【正文】
hen one day they were suddenly neither. The day came when I suddenly realized that all the football players in the game I was watching were younger than I was. They were just big kids. With that milestone gone was the dream that someday, maybe I, too, could be a football player. Without ever having reached the hill, I was over it. I never thought that I would fall asleep in front of the TV set as my father did. Now it’s what I do best. I never thought that I would go to the beach and not swim, yet I spent all of August at the shore and never once went into the ocean. I never thought that I would appreciate opera, but now the bination of voice and orchestra(樂(lè)隊(duì) ) attract me. I never thought that I would prefer to stay home in the evenings, but now I find myself passing up parties. I used to think that people who watched birds were strange, but this summer I found myself watching them, and maybe I’ll get a book on the subject. I felt a strong desire for a religious belief(宗教信 仰 ) that I never thought I’d want, feel close to my ancestors(祖先 ) long ago, and echo my father in arguments with my son. I still lose … One day I bought a house. One day what a day!I became a father, and not too long after that I picked up the check for my own father. I thought then it was a milestone for me. One day, when I was a little older, I realized it was one for him too, another milestone. 5. The tone established in the passage is one of _________. A. sad regret B. amusement C. happiness D. deep feeling 6. The author mentions the event in the restaurant because ____________. A. that was one of his milestones B. he paid the bill but he didn’t want to C. he became a father with dollars D. that was the last restaurant meal with his parents 7. “Then they were suddenly neither” suggests that _________. A. suddenly they became older than I was B. suddenly I knew that they were neither bigger or older than I was C. suddenly I realized that I make a mistake D. suddenly I found myself no longer a kid 8. Which of the following best expresses the author’s thinking? A. One day is worth two tomorrows. B. To save time is to lengthen life. C. When an opportunity is lost, it never es back to you. D. Time and tide wait for no man. C Being a man has always been dangerous. There are about 105 males for every 100 females, but this ratio(比率 ) drops to near balance at the age of maturity(成熟期 ), and among 70yearolds there are twice as many women as me. But this situation is being changed. Now, boy babies survive(幸存 ) almost as well as girls do. This means that, for the first time, there will be an excess(過(guò)多 ) of b