Topping the class academically was certainly an advantage. Studying was a breeze for Nigel. The reward was certainly incomparable to the little effort that he had to put in. It began when he was selected to help the teachers in the computer laboratories.
The peak of his school career came not when he topped the school but when he was selected for the nationwide competition. Unlike everyone else, Nigel wanted to join the contest because he liked playing with the Lego sets and making something out of them. Nigel spent the next two months rebuilding his robot. It was during this time that Nigel found out about the prizes for the competition as well as another competitor, Alicia, from a neighboring school. His early intentions were forgotten. Getting the thousand-dollar prize was more important than anything else. Nigel decided to befriend Alicia. Unaware of his intentions, she told him all about the robot that she had been building for the competition. He even helped her to put the finishing touches to her robot. He was glad with the way things had progressed. His robot looked even better than Alicia’s and it was able to bounce a ball with its arm, something Alicia had failed to do.
On the day of the competition, he saw Alicia. Everything dawned on her the minute she saw him among the competitors. She stared at him, puzzled at first, then angry and finally a look of helplessness came over her.
The flashbulbs of the camera exploded in Nigel’s face. The robot had performed actions so unique and different that the specialists’ judgments were the same. Nigel was so pleased with himself that he did not even notice the girl standing a few feet away from him. Without her, he would never have won the competition.
72. What reward did Nigel receive for doing well in his school work?
A. He was offered a part-time job
B. He was honored with a scholarship
C. He helped his teachers construct a robot
D. He helped in the computer laboratories
73. Nigel’s original intention of joining the contest was to ___.
A. be the top student of the school
B. bring great honor to his school
C. construct a robot with the Lego sets
D. win the thousand-dollar prize
74. Why did Nigel help Alicia finish her robot?
A. He tried to make friends with her
B. He was fond of building robots
C. He intended to help her
D. He didn’t want her to suspect him
75. What is the author’s attitude towards Nigel’s actions?
A. He is mildly critical
B. He is strongly critical
C. He is in favor of them
D. His attitude is not clear