San Francisco is where I grew up between the ages of two and ten and where I lived for a period when I was about 13 and again as a married man from the ages of 37 to 51. So quite a big slice of my life has been spent there. My mother, who is now 90, still lives in Los Gatos, about 60 miles south of San Francisco. Even though I have since lived in Switzerland and settled in London over 25 years ago, I have kept property in California for sentimental reasons.
I was born in New York and I love the United States. It is still a land of enormous drive, strength, imagination and opportunity. I know it well, having played in every town and, during the war, in every army camp, I have grown new roots in London as I did in Switzerland and if I am asked now where I want to live permanently, I would say London. But I will always remain an American citizen.
Climatically, San Francisco and London are similar and so are the people who settle in both cities. San Francisco is sophisticated, and like London, has many parks and squares. Every day my sisters and I were taken to play in the parks as children. We had an English upbringing in terms of plenty of fresh air and outdoor games. I didn't go to school. My whole formal education consisted of some three hours when I was five. I was sent to school but came home at noon on the first day and said I didn't enjoy it, hadn't learned anything and couldn't see the point of a lot of children sitting restlessly while a teacher taught from a big book. My parents decided, wisely I think, that school was not for me and I never went back.
My mother then took over my education and brought up my two sisters and me rather in the way of an educated English lady. The emphasis was on languages and reading rather than sciences and mathematics. Sometimes she taught us herself, but we also had other teachers and we were kept to a strict routine. About once a week we walked to Golden Gate Park which led down to the sea and on our walks my mother taught me to read music. One day I noticed a little windmill in the window of a shop we passed on our way to the park and I remember now how my heart yearned for it. I couldn't roll my r's when I was small and my mother who was a perfectionist regarding pronunciation, said if I could pronounce an 'r' well I'd have the windmill. I practiced and practiced and one morning woke everybody up with my r's. I got the windmill. I usually get the things I want in life - but I work for them and dream of them.
38. When the writer was twelve he was living in ____.
A. San Francisco B. Los Gatos
C. London D. a place unknown to the reader
39. During the war, the writer ____.
A. became an American soldier B. went camping all over the country
C. gave concerts for soldiers D. left the United States
40. The writer didn't attend school in America because ____.
A. his mother wanted him to go to school in England
B. his mother preferred him to play outdoors in the parks
C. his parents didn't think he was suited to formal education
D. he couldn't get on with other children
41. He was educated at home by ____.
A. his mother and other teachers B. an educated English lady
C. his mother and sisters D. teachers of languages and science
42. The writer managed to obtain the little windmill by ____.
A. borrowing the money for it B. learning to read music
C. succeeding in speaking properly D. working hard at his lessons
