1 . When I suggested my 13-year-old try tennis, she quickly refused me. “I’m not sporty; stop trying to get me to do sports,” Julianna said. I had suggested it because some of my happiest recent memories were of playing ping-pong with her. Tennis seemed like a natural progression from ping-pong and a great way to work out some of her growing pains on a larger playing field. But my suggestion was always refused by her.
Still, I was undeterred. I believed that doing some sports would help Julianna manage her emotions. I’ve seen how sports help with stress. It worked for me when I was a teenage girl.
Midway into summer, we stayed at home, and Julianna and I felt really bored. “Do you want to play tennis?” I asked her at lunch one afternoon. Sure, she said. At that time, we were both eager to spend as much time as possible out of the house.
Arriving at the court, we set down our bags, picked up our rackets (球拍), and headed to our sides of the court. The net was like the growing divide between us — I desiring connection and my teenage daughter longing for independence.
I started by hitting a ball over the net, and Julianna took a big swing and missed. We repeated this several more times. I didn’t tell her she was holding the racket too close to the neck or she should step more into her forehand. My daughter wanted the chance to figure these things out for herself. We repeated the pattern of me hitting the ball and her missing it a few times before she finally got it back over the net. “This is fun,” she said with a mixture of surprise and delight and then she smiled widely.
Now we always find time to play tennis. We’re both eager for an activity that can ease tensions between us in daily life. It’s nice to have a place where both of us can release our negative moods and let them go.
1. Why did the author persuade her daughter to play tennis?
| A．Tennis was as popular as ping-pong. |
| B．They had a good time playing tennis together. |
| C．It would help her daughter make more like-minded friends. |
| D．It would be good for her daughter’s emotional management. |
2. What does the underlined word “undeterred” mean in paragraph 2?
| A．Not dishonest. | B．Not sure. | C．Not discouraged. | D．Not surprised. |
3. What did the author do when her daughter missed the ball?
| A．She stood close to the net. | B．She repeated hitting the ball. |
| C．She changed ends with her daughter. | D．She instructed her daughter immediately. |
4. What can be a suitable title for the text?
| A．Mom Coaches Teen Daughter in Tennis |
| B．Mom Helps Teen Daughter Express Her Emotions |
| C．Mom Encourages Teen Daughter to Be Independent |
| D．Mom and Teen Daughter Find Some Peace on the Tennis Court |
