How hard we have all prayed(祈祷) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.

At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.

But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”

“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.

Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.

“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (编织) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.

But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!

1.The passage is told about _______ problems.

2.It is clear that the writer, as a teenager, ________.

3.How does she know her prayer has been answered?

4.From what her parents say, we know _________.

5.Having heard her grandma’s criticism, _________.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates said that he planned to give away almost all of his vast^① fortune, largely to the cause of global health, during the course of his lifetime. With an estimated^②worth of more than $ 40 billion, according to Forbes, the project will be no small feat^③for Gates. Having already provided the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $ 24 billion to address global health issues, Gates said that eventually his entire fortune will be put towards the cause except “a few percent left for the kids.”
So what has made the richest man in the world to channel his resources so heavily into one interest? Gates believes that “the equality of opportunity” in which Americans take such pride needs to extend to other nations around the world. Improving the health of the populations, he says, has proven to be an essential method in helping poor countries to be financially^④ successful. “National borders allow inequalities,” said Gates, “We all need to take a more global view, rather than just saying my country is doing well. We have to step up these health issues, knowing how few resources are going into them.”
Gates said that both his parents set good examples to him as a child. His father, William H. Gates, was the head of the local Planned Parenthood, and his mother, Mary, volunteered for the United Way. As he gathered his fortune, Gates knew he would eventually want to give back as well, but he didn’t expect to devote himself whole-heartedly to one project until he was about 60.
However, Gates, 47, began to question his ability to wait that long. “It seemed there was a real time urgency,” Gates said, “I started to think, how many lives could I save before then?”
Notes:
①    vast  adj. 巨额的
②    estimate  v. 估计，估价
③    feat  n. 功绩，壮举
④    financially  adv. 财政上，金融上
Choose the best answers according to the above:

1. 1.

   Why will Bill Gates give away his vast fortune?

   1. A.
      to improve the health of population in America alone
   2. B.
      to improve the health of population all over the world
   3. C.
      to avoid leaving his children too much money
   4. D.
      to spare the American government the burden of health care
2. 2.

   According to the passage, which of the following is right?

   1. A.
      Americans should care about people in other countries
   2. B.
      Americans should treat fellow citizens well
   3. C.
      Americans should devote themselves to certain projects
   4. D.
      Americans can be world-famous by giving away vast fortune
3. 3.

   Bill Gates gave away his vast fortune earlier than he had expected because of       __.

   1. A.
      his weakening health condition
   2. B.
      his parents’ suggestions
   3. C.
      his great success in business
   4. D.
      his concerns for suffering people
4. 4.

   According to the passage, which word can be used to describe Bill Gates?

   1. A.
      brave
   2. B.
      kind-hearted
   3. C.
      strong-minded
   4. D.
      confident

From a very early age, some children show better self-control than others. Now, a new study that began with about 1,000 children in New Zealand has tracked how a child’s low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in their adult years.

Researchers have been studying this group of children for decades now. They observed the level of self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measures like “acting before thinking” and “Persistence in reaching goals.”

The study led  by Moffitt of Duke University and colleagues followed 1,000 children from birth to age 32 in Dunedin, New Zealand.

“The children who had the lowest self-control when they were age three to ten, later on had the most health problems in their 30s,” Moffitt said，“and they had the worst financial situation. They were more likely to have a criminal record and to be raising a child as a single parent on a very low income.” Moffitt explained that self-control problems were widely observed, and weren’t just a feature of a small group of misbehaving kids.

Moffitt said it’s still unclear why some children have better self-control than others, though she said other researchers have found that it’s mostly a learned behavior, with relatively little genetic influence. But good self-control can be set to run in families because children with good self-control are more likely to grow up to be healthy and prosperous parents. But the good news, Moffitt said, is that self-control can be taught by parents, and through school curricula that have been shown to be effective.

1.From the first two paragraphs we learn that                       .

A．the research has been carried out for five years

B．self-control in kids tends to determine their future

C．self-control was assessed by children’s intelligence

D．children’s self-control is almost the same at early age

2.Children with low self-control are more likely to                        .

A．become wealthy in later life    B．get good school performance

C．have better financial planning  D．adopt negative behaviors

3.According to Moffitt，                        .

A．only good genetic factors can shape their lives in the future

B．scientists know well why some children have better self-control

C．self-control in childhood has nothing to do with criminal activity

D．willpower as a child really influences people’s chances of adulthood

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Self-control cannot be taught in schools.

B．The study is restricted within few participants.

C．It’s never too late to deal with self-control problems.

D．Good parenting can improve self-control and life success.

5.Which of the following might be the best title of the  passage？

A．Child’s self-control predicts future health and success

B．Kids are encouraged to take risks at an early age

C．Children’s development cannot be changed by teachers

D．How to teach the kids a bit of self-control in schools

I had offered to watch my 3-year-old daughter, so that my wife could go out with a friend. I was getting some work done in my study while she ___36___ to be having a good time in the other room. No problem, I figured. But then it got a little too ___37___ and I shouted, “What are you doing?” No response. I ___38___ my question and heard her say, “Oh,…nothing.” Nothing？

I got up from my desk and ran out ___39___ the living room, where I saw her running across the hall. I followed and watched her as her little behind made a quick ___40___ into the bathroom. I had her ___41___! I told her to turn around. She ___42___. I pulled out my big Daddy voice, “Young lady, I said turn around!”

___43___, she turned toward me. In her hand was what was left of my wife’s new lipstick. And every square inch of her face was ___44__ with bright red! As she looked up at me with fearful eyes, I heard ___45__ voice that had been shouted to me as a child. “How could you…You should know…How many times have you been ___46___ … What a bad thing to do…” It was just a matter of my picking out which old ___47___ I was going to use on her so that she would know what a bad girl she had been. But ___48___ I could become angry, I looked ___49___ at the sweater on her. In big ___50___ it said, “I’M A PERFECT LITTLE ANGEL(天使)!” I looked back up into her tearful eyes and, ___51___ seeing a bad girl who didn’t listen, I saw a little angel full of ___52___ that I had come dangerously close to ___53___. “Sweetheart, let’s take a picture so Mommy can see how ___54___ you look.” I took the picture and thanked God that I didn’t ___55__ the chance to prove what a perfect little angel she had given me.

1.A. happened           B. liked                 C. appeared          D. pretended

2. A. long              B. quiet                C. calm              D. strange

3.A. asked             B. answered                C. raised           D. repeated

4. A. into       B. of                C. from              D. for

5.A. way       B. turn            C. change         D. progress

6.A. followed    B. scolded           C. cornered           D. fooled

7.A. laughed      B. listened              C. agreed          D. refused

8.A. Slowly      B. Eagerly           C. Angrily           D. Unfortunately

9.A. filled               B. marked           C. printed         D. covered

10.A. every            B. such                 C. any                D. one

11.A. told               B. beaten            C. frightened         D. forbidden

12.A. reports        B. notice              C. advice           D. words

13.A. as            B. when               C. since             D. before

14.A. up            B. down               C. in              D. on

15.A. signs            B. letters             C. messages         D. figures

16.A. because of       B. instead of       C. in spite of         D. as a result of

17.A. values          B. sadness          C. pities             D. tricks

18.A. preventing    B. getting rid of       C. destroying       D. doing wrong on

19.A. dirty             B. ugly           C. special          D. silly

20.A. have             B. get              C. take               D. miss

Childhood is a time （1）_____ there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do.  (2)_____ is impossible that he will ever again in his life (3)________(give) so much without having to do anything in return. But a child hashis pains; he is not so free to do (4) _____he wishes to; he is continually being told not to do something, or being punished (5)_____ what he has done wrong.

When the child has become a young man and this young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work on his own if he wants to live (6)________ (comfort). If he spends most of his time (7) ________(play) about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go (8)________ (hunger). If, however, he works hard, (9)________(keep) out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in (10)________ (social).