For Canaan Elementary’s second grade in Patchogue, N.Y.，today is speech day, and right now it’s Chris Palaez’s turn. The 8-year-old is the joker of the class. With shining dark eyes, he seems like the kind of kid who would enjoy public speaking.
对于纽约州帕丘格的迦南小学二年级来说，今天是演讲日，现在轮到克里斯·帕莱兹。这个8岁的孩子是班上的开心果。他有着闪亮的深色眼睛，看起来像是那种会喜欢公开演讲的孩子。

But he’s nervous.＂I’m here to tell you today why you should … should…＂Chris trips on the＂-ld,＂a pronunciation difficulty for many non-native English speakers. His teacher, Thomas Whaley, is next to him, whispering support.＂…Vote for …me …＂Except for some stumbles, Chris is doing amazingly well. When he brings his speech to a nice conclusion, Whaley invites the rest of the class to praise him.
但他很紧张。”我今天在这里要告诉你们为什么你应该……应该……” 克里斯在“-ld”发音上绊了一跤，这是许多非英语母语者的发音难点。他的老师托马斯·惠利在他旁边，低声支持。”……投票给……我……” 除了一些小失误，克里斯表现得非常出色。当他把演讲圆满结束时，惠利邀请全班同学表扬他。

A son of immigrants, Chris started learning English a little over three years ago. Whaley recalls（回想起）how at the beginning of the year, when called upon to read, Chris would excuse himself to go to the bathroom.
作为移民的儿子，克里斯大约三年前开始学习英语。惠利回忆起在一年之初，当被叫到阅读时，克里斯会找借口去洗手间。

Learning English as a second language can be a painful experience. What you need is a great teacher who lets you make mistakes. ＂It takes a lot for any student,＂ Whaley explains, ＂especially for a student who is learning English as their new language, to feel confident enough to say, ‘I don’t know，but I want to know.’＂
学习英语作为第二语言可能是一种痛苦的经历。你需要的是一位允许你犯错的伟大老师。”这对任何学生来说都需要很大的勇气，”惠利解释说，”尤其是对于那些正在学习英语作为他们的新语言的学生，要有足够的信心说，’我不知道，但我想知道。’”

Whaley got the idea of this second-grade presidential campaign project when he asked the children one day to raise their hands if they thought they could never be a president. The answer broke his heart. Whaley says the project is about more than just learning to read and speak in public. He wants these kids to learn to boast（夸耀）about themselves.
惠利有一天问孩子们是否认为他们永远不可能成为总统，当他们举手时，他得到了这个二年级总统竞选项目的想法。这个答案让他心碎。惠利说，这个项目不仅仅是学习阅读和公开演讲。他希望这些孩子们学会夸耀自己。

＂Boasting about yourself, and your best qualities,＂ Whaley says, ＂is very difficult for a child who came into the classroom not feeling confident.＂
“夸耀你自己，以及你最好的品质，”惠利说，”对于一个进入教室时没有自信的孩子来说是非常困难的。”

1. What made Chris nervous？
   A. Telling a story. B. Making a speech.
   C. Taking a test. D. Answering a question.
   答案：B

2. What does the underlined word ＂stumbles＂ in paragraph 2 refer to?
   A. Improper pauses. B. Bad manners. C. Spelling mistakes. D. Silly jokes.
   答案：A

3. We can infer that the purpose of Whaley’s project is to _.
   A. help students see their own strengths
   B. assess students’ public speaking skills
   C. prepare students for their future jobs
   D. inspire students’ love for politics
   答案：A

4. Which of the following best describes Whaley as a teacher?
   A. Humorous. B. Ambitious. C. Caring. D. Demanding.
   答案：C