Question

Dear David,

I’m glad you would like to share your feelings with me．It’s hardly surprising that your feelings of not being “grown up” have come on strongly at this point in your life, just before you’re about to become a father．You are asking: will I make a good father? How will I cope? Should I have brought another little person into the world? Can I provide for it? Heeelp! I think nearly every sensitive about-to-be-parent must have these occasional feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy before the birth and it would be most unusual if you didn’t share them．

It’s difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to．The boss with a hen-pecking wife may feel like a seven-year-old when he’s at home．But as he walks through the office door, and knows he’s going to be surrounded by staff looking to him for advice, he grows into a fully mature man．And I think it’s a mistake to imagine that we all feel, as we age, a kind of progression of states, from the baby to the adult．Most people feel, on Tuesday, about three years old, and on a Wednesday, around 80．I remember feeling very grown-up at eight, a time when I was weighed down with responsibility．These days, much older, I can, in the company of people I feel at ease with, feel like a young girl．

There’s a common remark that “all men are little boys”, but it’s not true．It’s truer that men often behave like little boys．But nearly all people, at some moments in their lives, are capable of great maturity．

Once your baby arrives, you’ll soon feel less childlike, or rather, less often．When your child tries to put its fingers into the electric plug, the adult in you will rise up to prevent it．You’ll see you have very little in common with a needy child, particularly if it’s looking to you for comfort and support．

Comfort yourself, David, with two truths．One is that your friends laugh when they talk about this subject because they, like you, feel frightened．And remember that people who haven’t grown up don’t go around talking about the fact that they don’t feel grown-up．

Hope my advice will be helpful and good luck to you and your little one．

Sincerely Yours,

Miss Advice

1.According to the passage, Miss Advice thinks David’s self-doubt is _______．

A．valuable B．natural C．unusual D．bearable

2.From Paragraph 2, we can learn that people’s sense of maturity _______．

A．will increase with age

B．is obviously seen at home

C．changes with different situations

D．becomes stronger with familiar people

3.Miss Advice holds the opinion that _______．

A．all men behave like little boys

B．people tend to laugh at the subject

C．men with a baby feel more grown-up

D．people enjoy talking about their immaturity

4.Miss Advice wrote the letter to _______．

A．offer suggestions to a future father

B．teach people how to grow up

C．encourage people to be responsible

D．solve problems of the less grown-up

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.C

4.A

【解析】

试题分析:本文为书信类文章，主要就一个准爸爸怀疑自己是否成熟的问题给出建议。作者认为成熟感会随着处境的不同而变化，有了小孩的男人会变得成熟。

1.B事实细节题。根据第一段 it would be most unusual if you didn’t share them可知不分享那些感受才是不正常的。所以Miss Advice认为David的这种自我怀疑是正常的，故选B。

2.C推理判断题。根据第二段It’s difficult, honestly, to feel grown-up unless you have something less grown-up to relate to可知作者认为当你面对一些不成熟的事物时，你就会感觉自己成熟。通过后文举的例子有一个唠叨的妻子，丈夫在家就像小孩一样。然而当他面对员工时，他就会变得非常成熟。说明人们的成熟感会随着处境的不同而变化，故选C。

3.C推理判断题。根据第四段Once your baby arrives, you’ll soon feel less childlike, or rather, less often.可知作者认为男人有了小孩之后会变得成熟，故选C。

4.

考点：考查书信类短文阅读