第 42 题

1I'm an 18-year-old pre-medical student, tall nd good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that he attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

2Born and raised in Africa，I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I ,a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying “I’m so different!”

3What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering (口吃), which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I'd taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

4Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! “Wow,” I whispered to myself, “this isn't a genetic(遗传的) disorder after all. It's perfectly normal.” Days later, my life took another twist(转折). Searching the internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I'm smart, I shouldn't allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

5Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talkshow host and writer—she's black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I'm practically filled with shame.

6Today, I've grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there's always something fantastic about us, and what w need to do is learn to appreciate it.