I still remember the day when I did my first English duty report a year ago. I was then a student of Senior I. One day, the English teacher told us that from then on we would make a duty report in English. Someone made faces and many cried out, “Oh! What an idea!”

“Why, you are so afraid of it!”the teacher was surprised.

“Our English is so poor!”some of us shouted. We are afraid we can'tdo it well.

“That is a good chance to practise your spoken English. Don't worry about it. Have a try,”the teacher said encouragingly. We became silent at once.

The day came when it was my turn to make a duty report. The girl who sat beside me kidded① me, “Are you afraid? Oh, you look a little nervous.”I nudged② at her, then slowly got up from my seat and went to the front of the classroom. As a shy girl, not accustomed to speak in public, I felt my heart beat fast.

Now I was standing on the platform . I took a look at my classmates and then plucked up③ my courage to speak up. The teacher stood beside me, smiling. I wanted to tell an English joke but I was so nervous that I forgot to begin with“It's my turn to give you a duty report.”I didn't dare to look straight at my classmates, but kept looking at the wall or the ceiling. I felt that they were staring at me.

Suddenly I found I had made some mistakes, which made me forget what the next sentence should be . But the classmates were still listening to me attentively④.They seemed not to have noticed the mistakes. They were all waiting for me to go on with my report . The teacher looked at me calmly. From his kind face I could see that he was encouraging me to go on. Having stood in silence for a few seconds, I found the next sentence. I continued. My heart was beating faster now and my face turning red. The joke was not long, but it took me quite some time before I could finish it.As soon as I finished speaking, I ran to my seat and dropped my head on the desk. I could not hear what the teacher said. But I clearly heard some boys and girls whispering, “What did she say?”

That was my first duty report. When I recall it, I can't help laughing. I will never forget it.