Five-year-old Willard Wigan struggled to tell the difference between an M and a W or a 6 and a 9. Unfortunately, his schoolteacher knew nothing about dyslexia(阅读障碍症), a learning disability that can make letters and numbers confusing. She didn't try to1 him.
Not2 , Willard didn't like school. Usually, his mind drifted(游荡)to playing outside, to his dog Maxie, or to the ants that lived near his family's garden bed. Willard was especially3 about those ants. He felt like them4 and insignificant.
Willard5 that the ants were coming and going from a hole in the dirt. One ant was carrying a piece of grass, and Willard thought, "He's trying to build a house, so I am going to help him!"
Willard constructed a small house for ants. At school, Willard still6 , but now he knew he could do something special. Maybe he wasn't a7 after all. Though he had8 with his reading or maths, life isn't all about reading or maths. Willard later went home and created tiny furniture(家具)for the ant house.
His artistic skill9 , and a love for little things began to grow in his heart. When he showed his mother his carved works, she said, "This is what you do well. You must make every10 to be the best in the world. "
With her11 , Willard continued. When he quit school at age 15 to help12 his family, Willard still spent his spare time carving. His confidence grew as more people13 his talent.
Because of their beauty and rarity, Willard's sculptures have made him a(n)14 man. But he says, "15 isn't about material things like an expensive watch or a costly ring; it's about determination and achieving your dreams."
