学进去

I joined a band as a drummer in my middle school. I thought it would be fun playing the drum and meeting new friends. At first it was easy, but a month later, it got _________. I was the only one who couldn’t catch up with the other _________.

Our teacher, Angie, singled me out to keep practicing _________ everyone else got to relax. I felt ashamed as my teammates watched me _________ so many times. Finally I got so tired of practicing that I didn’t care about doing it right.

“Are you giving up on me, Steve?” Angie asked.

“Yes, I am,” I _________ and ran away. Angie sent me inside the music room and said, “Don’t be sad. I believe you can make it!” She told me never to _________. She added, “Remember, it’s okay to make mistakes. That’s _________ we learn and grow as musicians.” Then she left me alone and I realized Angie was right—by giving up, I not only gave up myself but also the _________.

With her comfort, I decided to go on practicing. However, I _________ couldn’t play well.

Knowing my difficulties, my teammates gave me a __________. They spent about three more hours practicing with me every week. Thanks to their __________, I began to keep pace with them. Later, we performed __________ in an important show.

In the whole process, I was taught that we each had our own job to do in a __________, and it would take all of us working together to make the show great. I felt __________ and made great progress. I love __________ in the band, and I can’t imagine what my school life would be like without them.