I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop 　36　me I had my first job at the age of thirteen, when a friend of my mother’s who owned a book shop 36 ____me for six hours a week to help her in the shop. I was very 37 ____to earn my own pocket money and my parents 38 ____interfered with how I spent it, even when I was spending it 39 ____. They believed that by earning money, spending it, and learning from the 40 ____, I would become more mature and 41 ____ about how to handle work, relationships with others, and money. Like many 42 ____parents, my parents also let me and my brothers do things over which they 43 a great deal. When I was sixteen, for example, after I finished high school and before I entered university, I wanted to spend the summer months traveling around 44 ____. My mother was against the idea of my traveling alone at such a young age, but my father felt that it would be a great 45 ____for me. In the end, my father won the 46 ____on the condition that I limited my traveling to France, my mother’s home, where I had many uncles, aunts and cousins 47 ____through the country who could 48 ____shelter and help if I needed them. Three years later, my younger brother decided to 49 a year off after his first year in university and travel through the United States and the Caribbean. Again my mother was very worried and not 50 ____to see my brother leave school, but my father encouraged him and my brother had a(n) 51 ____year working his way on trains and ships to 52 ____passage to different ports and cities, and discovering many fascinating places and people. These kinds of experiences are probably rare for children in many countries but in the US they are fairly 53 ____. Most parents start 54 ____their children at a young age to do small things by themselves. By the time they have finished high school, many American kids have already had part-time jobs, traveled around the US or other countries on their own, have 55 ____the university they plan to attend and maybe even decided on their future career, and so on. 36. A. taught　　　　 B. allowed　　　　C. treated　　　　 D. hired 37. A. anxious　　　　B. content　　　　C. proud　　　　　 D. hopeful 38. A. never　　　　　B. ever　　　　　 C. always　　　　　D. even 39. A. quickly　　　　B. foolishly　　　C. seriously　　　 D. honestly 40. A. work　　　　　 B. mistakes　　　 C. others　　　　　D. books 41. A. strict　　　　 B. reasonable　　 C. polite　　　　　D. responsible 42. A. American　　　 B. Japanese　　　 C. Chinese　　　　 D. British 43. A. helped　　　　 B. supported　　　C. shared　　　　　D. worried 44. A. Asia 　　　　　B. Africa　　　　 C. Europe　　　　　D. Oceania 45. A. journey　　　　B. experience　　 C. chance　　　　　D. possibility 46. A. argument 　　　B. game　　　　　 C. discussion　　　D. plan 47. A. send out 　　　B. give out　　　 C. carry out　　　 D. spread out 48. A. promise　　　　B. afford　　　　 C. provide　　　　 D. serve 49. A. leave　　　　　B. make　　　　　C. take　　　　　　D. prepare 50. A. angry　　　　　B. eager　　　　　C. sorry 　　　　　D. sad 51. A. unusual　　　　B. hard　　　　　 C. strange　　　　 D. busy 52. A. accept　　　　 B. earn　　　　　 C. find　　　　　　D. search 53. A. welcome　　　　B. fit　　　　　　C. necessary　　　 D. common 54. A. bringing　　　 B. forcing　　　　C. pushing　　　　 D. protecting 55. A. selected　　　 B. admired　　　　C. afforded　　　　D. left