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呵呵rebecca老师在关注本版更新啊，谢谢:))

呵呵rebecca老师在关注本版更新啊，谢谢:))

The Ugly Duckling

                                   -------When I was a little boy

“Bang”
“Oh, outside-in!” – Well, as you can see, I am a tennis player, who quite enjoys the game on tennis court. My first experience with tennis shall trace back to over eight years. When young, I very admired the professional tennis players on television, and the sound that the racket made when hitting the ball attracted me greatly. I made up my mind to be a tennis player, and I started to practice on my own. At the age of ten, my professional tennis training began. I was selected into the city's tennis school, where I met Matthew, the man who dramatically affected me in my future life.

The first day I arrived at that school, I found myself the youngest among all – also the shortest and the thinnest. Yet I did not realize that it came the time that my hardship would begin. At my first training phase, I lost frequently. My teammates laughed at me, “Go home, fool.” I wanted to improve my skills so badly. Even worse, the coach seemed to be reluctant to instruct me. When I asked him for skill instructions, he always held a cold manner, “Go and practice", and then turned around to other players. Facing the wall alone, I diligently swinging the racket over and over again, I was hoping to play well enough to be recognized by my teammates and the coach. However, as my progress seemed too slow and shallow to catch up with their expectation, for the first time, I doubted my talent in tennis.

But it changed when a famous foreign coach, Matthew, came to our school for a short visit. He had a friendly play with every one of us. When it was my turn, I was so nervous to face such a strapping man. I tried to receive his ball carefully, one-round, two-round… twenty-round. Wow, that was unbelievable! After the match, he walked to me and started a conversation. After knowing that I had just played tennis for a year, he was amazed. He patted on my shoulder, "You are great! Remember, duck will swan one day. Keep going, boy." With wide eyes open, I felt so excited at that moment. Not only because that he had praised my tennis talent, but also the recognition that I received deeply touched and encouraged me. Since then, when facing the wall and swinging my racket, I remembered Matthew's words and talked to myself, “I will prove myself.”

The duck remembered how sweat tasted; he remembered how sun shined; he also remembered how tiredness felt. However, he never gave up whoever stands on the opposite court. Having grown stronger and stronger, he gradually turned out to be the coach’s favorite. He was no longer looked down upon. He was allowed to join the team for the Provincial tournament. His growth shocked everybody who omitted him before. He had gone though a mass of difficulties on the way to become a professional tennis player, but he gradually realized who he really was as well.

The duck wanted to thank Matthew for bringing him hope and courage at the right time; he wanted to thank Matthew for helping him to understand what he dreamed of; he also wanted to thank Matthew for guiding him to develop into a person with the ability to overcome difficulties. He got to know that it was inevitable for one to meet with frustrations or pains, which he should definitely overcome to achieve the goal. He was really "beautiful" at last, much as the duckling or we my say the swan, in the Anderson’s tale. The duck becomes a well-feathered swan in the end.

I have never seen Matthew since then, but I will never forget him for the story he told – duck will swan one day. He was a drip into my pond, creating an important wave in my life.

The Ugly Duckling

                                   -------When I was a little boy

“Bang”
“Oh, outside-in!” – Well, as you can see, I am a tennis player, who quite enjoys the game on tennis court. My first experience with tennis shall trace back to over eight years. When young, I very admired the professional tennis players on television, and the sound that the racket made when hitting the ball attracted me greatly. I made up my mind to be a tennis player, and I started to practice on my own. At the age of ten, my professional tennis training began. I was selected into the city's tennis school, where I met Matthew, the man who dramatically affected me in my future life.

The first day I arrived at that school, I found myself the youngest among all – also the shortest and the thinnest. Yet I did not realize that it came the time that my hardship would begin. At my first training phase, I lost frequently. My teammates laughed at me, “Go home, fool.” I wanted to improve my skills so badly. Even worse, the coach seemed to be reluctant to instruct me. When I asked him for skill instructions, he always held a cold manner, “Go and practice", and then turned around to other players. Facing the wall alone, I diligently swinging the racket over and over again, I was hoping to play well enough to be recognized by my teammates and the coach. However, as my progress seemed too slow and shallow to catch up with their expectation, for the first time, I doubted my talent in tennis.

But it changed when a famous foreign coach, Matthew, came to our school for a short visit. He had a friendly play with every one of us. When it was my turn, I was so nervous to face such a strapping man. I tried to receive his ball carefully, one-round, two-round… twenty-round. Wow, that was unbelievable! After the match, he walked to me and started a conversation. After knowing that I had just played tennis for a year, he was amazed. He patted on my shoulder, "You are great! Remember, duck will swan one day. Keep going, boy." With wide eyes open, I felt so excited at that moment. Not only because that he had praised my tennis talent, but also the recognition that I received deeply touched and encouraged me. Since then, when facing the wall and swinging my racket, I remembered Matthew's words and talked to myself, “I will prove myself.”

The duck remembered how sweat tasted; he remembered how sun shined; he also remembered how tiredness felt. However, he never gave up whoever stands on the opposite court. Having grown stronger and stronger, he gradually turned out to be the coach’s favorite. He was no longer looked down upon. He was allowed to join the team for the Provincial tournament. His growth shocked everybody who omitted him before. He had gone though a mass of difficulties on the way to become a professional tennis player, but he gradually realized who he really was as well.

The duck wanted to thank Matthew for bringing him hope and courage at the right time; he wanted to thank Matthew for helping him to understand what he dreamed of; he also wanted to thank Matthew for guiding him to develop into a person with the ability to overcome difficulties. He got to know that it was inevitable for one to meet with frustrations or pains, which he should definitely overcome to achieve the goal. He was really "beautiful" at last, much as the duckling or we my say the swan, in the Anderson’s tale. The duck becomes a well-feathered swan in the end.

I have never seen Matthew since then, but I will never forget him for the story he told – duck will swan one day. He was a drip into my pond, creating an important wave in my life.