Recently divorced(离婚), I had no job and was on my way downtown to go the rounds of the employment offices despite the great   36  . My old umbrella was broken, and I could not   37   another one.

I sat down in the streetcar — and there against the seat was a beautiful silk   38   with a silver handle inlaid (镶嵌) with gold. I had   39   seen anything so lovely.

I   40   the handle and saw a   41  . I got off the streetcar and   42   opened the umbrella to protect myself. Then I searched a   43   book for the name on the umbrella and found it. I called and a lady answered.

Yes, she said in   44  , that was her umbrella, which her parents, now dead, had given her for a birthday present.   45  , she added, it had been stolen at school (she was a teacher) more than a year before.

She was so excited that I   46   I was   47   a job and went directly to her house. She took the umbrella, her   48   filled with tears.

I refused the   49   she gave me. We talked for a while, and I must have given her my address. I don’t remember.

The next six months were   50  . I was able to obtain   51   here and there. l reached the lowest point in my   52  . Unless a miracle happened, I would be homeless in January, foodless, jobless.

Christmas Eve came. No money to buy my daughter a gift. I was sobbing (抽泣) in the cold little kitchen   53   the doorbell rang and my daughter Peggy ran to answer it. He was a postman, and his arms were   54   of parcels. “This is a mistake” I said, but he read the name on the parcels and there were for me.

Peggy and I sat on the floor and opened them. I looked for the name of the sender. It was the teacher. The address was   55   “California”, where she had moved.

1.A. cloud                           B. rain                         C. wind                       D. snow

2.A. search                        B. catch　　         C. afford 　　         D. sell

3.A. raincoat                     B. seat          C. book 　            D. umbrella

4.A. never                          B. ever 　　　     C. almost 　　      D. nearly

5.A. concluded                  B. examined      C. learned 　          D. helped

6.A. name                          B. address 　         C. card 　                D. demand

7.A. deliberately               B. specially 　　   C. sadly                 D. thankfully

8.A. technology                B. engine 　　     C. telephone             D. medicine

9.A. anger                          B. surprise　　     C. danger                            D. sorrow

10.A. And                           B. But　　　　    C. So　　　             D. Or

11. A. forgot                      B. remembered        C. indicated 　　   D. decided

12.A. applied for               B. watching for         C. asking for　         D. looking for

13.A. face                           B. nose 　　　　  C. eyes　　　                   D. ear

14.A. reward                     B. prize　　　　　C. present                 D. umbrella

15. A. freezing                            B. surprising              C. shocking                D struggling

16.A. failures                     B. successes　　   C. jobs　　          D. wages

17.A. heart                        B. favor 　　          C. work　　            D. life

18.A. as                              B. while　　         C. when 　              D. then

19.A. proud                        B. full 　　  C. careful　　       D. glad

20. A. simply              B. directly          C. finally                 D. nearly

During my second year of college, I was a part-time waitress in Chicago. I spent most of my time on 　36 and as little as possible on conversation. I wasn’t used to talking to unknown people except when taking 　37 .

One night, a little old man came in and 　38　 himself in my section. I took his order and went on my way. But I 　39 that he came in week after week and always sat at one of my tables. Slowly, I began having short 40 with him. His name was Mr. Rodgers, but he 41 that I call him Don. I learned that he and his wife had gone to dinner and a movie every Saturday. Since she had died, he 　42 the tradition alone.

As the weeks went on, I began to sit and 　43 talk with Don. We talked about his wife, his days 　___44 in the war, his son who had grown up and also served as a pilot in the army. Eventually, we began to talk about my 　45 — going to school, my new boyfriend and the expectation of my future.

About four months after meeting him, I received 　46 from a nurse telling me that Don was in hospital. He was 　47 complications (并发症) from a heart operation. I 　48 drove to the hospital to see him. The first thing he did was thank me for 　49 him to visit the doctor. At first I didn’t know what he was 　50 . Then I remembered that about three weeks earlier, Don was 　51 about chest pains and I gave him the number of a 　52 I know.

A nurse asked, “Are you his daughter?” and I replied, “No, I’m his 　53 .”

54 can become good friends. I recently found it 　55 to talk to customers at the restaurant and I have had a lot more fun.

36. A. school　　 B. work　　　 C. cinema　　 D. home

37. A. orders　　 B. notes　　　 C. advice　　　 D. clothes

38. A. raised　　 B. greeted　　　 C. seated　　　 D. balanced

39. A. realized　　 B. wondered　 C. understood　 D. noticed

40. A. Examinations　　　　　　　 B. Conversations

C. preparations　　　　　　　 D. competitions

41. A. ordered　　 B. believed　　 C. refused　　 D. insisted

42. A. called off　 B. left out　　　 C. carried on　 D. dealt with

43. A. actually　　 B. helplessly　　 C. obviously　 D. hopefully

44. A. escaping　 B. working　　 C. wandering　 D. flying

45. A. ambition　 B. identity　　　 C. occupation　 D. hobby

46. A. an article　 B. a bill　　　　 C. an offer　　 D. a call

47. A. treating　　 B. experiencing　 C. studying　 D. observing

48. A. immediately B. eventually　 C. frequently D. deliberately

49. A. forcing　　 B. forbidding　 C. urging　 　　　 D. inviting

50. A. going through B. setting aside　 C. referring to　　 D. making up

51. A. arguing　 B. complaining　 C. discussing D. thinking

52. A. doctor　　　 B. dentist　　　 C. lawyer　　 D. manager

53. A. student　　 B. waitress　　 C. niece　　　 D. secretary

54. A. Relatives　　 B. Colleagues　 C. Neighbors　 D. Strangers

55. A. unbelievable B. possible　　 C. enjoyable D. reasonable