Imagine yourself on a boat looking out at the horizon and all you can see is the water meeting the sky
with no land in sight and you are sailing straight ahead to meet the world. Jesse Martin does not have to
imagine: he is living in it.
     On Dec. 7, 1998, at 17 years old, Jesse set sail from Melbourne, Australia on his boat, attempting to
become the youngest person to sail alone and nonstop around the world. He sailed south of New Zealand,
through the South Pacific, around South America, north on the Atlantic, back south past Africa, through
the Indian Ocean and back to Melbourne.
     Even as a young child, Jesse had been an adventurer who traveled all over Europe and Asia with his
parents. Born in Munich, Germany in 1981, he moved to Australia with his family when he was only two
years old. They moved close to a rainforest in Cow Bay, about 3500kms north of Melbourne, where they
built a small house with no electricity or running water. Jesse grew up at the beach enjoying the outdoors
to its fullest.
     At 14, he sailed for the first time with his father and brother, Beau. It was after this trip that he began
to dream about sailing around the world.
     Jesse's family played an important role. "I was made to believe I could do anything." he says. Although,
he says, there were others that were not so encouraging or supportive, "People that I looked up to, respected
and trusted told me I couldn't. Thankfully, I trusted myself. There were people that said that the boat
couldn't be ready by the time I had to leave." However, through perseverance and belief in himself he was
able to do what many told him was impossible.
     On Oct.31, 1999, more than 10 months after he set sail, Jesse Martin went down in history as the
youngest person to sail around the world alone, nonstop and unassisted.

1. What's the author's purpose in encouraging the reader to imagine a sailing experience?

A. To show how difficult it is to be a sailor.
B. To show how wonderful Jesse's sailing is.
C. To describe what Jesse's sailing is like.
D. To describe what a sailor's life is like.

2. Jesse Martin was at the end of his voyage when he ______.

A. sailed on the South Pacific.
B. sailed on the Indian Ocean.
C. sailed past Africa.
D. sailed past South America.

3. Which of the following made Jesse decide to sail alone around the world?

A. His childhood adventure experiences.
B. His journeys to Europe.
C. His first sailing trip with his family.
D. His love for outdoor activities.

4. What can we learn from Jesse Martin's story?

A. Interest leads to success.
B. A strong belief will make a person stronger.
C. Life is an unusual adventure we should enjoy.
D. Failure is the mother of success.

     At 3:42 a.m. everything began to shake. It seemed l_____ the world was 2_____ an end! Eleven kilometers
3_____ (direct) below the city the greatest earthquakes of the 20th century began. It was heard in Beijing,
4_____ is one hundred kilometers away. One-third of the nation felt it. A huge crack that was eight kilometers
long and thirty meters wide cut 5_____ houses, roads and canals. Steam burst from 6_____ (hole) in the
ground. Hard hills of rock became nvers of dirt. In fifteen terrible seconds a large city lay in ruins. Two-thirds
of the people died or 7_____ (injure) during the earthquake. Thousands of families 8_____ (kill) and many
children were left 9_____ parents. The number of people 10_____ were killed or injured reached more than
400,000.

     Ellen and Bill County are both teachers. They met in college and became good friends because of their
shared love for children. Two years after the couple got married, Ellen saw a huge change in the life of one
of her students, a 9-year-old girl. Three years earlier both of the little girl's parents had died and there was
no one to take care of her. She was taken away to live in a government office. But finally she was taken in
and adopted by a family and became their daughter. Ellen said that she noticed the difference in the child's
life after she was placed in a permanent home and thought that maybe she and her husband could help a
child in a similar way.
     They decided to become temporary parents and to take a child into their home just on the weekends
when the real parents could not take care of him or her. The pair planned to have their own children in a
few years, but decided that this would be a way to give to the community in the meantime.
     The couple quickly grew to love one of the children they looked after. When he became legally available,
Billy became the first child they took in permanently. Six months after adopting Billy, Ellen was told by her
doctor that she was unable to have children naturally. Ellen says she knew then that adoption was the way
she was meant to have a family.
     Since adopting Billy, now 17, Ellen and Bill have adopted five more children-Rose, 16; Albert, 11; Joshua,
5 and in June 2003, they added biological brother and sister Tyler and Rylee to the County family. The County
family has been recognized for their work on adoption, and has received many awards for their efforts. Last
June, the family was even interviewed on the television show,"Adoption Stories".
     Ellen says she would like to encourage other families to adopt children. She adds that the best part of being
a mother of six is: "Giving Josh a bath, putting a band-aid on a cut knee or just the everyday Mom things,
that makes motherhood such an honor and a privilege."

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. How a couple first met at college.
B. Where you can adopt a child.
C. The benefits of adoption to the community.
D. How adoption created a happy family.

2. Why did Ellen and Bill first decide to adopt a child?

A. Because they had always loved students very much.
B. Because they saw the benefits of adoption for a child.
C. Because they were not able to have children of their own.
D. Because they want to receive awards for their community work.

3. Which of the children are related to each other by blood?

A. Rylee and Tyler.
B. Billy and Tyler.
C. Albert and Joshua.
D. Rose and Albert.

4. The last paragraph _____.

A. tells the reader how they can adopt a child
B. describes the things that make Ellen happy
C. says what Ellen does every day
D. lists the problems Ellen has with the kids

     Freda Bright says," Only in opera do people die of love." It's true. You really can't love somebody to
death. I've known people to die from no love, but I've never known anyone to be loved to death. We just
can't love one another enough.
     A heart-warming story tells of a woman who finally decided to ask her boss for a raise in salary. All
day she felt nervous and late in the afternoon she summoned the courage to approach her employer. To
her delight, the boss agreed to the raise.
      The woman arrived home that evening to a beautiful table set with their best dishes. Candles were
softly glowing. Her husband had come home early and prepared a festival meal. She wondered if someone
from the office had tipped him off, or-did he just somehow know that she would not get turned down?
     She found him in the kitchen and told him the good news. They embraced and kissed, then sat down
to the wonderful meal. Next to her plate the woman found a beautifully lettered note. It read: "Congratulations,
darling! I knew you'd get the raise! These things will tell you how much I love you."
     Following the supper, her husband went into the kitchen to clean up. She noticed that a second card
had fallen from his pocket. Picking it off the floor, she read:" Don't worry about not getting the raise! You
deserve it anyway! These things will tell you how much I love you."
     Someone has said that the measure of love for his wife is love without measure. What this man feels for
his wife is total acceptance and love, whether she succeeds or fails. His love celebrates her victories and
soothes her wounds. He stands with her, no matter what life throws in their direction.
     Upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, Mother Teresa said, "What can you do to promote world peace?
Go home and love your family. And love your friends. Love them without measure."