, they also played magic tricks. The performances were very amazing that we all had a good time that evening.

Therefore, happy time really flies. The moment finally comes when the party came to an end. We are looking forward to get together to perform again.