I. Please read the passage aloud. 

Stop asking kids what they want to be when they grow up

1 “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When I was a kid, I was afraid to answer this question. I never had a good answer. ①Adults always seemed terribly disappointed that I wasn’t dreaming of becoming someone important or heroic, like a scientist or an astronaut.

2 ②My first problem with the question is that it forces kids to define themselves in terms of work. When you’re asked what you want to be when you grow up, answers such as “a father”,“a mother”, or “a person who is honest” aren’t thought to be good enough. This is might be one of the reasons why many parents say what they value most about their children is health and happiness, yet their kids believe that their top concern is success. ③When we define ourselves by our jobs, our worth depends on what we achieve.

3 ④The second problem is the idea that there is one calling out there for everyone. ⑤Although having a calling can be a source of joy, research shows that searching for one sometimes leave sstudents feeling lost and confused. Even if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a calling, it might not be a viable career. We have found that callings sometimes go unanswered: Many career passions don’t pay the bills, and many of us just don’t have the talent.

4 If we manage to overcome thoseobstacles, there is a third hurdle: Careers rarely live up to your childhood dreams. One study found that looking for the ideal job leaves college seniors feeling more anxious, stressed, and less satisfied with the outcome. Therefore,to lower your expectations while hunting a job is not a bad thing.

5 The upside of lower expectations is that they erase the gap between what we want and what we get. Extensive evidence shows that instead of painting a rosy picture of a job,we’d better have a realistic preview of what it’s really like, warts and all. Sure, we might be a little less excited to take it, but on average we end up being more productive and less likely to quit.

6 I’m all for encouraging youngsters to aim high and dream big. But take advice from someone who studies work for a living: Aspirations are bigger than work. ⑥Asking kids what they want to be simply leads them to claim a career identity they might never get. Instead, invite them to think about what kind of person they want to be, and about all the different things they want to do.

II. Text analysis

①Adult salways seemed terribly disappointed thatI wasn’t dreaming of becoming someone important or heroic, like a scientist or an astronaut.

译文：大人们似乎总是非常失望，因为我并没有梦想成为什么大人物或英雄，比如科学家或宇航员。

②My first problem with the question is that it forces kids to define themselves in terms of work.

译文：对于这个问题我的第一个质疑是，它逼迫孩子们用工作来定义自己。

③When we define ourselves by our jobs, our worth depends on what we achieve.

译文：当我们以工作来界定自己时，我们的价值取决于我们所取得的成就。

④ The second problem is the idea that there is one calling out there for everyone.

译文：第二个质疑是人人都有属于自己的天职的这种观念。

⑤Although having a calling can be a source of joy, research shows that searching for one sometimes leave sstudents feeling lost and confused.

译文：尽管拥有天职会是一种欢乐之源，但研究显示，寻找天职有时会让学生们感到迷茫和困惑。

⑥Asking kids what they want to be simply leads them to claim a career identity they might never get.

译文：问孩子他们想做什么只会导致他们去追求一个他们也许永远都得不到的职业身份。

III. Test

1 “What do you want to be when you grow up?” When I was a kid, I was afraid to answer this question. I never had a good answer. ①Adults always seemed terribly disappointed that I wasn’t dreaming of becoming someone important or heroic, like a scientist or an astronaut.

2 ②My first problem with the question is that it forces kids to define themselves in terms of work. When you’re asked what you want to be when you grow up, answers such as “a father”,“a mother”, or “a person who is honest” aren’t thought to be good enough. This is might be one of the reasons why many parents say what they value most about their children is health and happiness, yet their kids believe that their top concern is success. ③When we define ourselves by our jobs, our worth depends on what we achieve.

3 ④The second problem is the idea that there is one calling out there for everyone. ⑤Although having a calling can be a source of joy, research shows that searching for one sometimes leaves students feeling lost and confused. Even if you’re lucky enough to stumble upon a calling, it might not be a viable career. We have found that callings sometimes go unanswered: Many career passions don’t pay the bills, and many of us just don’t have the talent.

4 If we manage to overcome those obstacles, there is a third hurdle: Careers rarely live up to your childhood dreams. One study found that looking for the ideal job leaves college seniors feeling more anxious, stressed, and less satisfied with the outcome. Therefore, to lower your expectations while hunting a job is not a bad thing.

5 The upside of lower expectations is that they erase the gap between what we want and what we get. Extensive evidence shows that instead of painting a rosy picture of a job,we’d better have a realistic preview of what it’s really like, warts and all. Sure, we might be a little less excited to take it, but on average we end up being more productive and less likely to quit.

6 I’m all for encouraging youngsters to aim high and dream big. But take advice from someone who studies work for a living: Aspirationsare bigger than work. ⑥Asking kids what they want to be simply leads them to claim a career identity they might never get. Instead, invite them to think about what kind of person they want to be, and about all the different things they want to do.