四、閱讀理解(共15小題;每題3分，共45分。) 閱讀下列短文，然后根據短文的內容從每小題的四個選擇項中選出最佳的一項。

It´s that time of the yea—graduation. The end of school year is nearly in sight,and it´s an especially big deal if you´re finishing high school or college.

One amazing(令人驚嘆的) 16-year-old Florida girl, Grace Bush, graduated from both high school and college this week! She actually got her college diploma(畢業證書) before her high school diploma. How´d she do that?

"Hard work and dedication(專心致志)," she told a local TV news station," have made me succeed in doing high school and college at the same time. " She started taking college courses when she was just 13. She would often get up at 5:30 a.m. and not finish until after 11 p. m.

Doing both at once is a huge achievement, but it has also helped her family save money. She´s one of the 9 children, all home-schooled until the age of 13. Her father is a math professor while her mother is a part-time history teacher in a high school. Grace Bush has earned her college degree in law, with a near perfect GPA of 3.8 and she hopes to become a lawyer one day, although her parents expect her to teach at university. By the way, she also plays basketball in her college team in her spare time.

第36題單選 Why does the author say that Grace is amazing?

A.She finished high school earlier than others.

B.She never went to bed before 11 p. m.

C.She graduated from both high school and college at 16.

D.She got two diplomas from the same school.

答案：C

第37題單選 Which of the following is the key to Grace´s success?

A.Taking college courses at 13.

B.Doing high school and college at the same time.

C.Being born in a professor's family.

D.Being devoted to her studies.

答案：D

第38題單選 What did the parents do to help Grace with her education?

A.They shared with her college history lessons.

B.They taught her until she was 13.

C.They made her interested in math.

D.They hired a part-time teacher.

答案：B

第39題單選 What do Grace´s parents want her to be in future?

A.A news reporter.

B.A basketball player.

C.A university teacher.

D.A lawyer.

答案：C

Ron was an engineer. He planned a change and tried the new job of teaching kids how to swim. Ron´s easy manner soon made him a full-time employee at the swim school.

Now,the 40 hours he works a week takes in weekends, early mornings and late afternoons. He earns around 25% less than he did in engineering. But,at 49,he says he has never been happier. "I´ve had a drop in pay, but I´ve cut back on spending,too. I seldom drive to work so don´t have to pay as much for petrol(汽油). I don´t drink as much. I go walking in my lunch break and I´ve lost 20 kilos. I love going to work. The whole family is a lot happier. "

When one of his brothers called, offering to help him find "a real i oh", he answered,"I don´t care. I know what I´m doing is good. "

He admits it was fearful making such a big change when there was the mortgage(分期付款) to pay and kids to clothe and feed,but in the end he feels it is a simple choice. "If you´re in a job you don´t like, get out. Money´s not everything. If you don´t like it, change—find something you´re going to be happy with. "

第40題單選 What is Ron´s new job like?

A.Well-paid.

B.Interesting.

C.Easy to do.

D.No free time.

答案：B

第41題單選 How does Ron manage to cut back on spending?

A.He spends less on clothes.

B.He calls his brothers less.

C.He drives less.

D.He has less food for lunch.

答案：C

第42題單選 What´s Ron´s advice to the readers?

A.Stick to the job if you have kids to raise.

B.Change the job if you don't like it any more.

C.Stick to the job if you have mortgage to pay.

D.Change the job if you don't get enough money.

答案：B