Ray Charles was born on September 23rd, 1930 into a poor family in Georgia, U.S.A. His father was a railwayman who had to travel a lot, so Ray was brought up mainly by his mother, who, though not very well educated, was full of common sense. When he went blind after a serious sickness at the age of seven, it was his mother who helped him to face up to the situation. She told him he was blind, not stupid, and that he had lost his eyes but not his mind, she made him sweep floors and chop wood to show him he was by no means helpless. She used to tell him that some day she would not be there to help him, and that then he would have to look after himself.

Soon after he went blind, Ray began to take an interest in music. A neighbour showed him how to play simple tunes on the piano, and he had a love for the music he heard, played and sung in the local church. In the blind school the schoolteachers encouraged him to study a variety of instruments, Then, one more blow came. His mother died suddenly, and Ray, who loved her deeply, was so shocked that for two weeks he was unable to eat. It was another neighbour who finally managed to persuade him that his mother would have wanted him to go on, and reminded him of how she had believed in him. When his father died a year later, Ray knew he was strong enough to keep going on his own.

Between the ages of fifteen and seventeen, Ray worked with bands in Florida, but in 1948, while still only seventeen, he decided that there wasn’t much future for him there and decided to go to Seattle, in the north-west of the U.S.A.

Ray arrived in Seattle and went to a small hotel to sleep. When he woke up, he was hungry. It was two o’ clock in the morning, and everywhere was closed. Ray managed to find a small club and knocked on the door. A man on the door said they had no food, but “we’ ve got a talent night on here,” he added. Ray saw his chance and told the man he could play the piano and sing. The man tried to discourage him, but he was finally guided to the piano and sang a song. As he came off the stand, a man stopped him and said, “I’m from the Elks Club. I think you’ve got a weekend job.” That was Tuesday. By Friday he was working regularly, and after that he never looked back. It was the beginning of his climb to stardom.

1．Although he was blind, Ray’s mother made him sweep floors and chop wood for the purpose of making him ____.

　 A．helpless　 　　　 B．independent　 　 C．encouraged 　 D．useful

2．What played the most important part in Ray’s life?

　 A．His interest and talent in music.

　 B．His work with bands in Florida.

　 C．His neighbours’ help and his teachers’ encouragement.

　 D．His mother’s training.

3．What happened that made him extremely sad when he was a teenager?

　 A．He went blind.　 　 B．He lost his mother.

　 C．He became fatherless. D．The man tried to discourage him.

4．Ray got his big opportunity to success 　　.

　 A．in Georgia　　 　　　 B．in the blind school

　 C．in Florida　　 　　　 D．in Seattle