Question

Learning Later in Life

　　It's often said that we learn things at the wrong time. University students frequently (经常) do the minimum amount of work because they're crazy for a good social life instead. Children often scream before their piano practice because it's so boring, have to be given gold stars and medals to be persuaded to swim, or have to be bribed (给予奖励) to take exams. But when you're older? Ah, now that's a different story.

　　Over the years, I've done my share of adult learning. At 30 I went to a college and did courses in History and English. It was an amazing experience. For starters, I was paying, so there was no reason to be late---I was the one frowning (皱眉) and drumming my fingers if the teacher was delayed, not the other way round. Indeed, if I could persuade him to linger, it was a prize, not a trouble. I wasn't frightened to ask questions and homework was a pleasure not a pain. When I passed, I had passed for me and me alone, not my parents or my teachers. The satisfaction I got was entirely personal.　　 Some people fear going back to school because they worry that their brains have got show. But the joy is that, although some parts have been dull sometimes, your brain has learnt all kinds of other things since you were young. It's learnt to think independently and flexibly and is much better at relating one thing to another. What you lose in the dull department, you gain in the maturity (成熟) department.

　　In some ways, age is a positive plus. For instance, when you're older, you get more self-controlled. Experience has told you that, if you're calm and simply do something carefully again and again, at last you'll get the hang of it. The confidence you have in other areas---from being able to drive a car, perhaps---means that if you can't, say, build a chair immediately, you don't, like a child, want to destroy your first pitiful attempts (尝试). Maturity tells you that you will, with application, eventually get there.

(1) What surprised the writer when she did her first adult learning course?

[　　]

A．She got on better with her tutor.

B．She was able to learn more quickly.

C．She had a more relaxed attitude to it.

D．She found learning more enjoyable.

(2) The writer says that when you learn later in life, you will find ________.

[　　]

A．it boring to take lessons

B．it hard to remember things easily

C．it hard to give all your attention to study

D．it different to learn from when you were younger

(3) According to the writer, what's the advantage of adult learners?

[　　]

A．They are able to organize themselves better than younger people.

B．They are less worried about succeeding than younger people.

C．They pay more attention to details than younger people.

D．They have more patience than younger people.

(4) What is the writer's main purpose in the article?

[　　]

A．To emphasize the pleasures of adult learning.

B．To point out how easy adult learning can be.

C．To explain her reasons for doing adult learning.

D．To describe the teaching methods used in adult learning.

(5) What does the underlined word linger in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

[　　]

A．Go back.

B．Delay going.

C．Teach them more.

D．End classes on time.

Answer 1

答案：D;D;A;A;B
解析：

(1) 推理判断题。文章第二段由"It was an amazing experience"一句引出了作者吃惊的原因。由紧跟其后的描述可知，原因在于作者发现学习更加令人愉快了。 (2) 推理判断题。由第三段第二、三句可知，虽然年长的时候有些方面会变得迟钝，但年长者在学习时更能够独立思考，灵活应变，将此事与彼事联系起来，这些与年轻的时候是不同的。 (3) 推理判断题。最后一段讲述了年长者在学习中的优势，由第二、三句可知，他们能更好地自制，能够利用经验更好地掌控自己。 (4) 推理判断题。本文中作者通过讲述自己的学习经历，指出成人后再进行学习是有其独特的优势，并且乐趣多多的。 (5) 词义猜测题。按照年轻学生的心理，老师上课迟到是再好不过的了，所以作者认为如果他能说服老师迟到，学生们肯定赞许。此处linger意为"拖延"。