I started drawing houses at six.Unlike most girls，my dream was to build a backyard clubhouse — a dream that was unrealistic given that we lived in an apartment.By high school I continued drawing and my dreams broadened—to become an architect.My older brother told me that look a university education.But my family couldn't afford that kind of education.Still.I fanned the flame of hope.
   I got a part-time job at Bayside Bowl and started saving money.My bank account，however，was growing quite slowly.When I looked at college catalogs，I couldn't imagine how I would ever get there.I decided Io shrink （縮?。?my dreams lo a more realistic size.
   Soon after that，a newcomer started frequenting Bayside Bowl.She arrived alone，and always carried a pink bag with a ball inside.Her dark，wrinkled skin and curly gray hair made her stand out among our younger customers.She talked to me whenever I cleaned near her lane.I learned her name was Bessie.She had been a singer for as long as she could remember.In her 20s she had tried to get a job as a restaurant singer. "I was a young black woman，and in the early 1950s doors didn't exactly open wide for me.Zilch!" she said.
   I admired her ability to pick up a split，but I also appreciated her advice. "Life's like bowling." she would say. "Set your eyes on your target and follow through." Indeed，Bessie hadn't let the "zilches" stop her.She had saved up and enrolled in the Brightwood Music Academy.It turned out this lady with the pink bowling bag was the Bessie Richards，a recording artist of the 1960s.
   Bessie moved on to live with her sister，but before leaving，she left me with a ＄50 tip for helping her at the lanes，a reminder to ignore the "zilches" in my life，and some lines of poetry she had copied from a book.Bessie said， "Read this when the going seems tough.It'll help you follow through and reach for your goal." These are the lines：
   Hold fast to dreams
   For if dreams die
   Life is a broken-winged bird
   That cannot fly.
   Hold fast lo dreams
   For when dreams go
   Life is a barren field
   Frozen with snow.
   A year has passed since I last bowled with Bessie，and I've resumed my drawing.I'm working and saving money，taking drafting classes，and applying for internships （實習）．Whenever I'm discouraged，I reread those lines of poetry.
   There'll be no barren field of frozen snow nor zilches for me.Inspired by Bessie and the poem，I plan to continue to dream.

（1）What was the author's dream when she was in high school？

To become/ Becoming an architect.

To become/ Becoming an architect.

（2）Why did the author shrink her dream to a realistic size？

Because her family/she couldn't afford a university education.

Because her family/she couldn't afford a university education.

（3）How do you understand the underlined sentence "Life is like bowling"？

Just like playing bowling，we need to set our eyes on the target in life and follow through.

Just like playing bowling，we need to set our eyes on the target in life and follow through.

（4）Describe one of Bessie's characteristics and explain why.

She is/was inspiring because she encouraged the author to pursue her dream.

She is/was inspiring because she encouraged the author to pursue her dream.

（5）Who is the "Bessie" in your life？How does he or she help you to pursue your dream？

My mom is my "Bessie".It was my mom who encouraged me to keep playing the piano when I considered quitting and now I can play well.

My mom is my "Bessie".It was my mom who encouraged me to keep playing the piano when I considered quitting and now I can play well.