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36至55各个题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

The moment I knew my mother had incurable lung cancer, I realized for the first time that time will one day run out for us all.

I have determined to be with my mother as much as I possibly can. This is not out of a sense of

36  , but because I really want to be near her. But making the time to   37   with my mother has been my greatest   38   . I have a husband, a four-year-old son and a home to nm. I also hold down a(n)    39    job as a radio announcer at the BBC.

I arrived at work one day to be told we would be doing a radio series exploring “time poverty”. I’ve    40    been taken with the idea that we are time-poor. How can I - who have so many labor-saving machines and an only child – have   41   time than my mother who had six children and no  42  ?

I put this   43   a professor. He pointed out that it is because I try to keep my home much cleaner than my mother did. I admit I like to   44   to my friends. My husband says  45   that I remove all traces (痕迹) of human life    46    anyone arrives.

The professor said    47   has become the new religion. We expect work to provide us with a sense of identity and a means to secure our future. And because we   48   so much time in our working lives, we like to reward ourselves with material things. Frequently, we spend our money before it’s earned.   49  is an annoying worry, keeping us 50  to the work treadmill (跑步机).

The same professor suggested we    51   a Buddhist concept -- to enjoy each moment and activity for its own sake,   52  try to do lots of things at once. Since then I have been   53   the art of “living in the moment” whenever I get the chance. I have cleared my schedule of nonessential tasks,   54   house and garden plans, and turned down some extra work.

It is my mother’s illness, a once-in-a-lifetime event, that sets me   55   on the fact that we forget that time is a limited resource.

36. A. duty           B. guilt              C. sorrow             D. sympathy

37. A. live            B. be                 C. chat                D. go

38. A. concern         B. challenge           C. chance              D. trouble

39. A. demanding         B. critical             C. boring              D. amazing

40. A. almost          B. seldom            C. never               D. often

41. A. better          B. worse             C. less                D. more

42. A. tape-recorder    B. washing machine    C. air-conditioner       D. television

43. A. with           B. for               C. in                         D. to

44. A. show off       B. draw attention       C. look forward        D. get close

45. A. angrily          B. surprisingly         C. jokingly            D. seriously

46. A. after           B. when              C. as                 D. before

47. A. time           B. entertainment        C. work              D. family

48. A. invest         B. contribute          C. give               D. devote

49. A. Pressure        B. Expense           C. Life                D. Debt

50. A. led             B. chained            C. relied              D. focused

51. A. adopt          B. advocate            C. adapt               D. acquire

52. A. more than       B. instead of           C. rather than          D. other than

53. A. exercising      B. practicing           C. believing            D. holding

54. A. fixed          B. conducted          C. postponed           D. made

55. A. reflecting      B. thinking            C. considering          D. wondering

In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for three    36  to become one. The table was always spread with    37   containing love as the main ingredient (成分). And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the    38   that was a part of our lives.

As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I    39  and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather’s ritual (老习惯). He wound (上发条) that clock with a(n)    40   key carefully each day. I remember watching   41   my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound — not too much, nor too    42  . He never let that clock wind down and    43 . He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take    44    winding the key.

After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral    45  I remembered the clock! The tears    46   freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet.

Some time later, my grandmother gave me the key. The old house was   47 . No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the    48   — all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and    49   the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a    50   again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there,    51   at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power.

I stood there,    52   in thought for a long time. Then slowly and    53   I inserted the key and wound the clock. It sprang to life. Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my    54  . With the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather    55   again.

In the dining room of my grandfather’s house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for three    36  to become one. The table was always spread with    37   containing love as the main ingredient (成分). And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the    38   that was a part of our lives.
As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I    39  and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather’s ritual (老习惯). He wound (上发条) that clock with a(n)    40   key carefully each day. I remember watching   41   my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound — not too much, nor too    42  . He never let that clock wind down and    43 . He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take    44    winding the key.
After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral    45  I remembered the clock! The tears    46   freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet.
Some time later, my grandmother gave me the key. The old house was   47 . No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the    48   — all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and    49   the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a    50   again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there,    51   at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power.
I stood there,    52   in thought for a long time. Then slowly and    53   I inserted the key and wound the clock. It sprang to life. Tick-tock, tick-tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my    54  . With the movement of the hands of the clock, my grandfather    55   again.

In January 1986 I saw a show about cartooning called “Funny Business” on TV. I had always wanted to be a __36__but never knew how. So I wrote to the host of the_37_, cartoonist Jack Cassady, asking for advice on entering the profession(职业).

Two weeks later I got a (n) __38__letter from Jack, answering my questions about materials and process(过程). He also __39__ me not to get discouraged if I was refused__40__. He said the cartoon samples（样本） I sent him were good and worthy of publication（出版）.

I got very __41__, finally understanding how the whole process__42__. I sent my best cartoons to Playboy and New Yorker, ___43___ the magazines rejected（拒绝）me immediately. Discouraged, I put my art supplies in the box and__44__to forget all about cartooning.

To my__45__, in June 1987 I got another letter from Jack, although I hadn’t even__46__ him for the former advice. Here’s what he said:

Dear Scott,

I was reviewing my “Funny Business” mail file when I again came__47__ your letter and your cartoons. I remember answering you letter.

I’m writing to encourage you to submit(提交) your ideas to various publications again. I hope you have __48__ done so and are making progress and having some__49__ too. Sometimes encouragement in the funny business is hard to come by. That’s__50__ I am encouraging you to hang in there and keep drawing.

I wish you good luck.

Sincerely,

Jack

I was deeply__51__because Jack had nothing to gain—including my thanks. I acted on his__52__, took out my art supplies and inked the sample strips(漫画连载) that__53__ became Dilbert.

I feel__54__that I wouldn’t have tried cartooning again if Jack hadn’t sent the second letter. As Dilbert became more successful I came to __55__ Jack’s simple act of kindness.

1.                A．singer          B．writer          C．actor D．cartoonist

2.                A．show           B．television       C．wedding  D．party

3.                A．surprising       B．encouraging     C．shocking D．disappointing

4.                A．allowed        B．suggested       C．insisted   D．warned

5.                A．at first          B．first of all        C．at last    D．in the end

6.                A．confused       B．anxious         C．excited   D．enthusiastic

7.                A．performed      B．advanced       C．behaved  D．worked

8.                A．but            B．so             C．and  D．though

9.                A．concluded      B．persuaded      C．decided  D．thought

10.               A．disappointment  B．surprise        C．sorrow(悲伤)   D．satisfaction

11.               A．asked          B．hoped         C．wished    D．thanked

12.               A．across         B．over           C．off   D．through

13.               A．still            B．ever           C．already    D．yet

14.               A．trouble         B．fun            C．difficulty   D．problem

15.               A．what           B．which          C．how  D．why

16.               A．touched        B．interested      C．shocked   D．influenced

17.               A．warning        B．encouragement  C．advice D．view

18.               A．surprisingly     B．finally          C．constantly D．freely

19.               A．concerned      B．uneasy         C．worried   D．certain

20.               A．understand     B．honor          C．appreciate D．respect

He is in deep sorrow, so it is not a(n)        time to mention the subject.