I moved to a new neighborhood two months ago. In the house with a large  31  across the road lived a taxi driver, a single parent with two school-aged children. At the end of the day, he would  32  his taxi on the road. I  33  why he did not park it in the garage.
Then one day I learnt that he had another car in his garage. In the afternoon he would come home  34  work, leave his taxi and go out for his  35  affairs in his other car, not in his taxi. I felt it was a 36  .
I was curious to see his personal car but did not make it until I 37  to be outside one evening two weeks  38 , when the garage door was 39  and he drove out in his “own” car: a Rolls-Royce(劳斯莱斯)! It shook me completely  40  I realized what that meant. You see, he was a taxi driver. But  41  inside, he saw himself as something else: a Rolls-Royce owner and a(n)  42  . He drove others in his taxi but himself and his children in his Rolls-Royce. The world looked at his taxi and 43  him a taxi driver. But for him, a taxi was just something he drove for a living. Rolls-Royce was something he drove for a (n)  44  .
We go to bed every night and  45  every morning as parents or children, not as bankers, CEOs or professors. We go for a  46  as close friends or go for a vacation as a 47  . We love life as it is. Yet often, we base our entire happiness and success on how much bigger and better a 48  we have. And we ignore our Rolls-Royce, by  49  it dusty in our garage. We should focus more on  50 we are than what we do!

【小题1】
A.windowB.garageC.doorD.yard
【小题2】
A.parkB.stopC.checkD.repair
【小题3】
A.knewB.understoodC.askedD.wondered
【小题4】
A.forB.out ofC.withoutD.from
【小题5】
A.businessB.nationalC.personalD.public
【小题6】
A.waste B.giftC.wonderD.must
【小题7】
A.appearedB.intendedC.expectedD.happened
【小题8】
A.laterB.moreC.agoD.before
【小题9】
A.brokenB.fineC.shutD.open
【小题10】
A.onceB.beforeC.whenD.until
【小题11】
A.farB.deepC.longD.little
【小题12】
A.driverB.engineerC.fatherD.son
【小题13】
A.calledB.madeC.electedD.turned
【小题14】
A.experienceB.earningC.lifeD.work
【小题15】
A.stay upB.wake upC.stay homeD.go home
【小题16】
A.competitionB.performanceC.debateD.party
【小题17】
A.familyB.companyC.teamD.whole
【小题18】
A.gardenB.garageC.carD.taxi
【小题19】
A.givingB.keepingC.drivingD.parking
【小题20】
A.whoB.whatC.whichD.where

I stood outside New York's Madison Square Garden and just stared, almost speechless. I was a farm boy from County Kilkenny, a child who some thought would never walk, let alone go as far as I had in the world.
From the day I was born, there was a problem. The doctors at the Dublin hospital told my parents I had phocomelia, a deformity that affected both legs below the knee, which were outward and shorter than normal and each foot had just three toes.
Life was tough. I couldn't stand, much less walk. I rarely, left the farmhouse---and then only in someone's arms. Mam bundled me up whenever she took me to town, no matter the season.
“The world will see him when he can walk,” she told Dad. “And he will walk.”
Mam devoted herself to helping me. She tried everything to get me on my feet. When I was three, she and Dad took me to a clinic in Dublin.
A few weeks later we returned to Dublin with my artificial limbs (肢). Back home I practiced walking with my new limbs.
“There's nothing anyone can do but you can't,” Mam said. “You and I are going to walk through town.”
The next day Mam dressed me in my finest clothes. She wore a summer dress and fixed her hair and makeup. Dad drove us to the church. We stepped out of the car. Mam took my hand. “Hold your head up high, now, Ronan,” she said.
We walked 300 meters to the post office. It was the farthest I'd walked, and I was sweating from the effort. Then we left the post office and continued down the street, Mam's eyes shining with a mother's pride.
That night, back on our farm, I lay exhausted on my bed. It meant nothing, though, compared to what I'd done on my walk.
Then I began to pursue my dream of singing. And at every step Mam's words came back to me—Ronan, you can do anything anyone else can do—and the faith she had in God, who would help me do it.
I've sung from the grandest stages in Europe, to music played by the world's finest musicians. That night, I stood at the Madison Square Garden, with Mam's words chiming in my ears. Then I began singing. I couldn't feel the pulse of the music in my feet, but I felt it deep in my heart, the same place where Mam's promise lived.
【小题1】What was the problem with the author as a baby?

A.He was expected unable to walk.
B.He was born outward in character.
C.He had a problem with listening.
D.He was shorter than a normal baby.
【小题2】The underlined word “deformity” in the second paragraph most probably means _______.
A.shortcomingB.disadvantageC.disabilityD.delay
【小题3】Why did Mam dress him and herself in finest clothes?
A.To hide their depressed feeling.
B.To indicate it an unusual day.
C.To show off their clothes.
D.To celebrate his successful operation.
【小题4】From the story we may conclude that his mother was _______.
A.determinedB.stubbornC.generousD.distinguished
【小题5】According to the writer, what mattered most in his success?
A.His consistent effort.B.His talent for music.
C.His countless failures.D.His mother's promise.

When I was fifteen, I announced to my English class that I was going to write my own books. Half the students smiled unkindly,  36  nearly fell out of their chairs laughing. “Don’t be  37 , only geniuses can become writers,” the English teacher said, “And you are getting a D this term.” I was so ashamed I burst into  38 . That night I wrote a short sad poem about broken dreams and mailed it to the newspaper. To my  39 , they published it and sent me two dollars. I was a published and paid writer. I showed my teacher and fellow students. They laughed, “Just plain dumb luck,” the teacher said. I  40  success. I’d sold the first thing I’d  41  written. That was more than any of them had done and if it was just dumb luck that was fine with me.

     During the next two years I sold dozens of poems and letters. By the time I graduated from high school, I had scrapbooks (剪贴簿)  42  my published works. I never  43  my writing to my teachers, friends or my family  44  because they were dream killers.

I had four children at the time.  45  the children slept, I typed on my ancient typewriter. I wrote what I felt. It took nine months. I chose a  46  and mailed it. A month later I received a contract, an advance on payments, and a request to start  47  another book. Crying Wind, became a best seller, was translated into fifteen languages and sold worldwide. My first book also became  48  reading in native American schools in Canada.

     The  49  year I ever had as a writer I earned two dollars. In my best year I earned 36,000 dollars. People ask what college I  50 , what degrees I had and what qualifications I have to be a writer. The answer is: “None.” I just write. I’m not a genius. I use an electric typewriter that I paid a hundred and twenty nine dollars  51  six years ago. I do all the housework and  52  my writing in a few minutes here and there. I’ve written eight books. To all those who dream of writing, I’m shouting at you: “Yes, you can. Don’t listen to them.” I don’t write right  53  I’ve succeeded. Writing is  54 , it’s fun and anyone can do it.  55 , a little dumb luck doesn’t hurt.

1.

A. other

B. others

C. the other

D. the rest

2.

A. silly

B. curious

C. excited

D. depressed

3.

A. laughter

B. tears

C. song

D. cheers

4.

A. puzzlement

B.disappointment

C. expectation

D. astonishment

5.

A. tasted

B. met

C. accepted

D. considered

6.

A. yet

B. never

C. even

D. ever

7.

A. crowdedwith

B. filled with

C. combined with

D. linked with

8.

A. remembered

B. concluded

C. mentioned

D. described

9.

A. again

B. instead

C. still

D. merely

10.

A. Though

B. Before

C. Until

D. While

11.

A. writer

B. reporter

C. publisher

D. manager

12.

A. working on

B. going on

C. turning on

D. putting on

13.

A. requested

B. required

C. demanded

D. reminded

14.

A. busiest

B. worse

C. worst

D. highest

15.

A. attended

B. took

C. admitted

D. participated

16.

A. out

B. to

C. by

D. for

17.

A. keep

B. fit

C. save

D. hold

18.

A. or

B. so

C. and

D. but

19.

A. easy

B. hard

C. convenient

D. practical

20.

A. On the contrary

B. Of course

C. As a result

D. In this way

 

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