Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.

Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my 　1 was more manageable , I 2　 ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. 　3　 that was years ago and times have changed. 　4　 I live with mother on a country farm

Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to 　5 my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). 　6 I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my 　7　 . I decided that I would consider 8　 to singing in restaurants.

My family are all musicians, so I was 　9 when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of　 10　 to get started. And 11　 you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can 　12　 use.

When I told the owner of the shop about my 　13　 ; he gave me a long thoughtful 　 14　 . “This means a lot to you, doesn’ t it?” he said. “Come with me.”

He led me 　15 the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand 16 on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your 17 and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”

I 　18　 . Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose 　19 that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.

His 　20 still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.

1. A. loneliness 　　　　　 B. sadness 　　　　　　　　 C. tiredness 　　　　　　　 D. sickness

2. A. set 　　　　　　　 　　B. enjoyed 　　　　　　　　　 C. kept 　　　　　　　　　　 D. shared

3. A. Gladly 　　　　　　　　 B. Eventually 　　　　　　　 C. Unfortunately 　　　　 D. Surprisingly

4. A. Now 　　　　　　　　　 B. Then 　　　　　　　 　　C. Sometime 　　　　　　　 D. Meanwhile

5. A. add up to　　 　 B. make up for 　　　 C. get rid of 　　　　 D. take advantage of

6. A. If 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. As 　　　　　　　　 　　C. Though 　　　　　　　 D. Before

7. A. movement 　　　　 B. condition 　　　　　　　 C. choices 　　　　　　　　 D. positions

8. A. reaching out 　　B. living up 　　　　　　　　 C. getting on 　　　　　　　 D. going back

9. A. recognized 　　　　 B. interviewed 　　　　　　 C. found 　　　　　　　　　　 D. invited

10. A. money 　　　　　　　　　　 B. time 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. energy D. knowledge

11. A. thus 　　　　　　　　 B. once 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. seldom 　　　　　　　　　 D. often

12. A. actually 　　　　　　 B. hardly 　　　　　　　　　　 C. nearly 　　　　　　　　　　 D. formerly

13. A. job 　　　　　　　　　 B. family 　　　　　　　　　　 C. idea 　　　　　　　　　　 D. offer

14. A. face 　　　　　　　　 B. view 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. look 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sight

15. A. over 　　　　　　　　 B. along 　　　　　　　　　　 C. towards 　　　　　　　　 D. through

16. A. unhappily 　　　　 B. lovingly 　　　　　　　　 C. pitifully 　　　　　　　　　 D. gratefully

17. A. pick 　　　　　　　　 B. turn 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. role 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. step

18. A. had to cry B. ought to cry C. should have cried 　 D. could have cried

19. A. more 　　　　　　　 B. the ones 　　　　　　　　 C. few 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the rest

20. A. courage 　　　　　　 B. devotion 　　　　　　　　 C. kindness 　　　　　　　　 D. trust

　 This is a part from US President Barack Obama’s speech on May 14 at Bamard College in New York.

　 … My last piece of advice – this is simple, but perhaps most important: 36 . Nothing worthwhile is easy. No one of achievement has avoided failure – sometimes catastrophic failures. But they keep at it. They learn from mistakes. They don’t 37 .

　 When I first arrived on this 38 , I was with little money, fewer options. But it was here that I tried to find my place in this world. I knew I wanted to make a difference, but it was 39 how in fact I’d go about it. But I wanted to do my part to 40 a better world.

　 So even as I worked after graduation in a few 41 jobs here in New York, even as I went from motley (鱼龙混杂的)apartment to motley apartment, I 42 .

　 … And I wish I could say that this perseverance came from some innate (天生的)toughness in me. But the truth is, it was 43 . I got it from 44 the people who raised me. I grew up as the son of a single mom who struggled to put herself through 45 and make ends meet. She had a marriage that fell apart; 46 went on food stamps at one point to help us 47 . But she didn’t quit. And she earned her degree, and made sure that 48 scholarships and hard work, my sister and I earned 49 .

And 50 , I met a woman who was assigned to advise me on my first summer job at a law firm. And she gave me such good advice that I married her. And Michelle and I gave everything we had to balance our careers and a 51 family. We made that marriage work.

… So 52 it’s starting a business, or running for office, or 53 an amazing family, remember that making your 54 on the world is hard. It takes patience. It takes commitment. It comes with plenty of 55 and it comes with plenty of failures.

36. A. compete B. persevere C. struggle D. preservation

37. A. rest　　　　　　　　　 B. decline　　　　　　　　　　 C. quit　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. regret

38. A. campus　　　　　　 B. downtown　　　　 C. farm　　　　　　　　　　　 D. country　　

39. A. confident　　　　　 B. uncertain　　　　　　　　 C. ambitious　　　　　　　　 D. proud

40. A. shape　　　　　　　　 B. instruct　　　　　　 　　　 C. organize　　　　　　　　　 D. lead

41. A. amazing　　　　　　 B. disturbing　　　　　　　　 C. meaningful　　　 D. unsatisfactory

42. A. reached out B. put out　　　　　　　　　　 C. gave out　　　　　　　　　 D. made out

43. A. presented B. structured C. learned D. created

44. A. copying B. detecting C. persuading　　　　 D. watching　

45. A. life　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. work　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. school　　　　　　　 D. business

46. A. yet B. even C. still D. also

47. A. get by B. come by C. get along　　　　　　　　 D. come along

48. A. during　　　　　　　　 B. through　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. across　　　　　　　 D. over　

49. A. mine B. us C. ours D. hers

50. A. for the time being B. long before　　　　　　　 C. up to now　　　　　　　 D. later on

51. A. young B. poor C. weak　　　　　　　　　　　 D. strong

52. A. as if B. if C. whether　　　　　　　　　 D. unless　　　　　　　

53. A. rising　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. raising　　　　　　　　　　 C. arousing　　　　　　　　　 D. arising

54. A. view B. stay C. remark　　　　　　　　　　 D. mark

55. A. goals B. advantages C. shortcomings　　　　　 D. setbacks

　　Recently I was invited to a friend’s house for supper and had a meal I’d never had before!

All the friends 　26 were a little surprised. It’s not that Ben is unsociable, or a bad cook, 　27 it’s just that he never spends more than he has to. So how come he was inviting us round for a meal? Had he bought anything 　28 for his friends? He greeted us at the 　29 and showed us into his dining-room 　30 a laid table was waiting for us. “Nothing but the best for my friends!” said Ben. We all felt 　31 . What was he up to?

　　　 Ben returned with four bowls of hot soup. “It’s a 　32 of carrots, potatoes and tomatoes,” said Ben. The next course was also a little 　33 in that（因为）we didn’t quite know what it was again. “It’s just another mixture of vegetables.”

　　　 34 we ate, we chatted and finally the 　35 turned back to what we were eating. “Was there a recipe（食谱） for this,” asked Mary, “or did you make it up?” Ben put his 　36 down. What I cooked depended on what I could find.” Mary was 　 37 . “But you can find anything in the supermarkets these days.” “But there is less choice in what you can find 　38 the supermarkets,” he replied.

　　　 39 that we had all finished the food, Ben decided to tell the 　40 . He had read recently that supermarkets usually 　41 away 5 percent of their food every day. So Ben decided to look inside his local supermarket bins. There he found food that was slightly out of 　42 , boxes of thrown-away vegetables and fruit.

　　　 So Ben had successfully provided a 　43 for his friends, and made us 　44 the fact that there are many people who need the food, but the amount of food thrown away is enough to 　45 millions of people.

26.　 A. attended　　　　　 B. invited　　　 C. joined　　　　 D. came

27.　 A. but　　　　　　　　　 B. and　　　　　　　　　 C. or　　　　　　　　　　 D. for

28.　 A. cheap　　　　 B. classical　　　　　 C. usual　　　　　　　　 D. special

29.　 A. restaurant　　　　 B. supermarket　　　 C. door　　　　　　　　 D. window

30.　 A. which　　　 B. where　　　 C. that　　　　　　　　　 D. with

31.　 A. puzzled　　　　　　 B. calm　　　　　　　　 C. confident　　　　　 D. bored

32.　 A. matter　　　 B. food　　　　　　　　 C. dish　　　　　　　　 D. mixture

33.　 A. awful　　　　　　　 B. bad　　　　　　　　　 C. strange　　　　　　 D. good

34.　 A. Before　　　 B. As　　　　　　　　　　 C. Unless　　　 D. Until

35.　 A. idea　　　　　　　　 B. argument　　　　　 C. subject　　　　　　 D. quarrel

36.　 A. spoon　　　 B. pen　　　　　　　　　 C. bowl　　　　　　　　 D. chopsticks

37.　 A. disappointed　　 B. delighted　　　　　 C. surprised　　　　　 D. excited

38.　 A. within　　　 B. outside　　　　　　 C. inside　　　　 D. around

39.　 A. Feeling　　　　　　 B. Seeing　　　 C. Realizing　　　　　 D. Thinking

40. A. lie　　　　　　　　　　　 B. joke　　　　　　　　 C. menu　　　　　　　 D. truth　

41.　 A. store　　　　　　　　 B. move　　　　　　　 C. put　　　　　　　　　 D. throw

42.　 A. order　　　　　　　 B. date　　　　　　　　 C. fashion　　　　　　 D. place

43.　 A. soup　　　　　　　　 B. fruit　　　　　　　　 C. meal　　　　　　　　 D. vegetable

44.　 A. know　　　　　　　 B. involve　　　　　　 C. guess　　　　　　　 D. forecast

45. A. enrich　　　　　　　　 B. feed　　　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. please

I became lame (瘸的) in both legs in my childhood. I can’t stand 36 the support of two sticks. Only in my wheelchair can I “ 37 ” .

I still remembered the first day at 38 . When I appeared at the door, 　39 in the classroom stared (凝视) at me in 40 . My face turned 41 . I couldn’t help 42

back. It was the 43 and sympathy (同情) in their eyes that 44 me doing so. I went shyly towards an unoccupied (空的) seat.

Being lame, I didn’t dare to 45 in front of my classmates. I was afraid that I might be 46 at. In those days I was very sad to see others walking 　47 .

One day, a few students came up to me and asked me to go outside. I was really 　48 . They encouraged me with a(n) 49 smile and 　50 me in my wheelchair from place to place. I was 　51 to them for giving me a chance to see the 　52 of our lovely school with my own eyes.

After that we often read, played and talked together. My friends are always 　53 　

to help me. It made me 　54 I am handicapped (残疾的).

Once they asked me, “What is the most beautiful thing in our school?” Without hesitation (犹豫) I said, “ It is the 　55 .”

36. A. with　　　　 　 B. without　　　　　　 　 C. under　　　　　　　　 D. on

37. A. walk　　　　　　　　 　 B. run　　　　　　　　　 　 C. sit　　　　　　　　　　　 　 D. stand

38. A. school　　　　　　 　 B. wheelchair　　　　 　C. home　　　　　　　　 　 D. hospital

39. A. he　　　　　　　　　 　 B. she　　　　　　　　　 　 C. everyone 　　　　　 　　D. nobody

40. A. thought　 　　 　　B. interest　　　　　　 　 C. anger　　　　　　　　 　 D. surprise

41. A. red　　　　　　　　　 　 B. brown　　　　　　　 　 C. white　　　　　　　　 　 D. black

42. A. entering 　　　　 　　B. hiding　　　　　　　 　 C. coming　　　　　　　 　 D. turning

43. A. feeling　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　B. kindness　　　　　 　 C. sorrow　　　 D. pain

44. A. made　　　　　　　 　 B. prevented　　　　　 　 C. kept　　　　　　　　　 　 D. let

45. A. walk　　　　　　　　 　 B. study　　　　　　　　 　 C. practice　　　　　　　 　 D. speak

46. A. laughed　 　　　 　　B. smiled　　　　　　　 　 C. stared　　　　　　　　 　 D. looked

47. A. quickly　 　　　 　　B. slowly　　　　　　　 　 C. happily　　　　　　　 　 D. shyly

48. A. brave　　　　　　　 　 B. sad　　　　　　　　　 　 C. hurt　　　　　　　　　 　 D. excited

49. A. honest　　　　　　 　 B. friendly　　　　　　 　 C. luckily　　　　　　　　 　 D. handsome

50. A. pushed　　　　　　 　 B. placed　　　　　　　 　 C. drew　　　　　　　　　 　 D. pull

51. A. satisfied　　　　　 　 B. sorry　　　　　　　　 　 C. loyal　　　　　　　　　 　 D. grateful

52. A. signs　　　　　　　 　 B. sights　　　　　　　 　 C. buildings　　　　　　 　 D. students

53. A. ready　　　　　　　 　 B. smart　　　　　　　　 　 C. wise 　　　　　　　　 　　D. unwilling

54. A. forget　　　　　　　 　 B. remember　　　　 　 C. imagine　　　　　　　 　 D. think

55. A. teachers　　　　　 B. schoolyard 　　　　　 　 C. classmates　　　　　 　 D. friendship