Lesson 18 Perfectly Imperfect
I’m not cute or pretty or the girl any guy in their right mind would want. I’m ugly—there, I said it. Once, I found out that a girl I had considered to be my friend called me ugly behind my back. As much as I hate to admit it, it hurt, because she always pretended① like we were good friends.
Just last week, a customer in the grocery② store mistook③ me for a 20-yearold worker. But I’m only twelve! But I guess with my height and pimply④ face, it’s not really their fault. Last night, my sister told me, “Robin, your face is so pimply and ugly I can die just looking at you,” and for the first time, I broke down in front of her. Although I knew she didn’t mean it, the words were too much. I think no Prince Charming⑤ will ever come into my life on a white horse and put my life right, because I’m ugly.
So this morning, I went to see my cousin, sister Lyra, in hospital. We used to be really close but Lyra had cancer and her doctors said she wouldn’t survive for long. I sat down next to her bed and told her about what was going on in my life. I expected her sympathy⑥, wishing her to say “It’ll get better.” But instead, she said. “I’m jealous⑦ of you, Robin.” I was totally confused. Then she told me, “I would give anything to stay with my family longer, to fully realize all of my dreams, but I can’t. I mean, who cares about looks? What the hell⑧ if we weren’t different we’d be like clones⑨! Looks don’t get you much. I mean, look at my boyfriend, Jake. He broke up⑩ with me right after I told him about my disease⑪....”
Tears flooded⑫ Lyra’s eyes and I hugged her, feeling my own tears pouring down my face. “As much as I wanted Jake to forget me,” she continued, “a part of me wanted him to be there with me when I leave so I wouldn’t be afraid. I thought he would stay, but he chose to leave.”
My cousin took my hands in hers, “One day, you’ll meet the perfect guy who’ll treat you for who you are and understand you and love you. One day we all do, if we keep going. I will never have enough time to meet that guy. But Robin, you do.”
The same night, Lyra passed away. It broke my heart, seeing my only friend in the whole world leave like that. But even as the last beats in the heart monitor trailed off⑬, I knew Lyra had changed my life forever. She had made me realize something important: that each and every one of us is a Cinderella, and we mustn’t let our evil⑭ stepsisters get in between us and our destiny⑮.
(486 words)
Notes
① pretend [prɪ'tend] vi. 自称；假装
vt. 假装，假称
② grocery ['ɡrəʊsərɪ] n. 食品杂货店
③ mistake…for 弄错，误会
④ pimply ['pɪmplɪ] adj. 有疙瘩的；多粉刺的
⑤ Prince Charming 白马王子
⑥ sympathy ['sɪmpəθɪ] n. 同情，同情心
⑦ jealous ['dʒeləs] adj. 妒忌的；羡慕的
⑧ what the hell （表示不在乎、无可奈何、气恼、不耐烦等）究竟，到底
⑨ clone [kləʊn] n.（动植物的）克隆；克隆人（或动植物）
⑩ break up 分手；结束
⑪ disease [dɪ'ziːz] n. 疾病
⑫ fl ood [flʌd] vt. 淹没
vi. 涌出；以水淹没
⑬ trail off 变弱，停止
⑭ evil ['iːvl] adj. 邪恶的；品行坏的
⑮ destiny ['destənɪ] n. 命运；天命
Exercises
Ⅰ. How well did you read?
1. [Note the fact] Who hurt Robin by calling her ugly behind her back?
A. Robin’s friend. B. Lyra. C. Lyra’s boyfriend.
2. [Note the fact] How old is Robin?
A. 20. B. 12. C. 22.
3. [Evaluate the information] According to the passage, which of the following statements did not upset Robin?
A. A customer mistook her for a 20-year-old worker.
B. A friend hurt her by calling her ugly behind her back.
C. Her cousin showed no sympathy to what she was going through.
4. [Grasp the main idea] From Paragraph 3 and 4 we can know that Lyra wants to__________ .
A. show her love towards her boyfriend
B. encourage Robin to be who she is
C. show that she wants to stay longer
5. [Draw a conclusion] What do you think Robin can learn from Lyra’s story?
A. We each have our destiny. Don’t let anyone stop you.
B. Don’t hate those who let you down. Be grateful to them.
C. Life should be going on even if there is no Prince Charming.
Ⅱ. Read for words.
Choose the best paraphrase or Chinese meaning for the underlined words or expressions.
1. But I guess with my height and pimply face, it’s not really their fault. (Para. 2, Line 3)
A. face B. disease C. mistake
2. I broke down in front of her. (Para. 2, Line 4)
A. 出毛病
B. 感情上失去控制
C.关系破裂
3. We used to be really close but Lyra had cancer and her doctors said she wouldn’t survive for long. (Para. 3, Line 2)
A. continue to live B. keep going C. stay
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