When I was only 3 years old, my mother taught me to memorise and recite poems. She was my first teacher of the arts, and my father was the first to appreciate my performance. Even at that young age, I had a simple understanding of how art and culture affect us as human beings and how we can connect to each other through the arts, which shapes my life to this day.

When I was growing up, my parents supported my interest in taking acting classes and doing community theatre. Their faith in me and the professional training I was getting from my theatre teachers gave me a sense of purpose and a sense of self-confidence. I learned what artistic achievement actually was and what hard work the business was. While many people see the rosy picture to our business, I was really learning what it would require for me to become a professional.

I became an actress, but arts education isn’t just about preparing our young people for a job in the arts. I recently talked to some of the kids attending theatre education. Some of them want to work in theatre, and some don’t. They are learning not only theatre skills, but also about the world around them. They learn about discipline and hard work and what’s required and what they have to do to bring themselves to the work. They learn how they can be of service in the world through the arts. They learn how to work with a team. By studying the arts, these students are open to worlds and lives that they might not have any other way of knowing about or any other way to connect with in their lives the way they are right now.

These young people are our future. We are passing the torch to them. And I think that’s one of the most important reasons why we need to foster(培养) the arts.

【小题1】When the writer was 3 years old, she 　　　.

A．learned many kinds of arts

B．did well in communication

C．recited poems to her father

D．had a deep understanding of the arts

【小题2】What does the underlined word “rosy” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．Bright.	B．Funny.
C．Terrible.	D．Hopeless.

【小题3】What can be inferred from the second paragraph?

A．It was hard for the writer to start business.

B．It is not easy for one to succeed in arts field.

C．Parents’ faith is a must for one to be professional.

D．The writer’s self-confidence led to her artistic achievement.

【小题4】According to Paragraph 3, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Attending theatre education does the kids much good.

B．Students studying the arts should travel around the world.

C．Discipline and hard work are not included in arts education.

D．Arts education can only prepare the youth for jobs in the arts.