Question

wellesley is not just a place but an idea in excellence in which diversity is not just tolerated, but is embraced. the essence of this spirit was captured last year by a student body president. she related the story by robert fulghum about a young pastor who, finding himself in charge of a game called \giants, wizards, and dwarfs.\ you have to decide now, the pastor instructed the children, \which you are—a giant, a wizard, or a dwarf?\ at that, a small girl tugging at his pants leg, asked, \but where do the mermaids stand?\ and the pastor tells her there are no mermaids. now this little girl was not about to give up on either her identity, or the game. she intended to take her place \where do mermaids fit into the scheme of things?\ \wherever mermaids stand? all of those who are different, those who do not fit the boxes and the pigeonholes?\ answer that question,\ wrote fulghum, \and you can build a school, a nation, or a whole world.\ as that very wise woman said, \diversity, like anything worth having, requires effort to learn about and respect difference, to be compassionate with one another, to cherish our own identity, and to accept unconditionally the same in others.\ in the world that awaits you, no one can say what your true colors will be. with your education, you need not, probably cannot, live a \paint - by - numbers\ life. i just hope that you will make three special choices. the first is to believe in something larger than yourself, to get involved in some of the big ideas of our time. the second is to find fun. whether you are talking about education, career, or service, youre talking about life really must have joy. the third choice is to cherish your human connections: your relationships with family and friends. for years, it was said that the winner of wellesleys annual hoop race would be the first to get married. now they say, the winner will be the first to become a c.e.o. both of those stereotypes show too little tolerance for those who want to know where the mermaids stand. so i want to offer a new legend: the winner of the hoop race will be the first to realize her own personal dream. societys dreams—her own personal dream. read the sentence from the passage. with your education, you need not, probably cannot, live a \paint - by - numbers\ life. what is the meaning of a \paint - by - numbers\ life? a. a life that follows set rules b. a life that includes artistic expression c. a life full of beautiful things d. a life marked by different ideas

Explanation:

The passage mentions "With your education, you need not, probably cannot, live a 'paint - by - numbers' life. I just hope that you will make three special choices." A "paint - by - numbers" life implies a life that follows set rules, as in a paint - by - numbers kit where there are specific instructions to follow. The text contrasts this with making special choices and living a more diverse life.

Answer:

A. a life that follows set rules