I'm an 18-year-old premedical student, tall and good-looking, with two short story books and quite a number of essays my credit. Why am I singing such praises of myself? Just to explain that he attainment of self-pride comes from a great deal of self-love, and to attain it, one must first learn to accept oneself as one is. That was where my struggle began.

Born and raised in Africa, I had always taken my African origin as burden. My self-dislike was further fueled when my family had to relocate to Norway, where I attended a high school. Compared to all the white girls around me, with their golden hair and delicate lips, I ,a black girl, had curly hair and full, red lips. My nose often had a thin sheet of sweat on it, whatever the weather was. I just wanted to bury myself in my shell crying "I'm so different!"

What also contributed to my self-dislike was my occasional stuttering , which had weakened my self-confidence. It always stood between me and any fine opportunity. I'd taken it as an excuse to avoid any public speaking sessions, and unknowingly let it rule over me.

Fortunately, as I grew older, there came a turning point. One day a white girl caught my eye on the school bus when she suddenly turned back. To my astonishment, she had a thin sheet of sweat on her nose too, and it was in November! "Wow," I whispered to myself, "this isn't a genetic disorder after all. It's perfectly normal." Days later, my life took an-other twist. Searching the internet for stuttering cures, I accidentally learned that such famous people as Isaac Newton and Winston Churchill also stuttered. I was greatly relieved and then an idea suddenly hit me—if I'm smart, I shouldn't allow my stuttering to stand between me and my success.

Another boost to my self-confidence came days later as I was watching the news about Oprah Winfrey, the famous talk show host and writer—she's black too! Whenever I think of her story and my former dislike of my color, I'm practically filled with shame.

Today, I've grown to accept what I am with pride; it simply gives me feeling of uniqueness. The idea of self-love has taken on a whole new meaning for me: there's always something fantastic about us, and what w need to do is learn to appreciate it.

Questions:
question_stem: What affected the author's adjustment to her school life in Norway?
choices: tag: A
text: Her appearance

tag: B
text: Social discrimination.

tag: C
text: Her changing emotions.

tag: D
text: The climate in Norway.
answer_key: A

question_stem: What did the author's occasional stuttering bring about according on Paragraph 3?
choices: tag: A
text: Her lack of self-confidence.

tag: B
text: Her loss of interest in school.

tag: C
text: Her unwillingness to greet her classmates.

tag: D
text: Her desire for chances to improve herself.
answer_key: A

question_stem: How did the author feel on noticing the similarity between her and ne girl on the bus?
choices: tag: A
text: Blessed and proud.

tag: B
text: Confused and afraid.

tag: C
text: Amazed and relieved.

tag: D
text: Shocked and ashamed.
answer_key: C

question_stem: What lesson did the author learn from the cases of Newton and Churchill?
choices: tag: A
text: Great minds speak alike.

tag: B
text: Stuttering is no barrier to success.

tag: C
text: Wisdom counts more than hard work.

tag: D
text: Famous people can't live with their weaknesses.
answer_key: B

question_stem: What can best summarize the message contained in the passage?
choices: tag: A
text: Pride comes before a fall.

tag: B
text: Where there is a will, there is a way.

tag: C
text: Self-acceptance is based on the love for oneself.

tag: D
text: Self-love is key to the attainment of self-pride.
answer_key: D