Question

Read the article below and answer the following questions.

Professional dancer Aesha Ash knows what it is like to feel that you don't quite fit in. Ash is 41 years old. She grew up in the city of Rochester, New York. Starting in first grade, she took buses to schools in the suburbs as part of a program to encourage diversity.
The suburban kids didn't know how to relate to us, Ash said. They would ask questions about crime in my neighborhood and say mean things because they were ignorant.
Sometimes she would get angry, and other times she felt sad and weak. After a while she learned that being weak in a moment doesn't make you a weakling, she said. She became proud of who she was and where she was from.
She also faced difficulties in her favorite after-school activity: dance.
Starting at age 5, Ash studied tap, jazz and ballet. She thought she wanted to be a dancer on Broadway. At age 10, she started studying ballet more seriously, and the ballet school told her she had to choose one kind of dance.
The other forms of dance were easier for me, Ash said, but she wanted a challenge.
She talked to her mom, who told her that a career in ballet would be even more difficult for her because few ballet dancers were black. And those words helped Ash decide. She would prove to herself and to everyone that she could become a ballerina.
Ash entered the School of American Ballet in New York City. She worked hard toward her dream. Any time she felt bullied, she tried to stand up for herself and she became more determined to succeed.
At 18, her dream came true when she joined the New York City Ballet. There, she danced many solos and principal, or lead, roles. Then she moved to Europe to be a soloist with a dance company in Switzerland before returning to work in the United States.
In 2011, Ash started the Swan Dreams Project, a charity that uses dance and the arts to teach kids that where they live, how much money they have, what their race is or anyone else's ideas about them cannot limit their dreams.
You will face nos in life, but you need determination, focus and passion, she said. Know that nothing will take your dreams from you. Give it your all, and you will reach your goal.
In 2016, the virtual National Women's History Museum honored Ash for not only being one of the first African-American professional ballet dancers, but also for her work through the Swan Dreams Project, which runs a summer camp in Rochester and an after-school program in San Jose, California.
And even though Ash has won awards and acclaim, she said the thing she treasures most is making her family proud because she reached her dream.
All of the hard work and sacrifice paid off, she said. When you have a dream, believe it with all of your heart.
Required
A.What is the main idea of the article?
1 Ash will continue to be a successful ballerina with the New York City Ballet for many years.
2 Ash was much better at jazz and tap dance than she was at ballet when she was young.
3 Ash took buses to schools in the suburbs because of a program that encouraged diversity
4 Ash started the Swan Dreams Project to teach kids to work hard for their dreams, no matter what.

B.Which sentence from the article would be MOST important to include in a summary of the article?
1 They would ask questions about crime in my neighborhood and say mean things because they were ignorant.
2 After a while she learned that being weak in a moment doesn't make you a weakling, she said.
3 The other forms of dance were easier for me, Ash said, but she wanted a challenge.
4 All of the hard work and sacrifice paid off, she said. When you have a dream, believe it with all of your heart.

3.Read the paragraph from the article.
At 18, her dream came true when she joined the New York City Ballet. There, she danced many solos and principal, or lead, roles. Then she moved to Europe to be a soloist with a dance company in Switzerland before returning to work in the United States.
C. Why did the author include this information?
1 to illustrate that Ash's hard work led to a successful career
2 to introduce the importance of Ash's career in Europe
3 to elaborate on the popularity of ballet in New York City
4 to emphasize that being a soloist requires a lot of traveling

D. Which answer choice accurately characterizes Ash's reaction to being told there were few black ballerinas?
1 Ash reconsidered her commitment to ballet and tried jazz and tap first.
2 Ash viewed that fact as a challenge and decided to prove she could do it.
3 Ash realized she would have to travel to Europe to get lead roles in ballet.
4 Ash started the Swan Dreams Project to draw attention to the problem.

Answer 1

Aesha Ash overcame adversity to become a professional ballet dancer and started the Swan Dreams Project. The sentence emphasizing belief in one's dreams is most vital for a summary. Ash's success is attributed to her hard work and viewing the lack of black ballerinas as a challenge.

Step-by-step explanation:

The main idea of the article is that Aesha Ash overcame numerous challenges in pursuit of her dream to become a professional ballet dancer and later started the Swan Dreams Project, which teaches children to pursue their dreams regardless of their socioeconomic status or racial background, making option 4 the correct answer to the first question. Meanwhile, the sentence that is most critical to include in a summary of the article is, "All of the hard work and sacrifice paid off, she said. When you have a dream, believe it with all of your heart," as it encapsulates Ash's journey and the core message of the article, making option 4 the correct answer to the second question.

The author included information about Ash joining the New York City Ballet, dancing in Europe, and returning to the US to highlight that her persistence and dedication led to a successful international career, making option 1 the correct answer to the third question.

Facing the fact that there were few black ballet dancers, Ash took it as a challenge to succeed in ballet, indicating answer 2 as the correct characterization of Ash's reaction to the fourth question.