第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。
I lived in Dallas, Texas nearly all my life with my mom, dad and older sister. We were     21    to respect others, value education, and get all that we could out of life. My parents always say, “   22    hard and the world is yours.” They are never without a    23  word of advice or a bit of encouragement when life gets tough.
My parents always    24    me to go to college. However, when I     25    at 16 years old that I’d rather get married to a man than go to college, they    26    stopped telling me they loved me and I could do anything I wanted to.     27    , they persuaded me. I graduated from high school and currently     28     the University of Oklahoma studying medicine. I want to make the     29    a better place to live in.
Every time I call home to tell them about a     30    I received in Chemistry Lab or Microeconomics or     31     class it is that I’m working hardest for at the moment, they tell me how     32    of me they are. I know there are college kids out there that have no one to call home to when they get an “A” on a project and I feel incredibly     33    to have my parents.
Don’t get me wrong: We’ve had our share of     34   . I was the angry teenager and they were the awful    35     that wouldn’t let me stay out all night or let me get my tongue pierced. But somehow, we    36   to work through those issues. They never    37   loving in me or believing in me.
I    38   everything I am to my parents. Without their constant love and       39    , I wouldn’t believe I can change the world. My parents taught me to always          40    for what I believe in. So I’m working toward something really great and can only hope I continue to make them proud.
21. A. brought                     B. introduced         C. raised                       D. produced
22. A. Educate                     B. Work                C. Train                       D. Practise
23. A. helpful              B. harmful             C. stressful                   D. meaningful
24. A. reminded            B. expected          C. supposed                  D. designed
25. A. hesitated             B. judged                     C. fixed                        D. decided
26. A. never                  B. ever                  C. seldom                     D. hardly
27. A. Carefully            B. Hopefully          C. Thankfully               D. Delightfully
28. A. serve                  B. attend               C. admit                       D. join
29. A. fortune               B. planet               C. universe                   D. world
30. A. grade                  B. problem            C. failure                      D. value
31. A. whenever            B. wherever           C. whichever                D. however
32. A. modest               B. proud                  C. ashamed                   D. nervous
33. A. annoyed                 B. praised              C. relaxed                     D. blessed
34. A. lessons                B. problems           C. moments                  D. experiences
35. A. teachers                     B. directors            C. couples                    D. parents
36. A. managed             B. attempted          C. succeeded                 D. conducted
37. A. concluded           B. began                C. prevented                 D. stopped
38. A. pay                    B. owe                C. own                         D. spend
39. A. agreement           B. excitement         C. encouragement         D. statement
40. A. fight                   B. look                  C. defend                            D. protect

The professor stood before his class of 30 senior biology students, about to pass out the final exam. “I have been honored to be your instructor this term, and I know how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test. I also know most of you are off to medical school or graduate school next fall,” he said to them.
“I can well understand how much pressure you are under to keep your grades up, and because I know you are able to understand this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic(自动的) “B” to anyone who would prefer not to take the final.”
In relief a number of students jumped up to thank the professor and left the class. The professor looked at the students who remained, and offered again, “Any other takers? This is your last chance.” One more student decided to go.
There were seven students left. The professor closed the door. Then he handed out the final exam. There were only two sentences typed on the paper: “Congratulations, you have just received an “A” in this class. Keep believing in yourself.”
I never had a professor who gave a test like that. It may seem like the easy way out of grading (评分) a lot of exams, but it’s a test that any teacher in any subject could and should give. Students who don’t have confidence in what they’ve learned are “B” students at best.
The same is true for students of real life. The “A” students are those who believe in what they’re doing because they’ve learned from both successes and failures. They have learned life’s lessons, whether from formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become better people.
Take your cue(榜样) from Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the top of Mount Qomolangma: “It’s not the mountain we conquer (征服), but ourselves.” Don’t let the biggest limit be yourself.
53. The professor offered an automatic “B” to those who would prefer not to take the final exam because _________.
A. he liked the students who wanted to get a “B”
B. he believed they were able to pass the exam
C. he thought any teacher should give them a “B”
D. he thought it was the easy way of grading exams
54. According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. 22 students got a “B” in the final test without doing the paper.
B. Most of the students would go to medical school shortly after the exam.
C. There were actually no problems on the test papers for the students to work out.
D. The way the professor tested his students would not be suitable for other subjects.
55. According to the writer, the test given by the professor was ________.
A. funny        B. meaningful       C. difficult            D. harmful
56. The point of the story is to advise readers _________.
A. to pay attention to what they can do
B. not to miss any final exam at school
C. not to let themselves limit their growth
D. to surround themselves with confident people