A、He lost his father when he was young. B、He worked hard before he read his father’s letter. C、He asked his father’s permission

My father was 44 and knew he wasn’t going to make it to 45. He wrote me a letter and hoped that something in it would help me for the rest of my life.
    Since the day I was 12 and first read his letter, some of his words have lived in my heart. One part always stands out. "Right now, you are pretending to be a time-killer. But I know that one day, you will do something great." Knowing that my dad believed in me gave me permission to believe in myself: "You will do something great." He didn’t know what that would be, and neither did I, but at times in my life when I’ve felt proud of myself, I remember his words and wish he were here so I could ask, "Is this what you were talking about, Dad? Should I keep going?"
    A long way from 12 now, I realize my father would have been proud when I made any progress. Lately, though, I’ve come to believe he’d want me to move on to what comes next: to be proud of, and believe in, someone else. It’s time to start writing my own letters to my children. Our children look to us with the same unanswered question we had. Our kids don’t hold back because they’re afraid to fail — they’re only afraid of failing us. They do not worry about being disappointed. Their fear — as mine was until my father’s letter — is of being a disappointment.
    Give your child permission to succeed. If you don’t have children, then write a letter to someone who looks up to you. You know who they are. They’re writing for you to believe in them. I always knew my parents loved me. But trust me: That belief will be more complete, that love will be more real, and their belief in themselves will be greater if you write the words on their hearts: "Don’t worry; you’ll do something great." Not having that blessing from their parents may be the only thing holding them back.
Questions 16 to 19 are based on the passage you have just heard.
16. What happened to the speaker as mentioned in the passage?
17. According to the speaker, what are children afraid of?
18. What do we know about the speaker from the passage?
19. What is the main purpose of the passage?