Mymotherwasahouseholdservant.Throughherwork,sheobservedthatsuccessfulpeoplespentalotmoretimereadingthantheydidwatchingtelevision.SheannouncedthatmybrotherandIcouldonlywatchtwotothreepre-selectedTVprogramsduringtheweek.Withourfreetime,wehadtoreadtwobookseachfromtheDetroitPublicLibraryandwritebookreports.Shewouldmarkthemupwithcheckmarks.Yearslaterwerealizedhermarkswerearuse.Mymotherhadonlyreceivedathird-gradeeducation.Althoughwehadnomoney,betweenthecoversofthosebooks,Icouldgoanywhere,doanythingandbeanybody.

WhenIenteredhighschool,IwasanA-student,butnotforlong.Iwantedthefancyclothes.Iwantedtohangoutwiththeguys.IwentformbeinganA-studenttoaB-studenttoaC-student,butIdidn’tcare.

OnenightmymothercamehomeandIcomplainedaboutnothavingenoughshirts.Shesaid,“Okay,I’llgiveyouallthemoneyImakethisweekcleaningfloorsandbathrooms,andyoucanbuythefamilyfoodandpaythebills.Witheverythingleftover,youcanhavealltheshirtsyouwant.”

IwasverypleasedwiththatarrangementbutonceIgotthroughallocating(分配)money,therewasnothingleft.Irealizedmymotherwasafinancialgeniustobeabletokeeparoofoverourheadsandanykindoffoodonthetable,muchlessbuyclothes.

Ialsorealizedthatimmediatesatisfactionwasn’tgoingtogetmeanywhere.Successrequiredintellectual(理智的)preparation.IwentbacktomystudiesandbecameanA-studentagain.IdreamedofbecomingadoctorwhenIwasjustakid.AndnowIhaveachievedmydream.

Overtheyearsmymother’schangelessfaithinGodhasinspiredme,particularlywhenIfoundmyselffacedwithmyownmedicalillness.AfewyearsagoIdiscoveredIhadaveryseriouscancer;Iwastolditmighthavespreadtomyspine(脊柱).MymotherbelievedinGodverymuch.Sheneverworried.ShesaidthatGodwouldneverthrowmeawayforever;therewasnowaythatthiswasgoingtobeamajorproblem.Theabnormalityinspineturnedouttobenotbad;Iwasabletohavesurgeryandamcured.

Mystoryisreallymymother’sstory－awomanlittleformaleducationorworldlygoodswhousedherpositionasaparenttochangethelivesofherchildren.

小题1:Theunderlinedword“ruse”inthefirstparagraphprobablymeans&nbs