PASSAGE 1 – Questions 1-10

Maya Lin was born in Athens, Ohio, on October 5, 1959. In 1949, her parents fled Communism in China and immigrated to the United States. By 1958, they settled in Athens, home to Ohio University, where they became professors. Her mother, a poet and literature teacher, and her father, a ceramic artist and Dean of the College of Fine Arts, nurtured an intellectually rich environment.

As a child, Maya Lin was curious and creative—she enjoyed hiking, reading, birdwatching, working in her father's ceramics studio, and building miniature towns. She excelled at problem-solving and in high school, she was a standout math student, taking college-level courses while working part-time at McDonald’s. Maya considered herself nerdy because she didn’t date or wear makeup.

Maya pursued architecture at Yale University. At age 21, while still a student, she entered a blind contest to design the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. The contest required the memorial to complement the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, list all the names of the dead and missing, and exclude political messaging. Maya’s winning design consisted of two polished black granite walls, each 200 feet long and arranged in a V-shape—one side aligned toward the Lincoln Memorial, the other toward the Washington Monument. The walls displayed 58,195 names, ordered by the date each individual was reported killed or missing rather than alphabetically. Out of 1,442 submissions, her design was selected, but Maya believed her identity as a young Chinese-American woman might have swayed judges to reject her had it been known. Following her win, she faced harassment due to her background and age.

Today, Maya Lin continues to create sculptures and architectural projects. Her works include the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery, Alabama; Wave Field at the University of Michigan; and the Confluence Project along the Columbia and Snake Rivers in Washington and Oregon. Passionate about sustainability, she has written books and advocates for renewable energy. In 2009, President Barack Obama awarded her the National Medal of Arts.

Questions

1. Which of the following best describes Maya Lin in high school?
A. Glamorous
B. Average
C. Bored
D. Hard-working

2. Maya went to Yale University to study:
A. Math
B. Architecture
C. Problem-solving
D. Fine Arts

3. Maya Lin was born in:
A. Washington, D.C.
B. The passage doesn’t say
C. Ohio
D. China

4. Which of the following is NOT true about Maya Lin?
A. She wanted to be a ceramics artist
B. Her parents were professors
C. She liked to watch birds
D. She was good at math

5. Maya Lin believed:
A. The names of the dead or missing should be listed alphabetically.
B. Her design was definitely the best.
C. Both sides of the monument should point toward the Lincoln Memorial.
D. Her design might not have been chosen if the judges knew her background.

6. Which of the following is NOT addressed in the third paragraph?
A. How many names are carved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
B. How the names of the missing or dead are arranged on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.
C. What Maya’s design for the contest entailed.
D. Who the judges were that selected Maya Lin’s design.

7. Which question is answered in the second paragraph?
A. What math courses did Maya take in high school?
B. Why did Maya decide to enter the contest to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial?
C. What did Maya major in at college?
D. Why did Maya believe she was nerdy?

8. If the passage only contained the final paragraph, an appropriate title would be:
A. Construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
B. Maya Lin: Projects after the Vietnam Veterans Memorial
C. Chinese-Americans in Architecture
D. How Maya Lin Became Famous

9. Maya Lin’s design for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was:
A. Elaborate
B. Very complicated
C. Simple
D. Controversial

10. Based on the passage, what is a “blind” contest?
A. A contest where only architects invited to submit designs can enter.
B. A contest where the identity of a design’s creator is unknown to the judges.
C. A contest where judges decide exactly what the memorial must look like.
D. A contest where only blind people can enter.

Maya Lin was born (Maya Lin được sinh ra) in Athens, Ohio, (ở Athens, Ohio,) on October 5, 1959. (vào ngày October 5, 1959.) In 1949, (Vào năm 1949,) her parents fled Communism in China (cha mẹ cô đã trốn chạy chế độ Communism ở China) and immigrated to the United States. (và nhập cư vào Hoa Kỳ.) By 1958, (Đến năm 1958,) they settled in Athens, (họ định cư tại Athens,) home to Ohio University, (nơi có Ohio University,) where they became professors. (và nơi họ trở thành các giáo sư.) Her mother, a poet and literature teacher, (Mẹ của cô, một nhà thơ và giáo viên văn học,) and her father, a ceramic artist and Dean of the College of Fine Arts, (và cha của cô, một nghệ sĩ gốm sứ và Trưởng Khoa Nghệ thuật Mỹ thuật,) nurtured an intellectually rich environment. (đã nuôi dưỡng một môi trường giàu trí tuệ.)

As a child, (Khi còn nhỏ,) Maya Lin was curious and creative— (Maya Lin vốn luôn tò mò và sáng tạo—) she enjoyed hiking, (cô thích đi bộ đường dài,) reading, (đọc sách,) birdwatching, (ngắm chim,) working in her father's ceramics studio, (làm việc trong xưởng gốm của cha cô,) and building miniature towns. (và xây dựng những thị trấn tí hon.) She excelled at problem-solving (Cô xuất sắc trong việc giải quyết vấn đề) and in high school, (và khi còn học trung học,) she was a standout math student, (cô là học sinh tiêu biểu về môn toán,) taking college-level courses (tham gia các khóa học trình độ đại học) while working part-time at McDonald’s. (trong khi làm việc bán thời gian tại McDonald’s.) Maya considered herself nerdy (Maya cho rằng mình là người nerdy) because she didn’t date (vì cô không hẹn hò) or wear makeup. (và không trang điểm.)

Maya pursued architecture (Maya theo đuổi ngành kiến trúc) at Yale University. (tại Đại học Yale.) At age 21, (Ở tuổi 21,) while still a student, (khi vẫn còn là sinh viên,) she entered a blind contest (cô tham gia một cuộc thi ẩn danh) to design the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C. (để thiết kế Đài tưởng niệm Chiến tranh Việt Nam tại Washington, D.C.) The contest required the memorial (Cuộc thi yêu cầu đài tưởng niệm) to complement the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument, (phải hài hòa với Đài tưởng niệm Lincoln và Tượng đài Washington,) list all the names of the dead and missing, (liệt kê tất cả tên của những người đã chết và mất tích,) and exclude political messaging. (và không chứa thông điệp chính trị.) Maya’s winning design (Thiết kế chiến thắng của Maya) consisted of two polished black granite walls, (bao gồm hai bức tường đá granite đen được đánh bóng,) each 200 feet long (mỗi bức dài 200 feet) and arranged in a V-shape— (và được sắp xếp theo hình chữ V—) one side aligned toward the Lincoln Memorial, (một bên hướng về Đài tưởng niệm Lincoln,) the other toward the Washington Monument. (và bên kia hướng về Tượng đài Washington.) The walls displayed 58,195 names, (Những bức tường hiển thị 58,195 cái tên,) ordered by the date each individual was reported killed or missing (được sắp xếp theo ngày mà mỗi cá nhân được báo cáo là bị giết hoặc mất tích) rather than alphabetically. (chứ không theo thứ tự chữ cái.) Out of 1,442 submissions, (Trong số 1,442 bài dự thi,) her design was selected, (thiết kế của cô đã được chọn,) but Maya believed her identity as a young Chinese-American woman (nhưng Maya tin rằng danh tính của cô – một phụ nữ trẻ người Chinese-American –) might have swayed judges to reject her (có thể đã khiến các giám khảo từ chối cô) had it been known. (nếu như điều đó được biết đến.) Following her win, (Sau chiến thắng của mình,) she faced harassment due to her background and age. (cô phải đối mặt với sự quấy rối do xuất thân và tuổi tác.)