| identical; moreover; outcome; reflection; comic; gender; seafood; surfing |
When I heard my name pronounced by the teacher, I knew what lay ahead. She called me to the whiteboard to 1 a long division (除法) problem. Math was my 2 subject. When doing a long division problem, I always repeatedly put the numbers in the wrong places，or forgot to add in the zeros.
As I 3 the whiteboard, I looked at the blonde haired girl next to me, trying to copy what she was writing. 4 I tried my best, she went faster than I could understand. Impossible to understand. Why me? Why couldn't I wrap my mind around this strange concept that all the other kids understood? Why, even when I 5 my hardest to deal with the division problems?
Why? Why?
I 6 back salty tears and wrote some numbers randomly (随便地) on the board. The teacher read over our answers silently.
"Now, class, Susie did this problem absolutely correctly."
"As for Tara," the teacher said, 7 her eyes, "Gosh, I don't 8 know what she did."
The class burst into laughter, and I felt my face turned 9 as I tried to sink as low as possible into my seat, hoping to 10 them from seeing me at all. However, after class my teacher wrote me a note, 11 , "No one will care how you feel, unless you 12 yourself to succeed."
This memory from middle school is the most impressive and the only one I can remember. The experience made me feel stronger, and gave me 13 . When I get a 14 grade in school, or am put down by somebody, I think of that moment and every single one of those whys that I asked myself, which gives me the willingness to 15 all of those whys and continue until perfection, or as close as I can get.
There are few clear rules in the UK saying drivers should not park on the pavement (人行道). But Scotland, a country of Britain, is planning a complete ban on pavement paking. And, earlier this year, the UK government admitted it was considering changing the law for the other parts of Britain.
Joe Irvin of Living Streets (the UK charity for everyday walking) says there is "no excuse" for the disagreement and has called on the UK government to act the same way.
"Pavement parking is really thoughtless—and if you think about people with wheelchairs, pushchairs, or sight impairment (受损), they have to go out on to the road," says Mr Irvin.
Steve Hynd, from Bristol, said his father, who uses a wheelchair, had recently ended up in hospital after a parked car had blocked his path.
"My dad's experience was near his care home," he says. "He was trying to wheel himself back inside and a car had parked up on the pavement. He tried to get around it and fell out of his wheelchair."
"He went to hospital. He'd hurt his head and got a black eye where his glasses had gone in."
Groups such as the AA and RAC admit "some streets" should not allow pavement parking if it causes problems to emergency vehicles (紧急车辆)—but they do not believe in a complete ban across the country.
AA president Edmund King says, "We would be concerned if there was a total ban. It is clearly possible in some areas to park on the pavement while still allowing room for pushchairs or people in wheelchairs to pass. "
Hugh Bladon of the Alliance of British Drivers argues a complete ban would cause serious problems as some streets were so narrow.
The simple way to deal with the problems, Mr Bladon believes, is that all drivers must leave at least one metre between their car and the inside of the pavement to allow people with pushchairs and so on to pass by.
Think of London and you will probably remember the bright red double－decker buses. Think of Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, and the noisy tuk－tuks may come to mind. Think of San Francisco and you might see the city's cable cars.
Imagining what these cities would look like without those is difficult. They are symbols of these cities that make them different. However, these city symbols are not always so well loved by their city leaders. City leaders want what is best for their city, which often means the most modern transport.
In Bangkok, city leaders have banned (禁止) tuk－tuks because they consider them noisy and polluting. However, the ban has largely been unsuccessful as it has not changed Thai people's love for the cheap tuk－tuks over taxis.
In London the city's first ever mayor (市长) removed the red double－decker buses, which he thought were old fashioned. His plan worked, but Londoners were unhappy to lose the nice old buses they believed represented the best of their city. They made their unhappiness felt when the mayor came up for re－election. Most Londoners voted for his competitor, who promised to bring the bus back.
As for San Francisco, several cable cars are still in use but mainly as tourist attractions. They are too slow to be used for anything other than scenic trips.
City transport symbols may have a place in their city people's hearts, but it seems they are increasingly out of step with the modern world. As Londoners have proved, their continued life depends on people's willingness to fight for their survival.
