单选题

Henry Ford

Experimenting with household objects can often get young people in trouble, but for one intelligent, inquisitive boy, it created the foundation of his future.

(A) [■] Young Henry Ford discovered through his curious mind that many objects were useful for much more than their intended purposes.
(B) [■] He used his mother's darning needles to help him repair watches.
(C) [■] And once, in an effort to study the power of steam, he sat and watched water boil in his mother's teapot.
(D) [■] Little did Ford know that these experiments would lead him to creating a means of transportation that would change the world forever.
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, near Detroit, Michigan. He was the oldest of six children and the grandson of immigrants from Ireland who came to America in 1847. His family were all farmers and he grew up on the family farm where he began to develop mechanical skills. Through his experiences on the farm with his father, Henry developed a great curiosity about how things worked.
When traveling in his father's wagon, Henry would often wonder if there was a faster and easier way to travel. Something happened when he was only thirteen years old that he would remember for the rest of his life. He was riding in the wagon with his father, and he spotted a steam engine traveling along the road under its own power. Henry was so excited that he ran toward the engine and asked its driver question after question about the incredible machine.
At the time, the machine was used for sawing wood and other stationary tasks, but the engine was mounted on wheels to propel itself from one location to another. Henry was excited because the driver let him fire the engine and even run it. From that point on, Henry Ford's dream of creating a self-propelled vehicle began to materialize.
Ford wanted to move to Detroit to work in the machine shops, but he stayed on the family farm until he was seventeen. At that time, he started his successful journey by moving to Detroit. He began working at the Michigan Car Company for $1.10 a day, but he was fired because he was faster than anyone else at making repairs. It took him only one hour to do what took others five hours to do! From there, he took on two different jobs, but his dream continued to be the creator of a "horseless carriage". No matter where he worked, he continued to read about gas engines and experiment in his own workshop.
In 1896, Ford's efforts began to pay off when he was working at the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company. His first self-propelled vehicle was ready for a try. As it started to run, it actually frightened the horses and caused many people to protest but it ran.
It was at the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company where Ford met Thomas Edison. Ford had always admired Thomas Edison's work and was excited when he discovered that Edison was also impressed with Ford. When the two discussed Ford's invention, Edison agreed that it had possibilities and encouraged him to continue. This gave Ford the incentive to invent an operable car that was written up in the Detroit Journal where he was described as a "mechanical engineer." Soon, his work on automobiles forced him to leave the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company. Ford wanted more time to work on automobile building so he quit his job.
Ford's dream began to materialize with his invention of automobiles and the development of the assembly line. His dream of creating "a motor car for the great multitude...constructed of the best materials, by the best men to be hired, ...so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one..." came true with the invention of his ninth car, the Model T. It sold more than any other car for eighteen years between 1908 and 1926. This commonplace, hard working, sturdy car made up over one half of all the cars sold at this time.
Today, we are reminded of Ford's genius whenever we see one of his "horseless carriages" traveling across the many highways in our world. Who would have guessed that a young boy's experimentation with household objects would result in such a dramatic change for the world? The next time you see a child experimenting with different common objects, keep in mind that you may be witnessing the beginning of another great invention;