We have two daughters: Kristen is seven years old and Kelly is four. Last Sunday evening, we invited some people home for dinner. I dressed them nicely for the party, and told them that their job was to join Mommy in answering the door when the bell rang. Mommy would introduce them to the guests, and then they would take the guests’ coats upstairs and put them on the bed in the second bedroom.
The guests arrived. I introduced my two daughters to each of them. The adults were nice and kind and said how lucky we were to have such good kids.
Each of the guests liked Kelly more, the younger one, enjoying her dress, her hair and her smile. They said she was a unusual girl to be carrying coats upstairs at her age.
I thought to myself that we adults usually make a big “to do” over the younger one because she’s the one who seems more easily hurt. We do it with the best of intentions.
But we seldom think of how it might affect（影响） the other child. I was a little worried that Kristen would feel she was being paid no attention. I was about to serve dinner when I realized that she had been missing for twenty minutes. I ran upstairs and found her in the bedroom, crying. I said, “What are you doing here, my dear?”
She turned to me with a sad expression and said,” Mommy, why don’t people like me the way they like my sister? Is it because I’m not pretty? Why don’t they say nice things about me as much?”
I tried to explain to her, kissing and hugging（拥抱） her to make her feel better.
Now whenever I visit a friend’s home. I make it a point to speak to the elder child first.
【小题1】The underlined expression “make a big ‘to do’ over” (paragraph 4) means_______.

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect（影响）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为） is suitable（合适）at various , ages.
　　A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 70 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
　　Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
【小题1】It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .

America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 10 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 10. The aging of the population will affect（影响）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为） is suitable（合适）at various , ages.

A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 15 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.

Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.

12．It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .

A. has made people feel younger                B. has changed people’s social position

C. has changed people’s understanding of age   D. has slowed down the country’s social development

13．The underlined word “one”refers to ________ .

A. a society　　　B. America      C. a place　　　　D. population

14．” Act your age” means people should ________ .

A. be active when they are old

B. do the right thing at the right age

C. show respect for their parents young or old

D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age

15．If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .

A. normal　　　B. wonderful       C. unbelievable　　　　　D. unreasonable

America is growing older. Fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect （影响） American society in many ways --- education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society - one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior （行为）is suitable （合适） at different ages.

A person's age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There's no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn't as strong as it used to be. It doesn't surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.

Many people say, ‘I am much younger than my mother -  or my father - was at my age.’ No one says ‘Act your age’ anymore. We've stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.

1.From the passage, we know in America____.

 A. they used to go to school or stop work at a certain age

 B. people won’t tell you their social position

 C. the children no longer go to school.

 D. people hold the old ideas about the age as before

2.It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America         .

A. has made people feel younger    B. has changed people's social position

C. has changed people's understanding of age

D. has slowed down the country's social development

3.The underlined word ‘one’ refers to          .

A. a society    B. America     C. a place D. population

4.‘Act your age’ means people should _______  .

A. be active when they are old    

B. do the right thing at the right age

C. show respect for their parents young or old

D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age

5. If a 25-year-old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it       .

A. normal   B. wonderful   C. unbelievable D. unreasonable

America is growing older. Fifty years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 65 or older. Today, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 65. The aging of the population will affect （影响） American society in many ways — education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society— one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为）is suitable （合适）at various ages. A person's age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There's no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school ,get a job, or stop working isn't as strong as it used to be. It doesn't surprise us to hear of a 29-year-old university president or a 35-year-old grandmother, or a 70-year-old man who has become a father for the firs time. Public ideas are changing. Many people say, 'I am much younger than my mother - or my father - was at my age.' No one says ‘Act your age’ anymore. We've stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.

1.It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America_________  .

A.has made people feel younger

B.has changed people's social position

C. has changed people's understanding of age

D. has slowed down the country's social development

2.The underlined word ‘one’ refers to_________.

A. a society        B. America                C. a place                 D. population

3.‘Act your age’ means people should_________.

A.be active when they are old

B.do the right thing at the right age

C. show respect for their parents young or old

D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age

4.If a 25-year-old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ______.

A.normal            B.wonderful              C.unbelievable                   D.unreasonable