There are two things I can count on my dad asking every time he calls me: “ Is there anything I can do for you?” and “How’s the car?” I guess he asks what he can do for me because his dad(an air force officer) was never really there for him,and he’s determined to provide me with the support he lacked.During my youth he never missed a school play or softball game. In fact, he was so supportive that I sometimes longed for one of those dads who dressed better and cared less.But my dad would forever be the guy wearing shorts with dress shoes and black socks,cheering me on,expecting greatness.
His other standard question----“How’s the car?”-----used to strike me as a waste of long-distance dollars from a man who once suggested making a list of what you want to talk abou before calling someone out of state.What I now realize is that “How’s the car?”is not about the car.It’s a father’s way of asking his adult daugher how she is.The advantage is that if you’re having marital problems or doubting a career choice,he might have to put Mom on the line.
At age 30 I finlly took the plunge into adulthood by leasing a car without my dad’s help or advice.I’m sure my dad was hurt rather than proud .Though a daughter’s independence is evidence of a job well done,it still implies the job’s done,and many fathers are reluctant to retire.Even when my dad was overworked,he’d happily hop on a plane if I said I needed help.His frequent question, “Is there anything I can do for you?”underlines the fact that he wishes there was still something he could provide.It’s interesting:Even though we’re tied by blood and I love him no fare----to feel he has a role in my life.
1. Judging from the first paragraph,the author has a very_____A_____.
A) supportive father
B) rich father
C) capable father
D) careful father
2. The author now realizes that by asking “How is the car?”,her father is actually____B____.
A) wasting precious money
B) asking how she’s getting along
C) expressing his concern for her safety
D) showing how much he knows about cars
3. In case the author asked her father what she should do with her life, he would probably___B_____
A) let her mother answer the question
B) tell her his own experience in career choice
C) let her make her own decision
D) make a list of what to say to her
4. When the author leased a car whthout asking her father’s advice,he was_____B____.
A) proud his daughter had finally achieved independence
B) hurt because he had got a job well done
C) happy that he had got a job well done
D) angry because his daughter no longer minded his advice
5. What does the author mean by saying “many fathers are reluctant to retire”? D
A) They want to continue to work so they will have money to provide support for their daughters.
B) They are afraid they’ll lose their daughters’love if they don’t do something for them.
C) They believe their daughters need their help in things such as fixing a car.
D) They wish to keep playing some role in their daughters’lives.