Fourteen-year-old Abu Mohammed knows what it is like to go hungry but his extraordinary talent for soccer means he no longer has to．
His life changed two years ago when he was offered a place at the Ghanaian(加纳)Football Academy run by Tom Vernon, the Africa scout(星探)for English soccer giants Manchester United．Impressed by Mohammed’s skill, the academy offered him a four-year academic scholarship．Mohammed cried when his parents failed to understand what was on and said “no”．Now when he goes home, his neighbors are surprised at how big he is：the difference is made by three meals a day．
For many poor children, football offers an escape from poverty．The first step can be getting a place at one of the handful of academies that offer education as well as soccer training．The hope of discovering stars is tempered by the realization that only a few students will make it．So far, only two graduates are currently in talks with European clubs．
“At least, it gives these boys an opportunity to build themselves a better life through talent for football．” Vernon says．
But getting the boys to take education seriously in case their dreams fall apart is difficult, he says．In Mohammed’s case, they had to ban him from the field to make him realize he had to improve his grades．
Fourteen-year-old Waris has been playing soccer in his hometown of Tamale in northern Ghana for several years before he came to the Academy．He knows how hard it will be to succeed．
“I want to be famous．I want to prove to the world that I have something important in me ,”he says．“When I was in Tamale, I thought I just had to play．When I came her, I know I have to train and work hard．”
(1)
The purpose of Tom Vernon’s Ghanaian Football Academy is to ________．
[ ]
A．
help those poor African children live a better life
B．
find promising football players for some famous football clubs．
C．
help those poor African children receive better education
D．
offer a chance to the children who are good at football
(2)
Which of the following is NOT true of Abu Mohammed?
[ ]
A．
He no longer suffered from hunger
B．
He received education as well as football training
C．
He was allowed to work on the farm if he did well in study
D．
His parents were very poorly educated
(3)
The underlined word “tempered” in paragraph 3 probably means ________．
[ ]
A．
strengthened
B．
increased
C．
reduced
D．
destroyed
(4)
What would be the best title for the passage?
[ ]
A．
Tom Vernon brings hope for the poor children in Ghana
B．
Football offers hope to the poor children in Ghana
C．
Playing football for a better life
D．
Ghanaian Football Academy：the best choice for poor children
One of the best decisions you can make in your twenties is to explore．Exploring postcollege choices looks a lot like being lost; in fact, being lost is normal and productive at this stage in life．
In the past, people were penalized(处罚)for getting lost．For example, dropping out of high school for a year to explore made colleges think you were hospitalized for mental instability．But it's a different story today．Right after college, you don't get dinged(教训)for taking time off．Most graduate and professional schools today would prefer the students who take time to go away, have different experiences, and then come back refocused．
Why is there so much respect for exploration? Part of the reason is that there is no better way of figuring out what will make you happy．“We are not very good at using our imaginations when it comes to how we'll feel in a given circumstance,” says Daniel Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard University．Therefore, he recommends that we test out a lot of different careers．He admits that this method takes time, but he says it's worth it because otherwise you're likely to make a decision based on money, which does not always lead to happiness．
What about the people who pull their life together in a tight little package by age twenty－fou? They're the exception to the rule, according to Wayne Osgood, a professor of sociology at Pennsylvania State University．He labels these people “fast starters” and explains that they are only about 12 percent of the population．Some fast starters are just plain lucky：they love the first job they get after college．The other 88 percent of us have to march through our twenties formulating(规划)a new career plan．
The good news is that this is what most people are doing in their twenties：wandering, taking trips, changing jobs every year, volunteering for unpaid work while living at their parents' house, and starting businesses that fail．All these choices are, surprisingly, right on track for making a good decision about what to do with yourself in adult life．
(1)
According to the passage, exploring after college in your twenties ________．
[ ]
A．
means you get lost in your life
B．
assists you in choosing a suitable career
C．
is just a waste of your valuable time
D．
is a kind of mental instability
(2)
Exploration is so much respected because ________．
[ ]
A．
it helps you to earn much more money than others
B．
it improves your imagination in a given situation
C．
it is the best way to find your happiness
D．
it promises you various choices of careers
(3)
Who can be called “fast starters”?
[ ]
A．
People who find their favorite jobs earlier．
B．
People who stand out among others．
C．
People who love their jobs very much．
D．
People who always carry a small package with them．
