完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
My grandmother became a widow in 1970. Shortly after that, we went to the  21 shelter to pick out a dog to keep her  22 . Grandma decided on a little dog with a reddish-brown spot above each eye.  23 these spots, the dog was named Penny.
Grandma and Penny quickly became very  24 to each other, but that attachment grew much stronger about three years later  25 Grandma had a stroke（中风）. Grandma could no longer  26 , so when she came home from the hospital, she and Penny were  27 companions.
After her stroke, it became a real  28 for Grandma to let Penny in and out because  29 was at the bottom of a flight of stairs. So a mechanism（机械装置）using a rope and pulley（滑轮）was   30 from the door to a handle at the top of the stairs. Grandma just had to pull the handle to open and close the door. If the store was   31 Penny’s favorite dog food, Grandma would make one of us  32 Penny browned beef with potatoes in it. I can remember   33 my grandmother by saying that she loved that dog better than she loved her family.
As the years passed, it was not  34 for Grandma and Penny to separate each other. If Grandma went to take her nap（打盹）, Penny stayed by her side until she  35 . As Penny aged, she could no longer jump up on the bed, so she   36 on the rug （垫子）beside the bed. If Grandma went into the   37 , Penny would walk along beside her, wait outside the door and accompany her   38 to the bed or chair. Grandma never went anywhere without her   39 companion by her side.
The time came when both my grandmother’s and Penny’s   40 were failing fast. After fifteen years of loving companionship, Grandma and Penny passed away within a few hours of each other.

They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon; on foot, on mules(骡子) or by air. We chose the first. Up early; my husband and I and our three children couldn’t wait to get started. We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out, I was shocked at how narrow the path was. And I couldn’t help noticing that the other tourists weren’t like us. They had heavy backpacks, water bottles, and hats. But as usual we were dressed, As the sun rose higher, Arizona’s famous heat seemed to roast(烘烤)　us. There was no shade and our legs were aching. We decided to go back, with the girl on my back and the boys far behind. By the time we finally got back, our legs were like jelly.
The next day, after we’d had a long rest and a good breakfast, we were ready for another view of the Canyon – by air. After our last walk, this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon. But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed(翻转)　the plane around, pretending he was going to hit the ground. I shouted, “STOP, TAKE US BACK!” When we finally arrived back on land, once again our legs were like jelly. We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said, there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon. We never tried the mules, but personally I’d suggest a fourth: buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic. That way, you can see the Canyon, without fear or tiredness.
【小题1】Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?

Dash of Hope
"Dash" is a symbol which represents every day we've spent alive on earth. Therefore, how you spend your "dash" is important.
Recently I  36  about a little girl named Hope. After learning more about her life, I couldn't help but feel it was not by  37 , nor happenstance（意外事件）, that she had been named "Hope". The strong feeling of sympathy and generosity  38  in her young heart made a lasting impression on me and countless others.  39  I never had the opportunity to meet her, I wish I had. It seems as though she was wise beyond her tender years and very, very special.
Hope was a twelve-year-old girl who was  40  a "wish" in early December 2010 by the "Make-A-Wish" Foundation after being  41  that she had a rare type of bone cancer. However, when she found out that more than 150  42  in her area were waiting for their wishes to be achieved , she unselfishly used her wish to  43  that those children have their wishes granted. She also asked that it be done  44  January 16, 2011. Unfortunately, however, the organization informed her that her  45  request could not be granted as the funds were simply  46 . They calculated that they would need to raise more than one  47  dollars in thirty days in order to grant her wish.  48 , but not discouraged, she turned her disappointment into an enthusiasm that inspired caring  49  to take up helping grant the wishes of the other children, and eventually  50  as well. Newspaper columnists and reporters for radio and TV stations  51  the story of this caring young girl who had  52  the hearts of so many and as word spread, the community was challenged. Committees were fanned and schools, corporations and various organizations assisted in  53  money to help make Hope's dream come true.
Her efforts were not in vain as they continue to help others, not only  54 , but spiritually and emotionally as well. At the gathering to celebrate her life, "A Celebration of Hope" on January 16, 2011 , the  55  was made that they had indeed received donations totaling more than one million dollars. Her wish had been granted!

完形填空（共15小题, 每小题1分， 满分15分）
阅读下面的短文，从短文所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
For years we have been told that encouraging a child’s self-respect is important to his or her success in life.__41__ child experts are now learning that __42__ praise can lead to the opposite effect. Praise-aholic(受表扬上瘾的) kids who __43__ it at every turn may become teens who try to get the same kind of __44__ from friends when asked if they want to go in the backseat of the car. ks5*u
The meaning of saying “You are the __45__ girl in class,” or talking about the goals she scored but not her general __46__, is that you love her __47__ when she looks the best, scores the highest, achieves the most. And this __48__ over to the classroom.
Social psychologist Carrol Dweck, PhD, tested the effects of overpraise on 400 fifth graders __49__ she was at Columbia University. She found that the kids who were __50__ for “trying hard” did better on tests and were more likely to take on difficult tasks than __51__ praised for being “smart”.
“Praising qualities or abilities leads to a false __52__ that success will come to you because you __53__ that quality, and it devalues(贬值) effort. __54__, children are afraid to take on challenges, ” says Dweck, now at Stanford University, “They think they’d better __55__while they’re ahead.”
【小题1】  

This was my grandmother’s first Christmas without grandfather. When we reached her house, it did seem a little 36 without grandfather.
Grandfather had always said the Christmas  37 was the most important. So we set to work assembling（组装）the beautiful  38 tree that was stored in grandfather’s closet（储藏室）. After we finished, we stepped back to  39 our work. It looked wonderful. But something was  40 .
“Where’s the star?” I asked. It was my grandmother’s  41 . As we emptied box after box and found no star, my grandmother’s eyes  42 with tears. Grandfather had given it to Grandmother fifty years ago. Now, on her first Christmas without  43 , the star was gone, too.
“Let’s  44 in the closet where the tree was,” my sister Donna said. We  45 under beds and over shelves, inside and outside  46 we had exhausted every possibility. We could see Grandmother was  47 , although she tried not to show it. By now, it was  48 outside, and time for bed, as Santa would soon be here.
The next morning, my sisters and I  49 early to see what Santa had left under the tree. After breakfast, the family sat together to  50 presents. “The last gift is to Grandmother from Grandfather.” Father said, in a puzzled voice.
“From who?” There was  51  in my grandmother’s voice.
“I found that  52 in the closet when we got the tree down,” Mother explained.
My grandmother opened it. Her face lit up when she pulled out a(n)  53  golden star. There was a note attached. Her voice trembled（颤抖）as she read it:
Don’t be  54  with me, dear. I broke your star while putting away the tree. Thought it was time for a new one, I hope it brings you as much  55  as the first one. Merry Christmas.