Nick Santonastasso has one arm equipped with one finger. He has no legs. He also has no limitations(局限).
“ I know anything’s possible ,” the 12-year-old told TODAY ’s Ann Curry.
He can play baseball and football, play the keyboard and drums, and play video games with his brothers.
When Nick was born, he suffered a disease only found in 11 other people. The Santonastassos had three other children, and they decided to treat Nick the same as others, with love but without excuse
“ We’re supposed to be heroes to our children, but Nick is a hero to us,” his father Michael said. But heroes have heroes, too, and Nick’s is Tiki Barber, the former football superstar who retired last year and became a reporter for TODAY. Curry told Nick that for his birthday, the show wanted to give him a new skateboard. The person who presented it to him was Barber.
“ You’re an inspiration,” Barber said. “ There are a lot of kids who might be at a disadvantage.
You give them strength.”
Curry observed that most parents try to protect their kids from failure, but the Santonastassos didn’t do that with Nick.
“Absolutely not, “Nick’s mother Stacey said. “ If you do have a small failure, it just makes you stronger to succeed at the next stop.”
“ It builds self-confidence in yourself to try it again,” Nick added.
Recently, Nick entered a drawing in a statewide contest in New Jersey. His drawing was a tree with a spreading canopy (树冠) and deep toots. Above the tree were the words, “The roots of a family are…” Below the ground, the roots spelled out the final word for the message: “ Love.”
It won the contest. The judges didn’t know Nick’ physical condition. He won on merit (成绩), the same way he does everything else in life.
小题1:How did the Santonastassos treat Nick?
A．They gave him much more care
B．They treated him as a normal boy
C．They made excuse for his failure
D．They protected him from failure.小题2:In the opinion of Barber, Nick__________.
A．would learn a lot from his failure.
B．would become a star in playing skateboard.
C．set a good example to other disabled kids
D．proved a real hero to other heroes小题3:What message did Nick’s drawing express?
A．Love is the “root” of a family.
B．Each family has its own value among its members.
C．Trees without deep roots can’t grow tall and strong
D．Roots are the most important of a tree.小题4:According to the passage, ______ other people have the same disease as Nick’s.
A．two
B．three
C．eleven
D．twelve小题5: What might be the most suitable title for the passage?
A．Nothing Is Impossible
B．Keep Trying Forever
C．The roots
D．Nick and his Skateboard
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