That day I was later for school, so Mom offered me a   36 . I sat beside her in our car, daydreaming about my  37 . I’d be graduating from high school in a few months. I’d leave high school behind and do whatever I wanted. What  38 I do? Go to college? Or get a job in an office where I could  39 my way up?

Mom interrupted my thoughts.“Kassandra, do you  40  that?’’She asked just as we were  41  the railroad tracks. She stopped the car on the other side and   42  the window. “It looks like a child.’’  43 ,I saw a small boy walking by himeself. The warning lights on the train tracks flashed  44 .The boy stayed where he was right in the middle of the   45 .The whistle sounded. There’s no  46  that train can stop in time!The boy jumped up and down and   47  at the engineer.

I took off running. My shoes flopped(松动) against my feet as I   48 , so I kicked them off. I ran faster. Stones crunched(发出刺耳的碎裂声) and flew under my   49  feet. The ground shook. God, let me get to him! The train was almost on top of him. I   50 the boy in my arms. Keep running! But something   51  

me. I fell backward, away from the train. I pulled the boy with me onto safe ground. The train barreled(高速行驶)past. The noise was  52 . The wheels were so close that I could have reached out and touched one.

Once the train was out of  53 , I stood up. Mom ran up and hugged me. “Kassandra, I didn’t think you were going to  54 it !’’

I got ready for bed that night  55 looking forward to school the next day. I wanted to enjoy every moment in life.

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One day, Raul was miles away from the small ranch（牧场）house in a large valley. 36 seemed to be all right, yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up, and angry, dark clouds 37 across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did. 38 , the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly 39 Raul. The thunder（雷声）was so loud that he buried his 40 in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Then he heard it. Hoofbeats（蹄声）. He 41 . There before him stood a tall, white 42 . An old man stared down at him from its back.

“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?” asked Raul. “My name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered 43 . “Come with me.”

Raul followed on his horse. A 44 feeling came over him. All 45 them the rain was pouring down, 46 not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be 47 back toward Raul’s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once he found 48 at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse, 49 his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were 50 .

Raul’s father ran out across the yard to 51 him. “We have been 52 about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let’s get in out of the 53 .”

“Wait”, said Raul. “Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?”

“Can’t say I…wait. I 54 my great-grandfather used to tell stories about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They say he was 55 by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?”

36．A．Something　　　 B．Everything　　　　 C．Anything　　　　 D．Nothing

37．A．dropped　　　　 B．fell　　　　　　　 C．rolled　　　　　 D．covered

38．A． Suddenly　　　 B．Strongly　　　　　 C．Quickly　　　　 D．Hardly

39．A．beating　　　　 B．blinding　 　　 C．burning　　　　 D．touching

40．A．nose　　　　　 B．hair　　　　　　 　 C．neck　　　　　 D．head

41．A．looked up　　　 B．woke up　　　　 　 C．lay down　　　　 D．sat down

42．A．tiger　　　　　 B．horse　　　　　 　 C．lion　　　　　　 D．elephant

43．A．lazily　 　　　 B．angrily　　　　　 　 C．coldly　　　　　 D．slowly

44．A．natural　　　　 B．common　　　　 　 C．strange　　　　 D．bad

45．A．around　　　　 B．beside　　　　 　　　 C．through　　　　 D．above

46．A．yet　　　　　　 B．for　　　　　　 　 C．so　　　　　　 D．or

47．A．walking　　　　 B．leading　　　　 　　 C．heading　　　　 D．returning

48．A．them　　　　　 B．themselves　　　 　　 C．him　　　　　　 D．himself

49．A．shook　　　　 B．waved　　　　　 　 C．held　　　　　　 D．took

50．A．gone　　　　　 B．left　　　　　　 　　 C．followed　　　　 D．lost

51．A．see　　　　　 B．meet　　　　　 　　 C．beat　　　　　　 D．ask

52．A．waited　　　　 B．thought　　　　 　　 C．worried　　　　　 D．excited

53．A．yard　　　　　 B．wind　　　　　 　　 C．grass　　　　　　 D．rain

54．A．believe　　　　 B．consider　　　 　　 C．doubt　　　　　 D．forget

55．A．defeated　　　 B．caught　　　　　　 C．damaged　　　　 D．struck

“It’s my own fault．” Carl Fenter pulled his jacket closer against the abnormal bite of cold morning wind．“The rest of the family is home, where it’s   1  ．”

       Just another on of his   2   ideas – a big tamale（玉米粉蒸肉）feast after tonight’s Christmas Eve service at church – and look where it landed him: waiting in a line 50 people deep．

       Who would have guessed that every tamale shop in the city would be sold out the day before Christmas? But they   3  , as Carl knew．He had been driving all over El Paso that morning．

  4  to bring home the tamales, Carl tried one last shop, an old favorite out in Canutillo．

       When he arrived, a fresh batch（一炉）was   5   off the steamer in 45 minutes．  6   at the end of the snaking line of tamale seekers, he watched the woman in front of him   7   her jacket to cover her shivering youngster．It wasn’t long before she, too,   8   in the biting wind．After only a moment’s   9  , Carl took off his own jacket and offered it to the   10   mother．

       Together, they   11   when the line slowly moved forward at last, and smiling people exited the shop carrying steamy bags．  12  , Carl got inside the door and  13   closer to the counter, the woman now first in line．“   14  !” Carl groaned（抱怨）with everyone else   15   behind him．

    “   16  ,” stressed the man at the counter, “we’ll have a final batch ready   17  , oh, about two hours．”

       Defeated, Carl backed away, but the young mother grabbed his arm．

    ‘You’re leaving?”

       “I   18  , ” Carl glanced at his watch．“I promised to put up luminarias（传统圣诞灯）at my church．”

       “I’ll get your order of tamales and bring them to your house．”

       Carl’s brow furrowed（皱眉） “I couldn’t ask you to do that．”

       “But it’s  19   I can do．You lent me your coat．” Her smile overrode（推翻）his objections．“Just give me your address．” She and her little girl settled in for the long wait．

       And at   20   noon on Christmas Eve, they delivered four dozen fragrant tamales – along with Carl’s brown jacket – to his home．

1．A．harmonious           B．warm                  C．happy                 D．pleasant

2．A．brilliant                 B．bad                     C．stupid                 D．common

3．A．were                     B．did                      C．could                  D．had

4．A．Decided                B．Determined          C．Wanted               D．Expected

5．A．ready                    B．prepared              C．soon                   D．due

6．A．Finding his way     B．Taking his road    C．Taking his place   D．Finding his place

7．A．move                    B．reject                  C．abandon              D．remove

8．A．waved                  B．froze                   C．shook                 D．shocked

9．A．assumption            B．appreciation         C．hesitation             D．attention

10．A．grateful               B．respectful            C．hopeless              D．shameful

11．A．cheered               B．congratulated       C．shouted               D．screamed

12．A．Immediately         B．Hopefully             C．Lastly                 D．Finally

13．A．shouldered his way                              B．forced his way

C．felt his way                                         D．inched his way

14．A．No problem         B．No way               C．No doubt             D．No wonder

15．A．lined up               B．held up                C．looked up            D．waited up

16．A．So                     B．But                     C．Then                   D．Besides

17．A．before                 B．for                      C．in                       D．after

18．A．plan to                B．intend to              C．have to                D．ought to

19．A．the least              B．the most              C．the last                D．the best

20．A．just                     B．exactly                C．accurately           D．right