Going Her Own Way

   When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria - or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark.

    Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did.  In Italyat the time, there were two. types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature, and Italian literature and history¹.  The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools.

    Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, andaccounting². Most people - including Maria"s father -believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them.

    Maria did not care if it was proper or not.  Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father"s approval. She finally did, with her mother"s help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family. Maria"s father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her.

    In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" inRome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way.  Teachers-were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.

词汇：

discipline /"disiplin/ n. 纪律，学科，训练，惩罚

punishment [ˈpʌnɪʃmənt] n. 惩罚，严厉对待，虐待

注释：

1.  In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature; and Italian literature and history.在传统学校中，学生们都依照一种非常传统的教学方式学习，包含拉丁语、希腊语与文学课，还有意大利文学与历史。

2. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting.技术学校比传统学校要现代得多，他们提供的课程有现代语言、数学、自然科学，以及会计学。

Maria wanted to attend____.

A:private "finishing" school B:In those days, most Italian girls____. C:did not go to high school D:went to technical schools

I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a (1) over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always (2) . Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was (3) . I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t (4) for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big (5) for the kids was the fun of Christmas (6) .
They planned weeks ahead of time, asking (7) what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved MYM120 for (8) to share by all five of us.
The big (9) arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and (10) them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered. We had two hours to shop; then we would (11) back at the "Santa’s Workshop"
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, (12) my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually (13) She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies—fiftycent candies I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything (14) we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, (15) to be angry again. This is what she told me.
"I was looking (16) thinking of what to buy, and I (17) to read the little cards on the ’Giving Trees’. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she (18) for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and (19) the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything. "
I never felt so (20) as I did that day.
二、完形填空

A:wanted B:did C:got D:played

When I was about 12 I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was skinny, I wasn’t a good student, I was boyish, I talked too loud, and so on. I put up with her as long as I could. At last, with great anger, I ran to my father in tears.
He listened to my outburst quietly. Then he asked, "Are the things she says true or not"
True I wanted to know how to strike back. What did troth have to do with it
"Mary, didn’t you ever wonder what you are really like Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. 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 directed and discovered to my surprise that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being skinny), but a good number I could and suddenly wanted to change.
For the first time in my life I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it.
"That’s just for you," he said. "You know better than anybody else the troth about yourself, once you hear it. But you’ve got to learn to listen, not to close your ears in anger or hurt. When something said about you is true you’ll know it. You’ll find that it will echo inside you."
Daddy’s advice, has returned to me at many important moments.
Why did the girl’s father ask her to make the list

A:He wanted to keep the list at home. B:He didn’t know what the girl’s enemy had said. C:He wanted the girl to talk back. D:He wanted her to check if she really had these weak points.

It was wonderful up there. Ralph wanted to reach out and (21) a star, for they (22) so close. He could see the earth getting smaller and smaller.
The ship circled around a made star called Mars (火星), and his space friends (23) Ralph understand that this was their home.
He wanted to ask all kinds of (24) , but no one could answer him. There was nothing to eat or drink. There people had only (25) colours pills which they can eat (26) they were hungry.
Soon it became (27) harder fin Ralph to breathe than he felt at first. He felt (28) light that he could not even stand (29) his own feet. "If I could only have some water," he (30) , "and a ride back down to the earth!"
The spacemen knew that it was (31) for Ralph to leave. He could not live up there (32) longer without special air or suit like theirs. So they took him to a part of the ship where there was (33) enough for just one man. A door closed over his head and (34) a minute Ralph was flying down to the earth in his own rocket ship.
Suddenly he felt the rocket (35) down and then stopped. He was back on the earth.

A:hoped B:expected C:wished D:wanted

Do you know insurance(保险) Buying insurance is a (56) by which people can protect themselves (57) large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay (58) sums of money (59) an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only (60) will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes (61) of the sums of money it has collected.
The first modem fire insurance company was (62) in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just (63) most of the city, and people wanted to protect against (64) losses. The fire company grew rapidly. (65) , other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also (66) a new kind of insurance for (67) . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops (68) storm.
In 1759, Benjamin Franklin helped start (69) new insurance. This company, which offered (70) insurance, colleccted some money (71) from different men. Although a man died, his family was given a large sum of money. Today, this company is (72) in business.
Over the years, people have (73) from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from (74) accidents as car, plane crashes. Tomorrow, almost everyone has (75) kind Of insurance.

A:insisted B:suggested C:advised D:wanted

Do you know insurance(保险) Buying insurance is a (56) by which people can protect themselves (57) large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay (58) sums of money (59) an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only (60) will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes (61) of the sums of money it has collected.
The first modem fire insurance company was (62) in London, England, in 1666. A great fire had just (63) most of the city, and people wanted to protect against (64) losses. The fire company grew rapidly. (65) , other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752. He also (66) a new kind of insurance for (67) . The new insurance would offer protection against the loss of crops (68) storm.
In 1759, Benjamin Franklin helped start (69) new insurance. This company, which offered (70) insurance, colleccted some money (71) from different men. Although a man died, his family was given a large sum of money. Today, this company is (72) in business.
Over the years, people have (73) from many new kinds of insurance when they have suffered from (74) accidents as car, plane crashes. Tomorrow, almost everyone has (75) kind Of insurance.

A:insisted B:suggested C:advised D:wanted

It was wonderful up there. Ralph wanted to reach out and (21) a star, for they (22) so close. He could see the earth getting smaller and smaller.
The ship circled around a made star called Mars (火星), and his space friends (23) Ralph understand that this was their home.
He wanted to ask all kinds of (24) , but no one could answer him. There was nothing to eat or drink. There people had only (25) colours pills which they can eat (26) they were hungry.
Soon it became (27) harder fin Ralph to breathe than he felt at first. He felt (28) light that he could not even stand (29) his own feet. "If I could only have some water," he (30) , "and a ride back down to the earth!"
The spacemen knew that it was (31) for Ralph to leave. He could not live up there (32) longer without special air or suit like theirs. So they took him to a part of the ship where there was (33) enough for just one man. A door closed over his head and (34) a minute Ralph was flying down to the earth in his own rocket ship.
Suddenly he felt the rocket (35) down and then stopped. He was back on the earth.

A:hoped B:expected C:wished D:wanted