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，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My wife and I moved into our home nine years ago. We16 a lot of time and 17  in the yard to get it looking the way it does today. We live on a corner, and the entire side of the yard is surrounded by a professionally built rock wall.
We did the best to cultivate(耕种) it and called this area our rock garden. 18   We had found flowers and plants, Denise or I will plant them, just to bring some 19 to the area.
Last summer I found a tiny little  plant that I could not immediately
20. I was sure that we didn’t plant it. We decided to let it 21 to grow until we could  22  what it was.
Weeks passed, and as I made my way back to the 23  plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. I 24 to nurture(培育) it and weed around it. As I picked up rocks from the area to get to the 25, I noticed something 26 . The sunflower had not started to grow from where I first saw the stalks(茎）appear. 27  it had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to 28 the sun.
That's when I realized that if a tiny little sunflower wouldn't let a big rock stand in its way when growing up, then we have the29 to do the same.  30 we believe in ourselves, like that little sunflower, we can
31 the type of nourishment(营养）and growth. We need to believe in
32,  knowing that we have the ability to 33 our desires. If you stand all like the sunflower and are 34 of who and what you are, then the environment will begin to 35 you. You will find a way to go under or around your obstacles( 障碍）in order to reach your goals.
16. A. took         B. spent        C. cost         D. pay
17. A. strength     B. energy       C. power        D. force
18. A. However      B. When       C. Whenever     D. Whatever
19. A. weed         B. color        C. water        D. soil
20. A. classify      B. accept       C. clarify      D. identify
21. A. remain       B. prevent      C. continue     D. leave
22. A. figure out    B. hold out      C. stand out    D. try out
23. A. endangered   B. convenient    C. mysterious   D. enormous
24. A. refused      B. decided      C. adapted      D. proposed
25. A. seeds        B. stalks        C. rocks        D. weeds
26. A. unusual      B. common       C. fantastic    D. unnatural
27. A. Casually     B. Basically      C. Actually     D. Strangely
28. A. enlarge      B. expand       C. reach        D. spread
29. A. chance       B. choice       C. power        D. ability
30. A. What if      B. As far as      C. Only if      D. As long as
31. A. inspire      B. attain         C. lose         D. refuse
32. A. ourselves    B. yourselves     C. themselves   D. myself
33. A. preserve     B. comfort        C. achieve      D. suggest
34. A. ashamed      B. pride         C. proud        D. ambitious
35. A. ensure       B. support       C. satisfy      D. protect             

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied.
I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job.
One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost.
In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.
【小题1】We can know from the passage that the author works as ________.

Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.

Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.

“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”

At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall! It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.

No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.

1.We can know from the passage that the author works as ______.

A. a doctor              B. a model              C. a teacher             D. a reporter

2.Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to______.

A. marry a better man\woman

B. become a model

C. get an advantage over others in job-hunt

D. attract more admirers

3.According to the passage, the author believes that ______.

A. everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost

B. it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs

C. media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery

D. it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career

4. What does the author think of his height?

A. He hates to be called a short man.

B. He tries to increase his height through surgery.

C. He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact.

D. He just accepts it as it is

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，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The end of senior year is a truly special and wonderful time for American students. It's  21 
they will remember for the rest of their lives. My senior year, I can't believe it's  22  over. Now when I look back, it was  23  , but exciting, the ball, graduation, and then, of course, college.
I started my college  24  process months before Christmas. My parents told me it would be smart if I was arranged  25  interviews and tours. But I didn' t have a  26 aim. I wanted to go to college, but I didn't want to deal with the stress.
As the days flew by, my applications  27  on my desk just as I had left them three months before. "You are  28  valuable time," my parents Complained. Sweeping away the gathered dust on the applications, I  29  them every Sunday until I finished.
Next came writing the essays. I had many ideas, but every school had different  30  . I changed them until I was pleased. Finally, everything was  31  .
Now I just had to wait. In March, I started receiving letters of rejection. I began to think that I had prepared myself for disappointment. I  32  a letter from Salem State College stating that they wanted to see my third quarter grades   33   they made their decision. Yes! At least someone wanted to  34  me. At the beginning of April, I received a letter from Keens State. I had been 35  . Those opening words "We regret to inform you... " made me sit down and cry. I had lost all hope. Then I heard from Plymouth State. Not my first  36  , but ... I had been accepted. Maybe if I get my  37 up, I can manage to another nicer school...
The college application process  38  me deeply. All my friends had dozens of schools to choose from. I guess my  39  were right. "High school grades are undoubtedly important to your future plans. " If I could do it all over again, I would  40  it more seriously.
21．A．something               B．anything                 C．everything                     D．nothing
22．A．completely              B．finally                    C．nearly                     D．eventually
23．A．wonderful               B．important                C．different                 D．stressful
24．A．examination            B．application              C．graduation                     D．rejection
25．A．about                            B．on                          C．with                       D．for
26．A．true                        B．special                    C．clear                       D．serious
27．A．lay                         B．stood                      C．appeared                 D．gathered
28．A．spending                 B．wasting                   C．taking                     D．having
29．A．worked at               B．worked on                     C．worked for                 D．worked out
30．A．requirements           B．experiences             C．processes                D．statements
31．A．in order                  B．under control          C．in place                  D．under way
32．A．typed                            B．kept                      C．had                        D．wrote
33．A．after                       B．before                    C．until                       D．while
34．A．consider                 B．think                      C．believe                   D．refuse
35．A．admitted                 B．accepted                 C．rejected                  D．fired
36．A．idea                       B．essay                      C．interview                D．choice
37．A．letters                     B．grades                    C．hopes                D．plans
38．A．hurt                       B．frightened               C．damaged                 D．cheated
39．A．friends                   B．students                  C．teachers                  D．parents
40．A．make                      B．have                       C．take                        D．Get

    In old times,  man considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries(神秘事物)of nature.  In fact a single flash of lightning 1. 6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million lamps.    

The American scientist, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to suggest that lightning is in fact electricity formed between the earth and clouds high above. It happened in 1752. In the same year, he also built the first lightning rod(避雷针)to protect buildings from being struck by lightnings.    

    Modern science has discovered that lightning is very strong and powerful. A lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travels at a speed of 30 million meters per second.  Scientists have the opinion that there are about 2, 000 million flashes of lightning per year. In the United States alone, it kills almost one person per day.     The safest place to be in during an electrical storm is a closed car. Outside, one should go close to low ground for cover and not stop under a tree. Also one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house people should keep away from open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.

1.From this passage we know lightning is_______ .

A. one of the great mysteries of nature

B. electricity high above the earth

C. a kind of light

D. the sound from the clouds

2.In the US _______.

A. every person can see lightning every day

B. at least one person is killed by lightning every day

C. there are about 6 million flashes of lightning per year

D. about one person per day dies from lightning

3.During a lightning storm, it would be best if you _______.

A. stand under a tree  B. go outside  C. stay in a closed car   D. stop near windows

4.A lightning rod can _______.

A. prevent accidents caused by lightning   

B. stop lightning

C. protect buildings from being washed away

D. delay the coming of lightning