Study Island Copyright © 2014 Edmentum - All rights reserved. Generation Date: 04/01/2014 Generated By: Cheryl Shelton Title: 10th grade Reading- theme Beijing teens study how to award Olympic medals BEIJING (Reuters) - For 16-year-old Li Miaomiao, sore feet from wearing high heels for hours at a time and an achy jaw from constant smiling are worth the chance of hanging a medal around an athlete's neck come the Beijing Olympics. The willow-thin high school student is one of 34 Chinese girls "training" to be an Olympic medal presenter at the Beijing Foreign Affairs School (BFAS). It is one of several state-run colleges charged with producing camera-friendly girls for awards ceremonies. When not balancing books on her head to improve posture during medal presentation rehearsal sessions, Li and her classmates study English, cultural training and look at pictures of past medal presenters and their uniforms. Most important for Li, though, is the smile. "I practice at home, and smile to the mirror for an hour every day," Li said. "I want to present my smile to the world, and let them know that the Chinese smile is the warmest." Cut-throat Competition Li says her school is doing its bit to mold well-mannered, natural communicators to deal with foreign guests. BFAS will produce staff to wait on International Olympic Committee officials at their hotel. More than 800,000 Chinese have applied for only 100,000 Olympic volunteer positions on offer. Similarly, the competition to become one of the coveted 380-odd medal presenters is cut-throat. The 34 hopefuls at BFAS are up against specialist dance schools, universities and possibly winners of regional contests across the country, Li said. The Perfect Smile Further exacting standards are demanded from BFAS's students. Apart from common- sense communication tips, such as looking directly at someone while talking to them, students are also informed the perfect smile consists of "only showing the eight top teeth," according to 17-year-old student Li Bogeng, who wants to make cocktails for IOC officials. For Li Miaomiao, the perfect smile comes naturally&##8212;after having practiced for hours in the mirror. It no doubt helped Li become one of only seven girls chosen from dozens of applicants to present medals to winning boxers at an Olympic test event in Beijing last November. Being 16, Li is technically ineligible from becoming an Olympic presenter. The guidelines call for 18-25 year-old university students. But she rates herself a contender, anyway. "I'm very confident. I think I have an 80 percent chance," she said, flashing a winning smile. Copyright 2008 Reuters. Reprinted with permission from Reuters. Reuters content is the intellectual property of Reuters or it s third party content providers. Any copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Reute rs and the Reuters Sphere Logo are registered trademarks of the Reuters group of companies around the world. For additional information about Re uters content and services, please visit Reuters website at www.reuters.com. 1. One theme of the passage is that hard work pays off. How does Li Miaomiao reflect this theme? A. She is chosen from many applicants to present medals at an Olympic test event. B. She is ineligible from becoming an Olympic presenter because she is only 16. C. She would like to show the world that the Chinese smile is the warmest. D. She wants to make cocktails for the International Olympic Committee officials. The Deserted Child by Isabel C. Byrum “Why, woman, you are not thinking of leaving that child in this place for us to look after! Our hands are more than full already. The child is scarcely a month old. We have orders to accept no children under seven months of age without their mothers. You have to remain for that length of time to help us care for it.” It was August Engler, steward of the county poorhouse, that spoke these words to Mrs. Fischer, a young woman who had come to the poorhouse with the intention of leaving her infant child. Mrs. Fischer had recently lost her husband, a soldier in the Civil War, in battle and immediately had gone into deep mourning as far as her dress was concerned. The care of her child, however, she felt was too great a responsibility to assume alone, and she had decided that the best thing to do was to give her child away and that the sooner it was done the better. To conceal the fact that the poorhouse was a miserable place to stay would have been impossible, but regardless of consequences, the selfish mother cared only to be freed from her burdens and responsibilities as a mother. So the answer that Mr. Engler gave her only stirred within her evil heart the anger and cruelty already there. She took a step toward a hard couch, threw the bundle she held in her arms upon it, and disappeared through the open doorway. When Mr. Engler recovered from his surprise and went to look for her, he saw her running up the road as fast as her feet would carry her. Mr. Engler left his wife in charge of the little one while he set out to find the runaway mother. The task proved to be difficult, but at last she was returned to the infirmary and was given orders by the authorities not to repeat the offense of deserting her baby. As the people at the poorhouse sometimes caused trouble by running off, large balls of iron had been provided to chain their feet. It was thought best to use this method of securing Mrs. Fischer. Mrs. Engler hoped that among the other mothers, Mrs. Fischer would grow to love her child, but such a heartless woman could not be expected to do her duty. Scolding and criticizing the mother did neither the mother nor the child any good. As the days and weeks glided by, it was as Mrs. Engler had feared, and the cruel manner in which the babe was handled was pitiful to behold. Seven months passed, and the day of Mrs. Fischer‟s departure arrived. Her pretty costume of black was faded and worn, and the glossy hair was tangled and unkempt, but within the eye the light of evil was shining brighter than ever. It was indeed a glad moment for her when she heard the chains about her ankles clanking heavily upon the floor, and she knew that she was once more a free woman and could go and do as she pleased. And without a thought for the comfort or a plan for the future of her helpless child, she left him. adapted from The Poorhouse Waif by Isabel C. Byrum 2. Which excerpt shows the theme of selfishness through Mrs. Fischer's characterization? "As the people at the poorhouse sometimes caused trouble by running off, large balls of A. iron had been provided to chain their feet. It was thought best to use this method of securing Mrs. Fischer." "Seven months passed, and the day Mrs. Fischer's departure arrived. Her pretty costume of B. black was faded and worn, and the glossy hair was tangled and unkempt. ." ". she knew that she was once more a free woman and could go and do as she pleased. C. And without a thought for the comfort or a plan for the future of her helpless child, she left him." "Mrs. Fischer had recently lost her husband, a soldier in the Civil War, in battle and D. immediately had gone into deep mourning as far as her dress was concerned." 3. This passage shows that A. no good can come from war. B. the majority is always right. C. one cannot be forced to love. D. sacrifice brings happiness. The Wild Swans at Coole by William Butler Yeats The trees are in their autumn beauty, The woodland paths are dry, Under the October twilight the water Mirrors a still sky; Upon the brimming water among the stones Are nine-and-fifty swans. The nineteenth autumn has come upon me Since I first made my count; I saw, before I had well finished, All suddenly mount And scatter wheeling in great broken rings Upon their clamorous wings. I have looked upon those brilliant creatures, And now my heart is sore. All‟s changed since I, hearing at twilight, The first time on this shore, The bell-beat of their wings above my head, Trod with a lighter tread. Unwearied still, lover by lover, They paddle in the cold Companionable streams or climb the air; Their hearts have not grown old; Passion or conquest, wander where they will, Attend upon them still. But now they drift on the still water, Mysterious, beautiful; Among what rushes will they build, By what lake‟s edge or pool Delight men‟s eyes when I awake some day To find they have flown away? 4. Which statement best describes the theme of the poem? A. The first duty of love is to listen. B. Time brings the heartache of change. C. Autumn is an important time for swans. D. Nature is humankind's worst enemy. Full of Envy and Jealousy by Diane Tran Flipping through my magazine, I saw the newest beauty queen, With flawless skin and golden hair. Oh how I wished to be as fair! Next I glimpsed a five-page spread.