As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　1 when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　2 to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　3 you do, there’s a (an) 　4 chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 1 percent of the 　5 answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　6 maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　7 , but 　8 as an indication that I should study more. He 　9 me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　10 the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　11 library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　12 that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　13 me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　14 in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　15 to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career. 16 I reminded myself that those 　17 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　18 to most people. No one was 　19 born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　20 .

1．A．advantage　 B．disadvantage　　 C．trouble　　 D．discomfort

2．A．enjoyable　 B．humorous C．simple　　 D．difficult

3．A．Once　 B．Where　　 C．Although　 D．Until

4．A．strong B．poor C．impossible D．few

5．A．wrong B．complete　 C．correct　　 D．missing

6．A．think　 B．astonish　 C．know　　　 D．decide

7．A．marks B．standards C．characteristics D．abilities

8．A．extremely　 B．simply　　 C．slightly　　 D．especially

9．A．pulled B．led　　 C．put　 D．pushed

10．A．designed　 B．attended　 C．got　 D．took

11．A．chemistry B．engineering　　　 C．biology 　 D．geography

12．A．worried　 B．agreed　　 C．knew D．realized

13．A．protecting B．awaking　 C．preventing D．attempting

14．A．girls B．boys C．students　 D．classmates

15．A．afford　　　 B．try　　 C．help　 D．manage

16．A．Also B．But　 C．Though　 D．So

17．A．studies　　 B．grades　　 C．students　 D．experiments

18．A．actively　　 B．easily C．difficultly D．gradually

19．A．never B．ever　 C．even D．often

20．A．honesty　 B．knowledge　　　 C．reality　　　 D．faith

William James, the great psychologist (心理学家), said that most men are “old fogies (守旧者) at twenty-five”. He was right. Most men at twenty-five are satisfied with their jobs. They have closed their minds to all new ideas; they have stopped to grow.

The minute a man stops to grow –no matter what his years –that minute he begins to be old. On the other hand, the really great man never grows old. Goethe passed away at eighty-three, and finished his Faust only a few years earlier; Gladstone took up a new language when he was seventy. Laplace, the astronomer, was still at work when death caught up with him at seventy-eight. He died crying, “What we know is nothing; what we do not know is immense (extremely large).”

And there you have the real answer to the question, “When is a man old?”

Laplace at seventy-eight died young. He was still unsatisfied, still sure that he had a lot to learn.

As long as a man can keep himself in that attitude of mind, as long as he can look back on every year and say, “I grew”, he is still young.

The minute he ceases (stops) to grow, the minute he says to himself, “I know all that I need to know,” –that day youth stops. He may be twenty-five or seventy-five; it makes no difference. On that day he begins to be old.

According to William James, _______.

A. most people are not open to new ideas before 25.

B. few people continue to improve themselves after 25.

C. some people still try to make progress after 25.

D. all the people stop to make progress after 25.

The author mentions Goethe, Gladstone and Laplace to show that _____.

A. the great man stops to grow that minute he begins to be old.

B. the really great man never grows old.

C. the great man usually dies young.

D. the really great man never dies.

What do we know about Laplace?

A. He was a great writer.

B. He was not pleased with what he had learned.

C. He thought he was one of the greatest man.

D. He thought he was old when he was 25.

The author probably agrees with _______.

A. people should be pleased with what they have.

B. people should try to make a great difference.

C. people should cease to grow when they are 25.

D. people should not be satisfied with what they know.