Question

It was the worst day of my professional life. My publisher shut down, and we had no idea if another publisher would take over my novel. In addition, my second novel hadn’t sold as well as the first one. It seemed that I was watching my career going downwards. It was so terrifying.

However, as I shared my fears with my mother, she said something I would never forget: “I would love you if you were a garbage man.” She wasn’t looking down upon garbage men. She was just saying that whatever my job was, she loved me. It was just her honest feeling at that moment, but those simple words are still the ones I use to fight so many of my fears today.

To this day, when I sit down to write every day, I say those words to myself, “I’d love you if you were a garbage man.” I can still feel the selflessness of my mother’s love.

A few years ago, my mother passed away because of breast cancer. It was she who set me on the path of writing a series of children’s books to give strength to my own children. The first two are I’m Amelia Earhart and I’m Abraham Lincoln. In six months, we’ll publish I’m Rosa Parks. For me, this isn’t just a book series. It’s my dream for my own daughter, for my sons, and for all of us who need to see the power and potential (潜力) in each of us.

This series was born also because I was tired of my daughter thinking that reality TV stars were heroes. I tell my kids all the time: That’s fame (名气). Fame is different from being a hero. I wanted my kids to see real heroes who are no different than themselves. For this reason, each book tells the story of the hero when he/she was a kid. We see them as children. So it’s not just Amelia Earhart and Abraham Lincoln being famous; it’s them being just like us.

Look around. We live in a world that desires heroes. Our solution is what my mother taught me with her words: the power of an ordinary person. I can proudly repeat my mother’s words to my kids. They’ll understand how I love them.

1.The author felt terrified because .

A. he was experiencing a difficult time in his career

B. his mother passed away because of breast cancer

C. he had no idea how to sell his second novel

D. he was given a job as a garbage man

2.What was the author’s understanding of his mum’s words?

A. Mum wanted him to be a garbage man.

B. Mum loved him no matter what he did.

C. Mum was looking down on garbage men.

D. Mum didn’t want him to continue writing novels.

3.What does “themselves” in the fifth paragraph refer to?

A. Real heroes. B. Children’s books. C. The author’s kids. D. Reality TV stars.

4.The author is trying to teach his children to .

A. respect real heroes B. behave themselves

C. be ordinary people D. realize their own potential

Answer 1