I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant, and ancient for a sportsman. Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to have hung on me. Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age, but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means.

A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, “ Fifty is what forty used to be.” He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling them that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now.

“ Your are not getting older, you are getting better.” says Dr. Joyce Brothers. This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion.

And so. as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net. I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you. I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally. Getting older. of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies(悼词). In fact, a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all:

Grow old along with me!

The best is yet to me.

Whether or not Browning was right, most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by. I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend (混合) of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher (哲学家) was right when he said.” Old is always fifteen years from now.”

44. The author seems to tell us in Paragraph 1 that ________.

A. time alone will tell B. time goes by quickly

C. time will show what is right             D. time makes one forget the past

45. When the author turned fifty, people around him ________.

A. tried to comfort him                        B. got inspiration with him

C. were friendlier with him                   D. found him more talkative

46. The author considers his fifty years of life

A. peaceful              B. ordinary           C. satisfactory            D. regretful

47. We can infer from the passage that

A. the old should led a simple life          B. the old should face the fact of aging

C. the old should take more exercise    D. the old should fill themselves with curiosity

Zoe Chambers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant and life was going well — she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through." she said. "After everything I'd done for the company, they dismissed me by text! I was so angry and I just didn't feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life."
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband had just bought a farm in north-west Wales. Zoe jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
"The moment I arrived at Kathy's farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay." said Zoe. "Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless."
Zoe has been working on the farm since then and says she has no regrets. "It's a hard life, physically very tiring." she says. "In London 1 was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and  Kathy's wonderful dinners."
Zoe has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. She has learned how to ride a horse and drive a tractor. She has been helping with the lambing. "Watching a lamb being born is one of the most moving experiences for me. I could never go back to city life now," she says

  1. 1.

    When working as a PR consultant in London, Zoe thought she lived a ______ life

    1. A.
      satisfying
    2. B.
      tough
    3. C.
      meaningless
    4. D.
      boring
  2. 2.

    The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy's farm is that______

    1. A.
      Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant
    2. B.
      Kathy persuaded her to do so
    3. C.
      Zoe got tired of the city life
    4. D.
      Zoe loved Wales more than London
  3. 3.

    How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?

    1. A.
      Tiresome and troublesome
    2. B.
      Romantic and peaceful
    3. C.
      Mentally exhausting but healthy
    4. D.
      Physically tiring but rewarding
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?

    1. A.
      A friend in need is a friend indeed
    2. B.
      Where there is a will, there is a way
    3. C.
      A misfortune may turn out a blessing
    4. D.
      Kill two birds with one stone

Have you dreamed of traveling to cool places, meeting different people, and maybe picking up a language or two? No matter which country you live in, you can fly over the world’s highest waterfalls in Venezuela, study in France or take dancing lessons in Ghana. Besides the excitement of traveling, there is another reason to study abroad. "Obviously, I learned the language and am now fluent, but perhaps what’s more important was how much I learned about cultures, people, and myself." said Andrew, who studied in France.
Christina studied in Caracas, Venezuela, a city of 10 million people and a huge change from her hometown of 35,000! Christina said she learned how to better speak for herself and her beliefs and to express herself in another language. What could make you more confident than that?
Living away from home can also help you become adapted to the transition (过渡) to college and adulthood. Matthew said that he returned from studying in Australia with confidence, and a real interest in international affairs. "After having gone abroad in high school, I found the transition to college was a breeze — moving 560 miles from home didn’t seem difficult at all after having lived thousands of miles away. "
Speaking of college, improving your language skills might help you get into ideal colleges and even land future jobs. Colleges and employers know that studying abroad provides leadership skills in a world that needs much communication. Most of all, it’s fun! You won’t suffer from the general boredom (单调) while you’re studying in a different learning environment

  1. 1.

    What do we know about Andrew?

    1. A.
      He once flew over the world’s highest waterfalls
    2. B.
      He took dancing lessons in Ghana
    3. C.
      He learned about cultures in Caracas, Venezuela
    4. D.
      He studied in France
  2. 2.

    According to Christina, studying abroad enables people to ________

    1. A.
      get along with people around
    2. B.
      have confidence in themselves
    3. C.
      get used to a different life
    4. D.
      know about different cultures
  3. 3.

    By saying "I found the transition to college was a breeze", the author means it is _______ to adapt to college life

    1. A.
      interesting
    2. B.
      difficult
    3. C.
      easy
    4. D.
      disappointing
  4. 4.

    From the last paragraph, the greatest thing you can get by studying abroad is to _______

    1. A.
      enjoy the excitement of traveling
    2. B.
      pick up a new language
    3. C.
      enter the university you dreamed of
    4. D.
      make your life full of pleasure
  5. 5.

    What does the text mainly talk about?

    1. A.
      The advantages of studying abroad
    2. B.
      What to prepare to study abroad
    3. C.
      The experiences of studying abroad
    4. D.
      Different opinions on studying abroad

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