1 . When I was nine years old. I pulled out my grandmother’s dress over my young frame, admiring myself in the mirror. I had no idea what I wanted to be when I grew up. Later in senior high school, I began to dream of being an adult to explore a big world and make adventures. However, I knew adulthood for me was still distant because I supported myself mainly with the money from my family.

Fresh out of college, I was working as a middle school teacher. I was in charge of young people and heavy with that responsibility. I arrived at school early and stayed late, preparing lessons and chatting with students. I was an official adult. I paid my rent and taxes. But I still felt as if I were playing a role. I was the adult authority figure who secretly didn’t feel grown-up in a room full of children. But I wasn’t worried; I was convinced that it would happen soon.

To me, an adult is someone who is mature and trustworthy—a contributing member of the society. We strive to become adults while there is also someone who spends life constantly partying and avoiding responsibility. A grown-up, however, is a state of mind. Our body gets older but something inside us doesn’t feel as if it is progressing as quickly.

In the following ten years, I followed the routines of adulthood: getting married, giving birth and working. My 6-year-old daughter and I often held hands, running breathlessly and laughing wildly. I tried to avoid eye contact with the nearby people who glared at us. I suspect they would prefer adults who would never slide down a giant hill of sand.

I turned 57 recently and it occurred to me that maybe I had it all wrong; I should stop waiting to feel grown-up. What if we embraced (拥抱) the child-like part of ourselves to enjoy it, guilt free? If we’re responsible adults and do all the adult things in a way that works, why should it matter if we don’t feel grown-up deep inside? Non-grown-ups don’t necessarily play games, but it isn’t fun embracing the playful side of life? Why can’t we feel 57 and 15 years old at the same time?

1. How did the author feel about adulthood when she was a teenager?

A．She was unwilling to make adventures if she became an adult.

B．She showed no interest in thinking about it.

C．She was expectant and hopeful about it.

D．She had unknown fears for it.

2. What did the author believe would happen to her before long according paragraph 2?

A．Being respected by her children.

B．Becoming a capable teacher.

C．Living on her own.

D．Being a real adult.

3. What does the author mainly talk about in the third paragraph?

A．What an adult means in her opinion.

B．What an adult’s state of mind can be.

C．Why some people spend life avoiding responsibility.

D．Why it doesn’t progress so quickly to become a grown-up.

4. What advice does the author give to us through her story?

A．Be true to your inner self.

B．It’s never too late to learn.

C．Life is a bittersweet journey.

D．Nice souls are a masterpiece of time.

2 . For most of my life, I didn’t like being seen. I went bright red when it was my turn to speak in a group. I hated the teacher asking me something. I even didn’t like my family all looking at me! I often tried to hide away and avoid being seen by others! So, it’s not strange that I feared speaking in front of others.

Luckily, I’ve learned to overcome my problem. Now I love helping others who have the same problem that I once had but want to speak up because they have valuable things to share. I particularly love helping entrepreneurs (企业家) to become more confident. When you help a leader, the impact is so much greater.

Over the years I’ve discovered that there are three main problems that people have when it comes to speaking in public. The first is a lack of self­belief. They doubt themselves and question whether what they have to say is valuable. The second is a fear of being seen as arrogant (傲慢的). The third is a fear of rejection or a fear of not being liked.

All of these problems are related to mindset, specifically, a fear­based mindset, which is common. These fears stop people from stepping up as the leader and influencer they were born to be.

If you want to become a more effective influencer, it is so important to work on any fears you have of judgment or rejection. They will be a ball and chain that will hold you back from success. We need to take action despite feeling fear. We can’t wait for the fear to go away as it won’t go away itself. We have to act while we still feel it. And to overcome fears, we should practice. Confidence is attached to progress, and we only progress if we practice. If you don’t feel you’re progressing, you’ll start to lose your confidence and stay stuck in fear.

1. What does the author like doing now?

A．Giving speeches in front of people.

B．Sharing experiences with her followers.

C．Making friends with famous entrepreneurs.

D．Helping others gain confidence in speaking in public.

2. What can we learn about the problems that prevent people from talking publicly according to the author?

A．They are very difficult to overcome.

B．They lead to a very uncommon mindset.

C．They exist mainly because of people’s fears.

D．They are no problem for leaders or influencers.

3. What does the author suggest people do?

A．Wait for the fear to disappear.

B．Avoid failure to become more confident.

C．Refuse judgment or rejection from others.

D．Practice hard to make progress in spite of fears.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Finding the Courage Inside You

B．Becoming a more Influential Person

C．Overcoming the Fear of Public Speaking

D．Expressing Your Ideas more Effectively