I believe in the power of inspiration ( 激励). I like playing basketball. However, when I played in the boy’s club, I didn’t think I could do well in it. If somebody passed the ball to me, I would quickly pass the ball to another teammate. I dared (敢于) not shoot the ball myself. I was afraid that I would miss the shot and be laughed at by my teammates. I watched basketball games and felt the excitement of the players right after they made the shot. “Those feelings wouldn’t be the same,” I thought.

One day, I asked for some advice from my best friend about what team I should join. “Should I try out for basketball or wrestling?” She asked, “Don’t you love basketball?” I sadly replied, “Yeah, but I was never good at it.” She looked at me with disbelief, “Yes, you are!” I looked at her skeptically, “Am I?” Then she said these words, “If I love something, I will keep doing what I love to do so that I can get better.” Her words inspired me.

I decided to join another club to play basketball. What my friend had said stood in my mind. My teammate passed the ball to me. I received the ball and took a shot. I made it. As soon as I made the shot, I felt the excitement of an NBA player. My successful play was unforgettable. I’ll never forget that day.

I believe that everybody has something he or she loves, and inspiration will lead you there if you have trouble. People need to be inspired to find their passion. Their passion will most likely help them to achieve greater things in life, and to be the best people they can be.

1.1.What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?

A The writer was laughed at by his teammates.

B The writer was keen on baseball.

C The writer was not allowed to shoot the ball.

D The writer didn’t have confidence in playing basketball.

解析：选D。推理判断题。第一段中提到“I didn’t think I could do well in it”和“I dared not shoot the ball myself. I was afraid that I would miss the shot and be laughed at by my teammates”，意思是“我不认为我能做好”和“我不敢自己投篮，我害怕投失被队友嘲笑”，由此可知作者对自己打篮球没有信心。故选D。

2.2.What does the underlined word “skeptically” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A Angrily．

B Doubtfully．

C Ashamedly．

D Thankfully.

解析：选B。词义猜测题。根据上下文“I looked at her skeptically, ‘Am I?’”，以及后文朋友的话“If I love something, I will keep doing what I love to do so that I can get better”，意思是“我怀着怀疑的心情看着她，‘我是吗？’”，以及“如果我喜欢某件事，我会继续做我喜欢做的事，这样我就能变得更好”，可知作者对自己的篮球能力持怀疑态度，因此“skeptically”的意思是“怀疑地”。故选B。

3.3.According to Paragraph 3, why was that day unforgettable?

A Because that was the writer’s first game.

B Because one player passed the ball to the writer.

C Because the writer made a successful shot for his team.

D Because people considered the writer as an NBA player.

解析：选C。推理判断题。第三段中提到“My teammate passed the ball to me. I received the ball and took a shot. I made it. As soon as I made the shot, I felt the excitement of an NBA player. My successful play was unforgettable”，意思是“我的队友把球传给了我。我接到球并投篮。我投进了。当我投进的那一刻，我感受到了NBA球员的兴奋。我成功的投篮令人难忘”，由此可知，那一天令人难忘是因为作者为球队投进了一个成功的球。故选C。

4.4.What was his best friend’s opinion toward playing basketball?

A Interested．

B Excited．

C Disbelieving．

D Supportive.

解析：选D。推理判断题。第二段中提到“She looked at me with disbelief, ‘Yes, you are!’”，意思是“她怀疑地看着我，‘是的，你是！’”，以及“If I love something, I will keep doing what I love to do so that I can get better”，意思是“如果我喜欢某件事，我会继续做我喜欢做的事，这样我就能变得更好”，由此可知，作者的朋友是支持他打篮球的。故选D。

5.5.According to the writer, how can we find passion if we have trouble?

A We need to be inspired．

B We need to feel the excitement.

C We need to be challenged．

D We need to join another club.

解析：选A。细节理解题。最后一段中提到“I believe that everybody has something he or she loves, and inspiration will lead you there if you have trouble”，意思是“我相信每个人都有他或她所爱的东西，如果你有困难，激励会引导你找到它”，由此可知，作者认为如果有困难，我们需要被激励才能找到激情。故选A。