Прочитай текст и выполни задания 12–18. В каждом задании запиши в поле ответа цифру 1, 2, 3 или 4, соответствующую выбранному варианту ответа.
Sharing the Sun and Moon
From the moment Shannan Hearne was first placed in the saddle at age two, she had always felt most comfortable on horseback. She felt a deep connection with horses. As an adopted child and the only girl, Hearne was already struggling with anxiety. With the help of these majestic animals, Hearne became free, feeling as though she was flying. She knew that someday she wanted to be able to share that feeling with everyone.
In February 2020, her dream finally came true, when she and her "partner-in-farm", Cory Conley, opened the gates of the Sun and Moon Ranch. Then, just a month later, the country spiralled into COVID-19 lockdown. Soon, Hearne's vision began to grow into something bigger. With eight acres of pastures and an abundance of sunshine and fresh air, there was no safer way for frightened neighbours to get out of the house. The ranch, Hearne realised, should be for everybody.
The Sun and Moon Ranch is nestled between the Appalachian Mountains and the
Atlantic coast, in Lexington, North Carolina. Sure, you can sign up for riding lessons or board your horse. But you can also drop by to play with the chickens, goats, and dogs, wander through the vegetable garden, break bread — and crab legs — during the farm's low-country boils, when pots of shrimp, scallops, sausage, and corn cover the length of a newspaper covered picnic table, or join the younger ranchers playing on the big pile of freshly dug dirt. Hearne, a digital marketer by day, now saw the ranch as something more than a business — it would be a place the community could call home.
As the pandemic deepened, locals began to gather there, not just for the free cookouts and bonfires, but for the chance to put up a hammock when they wanted some peace. Campers were welcome to pull in for a quiet night after a day on the road. "I had a vision for space being therapeutic for whoever the universe sent our way — horses or people," says Hearne.
One of those people, a 15-year-old boy, was born without fingers on one hand. His grandmother brought him to the Sun and Moon for riding lessons. Learning to control a horse with one hand helped him better manage his disability, and he grew closer to his grandmother over their shared love of horses. Plus, a special bond with two of Hearne's 18 rescued horses, Annie and Honey, was a real leg-up confidence-wise.
"There is something empowering about controlling a thousand-pound animal, and I believe this is especially true for children or anyone who struggles with any sort of self-esteem issues," Hearne says.
Another boy became selectively mute after being bullied because of his autism. Lesson by lesson, Hearne watched him slowly come out of his shell. Taking the reins, literally, helped him do so in his daily life too. "I could see how the empowerment of riding was helping him feel once again in control of the world around him," says Hearne. "He went from not answering questions to literally talking our ears off." And there's no nicer sound, especially when answered by an affectionate whinny from a four-legged best friend.
Now, the Sun and Moon Ranch is a place of healing, for both the thousand-pound animals and people. The Sun and Moon ranch rescues horses from auctions and feedlots, rehabilitates them, and then finds them a forever home. In the meantime, the horses help locals heal their own wounds. It's an idyllic setting for the task, with wide lawns, a vegetable garden, and chickens and other animals scurrying about.
12. What do we know about Shannan Hearne from the 1st paragraph?
She had mental health issues in her childhood.
She wanted to be free from her parents.
When she was young, she only loved horses.
In her childhood, she felt alone in her family.
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13. Why did Shannan Hearne start a ranch?
The COVID-19 pandemic started and it was a way to make money.
She wanted to ride her own horses.
She had wanted to do this since her childhood.
Her "partner-in-farm" offered her to do it to make money.
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14. According to Shannan Hearne, the Sun and Moon Ranch is…
a good idea to make money.
like a comfortable home for people.
a shelter for animals.
an unusual amusement park for kids and their parents.
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15. What influence did the Sun and Moon Ranch have on the boy who was born without fingers on one hand?
He learned to live with his disability.
The relationship between him and his mother improved.
He fell in love with horses and decided to devote his life to animals.
He decided to take part in a riding competition.
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16. Which phrase is closest in meaning to the idiom *"come out of his shell"*in the 7th paragraph?
To become more persistent in their decisions.
To go outside more often.
To communicate with people more often.
To become less shy and more sociable and more enthusiastic.
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17. Why did the boy with autism almost stop talking?
His condition was getting worse.
Other children mocked him.
He felt lonely.
He didn't know what to say.
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18. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
The ranch is open day and night.
The ranch helps people recover mentally.
All horses Shannan Hearne buys at auctions stay at the ranch.
Shannan Hearne rescues many different animals from auctions.
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