What’s the Matter with Kids Today?

Dear Michelle,

   Why can’t my daughter manage her life better? She is 17 and a top student, but she seems to be wasting her life away with a boyfriend who is holding her back. He uses up every waking minute of her precious time and smooth-talk(对花言巧语) her as well.

   His goal is to get her to agree to go to the college of his choice, not her choice, and because his grades are lower, his choices will be limited.

   I want to save her, but she pushes me away and shuts me out. She has only brought us pride and joy, and now this! Help!

                                                         A worried mother

Dear Mother of a 17-year-old girl,

  “Hmm…. What’s the matter with kids today?” Remember that song from Bye Bye Birdie?

  Well, if you do not, let me fill you in about teenagers and their life-management skills. Do not expect too much too soon because at the young age of 17, life-management is not within their reach, nor should it be. Both the conditions and the skills for life-management result from life experience, and if management goes before experience there would be little of it.

   Your daughter is a top student for good reasons. She is smart and studies with intelligence and you have given her good values.

   When the time comes for her to choose her college, and she visits the ones that were designed for students at the top of their game, she will most probably break away from her boyfriend’s influence.

  Few top students would change their life path just because of puppy love(早恋).

  That being said, there might be some childish wisdom in what she is doing after all.

  Perhaps she is choosing to worry you, her parents, for the reason that she does not know herself. Being such a good girl and being always a source of joy might have become a bit too much for her.

  Let your daughter have her own private moment of 11^th grade rebellion. It’s not unreasonable for her to break from perfection.

                                                               Michelle

56. From the mother’s letter we know that the 17-year-old girl ____.

  A. is staying with the boy day and night             B. wants to stay with the boy at college

  C. is falling behind in her studies                       D. does not like to talk with her mother

57. According to Michelle, a 17-year-old girl is too young to ____.

  A. fall in love                                                 B. have life-management skills

  C. fail life-management problems                    D. experience anything

58. Michelle seems to believe the 17-year-old girl will finally ____.

  A. come up with the right decision                    B. be persuaded by her boyfriend

  C. take her mother’s advice                           D. make her boyfriend follow her choice

59. By saying “childish wisdom”, Michelle means the girl might be trying to show her parents that she _____.

  A. has become tired of studying hard                  B. can’t be always obeying them

  C. likes her boyfriend very much                        D. is always perfect

First lady of California, Kennedy family member, TV journalist, bestselling author Maria Shriver has had her share of fame. But when she read that kids' main goal these days is “to be famous”， she had to speak up. The speech below, delivered at her nephew's high school graduation last June, is included in her new book, Just Who Will You Be?

“Famous people always seem to look happy. They always look rich. But for whatever it's worth, fame isn't a worthy goal. Fame can't make you happy, in and of itself. It can't make you feel worthy. It can't give you a life of meaning and joy. That,_I've learned, is strictly an inside job. The only way you can come to feel good about yourself and to find a life of meaning and joy is to find your own path. Live your own life, not an imitation of someone else's.”

“We live in a world that seems to put a premium on (重视) the trappings of fame. But figuring out who you are and fulfilling your own dreams— that's a worthy goal. The people I've met who are happiest in their lives, famous or not, have done just that.”

“So ask yourself what you want to be famous for. And set your sight high—because you can be famous for doing something great in this world, something that matters, something that makes life better. We need famous people with integrity (诚实), character, and vision, people who want to lead, who want to make the world a more peaceful and compassionate place—where people feel accepted and valued for who they are.”

1．The passage is mainly about ________.

A．Maria Shriver's life

B．Maria Shriver's opinion on what a worthy goal is

C．Maria Shriver's books

D．Maria Shriver's attitude toward famous people

2．What can we know about Maria Shriver?

A．She is the wife of the governor of California.

B．She is the daughter of President Kennedy.

C．She likes traveling around the world.

D．She mainly writes children's books.

3．The underlined word “That” in the second paragraph refers to “________”．

A．fame 　　　　　 B．happiness

C．a worthy goal 　　　 D．a life of meaning and joy

4．Which of the following will Maria Shriver agree with?

A．We should learn from famous people in order to be famous.

B．Famous people are happier than rich people.

C．Doing things to make our world a better one is a worthy goal.

D．Being happy about whatever you do is important.