2021 능률김 영어 1과 본문

The Final Touchdown

  

 With only two minutes to play, both teams were fighting for the football. It was the last home game for the seniors of Winston High, and they were determined to win. Since it had been a close game the whole evening, the best players of each team hadn't left the field. Once Winston High's coach finally knew that victory was theirs, all the seniors on the sidelines were allowed to play for the last few seconds. One of the seniors, Ethan, was especially happy. He had never played in any of the games before. Now, Ethan was finally getting the chance to step onto the grass.

 When the rival team dropped the ball, one of our players recovered it and quickly ran down the field with it. Ethan ran right after him to catch up. As our player got closer to the end zone, he saw Ethan behind him on his left. Instead of running straight ahead, the player kindly passed the ball to Ethan so that he could score a touchdown.

 

 All eyes were on Ethan. With the ball in his hands, everything seemed to be moving in slow motion, like in a Hollywood movie. People kept their eyes on him as he made his way to the end zone. They saw him cross the goal line right before the clock ran out.

 Unexpectedly, everyone in the crowd leapt to their feet with their hands in the air. They were bursting with excited shouts and unending cheers for Ethan. In this moment, all of Ethan's hard work and dedication was being rewarded with glory. Ethan's touchdown didn't win the game, but it will be worth remembering. By now you're probably wondering why.

 

 Well, Ethan is only five feet tall, and his legs unnaturally bend away from each other. It is difficult for him to walk, run, or move around. Because of his condition, he decided to leave his crowded high school in the big city. He moved to our school in the middle of his first year in high school. That following summer, he asked the coach if he could join the football team as a sophomore. The coach wasn't sure at first, but in the end he allowed Ethan to come to practice. Regardless of his physical difficulties, Ethan worked just as hard as every other player on the team. Although he knew he would never be a valuable player in any of the team's games, he poured his heart and soul into practice every day.

 

 Over time, however, Ethan became valuable to the team in different ways. His passion for the game was an inspiration to all his teammates. Because Ethan motivated and encouraged them, they became his most passionate fans. Day in and day out, seeing Ethan's smile, positive attitude, and hard work lifted everyone's spirits. Right before every game, Ethan would always be in the middle of the group offering motivational words. He had a special talent for calming people down and bringing out the best in them. Ethan was also Winston High's loudest supporter. He always observed each play carefully from the sidelines. Although he wasn't the one making the actual plays on the field, Ethan's mind was always right there with his teammates. Everyone could sense his love for football, and the coaches admired his commitment.

 

 For the past three years, Ethan has been schooling us all in the game of life. He always reminds us that everyone is important to a team's success, though their role on the team may be small. Instead of putting all his efforts into trying to be the team's best player, he has done everything he can to make the team better. As Ethan has shown us, lifting up those around us is also of great worth. When we help others shine, their light will shine on us in return. Yes, sometimes there is something better than being the best.