question: (CNN) -- Professional ballet dancer Michaela DePrince was just three years old when she saw a ballerina for the first time.

She was standing near the gate of the orphanage she was living in the West African country of Sierra Leone when she found a magazine with a female ballet dancer on the cover.

The image of the beautiful, smiling ballerina mesmerized the young orphan, who had just lost both of her parents.

"I was just so fascinated by this person, by how beautiful she was, how she was wearing such a beautiful costume," she remembers. "So I ripped the cover off and I put it in my underwear."

At the time, DePrince -- or Mabinty Bangura as she was then called -- had no idea what ballet was. But she kept onto the picture, dreaming of one day becoming as happy as the ballerina on the magazine cover.

"It represented freedom, it represented hope, it represented trying to live a little longer," she recalls. "I was so upset in the orphanage, I have no idea how I got through it but seeing that, it completely saved me."

Shortly after, DePrince was adopted by an American couple and began a new life in the United States. Today, at the age of 17, she is one of the ballet world's rising stars -- last month she traveled to South Africa to make her professional debut in Johannesburg.

"I worked very hard and I was en pointe by the time I was seven years old," says DePrince. "I just moved along fast because I was so determined to be like that person on the magazine and she was what drove me to become a better dancer, a better person -- to be just like her was what I wanted to be."
1. How old was she when she first saw a ballerina?
2. Where did she see it?
3. Where was the ballerina?
4. Was she adopted?
5. By who?
6. When did she start dancing?
7. Where did she start dancing professionally?
8. Did she change her name?
9. From what?
10. To what?
****
answer: 1. three years old
2. Sierra Leone
3. magazine cover
4. yes
5. an American couple
6. doesn't say
7. Johannesburg
8. yes
9. Mabinty Bangura
10. Michaela DePrince

question: In 1883. John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However, bridge building experts throughout the world thought this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea, but Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.

The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

"We told them so." "Crazy men and their crazy dreams.'' "It's foolish to chase wild visions." Evcryone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap, Washington was never discouraged.

One day he was lying on his bed in hospital, seeing the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment with the sunlight streaming through the windows, and a gentle breeze bowing the flimsy white curtains apart when an idea hit him. He decided to make the best use of the only finger he could move. Thus, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.

He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.

For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm until the bridge was finally completed.
1. When did John get the idea?
2. What was the idea for?
3. What did it connect?
4. Did people tell him it was not possible?
5. Did he listen?
6. What was his son's name?
7. What the son's profession.
8. What happened to the bridge shortly after start?
9. Did someone die?
10. Who?
11. What was Washighton's injury?
****
answer: 1. In 1883
2. build a spectacular bridge
3. connecting New York with the Long Island
4. Yes
5. yes
6. Washington
7. engineer
8. tragic accident
9. Yes
10. John Roebling
11. brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.

question: CHAPTER NINE.

HESTER INTRODUCED TO A NEW HOME AND NEW FRIENDS UNDER PECULIAR CIRCUMSTANCES, AND A NEW NAME.

Long before their flight was discovered Hester Sommers and Dinah had penetrated into a dense thicket, where the negress proceeded to produce a wonderful metamorphosis.

"Now, my dear," she said, hastily undoing a large bundle which she carried, while Hester, panting and terrified, sat down on the grass beside her, "don't you be frighted. I's your fri'nd. I's Dinah, de sister ob Peter de Great, an' de fri'nd also ob Geo'ge. So you make your mind easy."

"My mind is quite easy," said Hester; "and even if you were not Peter's sister, I'd trust you, because of the tone of your kind voice. But who is Geo'ge?"

Dinah opened her eyes very wide at this question, for Peter had already enlightened her mind a little as to the middy's feelings towards Hester.

"You not know Geo'ge?" she asked.

"Never heard of him before, Dinah."

"Geo'ge Foster?"

"Oh, I understand! It was your way of pronouncing his name that puzzled me," returned the girl, with a faint smile. "I'm glad you are his friend, too, poor fellow!"

"Well, you _is_ a babby!" exclaimed Dinah, who had been mixing up what appeared to be black paint in a wooden bowl. "Now, look yar, don't you be frighted. It's a matter ob life an' deaf, you know, but _I's_ your fri'nd! Jest you do zackly what I tells you."

"Yes, Dinah," said Hester, alarmed, notwithstanding, by the earnestness and solemnity of her new friend, "what am I to do?"
1. who went deep into the trees?
2. when?
3. what was happening in the trees>
4. of what?
5. how long before their flight was discovered?
6. what did Dinah say to Hester?
7. what was she doing at the time?
8. was it a small bundle?
9. how was Hester feeling?
10. what was she doing?
11. who did she sit by?
12. where at?
13. who is Dinah's brother?
****
answer:
1. Hester Sommers and Dinah
2. before their flight was discovered
3. a metamorphosis
4. the negress
5. unknown
6. Now, my dear,
7. undoing a bundle
8. no
9. terrified
10. panting
11. Dinah
12. on the grass
13. Peter de Great