Reading Explorer 4: Unit 1 Lesson B
DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer for each question.
My Journey in Photographs
by Annie Griffiths
[A] I got my first real job at age 12, as a waitress. I am convinced that I learned more as a waitress than I
ever did in a classroom. When I went on to college, it also paid for tuition and housing and - eventually - a
camera. But best of all, being a waitress taught me to quickly assess and understand all kinds of people. I
learned how to make small talk and how to quickly put people at ease - great training for a journalist.
Waiting tables also taught me teamwork and service and humor.
[B] From the moment I picked up a camera, I was hooked. I lost interest in other studies, and all I wanted
to do was take pictures for the university newspaper, the Minnesota Daily. In six months, I was able to get
a lot of great experience. The week I finished college, I was contacted by the Worthington Daily Globe, a
regional daily newspaper in southern Minnesota with a history of excellence in photography. By some
miracle I was hired, and the two-year experience that followed was like a master class in photojournalism.
[C] Jim Vance was the top-notch publisher of the Globe. He had very high expectations of all the staff.
With little or no instruction from him, writers and photographers were expected to fill the paper with
stories that were important to our readers. I didn't know it at the time, but this independent reporting was
perfect training for my future career.
[D] Among the most important things I learned at the Globe was that if you can make friends with a shy
Norwegian farmer and be invited to his kitchen table, you can probably do well in any culture on Earth. I
worked with a wonderful writer named Paul Gruchow. Together we would search the farming
communities for stories. Paul had grown up on a farm himself and lived through personal tragedy, so he
was able to project warmth and understanding to anyone he met. Farmers would invite us into their homes
and willingly share their personal thoughts with us. From Paul I learned how to be a patient listener, as
well as the importance of giving each subject time and sincere attention.
[E] It was while I was working at the Globe that I happened to answer the phone one morning. A man's
voice asked, "You a photographer?" When I replied that indeed I was, the voice responded, "This is Bob
Gilka. National Geographic. I need a hail1 damage picture. You guys get a big hailstorm last night?" I
overcame my nervousness and said, "Yes, sir." When he asked if I could take the picture for him, I again
said, "Yes, sir."
[F] My little picture of hail damage in southern Minnesota was well received, and a year later, I was
working for Bob - National Geographic's legendary director of photography. Thus began one of the
most important relationships of my life.
Lessons on the Road
[G] I was the youngest photographer working for National Geographic when I arrived in 1978, and I
spent at least a decade just trying not to make mistakes. With each new assignment came the fear that this
was going to be the one where they figured out that I couldn't do the job.
[H] On many assignments, the most challenging part turned out to be the transportation. Over the years, I
traveled by horse, car, train, truck, and all sorts of old vehicles. I traveled by mule 2 in Mexico, by ship
along the Indian Ocean, by fishing boat in the Sea of Galilee, by moped 3 in Bermuda, by sailboat in
Sydney. I flew in helicopters chasing bears in the Arctic. Twice, while flying in light planes, pilots have
had to make emergency landings far from any airport. But there were also wonderful experiences. In
Africa I traveled by balloon, ultralight aircraft, and elephant. In a rubber raft off the west coast of Mexico,
I was suddenly lifted out of the water on the back of a friendly whale.
[I] Wherever I traveled in the world, taking beautiful pictures was always my goal. However, later in my
career, I also wanted my pictures to make a real difference in people's lives. That is why each spring I tour
two or three developing countries, shooting portraits of people whose lives are better because of the
dedicated workers who care about them. The photos are used in a variety of fund-raising products. The
other issue that stole my heart was the environment. With support from the National Geographic
Expeditions Council, I have traveled all over the United States to photograph the last one percent of
wilderness left here.
[J] I am deeply grateful for my life in photography and the amazing lessons it has taught me. I have
learned that women really do hold up half the sky; that language isn't always necessary, but touch usually
is; that all people are not alike, but they do mostly have the same hopes and fears; that judging others does
great harm, but listening to them enriches; and that it is impossible to hate a group of people once you get
to know one of them as an individual.
1
Hail is small balls of ice that fall from the sky like rain.
2
A mule is a hybrid between a horse and a donkey.
3
A moped is a type of lightweight motorcycle.
____ 1. In the third sentence of paragraph A, what does it refer to?
a. going to college
b. a camera
c. her job as a waitress
d. a classroom
____ 2. Which of the following places is NOT mentioned in the passage?
a. Africa
b. Mexico
c. South America
d. Bermuda
____ 3. Where is the main idea of paragraph I stated?
a. in the first sentence
b. in the second sentence
c. in the third sentence
d. in the fourth sentence
____ 4. Which of the following statements is Annie Griffiths most likely to agree with?
a. Photographers can learn a lot from other jobs that require people skills.
b. Photographers should expect a lot of help from their magazine publishers.
c. Photographers should go to photojournalism school after they finish college.
d. Photographers should focus on learning about the culture rather than individuals.
____ 5. Which of the following happened first?
a. Griffiths started taking photographs.
b. Griffiths worked at the Globe.
c. Griffiths worked as a waitress.
d. Griffiths graduated from college.
____ 6. Which of the following was true about Bob Gilka?
a. He lived in southern Minnesota.
b. He was younger than Griffiths.
c. He gave Griffiths her first job.
d. He worked at National Geographic.
____ 7. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
Who was Griffiths’ first boss after she graduated from college?
a. a place
b. a name
c. an object
____ 8. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
When did Griffiths start working for National Geographic?
a. a date
b. a reason
c. a name
____ 9. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
Where was Griffiths when she was lifted on the back of a whale?
a. a place
b. a number
c. a reason
____ 10. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
Why does Griffiths shoot portraits of people in developing countries every year?
a. an object
b. a number
c. a reason
DIRECTIONS: Choose the best answer for each question.
An Interview with Michael Yamashita
Q: Is it true that before becoming a photographer, you were an English teacher?
[A] Yeah, I spent four years in Japan in the early '70s, and two of those years I was teaching. There was a
huge demand in Japan for English. The Japanese studied English at school, but didn't speak much English,
so as a native speaker I could help out. It was a great job.
[B] I was in Japan at the time to get in touch with my roots, trying to see how Japanese I might be.
Growing up in the States with a Japanese name and face, I really never felt 100 percent American because
I didn't look like the American majority. We were the only Asian family in the town where I lived. So,
after studying history in the States, I decided to go to Japan and have the experience of living there.
Q: Did you know any Japanese before you went there?
[C] No. I learned the hard way, which was ... working in a company where nobody spoke English. In the
beginning, it was tough. The only things I knew were the names of food, since I grew up with Japanese
food.
Q: And it was in Japan that you bought your first camera. Is that right?
[D] I did. Like every amateur, I bought a camera to essentially record what I was seeing and doing, to
send pictures back to family and friends. I spent some time learning about it, and I just got really obsessed
by the whole process.
[E] The more I got into photography, the more I loved it. Every few months I left Japan to renew my visa,
and so I went to a different country each time, taking pictures just to show friends and family. As my
pictures got better, people told me I should show them to other photographers. Eventually, I met an agent
and decided I wanted to be a professional.
Q: As a professional photographer, what would you say makes a good photograph?
[F] In the case of National Geographic magazine, I like to call them "page stoppers." They are pictures
with such great visual impact that the viewer has to stop turning the pages. You're arrested by the framing,
the light, the color, or the subject, and you stare at it. Then you're likely to read the captions 2 and be drawn
into reading the whole story. For me, that is an ideal picture.
Q: For photographing a project like Basho's Trail, how much planning is involved?
[G] I prepare as much as I can. I read about six different translations of Basho's book, Narrow Road to the
Deep North. I thought about what happened on each section of the route: where he talks about the banana
leaf, and where on the Mogami River he wrote a poem about swift 1 water.
[H] So, certain things I was looking for, but others were not so place-specific. Basho mentions the moon
many times, so I knew I had to do a moon picture, which sounds easy. But the moon is only full once a
month, and the sky may be cloudy. Or, if the moon is rising too early, or too late, I wouldn't be able to see
it. But I try my best to be in the right place to get the right subject at the right time.
Q: Were there other important moments you remember while doing that article?
[I] Well, there's that frog photo. It was in summer the first week I was there. I was shooting some banana
leaves under the roof of a Japanese temple. It was pouring rain, and it was beautiful. As I was walking
back to the car, I looked down into this little pond and saw a frog sitting on a leaf. So, my job was to get a
good picture of it.
[J] I started out shooting from the land, but the shot wasn't quite right. Then I got into the water. I was up
to my waist in this smelly temple pond, early in the morning, concentrating on a frog and thinking "Thank
God the caretakers3 of the temple haven't arrived yet!" I managed to anticipate the moment just before it
was ready to jump, and that's when I took the photo. You'll see that the frog is just about to turn to its
right, and in the next picture, it was flying.
Q: Finally, what do you think it takes to become a great photographer?
[K] Well, there is not that much economic motivation, considering the difficulty of selling pictures and
getting in the door. What it takes is basically passion; you have to be really obsessed by your craft.
Especially today, with the competition being what it is, to be a success you really have to eat and drink
photography. It's passion that drives you forward.
1
If something is swift, it is quick and rapid.
2
A caption is an explanation written next to a photo.
3
A caretaker is a person who takes care of some property.
____ 11. Why did Yamashita become a professional photographer?
a. There is a lot of money in photography.
b. He didn't enjoy being an English teacher.
c. He became passionate about photography.
d. He had always hoped to work for National Geographic magazine.
____ 12. In paragraph B, the phrase to get in touch with my roots is nearest in meaning to ____.
a. to show others what I have become
b. to meet other members of my family
c. to learn the history of my country
d. to learn about where my family came from
____ 13. According to Yamashita, what is a page stopper?
a. an excellent photograph in a magazine
b. the last page at the end of a magazine
c. a photograph with a great caption
d. a really interesting story that contains photographs
____ 14. How did Yamashita prepare himself to take pictures for the article Basho's Trail?
a. He took lots of photos in Japan.
b. He bought a new camera.
c. He read several versions of a book by Basho.
d. He tried not to prepare too much.
____ 15. Which of the following would Yamashita probably agree with?
a. A good photographer doesn't need luck.
b. Getting a first job as a professional photographer is easier than it was before.
c. Passion is the most important factor for becoming a good photographer.
d. There are many financial reasons for becoming a professional photographer.
____ 16. In the third sentence of paragraph F, arrested means ____.
a. for someone to be stopped by the police
b. to grab one's attention
____ 17. In the third sentence of paragraph H, subject means ____.
a. something you study at school
b. the thing you take a photo of
____ 18. In the last sentence of paragraph I, job means ____.
a. task
b. occupation
____ 19. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
Why did Michael become a photographer?
a. an object
b. a number
c. a reason
____ 20. What kind of information do you need to look for to answer this question:
What did Michael read to prepare for Basho's Trail?
a. a place
b. a book's name
c. a number
DIRECTIONS: Read each sentence, paying attention to the underlined words. Decide if the use of
the word in each sentence makes the statement True (T) or False (F).
____ 21. Sincere is another word for dishonest.
____ 22. Teamwork means people working together.
____ 23. A photograph of a tall mountain is an example of a portrait.
____ 24. Many people pay tuition fees to attend a college or university.
____ 25. If you overcome a problem, you failed at solving it.
DIRECTIONS: Complete the sentences using the words in the box.
enriched expectation projected thus tuition
26. Traveling to new places has ____________________ my life. I have learned a lot about other cultures,
and I've learned a lot about myself as well.
27. She worked two jobs while studying full-time to pay for her ____________________.
28. She is always nice to everyone. ____________________, everyone is nice to her as well.
29. In most English classes, there is the ____________________ that students will not speak their native
language in class.
30. She did very well in her job interview. She ____________________ confidence, and the interviewers
were very impressed.
Reading Explorer 4: Unit 1 Lesson B
Answer Section
1. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Reference TOP: Images of Life
2. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Negative Detail TOP: Images of Life
3. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Main Idea TOP: Images of Life
4. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Inference TOP: Images of Life
5. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Sequence TOP: Images of Life
6. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Page 17 | Page 18 | Page 19
OBJ: Detail TOP: Images of Life
7. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
8. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
9. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
10. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
11. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Unit 1 OBJ: Main Idea
TOP: Images of Life
12. ANS: D PTS: 1 REF: Unit 1 OBJ: Paraphrase
TOP: Images of Life
13. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Unit 1 OBJ: Detail
TOP: Images of Life
14. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Unit 1 OBJ: Detail
TOP: Images of Life
15. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Unit 1 OBJ: Inference
TOP: Images of Life
16. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 13
OBJ: Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings TOP: Images of Life
17. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 13
OBJ: Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings TOP: Images of Life
18. ANS: A PTS: 1 REF: Page 13
OBJ: Understanding Words with Multiple Meanings TOP: Images of Life
19. ANS: C PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
20. ANS: B PTS: 1 REF: Page 21 OBJ: Scanning for Information
TOP: Images of Life
21. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary
TOP: Images of Life
22. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary
TOP: Images of Life
23. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary
TOP: Images of Life
24. ANS: T PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary
TOP: Images of Life
25. ANS: F PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary
TOP: Images of Life
26. ANS: enriched
PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary TOP: Images of Life
27. ANS: tuition
PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary TOP: Images of Life
28. ANS: Thus
PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary TOP: Images of Life
29. ANS: expectation
PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary TOP: Images of Life
30. ANS: projected
PTS: 1 REF: Page 22 OBJ: Vocabulary TOP: Images of Life
