第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

     阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-35各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

The Price of a Dream

　　I grew up poor—living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was 　16　 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　17　 a dream.

My dream was 　18　. By the time I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and 　19　 anything that moved on the football field.

I was also  20　. My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me 　21　 to believe in myself. He 　22　 me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular 　23　 with Coach John changed my life forever.

　　A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike, new clothes and the 　24　 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　25　 up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

　　When I told John, he was 　26　 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” He shouted. “Your 　27　 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head 　28　, trying to think of the right　29　 　that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　30　 in me.

　　“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” He asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.

　　“Well,” he asked, “is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”

　　That simple question made  31    for me the difference between  32 　something at once and having a 　33　. I decided myself to play sports that summer and the ___34    year after I finished high school, I was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　35　 a $ 20,000 contract. Finally, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

16. A. happy                       B. polite　                    C. shy　                                 D. honest

17. A. live                            B. have　　　           C. make　　　              D. need

18. A. athletics                      B. music　　　      C. business　　                   D. money

19. A. kick                            B. play                            C. pass　　　　                 D. hit

20. A. right                          B. popular　　            C. lucky　　　                   D. honest

21. A. how                           B. why　　　            C. when　　　              D. whether

22. A. gave                          B. taught　　　      C. brought　　　              D. asked

23. A. accident                       B. matter　　                 C. problem　　                  D. experience

24. A. aim　　　　        B. idea　　　         C. start　　　　              D. purpose

25. A. keep　　　         B. end　　　          C. give　　　　               D. pick

26. A. mad　　　　        B. mournful　         C. frightened　                D. shameful

27. A. living　　　          B. playing　　              C. working　　                 D. dreaming

28. A. moving　　          B. nodding　　            C. shaking　　                 D. hanging

29. A. answers　　        B. excuses　　            C. words　　　                D. ways

30. A. sadness　　     B. regret　                 C. hopelessness              D. disappointment

31. A. direct　　　　    B. clear　　                C. straight　　　       D. bare

32. A. wanting　　　     B. changing　　           C. dreaming　　              D. enjoying

33. A. wish　　　　　   B. goal　　　              C. score　　　　       D. desire

34. A. following　　　    B. same　　               C. previous　　                D. very

35. A. charged　　　　B. got　　　　             C. offered　　           D. presented

Thomas Edison tried two thousand different materials to make the light bulb. When none worked satisfactorily, his assistant　 31　 , “All our work is in vain. We have learned nothing. ”

　 Thomas Edison replied very　 32 , “Oh, we have come a long way and we have 　 33 a lot. We now know that there are two thousand materials which we cannot 34　 to make a good light bulb. ”

　 If we learn from our mistakes, then we are　 35　 . If we learn from someone else’s mistakes, then we are genius. Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines 　 36　 daily and failure is nothing more than a few small　 37 　 repeated daily.

　 How　 38 the above lines are! Success takes 　 39 . We’ll make mistakes 40 　 we do things in too much of a hurry. When we do not practice disciplines in life, we don’t build enough confidence to 　 41 new and challenging tasks which are important and matter in life. Our confidence　 42 what we think of ourselves and whether we believe in ourselves. We are all born with exceptional　 43　 , but only a few really　 44　 their true potential and make efforts in life and the others just lead a(n)　 45　 life. Do you want to be exceptional?

　 Success is a fruit which everyone wants to 　 46　 but it is not found everywhere and no one can 　 47　 it without serious efforts.

　 Those who want to succeed will find a way; those who don’t will find a(n) 48　 !

　 Success depends upon previous　 49　 , and without it we will end in failure.

　 When you are　 50　 , please enjoy it and give your hand to others who want to accomplish something.

31. A. celebrated　　 B. complained

C. explained　　　　 D. answered

32. A. confidently　　　 B. madly

C. carelessly　　　　　 D. angrily

33. A. remembered　　 B. refused

C. learned　　　　　　 D. ordered

34. A. test　　 B. ignore

C. invent　　　 D. use

35. A. healthy　　 B. enthusiastic

C. intelligent　　　 D. generous

36. A. shown　　 B. prevented

C. recorded　　　 D. practiced

37. A. errors　　 B. machines

C. jobs　　　　 D. steps

38. A. common　　 B. strange

C. familiar　　　　 D. true

39. A. effect　　 B. time

C. drugs　　　　 D. roles

40. A. as though　　 B. so that

C. unless　　　　　 D. if

41. A. keep　　 B. attempt

C. give　　　　 D. see

42. A. depends on　　 B. sets aside

C. turns down　　　　 D. sets up

43. A. appearances　　 B. experiences

C. qualities　　　　　 D. feelings

44. A. own　　 B. realize

C. provide　　 D. research

45. A. active　　 B. hard

C. rich　　　　　 D. average

46. A. sell　　 B. draw

C. eat　　　　 D. praise

47. A. achieve　　　 B. watch

C. offer　　　 　　D. recognize

48. A. story　　 B. excuse

C. key　　　　 D. plan

49. A. preparation　　 B. influence

C. life　　　　　　　 D. generation

50. A. powerful　　 B. wonderful

C. successful　　　 D. hopeful

第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

Mary had her own special kind of joy, and she knew exactly how to spread it around. She lifted children from 　31　 into laughter, love, and belonging. Each time she found a new 　32　 for a child, she gave the family one of her little homemade paper roses. It had become a 　33　 for her, and the families didn't ever forget it.

One evening, Mary was 　34　a meeting for adoptive parents. One of the 　35　 fathers stood up to introduce himself. But before he spoke, he reached into his coat pocket and held up a 　36　, red paper rose.

“Twenty years ago today, I felt alone and 　37　. I didn't know the talents inside me or what was possible for me.

Then Mary 　38　 two wonderful people into my life. They taught me what it was like to feel 　39　. They not only loved me 　40　. They opened a world of 　41　 that I didn't know existed. My new parents told me, ‘Reach for your dreams!’

I did, and today I'm 　42　 to be giving that chance to a child who 　43　 just like me. My mother gave me this little rose. By now, all of you 　44　 where she got it so long ago.

Mary sent me a new rose just yesterday. And my new rose 　45　a new spring, a beautiful new 　46　 for my own little girl. It 　47　 me to show her what unconditional love is, and to teach her to reach for her own beautiful dreams.

Thank you, Mary, for the special little things like roses that 　48　 our lives together. And thank you for all you've done for me and so many families over the years!”

One brief even can send our spirits soaring or 　49　 us in quiet to ponder a new beginning.　50　 it is also the very small things, like Mary's roses, that tie together the meaningful things.

31.A. poverty                    B. loneliness              C. misery                   D. suffering

32.A. home               B. place             C. school             D. life

33.A. glory                B. favor              C. habit              D. tradition

34.A. organizing      B. planning                C. hosting             D. attending

35. A. new                 B. grateful                 C. kind               D. active

36. A. broken              B. faded                         C. treasured           D. dried

37.A. tasteless             B. powerless                C. priceless             D. worthless

38.A. directed             B. introduced             C. brought            D. accepted

39.A. loved            B. protected          C. cared             D. cheered

40.A. silently              B. continuously             C. unintentionally      D. unconditionally

41.A. necessities         B. possibilities                     C. beauties            D. riches

42.A. eager            B. willing                  C. proud             D. lucky

43.A. started out        B. came up                 C. turned out          D. grew up

44.A. understand         B. guess                     C. tell               D. know  

45.A. replaces           B. symbolizes               C. equals            D. creates

46.A. chance           B. mystery                    C. challenge           D. beginning

47.A. reminds              B. helps                        C. accompanies        D. drives

48.A. fix              B. close                C. tie                  D. gather

49.A. cause              B. push                        C. put                           D. leave

50.A. Yet               B. Besides                    C. Otherwise          D. Therefore

A couple of years ago, I went to a lady’s house to buy some vitamins. Upon entering the house, I 　 31　 that there was an electronic keyboard on a stand, leaning　 32　 the wall. Being a piano music lover and 　 33 , I asked, if the woman played. She nodded and added that she had been 　34　 lessons—at age 54! I told her that it was very　 35　 that she was pursuing （追求） her passion（热情） to play the piano.

　 Then she asked me　 36　 question.

　 “I have been playing for 8 years now, ” I answered.

　 “Then you must play a song for me before you leave, ” she　 37 . I thought she was joking and I simply smiled. At the end of the deal of the vitamins, she　 38　 me of our musical “ 39　 ”. She then showed me to an old upright piano in the living room, 40 asked me to play a song for her. I thought　 41　 and decided to play David Lanz’s “Return to the Heart”, since she had so much passion for　 42　 , and it was my soul-searching song.

　 I played the song to the best of my ability, and with my emotions　 43　 into it as possible. She loved it. 　 44　 I was about to step out of the door, I heard a weak voice calling out, “Young man! ”

　 I turned around. And there was an old lady　 45　 one little step at a time with the help of another woman. “I wanted to come out to　 46　 you for the beautiful song that you played. I have been very sick, and it’s very hard for me to　 47　 my bed, but your music made me feel good, ”she said. With that, she turned around and walked　 48　 back to her room.

　 I was deeply　 49　 by her appreciation and felt a deeper understanding for the song. It served its purpose beautifully, returning to one’s　 50　 for peace and joy.

31. A. observed 　　　B. watched

C. noticed 　　　　　D. caught

32. A. on 　　　B. at

C. over 　　　 D. against

33. A. player 　　　B. teacher

C. composer 　　　D. starter

34. A. giving 　　　B. attending

C. teaching 　　　 D. reviewing

35. A. interesting 　　　B. wonderful

C. moved 　　　　　　D. impressive

36. A. another 　　　B. a different

C. the same 　　　　D. other

37. A. advised 　　　B. ordered

C. demanded 　　　D. requested

38. A. warned 　　　B. reminded

C. asked 　　　　　D. required

39. A. course 　　　B. task

C. discussion 　　　D. deal

40. A. and 　　　　 B. but

C. as a result 　　　D. what’s more

41. A. for the moment 　　　B. at the moment

C. for a moment 　　　　　D. at a moment

42. A. music 　　　B. songs

C. the piano 　　　D. vitamins

43. A. dropping 　　　B. falling

C. pouring 　　　　　D. running

44. A. Since 　　　B. As

C. While 　　　　 D. Because

45. A. taking 　　　B. making

C. having 　　　　 D. moving

46. A. thank 　　　B. praise

C. admire 　　　　D. owe

47. A. get on 　　　B. get up

C. get off 　　　　 D. get down

48. A. quietly 　　　B. calmly

C. happily 　　　　 D. slowly

49. A. shocked 　　　B. touched

C. delighted 　　　　D. disturbed

50. A. world 　　　B. heart

C. brains 　　　　 D. dreams

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond, California, USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide（碰撞）with a（n）　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once, with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a（n）　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute, we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute, a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　, but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision, no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous（恶作剧的）　39　and.”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train: the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden, a truck appeared. It came fast towards them, too. 　42　it was passing the crossing, it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there, before the eyes of all the people present, the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce, the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck, he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time, he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them, but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy（预言）should coincide（巧合）with the fact so exactly.