You are going to read an article about four people who achieved great things when they were teenagers. For questions 1-10, choose from the people (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.
Which person
1 wrote a book?
2 found a way to enable people to do something more quickly?
3 looked older than he was?
4 now visits other countries?
5 chose an unexpected career?
6 broke a record for raising money?
7 was surprised by his own popularity?
8 inspired other teenagers to succeed?
9 was looked after by a well-known person?
10 used feedback to improve an idea?
Teenage success stories
A Balamurali Ambati, doctor
Balamurali Ambati was clearly very talented as a boy, studied hard at school and did well. Along with his older brother, he co-authored a medical manual aged just 11 aimed at would-be doctors. It was already obvious what he wanted to become – a doctor, and so he worked hard to achieve his dream. He graduated from New York University when he was 13, began medical school when he was 14, attending the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, also in New York. Being very tall (over 1 metre 80 centimetres), he didn’t stand out as being different, and so people assumed he was the same age as the other students on his course. He graduated aged just 17, becoming the world’s youngest doctor, a record which he still holds. These days, Ambati is now Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Utah, and works as a volunteer with the ORBIS Flying Eye Hospital, practising and teaching in developing nations across the globe.
B Nick D’Aloisio, computer programmer
Aged just 15, Nick D’Aloisio made headlines with the app he created, Trimit, which reduced news content into short summaries that could be processed in much less time than would be needed to process the original text. When his app received funds from Hong Kong, Nick became the youngest person ever to have received investment of this kind. This helped Nick used to identify criticisms of Trimit’s using user comments, and then to redesign the app as Sumly, which was released to much praise in December 2011. Since then, he has published academic articles, studied for an Oxford University degree, and continues to develop his business.
C Luka Sabbat, model
When you look at the Instagram feed of model, influencer and internet sensation Luka Sabbat, it’s easy to see why he’s been called ‘the internet’s coolest teenager’. When he started using social media, his name spread very quickly. ‘For some reason, people were really into me. I don’t know why’ he says modestly. Even as a toddler, Luka was well connected – his babysitter was high-profile model Lara Stone. For Luka and his career, it seems that the only way is up. He models for top brands and it’s not unusual for a picture of him just sitting on a chair to get over 30,000 likes in a matter of minutes. When Luka has something to say, the online world sits up and takes notice.
D Boris Becker, tennis player
The German tennis player came to world attention as an unknown 17-year-old when he became Wimbledon champion in London in 1985. His powerful serve, strength and speed on the court enabled him to beat the South African Kevin Curren, then ranked the world’s fifth best men’s player. The tennis world had never experienced such an extraordinary result. When Becker was a young teenager, becoming a sporting superstar wasn’t really on the cards. ‘The plan from my parents for me was to finish school, go to university, get a proper degree and learn something respectable. The last thing on everyone’s mind was me becoming a tennis professional.’ But he turned professional at the age of 16, and the rest is history. Becker’s success prompted adolescents all over the world to take up the game, hit the ball hard and try to do their very best. Becker now lives in Switzerland.
Answer
1 A 2 B 3 A 4 A 5 D 6 B 7 C 8 D 9 C 10 B