Growing up, I remember my father as a silent, serious
man not the sort of person around whom one could laugh. As a teenager arriving
in America, knowing nothing, I wanted a father who could explain the human
journey. In college, when friends called home for advice, 1 would sink into
deep depression for what I did not have.
Today. at twenty-seven, I have come to rediscover them
in ways that my teenage mind would not allow — as adults and as friends with
their own faults and weaknesses.
One night after my move back home, I overheard my
father on the telephone. There was some trouble. Later, Dad shared the problem
with me. Apparently my legal training had earned me some privileges in his
eyes. I talked through the problem with Dad. analyzing the purposes of the
people involved and offering several negotiation strategies. He listened
patiently before finally admitting, “I can’t think like that. I am a simple
man.”
Dad is a brilliant scientist who can deconstruct (解构) the building blocks of nature. Yet human nature is a
mystery to him. That night I realized that he was simply not skilled at dealing
with people, much less the trouble of a conflicted teenager. It’s not in his
nature to understand human desires.
And so, there it was — it was no one’s fault that my
father held no interest in human lives while 1 placed great importance in them.
We are at times born more sensitive, wide-eyed, and dreamy than our parents and
become more curious and idealistic than them. Dad perhaps never expected me for
a child. And I, who knew Dad as an intelligent man, had never understood that
his intelligence did not cover all of my feelings.
It has saved me years of questioning and confusion. I
now see my parents as people who have other relationships than just Father and
Mother. I now overlook their many faults and weaknesses, which once annoyed me.
I now know my parents as friends: people who ask me
for advice; people who need my support and understanding. And I’ve come to see
my past clearly.
1.What was the author’s impression of her father when
she was a teenager?
A. Friendly but irresponsible.
B. Intelligent but severe.
C. Cold and aggressive.
D. Caring and communicative.
2.Why did the author feel depressed when her friends
called home?
A. She did not have a phone to a1l home.
B. Her father did not care about her human journey.
C. Her father was too busy to answer her phone.
D. Her father couldn’t give her appropriate advice.
3.After the author overheard her father on the
telephone.
A. he blamed her for impoliteness
B. he rediscovered human nature
C. he consulted with her about his problem
D. he changed his attitude towards the author
4.The author realized that ______.
A. her father had too many faults and weaknesses
B. her father was not as intelligent as she had
thought
C. her father was not good at interpersonal
relationships
D. her father placed too much importance in social
activities
5.Which of the following is the best title of this
passage?
A. My Parents as Friends
B. My Parents as Advisors
C. My Father — a Serious Man
D. My Father — an Intelligent Scientist