How do you feel when you have to make a speech in front of class? What about when you go to a birthday party? Do you get really shy?

    Shyness means feeling nervous or frightened when you're around other people. Experts （专家） {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(find)that more than 80 percent of middle school students feel afraid to be the center of attention. Some kids are born shy. Some become shy later because of their life experiences.

    It's OK if it takes you a while {#blank#}2{#/blank#}( feel )yourself again when you go to a new place or meet new people. In fact, everybody {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(get) a little shy sometimes. It's just a case of how much.

    Most people have red faces and talk in broken sentences when they get shy. But some become so shy that they{#blank#}4{#/blank#} (not go) to a restaurant because they are too nervous {#blank#}5{#/blank#}( order） and pay the bill（账单）. Some are afraid of {#blank#}6{#/blank#}（meet） new people, so they seldom go outside. This kind of shyness can be bad for a person.

    If shyness doesn't stop you from doing something you want to do, being shy isn't a very big problem. Some experts say shy people are quieter and cleverer because they think more and talk less. Shy people are also good at working with others because they think more for other people. Some great people in history {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(be)shy, too.

    You see, being shy isn't all bad. But remember not to let good chances pass by just because of it! If you have to sing a song at a birthday party or practice your spoken English in front of others, just do it! There's nothing to be afraid of.

    I recently heard a story about a famous scientist. Because of his great achievements, he was thought to be more creative than the common person. When he {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(ask)why he was able to do this, he gave the answer. It all came from an experience with his mother when he was about three years old." I {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(try)to get a bottle of milk from the fridge when I dropped the bottle and it fell. spilling(滋出)the milk all over the floor-a sea of milk！I was frightened and I didn't know what to do!" he said.

    His mother heard the noise and got into the kitchen. "I {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(consider)how to explain all this to you. Mum." he said. Instead of {#blank#}4{#/blank#}him, she said. "Robert, what a great mess you have made! I {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(not see)such a huge sea of milk before! Well, since the milk has already been spilled, would you like {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(play)in the milk for a while? We {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(clean)it up after that." Then, he did so. After a few minutes. His mother said. "You know. Robert. whenever you {#blank#}8{#/blank#}a mess like this, finally you have to clean it up." He used a sponge(海绵)and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.

    His mother then said. "You know, we {#blank#}9{#/blank#}how to successfully carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands just now. Let's go to the yard and fill the bottle with water to see if you {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(discover)a way to carry it." Then the little boy learned that if he grasped (抓紧)the bottle at the top with both hands, he could carry it without dropping it.

    What a wonderful lesson!