InthisageofInternetchat,videogamesandrealitytelevision,thereisnoshortageofmindlessactivitiestokeepachildoccupied.Yet,despitethecompetition,my8-year-olddaughterRebeccawantstospendherleisuretimewritingshortstories.Shewantstoenteroneofherstoriesintoawritingcontest,acompetitionshewonlastyear.
AsawriterIknowaboutwinningcontests,andaboutlosingthem.Iknowwhatitisliketoworkhardonastoryonlytoreceivearejectionslipfromthepublisher.Ialsoknowthepressureoftryingtoliveuptoareputationcreatedbypreviousvictories.Whatifshedoesn’twinthecontestagain?That’sthestrangethingaboutbeingaparent.Somanyofourownpastscarsanddashedhopescansurface.
Arevelation(启示)camelastweekwhenIaskedher,“Don’tyouwanttowinagain?”
“No,”shereplied,“Ijustwanttotellthestoryofanangelgoingtofirstgrade.”
Ihadjustspentweekscorrectingherstoriesasshespontaneously(自发地)toldthem.TellingmyselfthatIwasmerelyanexperiencedwriterguidingtheyoungwriteracrossthehall,Iofferedsuggestionsforcharacters,conflictsandendingsforhertales.Thestoryaboutafearfulangelstartingfirstgradewasquickly“guided”bymeintothetaleofalittlegirlwithawildimaginationtakingherfirstmusiclesson.Ihadturnedhercontestintomycontestwithoutevenrealizingit.
Stayingbackandgivingkidsspacetogrowisnotaseasyasitlooks.BecauseIknowverylittleaboutfarmanimalswhousetoolsorangelswhogotofirstgrade,IhadtoacceptthefactthatIwasco-opting(借用)mydaughter’sexperience.
Whilesteppingbackwasdifficultforme,itwascertainlyagoodfirststepthatIwillquicklyfollowwithmoresteps,puttingmyselffarenoughawaytogiveherroombutcloseenoughtohelpifasked.AllthewhileIwillberemindingmyselfthatchildrenneedroomtoexperiment,growandfindtheirownvoices.
62.Whatdowelearnfromthefirstparagraph?
A)Childrendofindlotsoffuninmanymindlessactivites.
B)Rebeccaismuchtoooccupiedtoenjoyherleisuretime.
C)Rebeccadrawsonalotofonlinematerialsforherwriting.
D)Alotofdistractionscompeteforchildren’stimenowadays.
63.Whatdidtheauthorsayaboutherownwritingexperience?
A)Shedidnotquiteliveuptoherreputationasawriter.
B)Herwaytosuccesswasfullofpainsandfrustrations.
C)Shewasconstantlyunderpressureofwritingmore.
D)Mostofherstorieshadbeenrejectedbypublishers.
64.WhydidRebeccawanttoenterthisyear’swritingcontest?
A)Shebelievedshepossessedrealtalentforwriting.
B)Shewassureofwinningwithhermother’shelp.
C)Shewantedtoshareherstorieswithreaders.
D)Shehadwonaprizeinthepreviouscontest.
65.Theauthortookgreatpainstorefineherdaughter’sstoriesbecause_______.
A)shebelievedshehadtheknowledgeandexperiencetoofferguidance
B)shedidnotwanttodisappointRebeccawhoneededherhelpsomuch
C)shewantedtohelpRebeccarealizeherdreamofbecomingawriter
D)shewasafraidRebecca’simaginationmightrunwildwhilewriting.
66.What’stheauthor’sadviceforparents?
A)Awritingcareer,thoughattractive,isnotforeverychildtopursue.
B)Childrenshouldbeallowedfreedomtogrowthroughexperience.
C)Parentsshouldkeepaneyeontheactivitiestheirkidsengagein.
D)Childrenshouldbegiveneverychancetovoicetheiropinions.
62.A.Childrendofindlotsoffuninmanymindlessactivities.
63.B.Herwaytosuccesswasfullofpainsandfrustrations.
64.C.Shewantedtoshareherstorieswithreaders.
65.C.shewantedtohelpRebeccarealizeherdreamofbecomingawriter.
66.B.Childrenshouldbeallowedfreedomtogrowthroughexperience
