“They tell me that you’d like to make a statue（塑像）of me — is that correct, Miss Vinnie Ream?”
“他们告诉我，你想要为我制作一座雕像——是这样吗，Vinnie Ream小姐？”

The deep, gentle voice helped calm the nervous girl. Asking a favor of the President of the United States was no casual matter, especially for a seventeen-year-old girl.
那深沉而温和的声音帮助安抚了这位紧张的女孩。向美国总统请求帮助并非小事，尤其对于一个十七岁的女孩来说。

“Yes, sir,” she replied, her dark eyes meeting his. “I wouldn’t have dared to ask you, but my teacher, Mr. Mills, says I am ready. I plan to make it in an admirable manner. ”
“是的，先生，”她回答，她的深色眼睛与他对视。“如果没有我的老师，Mills先生说我已经准备好了，我是不会敢向您提出请求的。我计划以令人钦佩的方式完成它。”

President Lincoln smiled. “Painters, sculptors — they’ve all tried to make the best of this ordinary face, but I’m afraid there’s not much hope. What did you have in mind, Miss Ream? A bust（半身像）?”
林肯总统微笑着。“画家，雕塑家——他们都试图充分利用这张普通的脸，但我恐怕没有太大的希望。你有什么想法，Ream小姐？半身像？”

Before Vinnie could say yes, the President hurried on, a shade of apology in his voice. “Of course — I shouldn’t have asked. A full-length pose would be much too big a project for a young woman your size. ”
在Vinnie还没来得及回答“是”之前，总统匆忙继续说，声音中带着一丝歉意。“当然——我不应该问。对于你这样身材的年轻女士来说，全身像会是一个太大的项目。”

Vinnie’s face turned red. She realized she looked like a child, with her tiny figure. “Small does not mean weak, sir,” she defended herself. “I was born in the country of Wisconsin. I’ve driven teams of horses and carried water. Making a full-length clay（粘土）figure would not exhaust my strength — and that is what I intend to do!”
Vinnie的脸红了。她意识到自己看起来像个孩子，因为她那娇小的身材。“小并不意味着弱，先生，”她为自己辩护。“我出生在威斯康星州的乡村。我曾驾驶过马队，搬运过水。制作一个全身粘土像不会耗尽我的力量——而这正是我打算做的！”

The President’s eyes, brightened at her show of spirit. “Sorry, madam, I have underestimated you as I didn’t know your background. ”
总统的眼睛因为她展现出的精神而亮了起来。“抱歉，女士，我低估了你，因为我不了解你的背景。”

But his smile faded as he rubbed his beard with bony fingers, in thought. “Miss Ream,” he sighed, “I’d like to let you do it, but as you know, we are in the middle of a war. How could I possibly take the time to pose for a sculpture now? I hardly have a minute to myself. ”
但他的微笑在他用手指摩擦着瘦削的胡须沉思时消失了。“Ream小姐，”他叹了口气，“我想让你做，但你知道，我们正处于战争之中。我现在怎么可能抽出时间来为雕塑摆姿势呢？我几乎没有一分钟属于自己的时间。”

Vinnie glanced around and noted the size of his office. “I work quickly,” she said. Her voice was soft but confident as she pointed to the corner near the windows. “If I were to bring my clay here and work for three hours every afternoon, I could complete most of the project while you are at your desk. ”
Vinnie环顾四周，注意到了他的办公室的大小。“我工作很快，”她说。她的声音柔和但自信，她指向窗户附近的角落。“如果我能把我的粘土带到这里，每天下午工作三个小时，当你在办公桌前时，我可以完成大部分项目。”

The President seemed to consider her idea seriously. He got up and shook Vinnie’s hand warmly, “I’ve heard that you are a talented young woman, and I have found you charming and intelligent as well. I cannot make my decision immediately, but you will hear from me soon. ”
总统似乎认真考虑了她的想法。他站起来，热情地握住了Vinnie的手，“我听说你是一个有才华的年轻女士，我发现你既迷人又聪明。我不能立即做出决定，但你很快就会收到我的回复。”

The very next day, Vinnie received an invitation from the President.
就在第二天，Vinnie收到了总统的邀请。

1. What gave Vinnie confidence to make her request of President Lincoln?
   A. Her aggressive personality. B. Mr. Mills’s encouraging remark.
   C. President Lincoln’s gentle voice. D. Her interest in a challenging job.
   答案：B

2. How did President Lincoln first respond to Vinnie’s request?
   A. Pleased. B. Thrilled. C. Regretful. D. Doubtful.
   答案：D

3. Vinnie confirmed her ability to make a full-length statue by highlighting
   答案：B
   __.
   A. her experience from other projects B. her innocent childhood in the country
   C. the heavy labor she had done before D. the skill she picked up in Wisconsin
   答案：C

4. Vinnie wanted to choose the corner near the windows to __.
   A. achieve effects of natural lighting B. keep all her tools within easy reach
   C. observe the President at a right angle D. avoid disturbing the President’s work
   答案：D

5. What message does the story convey?
   A. A strong-willed soul can reach his goal. B. Experience helps to promote excellence.
   C. Ups and downs make one strong. D. Devotion requires enthusiasm.
   答案：A