DIRECTIONS: In the passage below, certain phrases are underlined and numbered <x>. The question will present alternatives for the underlined part. In most cases, you are to choose the one that best expresses the idea, makes the statement appropriate for standard written English, or is worded most consistently with the style and tone of the passage as a whole. If you think the original version is the best, choose "NO CHANGE".
Wilma Rudolph
[§1] Wilma Rudolph was born a premature child in 1940, in Clarksville, Tennessee. Weighing <1> only four- and-a-half pounds. Wilma's mother did her best to care for her daughter, but the Rudolphs were very poor, and the local hospital would not care for Wilma. During her childhood, Wilma contracted measles, mumps, scarlet fever, chicken pox, pneumonia, and later, polio, a crippling disease which at that time had no cure. At the age of four, she was told she would never walk again.
[§2] But Wilma's mother refused to give up. She found an African American medical college fifty miles away that would give Wilma the care she needs. <2> Although it was difficult to make the trip, Mrs. Rudolph took Wilma to the college twice a week. After two years of treatment, Wilma could walk with a brace. With her family's help, Wilma was able to walk normally without the aid of a crutch or brace by age twelve.
[§3] But simply walking wasn't enough for Wilma, who wanted to be <3> an athlete. She decided to play basketball, and for three years, she practiced with the team but didn't play in a single game. Then, in her sophomore year of high school, Wilma became a starting guard. For scoring she broke the state records <4> and led her team to the state championship. At the age of sixteen, she traveled to Melbourne, Australia, to run track events in the 1956 Olympics. She earned a bronze medal as part of a relay team.
[§4] After the high school from which she graduated, <5>Wilma was awarded a full scholarship to Tennessee State University, and her track career went into high gear. Before she earned her degree in education, she took a year off from her studies to compete all over the world. In 1960, Wilma's career as a runner reached its apex. She set a world record in the 200-meter race at the Olympic trials, <6> at the Olympics in Rome, she won the 100-meters, the 200-meters, and ran the anchor leg on the winning 4×100-meter relay team.
[§5] Wilma was proudest of a different kind of victory, in conclusion. <7> When she returned from her triumphs in Rome, and she insisted that the homecoming parade held in her honor not be a segregated event. This parade was the first racially integrated event ever held in Clarksville. Wilma continued to participate in protests until Clarksville's segregation laws were finally changed. <8>
While revising, the writer realizes the passage needs an introduction to convey the main idea of the essay. Which of the following sentences should he use as the first sentence to best achieve that purpose?
- No one would have guessed that Wilma Rudolph, a crippled child, would someday become an Olympic track star.
- Wilma Rudolph owes a great deal to her family, who helped her survive several severe illnesses.
- Wilma Rudolph was a famous Olympic athlete who had a lot of health problems as a child.
- Wilma Rudolph suffered from diseases that few children contract today.
Answer(s): A
Explanation:
This choice best conveys the main idea of the passage. Choice B focuses only on Rudolph's family; choice C understates the physical handicaps she overcame; and choice D does not mention her athletic accomplishments.