When my sister Mertie told me she had put out tomato plants last summer, I was quite impressed.

　　Since she was a garden-beginner, Mertie researched exactly how far apart to space her tomato plants; what kind of fertilizer to use; how to keep away the bugs, etc. Once they were planted, she took care of them daily, anxiously awaiting the juicy tomatoes to appear. But, day after day, her plants were tomato-less while all of her neighbors who had also put out tomato plants were already enjoying the fruit of their labor.

　　Frustrated, Mertie gave in and went to the market to search fresh tomatoes. While paying, Mertie told the farmer her troubles. The farmer paused to think for a moment and then asked, "Well, what kind of tomatoes did you plant?"

　　"I think they were called Big Boy," Mertie remembered.

　　"Well there's your problem," the farmer explained. "Big Boy and Better Boy tomatoes have a 95-day growing period whereas regular tomato plants produce fruit in as few as 70 days...you just have to wait a little longer for the Big Boys."

　　With that new knowledge, Mertie went home with excitement, knowing they would be worth the wait.

　　Thinking about my sister's gardening experience, I had to smile. She just didn't know that Big Boy tomatoes took longer--neither did I--but once she discovered that information, she was no longer discouraged and upset about the lack of tomatoes on her plants. Instead, she was encouraged and excited to see them a few weeks later.

　　It makes me wonder how many of us have "Big Boy" dreams in our hearts, yet we just don't realize that they are of the "Big Boy" variety so we are discouraged and worn out with the waiting process. Instead of waiting with excitement, we give up on our dreams and figure we must have done something wrong to stop them from coming to pass. Frustrated, we see other people's dreams coming true, and we wonder why ours haven't yet been achieved.

4. What is not mentioned in the passage when growing tomato plants?

　A. Using suitable fertilizer. B. Keeping them well apart.

　C. Watering them regularly. D. Controlling pests on them.

5. Why did Mertie's tomato plants fail to produce at the expected time?

　A. Because they were destroyed by her neighbors.

B. Because she grew the wrong kind of tomatoes.

C. Because she didn't manage the garden well.

D. Because they required more time to produce.

6. What does the author compare tomatoes to in the text?

　A. Goals. B. Experiences.

　C. Time. D. Imagination.

7. What does the text intend to show us?

　A. It's better late than never.

　B. A bad beginning makes a bad ending.

C. Success sometimes needs a little patience.