追梦人不老

于玲

我们在职业道路上的不断探索，要跟随内心的声音。本文作者通过坚持不懈的努力在66岁时获得了博士学位。心随梦想，展翅高飞永不晚！

Staring at environmental impact reports and applications on my computer screen， I began to think， “I needed a change.” It was another turning point that led me， at age 66， to earn a PhD.

My first career was about audiology （听力学）—a choice based on job opportunities in a rural area， and one that allowed me to work parttime while I tended my growing family. But when my children grew up and left home， I found myself longing to be outside.

I began attending university classes， hoping that might lead me to new career prospects. I also went to see a counselor， offered as part of a program for nontraditional students. Our discussion led to a second masters degree in zoology and the job as a naturalist at a state park. It was an entrylevel position. I was 44 years old. And I was delighted to experience the joy of being outdoors that I had felt as a child.

But as I climbed the career ladder at the Department of Natural Resources （DNR）， my time in the field decreased and finally disappeared. In the back of my mind， the counselors question burnt. “What gave you pleasure as a child？”

As my discontent grew， an opportunity presented itself： a 4month program as part of a field research project. I found that field research allowed me to play in the woods again， but with the intellectual stimulation that comes with figuring things out.

At the end of my stay， I was invited to the “sandwich” PhD program. I was 60 years old. I didnt think earning a PhD would further my career. But I wanted to follow my new passion.

“What do you intend to do with a PhD？” my colleagues asked. “Its all about the journey，” I responded. As one of my favorite authors， Ursula K. Le Guin， wrote， “It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”

1. What did the author think of her first career？

A. It gave her great pleasure.

B. It reduced her enthusiasm about it eventually.

C. It led her to new career prospects.

D. It won great support from her family.

2. Which question did the author want to solve by seeing the counselor？

A. Which career path to turn to next.

B. When to make a change in her career.

C. How to become a nontraditional student.

D. Whether another masters degree is necessary.

3. Why did the author become unhappy with her work at the DNR？

A. She had no time to spare with children.

B. She was tired of climbing the career ladder.

C. She couldnt enjoy the outdoors while at work.

D. She had been at the entrylevel position for long.

Difficult sentence

My first career was about audiology—a choice based on job opportunities in a rural area， and one that allowed me to work parttime while I tended my growing family.

【翻译】

【點石成金】本句是一个主从复合句。My first career是主句的主语，one作同位语，that引导定语从句。