Amy returned to her small apartment at midnight,
exhausted. Pushing the key into the lock, she quietly opened the door so as not
to wake her younger brothers. She stepped into the front room and froze. The
apartment was a mess: plates of half-eaten food were scattered in front of the
TV; toys littered the floor; clothes, shoes and homework were strewn
everywhere. Amy’s eyes welled with tears. This is just way too much for me, she
thought. Her worst fears began to race through her mind. Would the court(法院)tell her she couldn’t care for her family anymore?
Would the kids go through the bitterness once more of being split up and sent
away? She was so young, almost a child herself, and yet Amy knew everything
depended on her. At that moment, she wondered if she would ever find the
strength to see it through
Amy had been born dead. Doctors fought and saved this
smaller twin of a drug-taking mother, and she’d had to fight for everything in
life ever since. From earliest childhood, Amy took care of her younger
brothers. Jan, their mother, only added to the family disorder and confusion.
Sometimes they lived in apartments, sometimes in shelters.
One afternoon Amy was called to the high school, where
a social worker was waiting for her. “We know your mother has been staying with
you,” the social worker said. “We’re going to have to put you guys in foster (收养))care.” “No! Don’t split
us up!” the girl cried out. “Can’t you just leave it the way it is?” The social
worker shook his head. Amy’s voice then rose like the howl of a lioness
protecting her babies: “Why can’t I take them? I take care of them all the time
anyway.” The social worker hesitated, and then said, “Maybe. Once you’re 18,
you could apply to become their relative caretaker. Then you’d be their foster
mother until we find a home where all of you can be together.” “I’ll do it,”
Amy said.
One month later, Amy was named guardian(监护人)of her brothers for a six-month trial period. It was a
remarkable victory for an 18-year-old girl. Her brothers didn’t make her task
any easier in the months ahead. However,Amy’s efforts
were rewarded when the court allowed her to continue as guardian. Amy’s relief
at remaining the kids’ guardian was at risk of being taken away by the pressure
she always felt to measure up. Social workers still looked regularly over her
shoulder and asked the boys shameful questions: “Does she feed you? Does she
ever try to harm you?” Then one day a visiting social worker came over. “We’d
like to get the boys out of foster care and adopted into homes,” she said.
Sensing that the family was about to be split apart yet again, Amy replied,
“Fine, then. Call it adoption if you want, but they’re not going anywhere.” To
her surprise, the social worker took her remark seriously. She explained that
if Amy were to adopt the boys, they would become like any other family.
That night at dinner Amy told the boys about the idea.
“Cool!” Joey said. He threw a piece of corn at Adam. His brother flicked it
back, and pretty soon corn was flying. Amy rolled her eyes. They didn’t have
far to go to be like any other family. As the proceedings(程序)ended, Amy thanked everyone. “No,” the judge
responded, “thank you. You saved three kids. Not many family members would do
what you’re doing, especially for this many children. I’m very proud of
you.”
On a lazy spring day, in a modest suburban
neighborhood, Amy stood in front of a neatly kept one-story house. She watched
her brothers playing basketball, and heard the playful bark of their dog,
Tahoe. The young lady had made good on her promise: they had rented a home, a
real home, and the boys had gotten their dog. Amy continues to raise her family
alone, but has begun taking courses in business management at a nearby
community college. Eventually, she hopes to become a child psychologist.
1.Which of the following best describes Amy?
A.Crazy and
tough. B.Firm and
stubborn.
C.Enthusiastic
and generous. D.Abnormal and
aggressive.
2.What was bothering Amy most in the passage?
A.The mess in
her apartment.
B.Her family
being split up again.
C.Working hard
to support the family.
D.Her young age
to take care of her brothers.
3.From the Paragraph 3, we can learn that __________.
A.The social
worker gave in to Amy.
B.The social
worker tried to adopt Amy’s brothers.
C.Amy tried to
apply for the guardian of the brothers.
D.Amy had no
idea how to face her family being split up.
4.By saying “They didn’t have far to go to be like any
other family”, the writer means________.
A.they will
live in the same area as other families.
B.they made a
deep impression on the neighborhood.
C.Amy is able
to take good care of the family.
D.Amy and her
brothers would be already just like a family.
5.The best title for this text would
be___________.
A.Standing On
Two Feet B.Growing Up
Alone
C.A Lifelong
Fight D.A Teen Hero