Gold and brown leaves crunched (吱吱响) under Dora's feet as she made her way down the road. She could not wait to be home. The cold from the autumn winds was bad, but it was not nearly as hard to stand as the cold she felt in her heart.
Today was Dora's tur to speak for five minutes in front of the class. Her legs trembled (颤抖) all the way and her hands shook so badly that she could not read her notes. Mr. Roberts ended part of her speech. After class, Mr. Roberts encouraged her to find the courage and asked her to have a try the next day.
When Dora arrived home, Mom studied her face and asked her what was wrong patiently She told Mom the whole story, with tears sparkling in her brown eyes.
Then Mom took Dora to her bedroom and showed her a gold medal that said "First Place". Mom shared her experience with Dora. Once, Mom was shy and was not sure of herself at all. But she faced up to her fears and ended the year as the winner in the speech competition. ★ It was the second time that someone had told Dora about it that day. Suddenly, warmth swept over her when she was listening to Momma's supporting words. Now, she knew what she should do the next day.
The next day Dora again walked to the front of the classroom. Facing the class, she could feel nervous once more. She touched Momma's gold medal in her pocket, believing that it would bring her good luck. As soon as she finished her speech, the students started cheering. Today she found her courage.
