Inferencing · Level 2

I knew what mum was holding in her hand. She didn't smile, nor did she take her eyes off me as I walked up the path. "What do you call this?" she bellowed. "Poor marks is one thing, but I never dreamed a child of mine would ever be described as 'the worst student I have ever taught!'"

16 THE DECISION

It looked truly frightening - the deafening roar of the cars on the tracks, rushing by above me at breakneck speed. When they turned upside down in the loop, still racing along, the screams

increased. I knew that l had made the right decision.

There are some fish that live in the ocean where it is so deep that no light reaches there at all.

These fish have very little sight as a result of living in the pitch darkness. There are no plants in

these waters, because plants need light to grow.

Twins who are born with their bodies joined are called Siamese twins. This name came from joined twins who were born in 1811 in Thailand. In those days, Thailand was known as Siam. The twins, Chang and Eng, were joined at the' waist by a strip of skin. Modern surgery would have enabled them to be separated at birth.

When they were young, a visiting English businessman persuaded their parents to allow him to take the twins on tour.

In Europe and North America in those days long before television or movies were invented,' it was common for people to be entertained by unusual displays at fairground sideshows. Many customers were willing to pay well to see the twins. Chang and Eng became famous. They were soon wealthy enough to stop touring and buy a farm in the United States.

Doctors offered to separate the twins, but they turned the offer down. They felt that they had learned to live comfortably with their handicap. They could run and swim and they were successful farmers. They even married and had families.

The American civil war changed their lives again. In 1871, the twins, now aged 60, had lost most of their wealth and they decided to go back on tour. This proved to be very stressful, especially for Chang. He suffered a stroke and never fully recovered. He died in January, 1874, followed by Eng, just three hours later.