典范英语8-17.doc

典范英语8-17.doc

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17Chapter1

DannyMacDonaldlivedforfootball.

Heplayedit,watchedit,talkedanddreamedaboutit.Itwashisbestlessonatschoolandhisfavouritegameatbreak.Athomeliekickedafootballaroundthegarden,andattheparkhegottogetherwithhisfriendsforakickabout.

Youwanttoknowifhewasanygoodatfootball?

Hewasn’tbrilliant,buthewasn’tbad.Sometimeshewasontheschoolunder-twelvesteam,andsometimeshewasn’t.

Whenhewas,hepretendedhewasplayingforLowgateUnited.

DannyhadtheLowgatehomestripandtheawaystrip.Healsohadthescarf,thepyjamas,theduvetcover,thenotebook,thesocks,andfourwallsfullofposters.

Hisfavouriteposter,onhisbedroomdoor,wasashotofKeithConnollybeltinginawinner

KeithConnollywasLowgate’scaptainandtheirstarstriker.Whenhejoinedthem,theyshotintothePremierLeague.Hecouldmakestunninggoalsoutofnothing.Hecouldwhackaballintothenetwithhisleftfootfrominsidehisownhalf.

Chapter2

OnedayinJanuary,afterschool,Dannyhurriedthroughhishomework.HewantedtowatchTV.Keith

Connollywasdoinganinterviewonthelocalnewsprogramme.

Dannyhopedthatthetelevisionwouldn'tgofuzzyorlosethesoundwhenKeithConnollywastalking.Itwasanoldset,anditdidthingslikethat.

Itbuzzedandflickeredabit,butatlastKeithConnolly'ssmilingfaceappearedonthescreen.

‘WhatIreallylikeaboutplayingforLowgate,’hesaid,‘isthefans.They’rethebest.Theyalwaysturnoutforus.It’sfantasticrunningontothepitchtoallthatcheeringandchanting.’

DannywishedhecouldbeinthatcrowdatJamStreet,theLowgateground,butthepriceofasingleticketwaswayaboveanythinghecouldafford.

Therewasnochanceofthewholefamilygoing,orevenjustDannyandGareth,hislittlebrother.

‘YouwonagainonSaturday,’saidthereporter.‘Didtheteamgoouttocelebrate?

’

‘Wewentforamealtogether,’saidKeithConnolly,‘butIhavetobecarefulaboutwhatIeat,becauseIwanttostayfit.Ilovedoughnuts…’

Thenthesoundwentfuzzy,andDannyjumpedupandthumpedthetopofthesettomakeitcomeonagain.

Hehadn'tmissedmuch.Buthehadmissedsomethingimportant.

KeithConnollyhadbeensaying,‘…butI’mnotallowedtoeatdoughnuts.’

Dannyhadn’theardthathit.AllheheardwasKeithConnollyloveddoughnuts.AndattheendofDanny’sstreetwasabakery.Itsoldthebiggest,stickiest,jammiestgooeydoughnutsevermade.

Chapter3

WhenDannywenttobed,helaywide-awakeunderhisLowgateduvet,makingplans.HehadtofindawayofgettingthosedoughnutstoKeithConnolly.

Inhishouseontheothersideofthecity,KeithConnollywaslyingawake,too,underhisLowgateduvet.Hewasthinkingofdoughnuts.Hewasn’thappy.

Hewishedhehadn’tsaidanythingonTVaboutdoughnuts.Now,howeverhardhetried,stopthinkingaboutthem.Enormousgooey,stickydoughnuts,oozingwithstrawberryjam.

Butyoucan’tbeastopstrikerandeatdoughnuts.

Theteamlivedonchicken,fish,vegetables,pasta,andfreshfruit.Doughnutsweremadeofallthethingstheymustn’teat–Hegroaned,pulledtheduvetoverhishead,andtriedtosleep.

Dannyknewthatdoughnutshadtobeeatenfresh.Youcan’tsendtheminthepost.IfhewasgoingtogetdoughnutstoKeithConnolly,hewouldhavetodeliverthem.He’dmeetKeithConnollyfacetoface!

Hedidn’tknewwhereKeithConnollylived,sohecould’ttakethemtohishouse.Andnobodywasallowedneartheteamattrainingsessions.

He’dhavetogotogroundonamatchday,gettoplayers’dressingroom,andhandthemtoKeithConnollyhimself.Hewasn’tgoingtoleavethemwithasecurityguard.Hemightforgetaboutthem,orscoffthemwithhiscoffee.

Thereweretwoproblems.

Firstly,togetintotheground,he’dneedamatchticket.Headdeditallup.IfheusedhisChristmesmoney,savedhispocketmoney,andgotpaidforwashingthecarandwalkingnextdoor’sGreatDane,hecouldraiseenoughforaticket.Hewouldalsohaveenoughforthebusfare,andthedoughnuts.

Thesecondwasharder.

Gettinginsidetheplayers’changingroomatJamStreetwaslikebreakingintoarock.Thereweresecurityguards,andadogthatlookedlikeitsmotherwasawolfanditsfatherwasadinosaur.Dannywouldhavetoworkouthowtogetpastthatlot.

Therewasplentyoftime.Itwouldtakeweekstosavethemoney,soDoughnutDaywouldbesometimeinMarchorApril.

Chapter4

KeithConnollywenttotrainingeveryday,tryinghardnottothinkaboutdoughnuts.Themorehetried,themorehethoughtaboutthem.Hecouldn’tconcentrateontraining.Hewonderedwhatwarmdoughnutswithicecreamwouldbelike.

Theverythoughtmadehimmissaneasyheader.

Themanager,BigBriantheBoss,noticedit.‘Twentypress-ups,Connolly!

’heroared.

Buthehadtoroarittwice,becauseKeithwasstillthinkingaboutwarmdoughnuts

ThenextSaturdayafternoon,DannysettleddowntowatchtheLowgatematchontelevision.

Itwasterrible.HewatchedhelplesslyasKeithConnollymissedaneasypenaltythepost,andfelloverhisownfeet.

Lowgatelost3—0.

Fortherestoftheseason,Lowgatewentfrombadtoworse.Kelthlostpaceandfailedtoscore,Everypasssailedbyhim.

BigBriantheBosscouldn’tunderstandwhatwaswrongwithKeith.

Heaskedhimtimeandtimeagain,butKeith,wouldn’ttell.

Hecouldn’tsay,’Thetruthis,boss,I’mdyingforadoughnut,’He’dfeelstupid.

Doughnutsfollowedhimintohissleep.HedreamedofscoringintheWorldCupbybeltingadoughnuttothebackofthenet.

Inthemornings,hedrovetothejamStreetgroundthelongwayround,sohewouldn’tsmellthedoughnutinthebakery.

IfhesawthesecurityguardseatingdoughnutshehadtolookawayEventheBOSS’shead,whichwasbaldandsun-tannedandoftenglisteningwithsweat,madehimthinkofagoldenbrowndoughnutsprinkledwithsugar.

Hisplayingbecameworseandworse.Lowgatedrewoneweekandlostthenext.Thefanstalkedaboutfreetransfers.BigBriantheBossworriedaboutrelegation.

EverybodyatDanny’sschoolsaidKeithConnollyshouldbesold.Dannystuckbyhishero.’Whatheneedsisadoughnut,’hethough,ashewashedcarsandwalkedtheGreatDane.

Chapter5

Onthemorningof16March,Dannywasupearly.

HehadaticketfortheLowgategameagainstSprintUnited.Sprintwerehavingabrilliantseason.Danny’sstripwasspreadoutonthebedandhehadboughtapacketofdogchews.Theymightcomeinusefulwiththedogattheground.

Hewasatbakerydoorbeforeitevenopened.

Therewasnopointingettingjustonedoughnut.Heboughtfour,glistening,puffy,jammydoughnutsPacketsoffourwereonspecialoffer.Heputtheminasandwichboxfromthekitchen,sotheydidn’tgetsquashed,andsohewouldn’thavetoseethemallthetime.Theylookedsogood.

Hewastooexcitedtoeatmuchatlunchtime.AllhewantedwastogetonthenextbustojamStreet.

Hewasatthefrontdoor,withtheboxunderhisarm,whenheheardamuffledsniff.Helookedround.

Hislittlebrother,Garerhwassittinghalfwaydownthestairs.Hedidn’tsayanything,butherubbedhiseyesquickly.

‘What’sthematter?

kid？

’saidDanny.Butheknew.

‘Wanttocome,’saidGareth.

Dannyfeltreallybad.’Look,whenyou’reabitolderwe’llgotomatchestogether.’HewishedhecouldtakeGarethwithhim.

Hethoughtofthedoughnutsinthebox.Fourofthem.KeithConnollywouldn’twantfour,wouldhe?

‘Howaboutadoughnut?

’hesaid,andheleftGareth,jammyandabitcomforted,sittingonthestairseatingadoughnut.

Chapter6

Attheground,Dannyfoundhisplace.Hehadchosenaspotneartotheexit,sothathecouldnipoutathalftime.Hehadthedogchewsreadytobribetheguarddog.He’dhavetododgethesecurityguardssomehow.

Thecheeringandchantingbegan,andthestampingandwaving.Dannyhadtostandontiptoetosee,buthewaspartofit.Heclappedandshoutedastheteamsranontothepitch.

Thenthewhistleblewandtheykickedoff.

Afterthat,hethoughthe’drathernotwatch.KeithConnollywasn’tplaying.Hewasonthesubstitutes’bench.

Afterallhisefforts,forallthoseweeks,hewouldn’tevenseeKeithConnollyplay.Ifhe’dbeenyoungerhemighthavecried.

‘Subs’benchisthebestplaceforConnolly,’saidamannearDanny.’Thenshouldsellhim.’

‘Theyshouldgivehimaway,’saidsomebodyelse.’Free,inapacketofcornflakes.’EveryonelaughedexceptDanny.

Lowgatewereplayingtwootherstrikers.TheirnameswereSteveHackettandJimMackay,buteveryonecalledthemHackandMack.

Theydidtheirbest,butitwasn’tworking.HackandConnollywereagoodcombination.MackandConnollywereakillingcombination.

ButHackandMacktogetherjustcouldn’tgetitright,andSprintUnitedwereontopform.

DannywincedasthefirstgoalrocketedintotheLowgatenet.Whenthesecondonefloatedintothetopcorner,heshuthiseyes.Whenheopenedthemagain,KeithConnollywasslippingawaydowntheplayers’tunnel.

Chapter7

Thiswashischance.Withtheboxofdoughnutsunderhisarm,Dannyboltedfortheexit.Heranroundthebackoftheplayers’changingroom.Heduckedbehindadustbin.Twosecurityguardsstoodondutyatthedoor.Bothofthemlookedbigenoughtostopatankwithonehand.

Onewaslisteningtoaradio,andtheotherwasfillinginthecrosswordinhisnewspaper.

BetweenthemlayTheDog.Callthatadog?

Evenlyingdown,itlookedhalfastallasDanny.Itstartedatthedustbin,andstoodup,snarling.

‘Shutup,Vinny,’saidoneoftheguards.‘I’mlisteningtothematch.’

Dannytookadogchewfromhispocketanddroppedtohisknees.Heheldoutthechew.HetookcarenottolookTheDogintheeyes.

‘Goodboy,’hewhis