When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺點). Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn’t a good student. Sometimes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with(忍受) her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.

   He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Mary, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”

   I did as he told me and to my surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true.

   I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be helpful to you. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right.”

   Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure(珍惜) all your life!

1.What did the writer’s father do after he heard her complaints(抱怨)?

    A. He agreed with her “enemy”.

    B. he let her continue to put up with her “enemy”.

    C. He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her.

    D. He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said.

2.The writer felt________ when she did the things as her father had told her.

     A. surprised       B. angry       C. disappointed       D. sad

3.Which of the following can we know from the passage?

     A. The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty.

     B. The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard.

     C. The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last.

     D. The writer is grateful to her father.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

     A.My Parents

     B.A Serious Criticism(批評)

     C.What People Say About You Is Always Right

     D. The Best Advice I Ever Had

My mother was a housewife. She thought that successful people spent a lot more time reading than watching TV. So she asked my brother and me not to watch too much TV, but to read two books every week in our free time. She would check them with marks, though she couldn’t read the book at all.
When I went to high school, I was an A-student, but not for long. I wanted cool clothes and hung out with friends. I became a C-student, but I didn’t care. One night I complained about not having enough Italian shirts. Then my mother gave me all the money and said I could get the money left to buy shirts if I finished buying all the things the family needed. I was pleased with that, but after I bought those things, there was no money left. I got to know how difficult it was for my mother to do all these. I went back to my studies and became an A-student again. Finally, my dream came true and I became a doctor.
My story is really my mother’s story----a woman with little education greatly changed my life as a parent. So I believe there is no job more important than parenting.
【小題1】What did the writer’s mother do?