【正文】 cence, during which many of today’s students are not shouldered with adult responsibilities. For previous generations, college was decisive break from parental control。 A Papa’s jaw dropped when Mama told him that Sister had cheated on her final exams—not to succeed but to fail. “It’s unbelievable!” he said. “Sister has always been so proud of her good grades!” “Yes, she has,” said Mama. “But it’s not unbelievable. It just shows how badly she wanted off the swimming team.” “She never said anything about that to me.” said Papa. “Of course she didn’t,” said Mama. “She was afraid you’d blow your top. You already had her getting a swimming scholarship to college and winning gold medals at the Olympics. Can you imagine how much pressure she must have felt? For her, being on the team couldn’t have been much fun.” “Oh, my gosh!” Papa said, “I’ve been so stupid! I just thought she’d want to be a champion swimmer because she’s so good at it.” “It’s like anything else, dear,” said Mama, “No matter how good at it you are, if it stops being fun, you won’t want to do it anymore.” Papa put his head in his hands. “She must be really mad at me,” he mumbled (嘟噥 ). “Maybe I should say sorry to her.” Sister’s footsteps could be heard on the stairs. She came into the kitchen and looked hopefully up at her parents. “Honey,” said Mama with a smile, “Your papa and I have decided that there’s no reason for you to be on the swimming team if you don’t want to.” Sister’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “And,” added Papa, “ there’s no need for any more drills. I’m sure you’ll bring your grades back up all by yourself.” She ran to Papa and jumped into his arms, giving him a big hug. “I’m going to play cards with Lizzy!” she said. “See you later!” From the kitchen window, Mama and Papa watched their daughter run down the sunny road toward Lizzy’s house. “It’s good to see her happy again,” said Mama. “Well, it’s not too late, anyway.” Papa said. 21. Mama insisted that the child should do ________. A. what she felt easy to B. what she was willing to C. what she felt right to D. what she was able to 22. The underlined expression “blow your top” probably means “________” in the text. A. change your opinion B. bee very excited C. get very angry D. fall down with fear 23. Which of the following words best describes Papa? A. Foolish. B. Patient. C. Stubborn. D. Considerate. 24. What might be the best title for the text? A. Better Late Than Never. B. Easier Said Than Done. C. Never Too Old To Learn. D. No Pleasure Without Pain. B Grandparents Answer a Call As a third generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away. Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help their children, she politely refused . Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms Gaf finally say yes. That was four years ago. Today all three generations regard the move to a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities. No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to adult children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend is growing. Even the former president Obama’s motherinlaw, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and move into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study by ., 83 percent of the people said Mrs. Robinson’s decision will influence grandparents in the American family. Twothirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama’s family. “In the 1960s we were all a little wild and couldn’t get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,” says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand, a magazine for grandparents. “We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you’re raising children.” Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead. Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder. 25. Why was Garza’s move a success? A. It strengthened her family ties. B. It improved her living conditions. C. It enabled her to make more friends. D. It helped her know more new places. 26. What was the reaction of the public to Mrs. Robinson’s decision? A. 17% expressed their support for it. B. Few people responded sympathetically. C. The majority thought it was a trend. D. 83% b