I used to be very shy，so I wasn't good at meeting new people. I was afraid I'd do or say something wrong，so usually I just listened to other people's conversations. My teacher Mrs. Smith always encourages me to communicate with others. 

One day，she told us that our class would put on a play she had written. "I need someone to play the lead role. Does anybody want to try？"she asked. A few excited hands shot up—mine wasn't one of them. Mrs. Smith walked up to me and said，"I think you're perfect for it. But you didn't raise your hand. "

Me，the lead？Was she crazy？Mrs. Smith continued，"I had been in consideration of（考虑），I won't force you. It's your choice. "Suddenly，I realized it was time to throw away my shyness and show the world who I really was. I looked Mrs. Smith right in her eye and said，I'll try. "

After five months of practicing，the big day finally arrived. My knees shook and my heart beat like I'd just run a mile. "It doesn't matter how you do tonight，"said Mrs. Smith（后台） for a final check. "You've already shown yourself how wonderful you are. That's the most important thing. "

I smiled because I knew she was right. The time when I stepped on the stage and people applauded（鼓掌），I proved that I could take chances and be brave to make a big change for myself—a girl with her newly—found confidence. 

When I was in primary school, I was actually a little shy. I was really afraid of speaking in front of many people. It was my sixth-grade teacher, Mr. Bamick, who helped me get over that. That year we had to make four oral(口头的) book reports in front of the class. Some of the kids were even glad to do it, but I was afraid. Mr. Bamick realized my fear, so he told me to do a report on something that really interested me. So I did the first report on baseball.

When it was my turn to show it to the class, Mr. Bamick cut me some slack and let me read the report instead of giving it from memory. Some of my classmates laughed at me, but Mr. Bamick defended(为辩解) me. By the end of the year, I had completed all the oral book reports. It wasn't easy for me, but I did it.

Years later I realized that Mr. Bamick helped me a lot. One of the chances I got when I won a tennis match was to make a speech to the fans. It was carried live(现场直播地) and was before thousands of people. It was still not one of my favorite things to do, but with Mr. Bamick's help, I got through it. Before long, I was asked to bring my favorite childhood teacher to a national event in Dallas. I was excited when Mr. Bamick joined me for the event. It meant a lot to me that he was there.

Mr. Bamick believed in me and helped me believe in myself. It was he who helped me build the person I became.

When I was a little kid, a father was like the light in the fridge. Every house had one, but no one really knew what both of them did when the door was shut. It seemed that there were not many chances for me to understand him.

My dad left the house every morning and always seemed glad to see everyone at night. He pushed the door open when no one else could. He was the only one in the house who wasn't afraid to go in the basement(地下室) by himself. Every time it rained, he got the car and brought it around to the door. When anyone was sick, he went out to get the medicine.DB

He kept busy enough. He swept snow on the road in front of the house. He cut back the roses so the thorns(刺) wouldn't hurt you when you came to the front door. He repaired my skates, and they went all right. When I got my bike, he ran alongside me for at least a thousand miles until I____got the hang of it. He put me to bed early. He took a lot of pictures, but was never in them.

I was afraid of everyone else's father, but not my own. Once I made him tea. It was only sugar water, but he sat on a small chair and said it was delicious. He looked very uncomfortable.

Every time I played house, the mother doll had a lot to do. I never knew what to do with the daddy doll, so I had him say "I'm going off to work now" and threw him under the bed.

When I was nine years old, my father didn't get up one morning to go to work. He went to the hospital and died the next day. There were a lot of people in the house who brought all kinds of good food and cakes. We never had so much time being together before.

I went to my room and felt under the bed for the father doll. When I found him, I cleaned him and put him on my bed. He never did anything. I didn't know his leaving would hurt so much. I still don't know why.