It’s not easy growing up. Growing up can be a real “pain” for some of us. Sometimes we feel trapped, sometimes we feel sad, sometimes we are fearful, and sometimes we just don’t understand why we can’t stay young forever. But we should take a look back on all the hardships in life with a positive attitude and learn from them. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time. We should realize that all of our growing pains actually turn into growing gains!
Throughout our lives we are going to face many challenges and pains, but we should never let these obstacles keep us from following our dreams. We must overcome every obstacle one small step at a time.
As a young girl, my parents forced me to do so many things that I didn’t like. They made me learn to play the violin and then the piano. At that time I hated music and I also hated them. But looking back now, I am so glad that my parents encouraged me to take music lessons. Music has enriched(丰富) my life in so many ways. I now realize that my parents and teachers wanted me to have a better life than they did themselves.
We are all going to experience growing pains, but they are just part of our life. They might seem so huge at the time, but we must be strong. Think about how we would feel if we had no challenges and lived a life like that. Life would be really boring and meaningless. The future is ours! A little hard work and sweat never hurt anyone! If we realize that these pains are just small bumps(碰撞) on our road to success, we will realize that our growing pains are actually growing gains!

1. 1.

   The underlined word “obstacles” (in Paragraph 2) roughly means things that ______.

   1. A.
      are related to your studies
   2. B.
      you easily achieve
   3. C.
      make you happy
   4. D.
      make it difficult for you to do something
2. 2.

   How does the author now feel when remembering what her parents did for her in the past?

   1. A.
      She is fearful
   2. B.
      She is grateful
   3. C.
      She feels trapped
   4. D.
      She feels hateful
3. 3.

   We can know from the last paragraph that _____________.

   1. A.
      life without challenges is dull
   2. B.
      life needs no pains but sunshine and happiness
   3. C.
      we should give up faced with challenges as the future is ours
   4. D.
      we shouldn’t easily pay a little hard work in growing up
4. 4.

   The purpose of the passage is to tell readers____________.

   1. A.
      life is full of hardships
   2. B.
      growing pains can turn into growing gains in a positive way
   3. C.
      everyone is painful in growing up
   4. D.
      everyone should do what they don’t like when young

There are two dangers to be guarded against in old age. One of these is undue absorption in the past. It does not do to live in memories, in regrets for the good old days, or in sadness about friends who are dead. One’s thoughts must be directed to the future and to things about which there is something to be done.

It is unwise to be too attached to the youth in the hope of sucking vigor from its vitality. When your children are grown up they want to live their own lives, and if you continue to be as interested in them as you were when they were young, you are likely to become a burden to them, unless they are cold to you.

I think that a successful old age is easiest for those who have strong impersonal interests involving appropriate activities. It is in this sphere that long experience is really fruitful, and it is in this sphere that the wisdom born of experience can be exercised without being oppressive. It is no use telling grown-up children not to make mistakes, both because they will not believe you, and because mistakes are an essential part of education. But if you are one of those who are incapable of impersonal interests, you may find that your life will be empty unless you concern yourself with you children and grandchildren. In that case you must realize that while you can still render them material services, such as making them an allowance or knitting them jumpers, you must not expect that they will enjoy your company.

 Some old people are afraid of death. But in fact the best way is to make your interests gradually wider and ore impersonal. An individual human existence should be like a river-small at fist, rushing passionately past rocks and over waterfalls. Gradually the river grows wider and the banks move back and in the end they become mixed in the sea without any visible break.

   The old man who can see life in this way will not suffer from the fear of growing old and death.

1.The author suggests that old people should_______.

A. develop impersonal interests with proper activities.

B. tell their children not to make mistakes

C. concern themselves with their children

D. not give their children an allowance

2.The underlined word “render” in Paragraph 3 is close to the meaning of  “_____”.

A. return            B. reward           C. offer               D. demand

3.The author compares an individual human existence to a river because _____.

A. Life is like a river, first small, and then it becomes wide

B. life is like a river finally flowing into the sea

C. old age and death are both natural just like a river

D. old people will be mixed in the crowd like a river mixed in the sea

4.What’s the best title of this passage?

A. Setting Sun Is Beautiful           B. Growing Old Successfully

C. Why Fear Getting Old             D. Caring for Olds More

B
I always felt sorry for the people in wheelchairs. Some people, old and weak, can not get around by themselves. Others seem perfectly healthy, dressed in business suits. But whenever I saw someone in a wheelchair, I only saw a disability, not a person.
Then I fainted (晕倒) at Euro Disney due to low blood pressure. This was the first time I had ever fainted, and my parents said that I must rest for a while after First Aid, I agreed to take it easy but, as I stepped towards the door, I saw my dad pushing a wheelchair in my direction. Feeling color burn my cheeks, I asked him to wheel that thing right back to where he found it.
I could not believe this was happening to me. Wheelchairs were fine for other people but not for me, as my father wheeled me out into the main street, people immediately began to treat me differently.
Little kids ran in front of me, forcing my father to stop the wheelchair suddenly. Bitterness set in as I was thrown back and, forth. "Stupid kids… they have perfectly good legs. Why can't they watch where they are going?" I thought. People stared down at me, with pity in their eyes. Then they would look away, maybe because they thought the sooner they forgot me the better.
"I'm just like you!" I wanted to scream. "The only difference is you've got legs. and I have wheels. "
People in wheelchairs are  not stupid. They see every look and hear each word. Looking out at the faces, I finally understood; I was once just like them. I treated people in wheelchairs exactly the way they did not want to be treated. I realized it is some of us with two healthy legs who are truly disabled.
61. The author once______when she was healthy.
A. showed respect to disabled people
B. looked down upon disabled people
C. imagined herself sitting in a wheelchair
D. saw some healthy people moving around in wheelchair
62. Facing the wheelchair for the first time, the author        .
A. felt curious about it
B. got ready to move around in it right away
C. refused to accept it right away
D. thought it was ready for her father
63.The experience of the author tells us that "______".
A. life is the best teacher
B. people often eat their bitter fruit
C. life is so changeable that nobody can foretell
D. one never does to others what he would not like others do to him
64.Which is the best title for this passage?
A. How to Get Used to Wheelchairs
B. Wheelchairs Are as Good as Two Legs
C. People with Two Legs Are Truly Health
D. The Difference between Healthy People and the Disabled
65.How did the author feel when the little kids forced her father to stop the wheelchair suddenly?
A. Stupid.       B. Calm.     C. Excited.       D. Bitter.

Dear Daughter,

As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind. First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament (证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.

Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.

Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy, don't be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.

Start planning early what you'd like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat-this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it!

So please treasure your college years - make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.

May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.

Love

Dad & Mom

1.We can read between the lines that ________.

A．Dad has a strong love for his daughter

B．Dad is very strict with his daughter

C．Dad always worries about his daughter

D．Dad is much concerned about his daughter's health

2.The underlined word "destiny" in the passage is the closest in meaning to "_______".

A．weight            B．life               C．position           D．time

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Plan things before you do them.

B．Self－learning is very important in college.

C．Follow your passion and what other people say.

D．Leading a life is just like driving a car.

4.The purpose of the author in writing the letter is to tell his daughter to ________.

A．smile to her trouble in life

B．fight till she succeeds

C．be confident and happy

D．make the most of her college

Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write to tell you all that is on my mind. First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament (证明) of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period when you go from teacher taught to master inspired, after which you must become a self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn is of no practical use in real life, the learning skills you get will be something you will value forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy, don't be bothered by what others think or say, but make up your own mind. Most importantly, make true friends and be happy. Don't worry about their hobbies, grades, looks, or even personalities.
Start planning early what you'd like to do. Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver's seat-this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you'll love it!
So please treasure your college years - make the best use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, and learn through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you grow into just what you dream to be.
Love
Dad & Mom
【小题1】We can read between the lines that ________.