B
“Look at this,” I said to my friend Mandy, holding up the leaflet. “There’s an art camp.” “It’s during the last week of July,” Mandy said. “That’s the same time as the Hill County Fair.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” I said. “But we always go to the fair.” “Tessa, you’re the artist. But I’m not good at drawing,” she smiled.
“Wow, a leaflet for an art camp. Would you like to attend?” Mom asked. “Probably not,” I said. “None of my friends are going.”
Mom patted my back. She knew I had a hard time jumping into something with strangers around. “Maybe next year,” I sighed. “I’m going outside to draw the Weston’s pine.”
I opened the door and looked at the bright sunshine. I thought about the art camp and wished I felt a little braver. Mandy could make friends with a whole bus of kids in 10 minutes, but my stomach twirled (转动) like a roller coaster when I didn’t know anyone around.
Once I started drawing, I didn’t even notice the fly buzzing around me. That’s why I jumped when Mr Weston said, “You’ve done a great job capturing (捕捉) the strength of that tree.”
“Thanks,” I smiled. Mr Weston was out for a walk. “That pine was there when we moved in,” Mr Weston said. “I have planted pine trees before. You have to spread out the roots (根) near the surface so that the tree can get enough water and grow tall. If you plant the root ball too deep, the tree dies. I learned that roots grow out, not down.”
“That makes sense,” I said. Mr Weston nodded goodbye before continuing his walk.
I thought about what Mr Weston told me as I looked at roots sticking out of the ground. I’d never realized how far a tree’s roots stretched (伸展) outward. It made me think about the art camp and my own roots. I wasn’t stretching them out at all. I was planting myself into one deep spot because it felt safer. I suddenly saw what I needed to do.
That night, I took a deep breath and made a decision. “I am stretching my roots out into new earth so I can grow,” I thought.
（
B
）5. Why didn’t the writer want to attend the art camp at first?
A. Because she preferred the fair.
B. Because she had trouble with strangers.
C. Because she was not good at drawing.
D. Because her friend asked her not to join it.
（
C
）6. What did Mr Weston tell the writer about planting pine trees?
A. The tree will die if its roots are too long.
B. The tree needs enough water to grow tall.
C. The roots should be spread out on the surface.
D. The roots should be planted deep into the ground.
（
D
）7. What did the writer realize after talking with Mr Weston?
A. She should be more helpful.
B. She needed more friends.
C. She should practise drawing more.
D. She needed to be braver and try new things.
（
C
）8. What can be the best title for the passage?
A. An Art Camp Invitation
B. My Experience of Drawing
C. Stretching My Roots
D. A Talk with Mr Weston
