Briana, a student at John Fenwick School in Salem County, US, has a lot of free time. The 13-year-old girl used to hang out on the streets after school. “I know it wasn’t good, but I really had nothing else to do,” Briana said.
Briana was not alone. Many kids in her city had too much free time and nothing to do. To solve this problem, four school districts in Salem began a program called Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The program helps students make good use of their after-school time. Big Brothers/Big Sisters invites mentors to help students in grades 6 to 8 build healthy relationships and take part in productive activities.
The “Littles” and the “Bigs” are nicknames (昵称) for students and mentors. Most mentors are teachers. The “Bigs” and “Littles” usually meet once a week. They play games, share stories and go on trips.
The program has already helped many Salem students.
Briana’s mentor is the school principal (校长), Syeda Woods. Woods took Briana ice-skating, to pizza parties and for a visit to Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. “When I got out, I saw that Salem is a very small place,” Briana said. “The program helps me experience the outside world and see many new things.”
Kathy Jennings, 13, said she was very shy before, but now is much more open.
“In the program, I see my mentor as a big sister, not a teacher. I can tell her anything,” Jennings said. “And she has taught me a lot about making good decisions. I think it will make a big difference in my life.”
小题1:The program of Big Brothers/Big Sisters is designed for .
A．students aged 16 to 18
B．students aged 8 to 16
C．students in senior high school
D．students in grades 6 to 8小题2:The underline word “mentors” in the second paragraph most probably means “ ”.
A．wise and trusted teachers
B．experienced police
C．community volunteers
D．careful parents小题3:The purpose of the program is to help students .
A．live a full life after school
B．learn tips on shopping
C．have more free time
D．know more about the streets小题4:The writer uses the examples of Briana and Kathy to show .
A．Syeda is an amazing principle
B．the success of the program
C．the colourful life in Salem
D．Briana was once very shy
