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31~50各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers. Some years later, they  31   after having dinner together. They discussed the  32   they gave their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said,“I had a   33   house built for Mama.”The second said,“I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer（经销商）send a   34   to her.”The third said,“I built a beautiful  35   for Mama.”The fourth said,“You know  36   Mama loved reading poems and you know she can’t read anymore because she can’t  37   very well. I met a   38   who had a parrot（鹦鹉）that can recite many poems. It took him 12 years to  39   it and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years,  40   it is worth it.”On hearing that, the other brothers were  41   by his good thought.

After the holidays their mother  42   her thank-you notes. She wrote:

“Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to  43   the whole house. It’s a tiring job. Thanks anyway.”

“Marvin, I am too old to  44  .I stay home and have my foods delivered, so I’ll  45   use the automobile. The  46   was good, although notpractical. Thanks.”

“Michael, you gave me an expensive building for 50 people to  47   plays or watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I’ve almost  48   my hearing and I’m nearly blind. I won’t use it. Thank you all the same.”

“Dearest Melvin, you were the  49   son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so  50  . I liked it very much. Thank you.”

31.A.fought                        B.talked                               C.studied                   D.slept

32.A.gifts                            B.chances                           C.wishes                             D.challenges

33.A.warm                          B.big                                     C.safe                                   D.lonely

34.A.book                            B.bike                                   C.car                                     D.bag

35.A.station                       B.museum                          C.library                               D.theater

36.A.what                           B.how                                   C.why                                   D.when

37.A.listen                          B.feel                                    C.see                                    D.walk

38.A.nurse                          B.writer                               C.businessman                  D.scientist

39.A.protect                       B.beat                                  C.raise                                 D.teach

40.A.but                              B.so                                      C.unless                               D.although

41.A.treated                      B.impressed                       C.threatened                     D.hurt

42.A.sent out            B.put up                               C.took out                           D.picked up

43.A.sell                              B.borrow                    C.clean                                 D.visit

44.A.learn                           B.work                                 C.exercise                           D.travel

45.A.never                          B.often                                 C.regularly                          D.sometimes

46.A.future                         B.hobby                               C.idea                                   D.program

47.A.create                        B.enjoy                                 C.bring                                 D.record

48.A.lost                    B.admired                           C.remained                         D.discovered

49.A.same                          B.last                                    C.next                                  D.only

50A.strange                       B.unpleasant                      C.bitter                                D.delicious

As a young boy, I sometimes traveled the country roads with my dad. He was a rural mill carrier, and on Saturdays he would ask me to go with him. Driving through the countryside was always an adventure: There were animals to see, people to visit, and chocolate cookies if you knew where to stop, and Dad did.
In the spring, Dad delivered boxes full of baby chickens, and when 1 was a boy it was such a fun to stick your finger 'through one of the holes of the boxes and let the baby birds peck on your fingers.
On Dad' s final day of work, it took him well into the evening to complete his rounds because at least one member from each family was waiting at their mailbox to thank him for his friendship and his years of service. "Two hundred and nineteen mailboxes on my route." he used to say, "and a story at every one. " One lady had no mailbox, so Dad took the mail in to her every day because she was nearly blind. Once inside, he read her mail and helped her pay her bills.
Mailboxes were sometimes used for things other than mail. One note left in a mailbox read. "Nat, take these eggs to Marian; she's baking a cake and doesn't have any eggs. " Mailboxes might be buried in the snow, or broken, or lying on the groom:. bat the mail was always delivered On cold days Dad might find one of his customers waiting for him with a cup of hot chocolate. A young wrote letters but had no stamps, so she left a few button on the envelope in the mailbox; Dad paid for the stamps. One businessman used to leave large amounts of cash in his mailbox for Dad to take to the bank. Once, the amount came to 8 32,000.
A dozen years ago, when I traveled back to my hometown on the sad occasion of Dad’s death,  the mailboxes along the way reminded me of some of his stories. I thought I knew them all, but that wasn't the case.
As I drove home, I noticed two lamp poles, one on each side of the street. When my dad was around, those poles supported wooden boxes about four feet off the ground. One box was painted green and the other was red, and each had a long narrow hole at the top with white lettering: SANTA CLAUS, NORTH POLE. For years children had dropped letters to Santa through those holes.
I made a turn at the comer and drove past the post office and across the railroad tracks to our house. Mom and I were sitting at the kitchen table when I heard footsteps. There, at the door, stood Frank Townsend, Dad's postmaster and great friend for many years. So we all sat down at the table and began to tell stories.
At one point Frank looked at me with tears in his eyes. " What are we going to do about the letters this Christmas?" he asked.
"The letters?"
'I guess you never knew. "
"Knew what?"
" Remember, when you were a kid and you used to put your letters to Santa in those green and red boxes on Main Street? It was your dad who answered all those letters every year. "
I just sat there with tears in my eyes. It wasn’t hard for me to imagine Dad sitting at the old table in our basement reading those letters and answering each one. I have since spoken with several of the people who received Christmas letters during their childhood, and they told me how amazed they were that Santa had known so much about their homes and families.
For me, just knowing that story about my father was the gift of a lifetime.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that the writer regarded his travels with Dad us_____.

 It took him a long time to ______ the skills he needed to become an artist.

A. acquire                  B. arrive                      C. return                    D. cover

短文改错（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）

My friend Jack who was always working hardly so that he could earn enough to buy a car of his own. He used to say, “My life will be better when I get a nicer car.” It took him more than three years to make his dreams come true. However, Jack was not satisfied with what he has achieved. He worked even harder, hoping that he would able to buy a big house with a beautiful garden. One day, I told himself that happy is a journey, not a destination. Try to do what you like and enjoy what you can enjoy at the present, and you will feel regretful when you are too old to do anything.

Imagine someone has crossed the seas joining five continents by swimming. It is a major success for anyone. But it is an even greater success for Philippe Croizon, who has no arms, and no legs! His achievements show that we can all achieve great things—no matter who we are.

Philippe Croizon was 26 years old when he had an accident. The doctors had to remove both of his arms and legs. “When they cut off my last leg I wanted to die. I suffered great depression and my spirit was as low as you can get. But you have to choose—and I chose to live!” said Croizon.

While he was recovering in hospital, Croizon saw a television programme about a woman who had been swimming across the English Channel. After watching the programme Croizon decided to do it. He began to exercise every day to make him strong and it took him two years to prepare.

Finally in 2010, Croizon was ready. He entered the cold, grey sea of the English Channel. He was now 42 years old. It took him from early morning until night to swim the distance. He felt a lot of pain. But he had become the first person without arms and legs to swim between France and England. Croizon had achieved his dream, but he did not stop there. He looked for a new goal.

Early in 2012 he planned to swim across the seas that join five major continents. During the next few months he swam between the four continents of Australia, Asia, Africa and Europe and finally in the cold waters of the Bering Strait between the continents of Asia and the Americas.

“We want to show people something. If disabled people have courage and a lot of training they can do the same things as those who are not disabled,” said Croizon.

1.According to the passage, Philippe Croizon _____.

A. was born with disability                      

B. suffered a lot from the accident

C. chose to live because of a TV programme        

D. was fond of swimming since he was young

2.What do we know about Philippe Croizon’s swimming across the English Channel?

A. It took him two years to finish it.            

B. He was the first person to achieve it.

C. It was easy for him to finish the swim.        

D. He spent a lot of time preparing for it.

3.Philippe Croizon’s crossing the seas joining five continents______.

A. lasted a month                             

B. ended in the Bering Strait

C. happened when he was 42 years old       

D. was inspired by a television programme

4.Which of the following can best describe Philippe Croizon’s story?

A. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.           

B. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

C. Actions speak louder than words.          

D. The finest diamond must be cut.

5.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Hope in the corner                        

B. A disabled man’s dream

C. Challenges to Philippe Croizon              

D. Philippe Croizon’s amazing swim