Let me tell you about a young boy who made a model car all on his own. The boy is me, six years ago when I was just 11 and the car was small and simple but in my imagination it was a high-speed, Formula 1 racing car, speeding along the race track.
It was during the school summer holidays and workmen were building a new drive and garage beside our house. While watching the workmen I had an idea. I'd build a car to drive into the garage in celebration of the new addition to our home. I told my mother and drew up complicated plans but I couldn't find the right materials, so I gave up and spent a miserable couple of days doing nothing. My mother noticed that I'd stopped working and asked me why. I explained and she suggested that maybe I should change my plans to fit the materials I did have, rather than give up.
And that's just what I did. I found small pieces of wood in my father's workshop and made my car from anything that was lying around the house. When I found a small engine from an old model plane of mine I added that. The power came from a battery attached with some wire I found in a cupboard.
By the time the garage was finished, so was my car. I called my family together outside the house, connected the wires, started the engine and placed the car on the driveway. It was fast and I had to run to the garage to rescue it before it crashed into the new door. My family began to clap and I smiled proudly. Thanks to my mother I learned the value of seeing a project through to its end. Soon I was making plans for my next project: a helicopter!
f seeing a project through to its end. Soon I was making plans for my next project: a helicopter!
53. What is the writer trying to do in this text?
A. suggest that everybody should try making something
B. recommend a type of car that is easy to make
C. explain how he learned not to give up on an idea
D. give information about where to find good model cars
54. Why did the writer start building the car?
A. to show the workmen that he could build something too
B. to pass the time during the school holidays
C. to give to his mother as a special present
D. to celebrate the family’s new garage
55. How did the writer feel about the first car he planned?
A. sad that he was unable to find suitable things to build the car with
B. annoyed that his father wouldn’t let him borrow any materials
C. frustrated by how much time he’d wasted on the project
D. embarrassed by the poor quality of the car plan he drew
56. What do we find out about the car the writer finally made?
A. It was completed shortly after the garage was built.
B. It was powered by an old electric motor.
C. It went up the driveway too quickly and hit the garage.
D. Its design needed some improvements.
57. What advice might the writer give about making something?
A. Always try to keep to your plans rather than change them halfway through your project.
B. When you start a project you need as much help as you can get, so ask your friends and family to get involved.
C. Look carefully around you to see what’s available and what things you can reuse for your project.
D. Don’t make a car for your first project – they’re difficult to get right and may not work.
