2004/01（本試）
My confidence as a swimmer started to disappear the day Angela moved to our small town. At the time, some members of the town’s swimming club, myself included, were preparing for the National Championships, which were just six months away. I had always been the best, and everyone thought that I would be chosen for the relay race. But now I had competition. There was only one place for the butterfly on the relay team, and we both wanted it.
For two weeks it was awful. Angela was always the star. She was faster than I, and her form was better, too. I was jealous and scared. My chances of being selected were disappearing fast. My fear caused me to be unfriendly to Angela. I refused to speak to her and never said anything good about her.
One day, however, our coach called me over and said, “Kate, I’ve got something to say to you. Your attitude is hurting your performance. I know you can change that. d like you to think about it.”
When I arrived at the pool the next morning, I thought about what he had said as I was going through my warm-up. Angela and I were going to compete that morning, and only eight girls would enter the finals.
My thoughts were interrupted when a voice said, “Nervous?” It was Angela. “I don’t like to talk before a race,” I replied coldly.
“I get nervous, too,” she said. Her voice didn’t have the anger of mine, which surprised me quite a bit.
Angela and I competed in our separate trial races. I jumped into the pool and swam like a flying fish. My mind was clear, and I could think about only one thing: swimming well.
When the races were over, the judges announced that both of us were among the lucky eight who would be competing in the finals. Despite this good news, I noticed that Angela was sitting sadly alone. This puzzled me, but I thought that I knew how she felt and tried to be friendly to her.
“I don’t talk before races, I do talk after them. Sometimes it helps,” I said.
Angela was silent for a while, but then she said, “I’m great in practices, but in competitions I just can’t do well. It’s like this all the time. I’m so worried about the finals.”
Now I felt really bad. I realized how horrible I had been to Angela. I wanted to help her. I wanted to show her that I was sorry for my behavior of the past two weeks.
“Listen, I have an idea,” I said. “Why don’t we help each other prepare for the final race? We have two weeks to work on things.”
“Good idea,” said Angela.
For the next two weeks Angela and I worked together. I taught her how to deal with stress and how to train her muscles. She helped me with my form, and at the end of those two weeks we were the best of friends and respected each other as swimmers.
The day of the final race came and when the starter pistol was fired, I swam off like a dolphin. I thought about nothing but winning, but just before I reached the finish line, I thought of Angela and looked over into her lane.
As I was climbing out of the pool, I said to myself. “Oh no, what have I done?” I thought that I had dropped behind Angela and lost the race when I looked in her direction.
While we were waiting for the official announcement, the coach came running over to us. “Congratulations, girls! It was close, but Angela has won, and so have you, Kate!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Well, Angela will he in the relay, but you swam so fast, Kate, that you, too, have won.”
“Really?” I screamed. “I don’t understand.”
“I’ll explain. The 21st Century Swimsuit Company is giving both of you their Future Swimmers Scholarship this year.”
“Wow, I suppose that I’m a double winner: I got a scholarship and made a friend, too.” “You’re not the only one,” Angela remarked.
- How did Kate feel after Angela joined the swimming club?
① Happy.
② Excited.
③ Sad.
④ Anxious. - Why did the coach talk to Kate before the trial races?
① He thought she should be independent.
② He wanted to encourage her to swim better.
③ He wanted her to be afraid of Angela.
④ He thought she should support Angela. - Why did Kate want to help Angela?
① She wanted Angela to win.
② The coach insisted that she do so.
③ Angela was a newcomer.
④ She understood how Angela felt. - Why was Kate disappointed immediately after the final race?
① She thought she would not be going to the Nationals.
② She thought Angela had lost.
③ She had decided to give up swimming.
④ She found that Angela was not her friend. - What did Angela mean when she said, “You’re not the only one”?
① She knew that both she and Kate had won the race.
② She believed that only Kate would get a scholarship.
③ She thought that she had made a friend, too.
④ She guessed that she would be given more than one scholarship.
