We often hear stories of young people achieving great things, but history also teaches us that it’s never too late to succeed. Ancient China offers powerful examples of individuals who reached their peak late in life, proving that determination and wisdom can blossom at any age.

Jiang Ziya was born in ancient China’s Shang dynasty. Though he was talented and had big dreams, he lived a hard life when young. He worked as a butcher and ran a small wine shop, but no one recognized his abilities for decades. His luck changed when he was over 70. He met Ji Chang, the future King Wen of Zhou, by the Wei River. Ji Chang was deeply impressed by Jiang’s wisdom and made him a high official. Later, at over 80 years old, Jiang led the Zhou army to defeat the Shang dynasty in a key battle, helping establish the 800-year Zhou dynasty. His story even led to the famous saying: “There are always fish willing to be caught by angler Jiang Taigong.”

Another late bloomer is Su Xun, a great writer from the Song dynasty. Unlike most scholars who studied hard from childhood, Su Xun only started serious learning at 27. He once failed the imperial examinations many times, but he didn’t give up. He spent over 10 years reading and studying classic texts. At 47, he went to the capital with his two sons. His essays quickly became popular, and the great writer Ouyang Xiu praised him highly. What’s more, his two sons both passed the top imperial examinations that year. Together, they were named among the “Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song dynasties”, a rare honor for a family.

1.1. What does the first paragraph mainly suggest?

A Youth guarantees success.

B Success has no age limit.

C Young people are more capable.

D Old people can’t achieve much.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第一段的“We often hear stories of young people achieving great things, but history also teaches us that it’s never too late to succeed”可知，作者既提到年轻人成功的案例，也强调成功永远不嫌晚，暗示成功没有年龄限制。故选B。

2.2. What can be inferred about Jiang Ziya’s early life?

A He was widely respected.

B He faced many challenges.

C He focused on academic studies.

D He traveled to different countries.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第二段的“he lived a hard life when young”和“He worked as a butcher and ran a small wine shop, but no one recognized his abilities for decades”可知，姜子牙年轻时生活艰难，无人赏识，因此可推断他早期面临诸多困难。故选B。

3.3. What made Su Xun different from most scholars?

A He started studying late.

B He had two smart sons.

C He passed exams easily.

D He lived in the Song dynasty.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第三段的“Unlike most scholars who studied hard from childhood, Su Xun only started serious learning at 27”可知，苏洵与大多数文人的不同之处在于他27岁才开始认真治学，起步较晚。B 是他的人生经历而非与他人的差异；C 与 “failed the imperial examinations many times” 矛盾；D 是他的时代背景，并非独特之处。故选A。

4.4. How did Su Xun respond to his repeated failures in the imperial examinations?

A He gave up on scholarly pursuits entirely.

B He shifted his focus to educating his sons.

C He persisted and deepened his studies.

D He sought help from influential officials.

解析：选C。C推理判断题。根据第三段的“He once failed the imperial examinations many times, but he didn’t give up. He spent over 10 years reading and studying classic books”可知，苏洵在多次科举落第后并未放弃，反而花费十余年时间潜心研读经典，这表明他通过坚持和深化学习来应对失败。故选C。