一、完形填空
Edward walked slowly past the school blacktop where his elder brother, Leon, was playing basketball with his friends. Leon really loved basketball and was good at it. But Edward was another 1. All his brother’s friends complained about his terrible performance on the court. However, everyone had a talent (天赋) for 2. Edward was always a whiz (奇才) at Maths, while it was just not Leon’s thing. That day, Leon’s Maths teacher pulled him aside and said, “You need to do better, a lot better. If you don’t get a good grade in the 3 exam, I’m going to have to fail (评定……为不及格) you.” Leon’s heart sank. How he 4 he had his brother’s ability! When he got home, he talked with Edward about it. The boys 5 that over the next two weeks they would spend an hour each day after school working on Maths problems and then an hour playing basketball. The next day, when Leon was ready, Edward pointed to a problem and said, “Here is a good one. Why don’t you read it?” Leon looked at the book for several 6. “I’m dizzy (头晕的) already!” he cried. Trying to comfort his brother, Edward said, “The first step is to stay cool and focused.” Edward talked with Leon through the problem. “Think about what you need to find out. Don’t let the problem trick you.” Step by step, with Edward’s help, Leon 7 got the right answer. Soon it was time for basketball practice. “Stay cool and stay focused. Those rules work for basketball, too,” Leon said. With his 8 instructions, Edward was becoming a better team player, though he couldn’t remember all the steps at first. The next two weeks saw the two brothers helping each other and making 9 gradually. The morning of the Maths exam came all too soon for Leon. With Edward’s words in his mind, Leon finished the paper with flying colours. Later, he invited Edward to play basketball with him after school. On the court, Leon’s friends were 10 by how much Edward had improved. They had so much fun!