When I moved to America in the 7th grade, I did not speak any English. I had no choice but to keep working hard. Although I made 1 when I reached the 9th grade, people still found it difficult to understand me because of my accent (口音).
One day, at a party, I was invited to play a guessing game. When it was my turn, I tried to 2 the object that I had in mind. Suddenly someone said with a laugh, "What did she say?" I felt 3 . Out of kindness, a girl gently advised me to repeat it, but I got stuck on the word "purple"—I couldn't 4 it. This time, everyone laughed while I was trying hard to get the word out of me. This 5 had its own influence on me. When opportunities were opened up for the summer program I had been looking forward to, I 6 to attend (参加) the interview. Luckily, I got tons of encouragement from people around me. So I decided to 7 .
At the interview, the other students in my group spoke very 8 but I didn't speak that much. I knew that I could hardly be understood because of my accent. Besides when I was nervous, it would be even more 9 for me to pronounce words clearly. After the interview, I stayed, said "10 " and explained to the teachers. I didn't want them to think I wasn't interested or I was being unfriendly. But they appreciated (欣赏) that I expressed 11 . "It's OK. You don't have to say sorry. Your accent does not make you less than others," said one of the teachers.
Surprisingly, I was accepted into the 12 . Imagine how I felt!
Up to now, I still feel 13 that I took that step. It is a sign that I have changed. I did not let my accent 14 me. I'm sure I will continue to feel nervous about speaking English with strangers. 15 that's OK. It will not stop me from trying to be better.
