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Taylor Bernard and her twin sister were born 12 weeks early. As a result, Taylor suffers from
cerebral palsy (CP). It is a condition that affects the brain. Kids who are born with CP have trouble
controlling the muscles in their body. Taylor is 8 years old now. She uses a powerwheelchair to get
around. Her twin sister Sydney participates in sports, but Taylor has a different interest: art.
Taylor submitted(提交) a watercolor painting of a sunset in Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, to an art
contest. Of the more than 5,500 students who took park in the contest, only 51 were selected. Taylor
was one of them. Her winning painting is now being displayed in Union Station, in Washington, D. C.
After leaving Union Station, the exhibit will tour the country.
The contest was sponsored by VSA, the international organization on arts and disability. The
nonprofit group was started to give people with disabilities an opportunity to participate in the arts.
Submissions for the contest came from students with and without disabilities. The exhibition is part of
VSA's International Arts Festival and was also sponsored by CVS Caremark's All Kids Can program.
Art Changed Her Life
Amanda LaMunyon represented Oklahoma in the exhibition. She just finished her freshman year of
high school. When Amanda was in elementary school, she had problems focusing and following rules.
She has Asperger Syndrome, which is a form of autism.
"People started looking at her differently," her mother, Sherry LaMunyon, said. "They stopped
looking at her as a girl who was struggling and started looking at her as an artist. It's changed her whole
life."
The president of VSA, Soula Antoniou, said that the point of the exhibition is to focus on students'
abilities, rather than their disabilities. "What we're trying to do is make sure each student finds something
they're good at," she said.
That's exactly what Taylor's done. While she has some difficulty with fine motor skills, she's found that
she's talented with wide brush strokes(笔画) in painting.
Inspiring Others
Before finding painting, Amanda said she had trouble fitting in. "I didn't have anything that I felt was my
talent," she said. Now she's more focused on school and is interested in studying fashion design and
theater.
Amanda hopes that the exhibition will show others that even if they have disabilities, they have abilities
they don't even know yet. You can see more of Amanda's artwork at amandalamunyon.com.
1. How could Amanda's mother feel when they learned Amanda could paint?
A. Disappointed.
B. Surprised.
C. Doubt.
D. Pleased.
2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Only the disabled students can enter the art contest sponsored by VSA.
B. Amanda, Taylor's sister, has trouble in focusing and following rules.
C. Amanda has improved a lot in study after finding painting.
D. Sydney prefers art to sport because of her disability in the brain.
3. What is the text mainly about?
A. Students with disabilities show their creativity at an international art festival in Washington, D. C.
B. Students with disabilities are more talented in art according to the result of an international art festival
in Washington, D. C.
C. An international art festival in Washington, D. C. gives people with disabilities an opportunity to
participate in the arts.
D. More than 5,500 students submitted their paintings at an international art festival in Washington, D. C.
4. We may infer from the passage that ________.
A. Amanda had Asperger syndrome before she went to the elementary school
B. Some children who are disabled even don't know their situation
C. Taylor has trouble controlling the muscles, but her sister is healthy
D. Amanda is good at painting with wide brush strokes