The school was across the street from our home and I would often watch the kids as they played during the break. She seemed so small as she pushed her way __1__ the crowd of boys on the playground. She __2__ from them all.

I began to notice her at other times, basketball in hand, playing __3__. She would practice dribbling (运球) and shooting over and over again, sometimes until __4__. One day I asked her __5__ she practiced so much. She looked __6__ in my eyes and without a moment of hesitation she said, “I want to go to college. The only way I can __7__ is if I get a scholarship. I am going to play college basketball. I want to be __8__. My Daddy told me if the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.”

Well, I had to give it in to her—she was __9__. One day, I saw her sitting in the grass, head __10__ in her arms. I walked toward her and quietly asked what was __11__ “Oh, nothing,” came a soft reply. “I am just too short.” The coach told her that at her height she would probably __12__ get to play for a top ranked team, __13__ offered a scholarship. So she __14__ stop dreaming about college.

She was __15__ and I sensed her disappointment. I asked her if she had talked to her dad about it yet. She told me that her father said those coaches were wrong. They just did not __16__ the power of a dream. He told her __17__ she really wanted to play for a good college, if she truly wanted a scholarship, __18__ could stop her except one thing — her own attitude. He told her again, “If the dream is big enough, the facts don’t count.”

The next year, as she and her team went to the Northern California Championship game, she was seen by a college recruiter (招聘人员). She was indeed offered a __19__. She was going to get the college education that she had __20__ and worked toward it for all those years.

1. A. through　 B. across　 　　 C. over　 　 D. into

2. A. brought out 　 B. showed out 　 C. stood out 　　 D. work out

3. A. only 　　　 B. lonely 　 C. simply 　 D. alone

4. A. dark 　　　 B. dawn 　　　　 C. midnight 　　 D. daybreak

5. A. how 　 B. when 　　　　 C. why 　　　　　 D. what

6. A. worriedly B. shyly 　　　　 C. quietly 　　　 D directly

7. A. go 　　 　　B. get 　　　　　 C. enter 　　　　 D. attend

8. A. worse 　　 B. better 　　　 C. the best 　　 D. the worst

9. A. determined B. encouraged 　 C. fixed 　　　　 D. fascinated

10. A. covered 　 B. enclosed 　　 C. dropped 　　　 D. buried

11. A. the affair B. the wrong 　　 C. matter 　 D. the matter

12. A. ever 　　 B. even 　　　　 C. once 　　　　 D. never

13. A. far more B. much less 　　 C. much fewer 　 D. many more

14. A. should 　　　 B. must 　　　　 C. can 　　　　　 D. may

15. A. overjoyed 　 B. moved 　　 C. embarrassed 　 D. heartbroken

16. A. understand 　 B. experience 　　　 C. learn 　　　　 D. believe

17. A. even if 　　 B. as if 　　　　 C. that if 　　　 D only if

18. A. anything B. nothing 　　　 C. something 　　 D. everything

19. A. prize 　　 B. medal 　　 C. scholarship 　 D. position

20. A. dreamed of B. accepted 　　 C. thought of 　　　 D. appreciated

The art show was ____ being a failure; it was a great success.

A. far from B. along with　 C. next to D. regardless of

阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从1～25各题所给的四个选项中, 选出一个最佳答案。　　

    Bill was a very good pilot (飞行员). He 1 in the air force for several years, and had been very 2. Now he was sent to a small field in the forest, 3 airplanes were able to attack the enemy very easily, because it was 4 the front line, but 5 to find. The forest trees were very tall and very close on all 6, so planes had to dive down steeply (急剧地)and then 7 their dive very suddenly 8 they hit the ground. Only the best pilots were able to 9 safely, and even some of those lost their planes and were killed because they 10 the trees or the ground.

    After Bill had arrived, he was not 11 until he was able to fly closer to the trees than 12 pilots, and soon all the pilots who used that field were trying to 13 each other at flying 14 over the forest.Every time one of their airplanes came back 15 an attack on the enemy the other pilots 16 to run outside and watch, to see 17 near the trees its pilot took it. If he 18 in taking it very near, they laughed and shouted and bought him beer at the bar when he got 19.

    Bill soon 20 exactly how near he was able to go 21, and then one day he flew so close to the tops of the trees that some of the branches scratched the 22 of his plane. The other men in the plane seemed rather 23, but Bill only laughed and landed the plane without any trouble in the middle of the field 24 the other pilots on the ground shouted happily. "How silly I am!" he said. "I 25 that the trees have grown since yesterday!"

　　1. A. was   B. had been   C. would be   D. was working ［　　］ 　　2. A. troublesome   B. successful   C. sorry   D.exact ［　　］ 　　3. A. where　　B. which　　C. from which　　D. at which［　　］ 　　4. A. far away from  B. beyond　　C. just in   D. near ［　　］ 　　5. A. difficult  B. easy   C. important   D. necessary ［　　］ 　　6. A. ways   B. sides　　C. mountains　　D. places　　 ［　　］ 　　7. A. put　　B. go on with　　C. stop   D. make　　　　［　　］ 　　8. A. after　　 B. when　　 C. until　　D. before　　  ［　　］ 　　9. A. do　　 B. come　　  C. take off　　D. land　　   ［　　］ 　　10. A. hit   B. beat　　  C. saw　　　　 D. shot　　   ［　　］ 　　11. A. frightened　　B. satisfied   C. safe   D. angry ［　　］ 　　12. A. all the  B. every  C. any of the other D. any   ［　　］ 　　13. A. win　　 B. get　　   C. beat　　 D. gain　　　　［　　］ 　　14. A. fast　　B. deep　　  C. high　　 D. low　　　　 ［　　］ 　　15. A. from　　B. to　　　　C. with　　 D. through　　 ［　　］ 　　16. A. used　　B. wanted　　C. got used　　D. were　　 ［　　］ 　　17. A. that　　B. how　　   C. why　　　　 D. if　　   ［　　］ 　　18. A. decided　　B. succeeded   C. was interested   D. finished 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　19. A. down　　B. by　　　　 C. in　　　　D. out　　   ［　　］ 　　20. A. told　　B. thought　　C. learnt　　D. got　　   ［　　］ 　　21. A. quickly B. completely C. slowly　　D. safely 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　22. A. body　　B. glass　　  C. top　　   D. bottom　　［　　］ 　　23. A. tired   B. joyful　　 C. frightened D. pleased  ［　　］ 　　24. A. though　　B. while　　C. where　　 D. which　　 ［　　］ 　　25. A. forgot　　B. remembered   C. made up my mind   D. recalled 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］

It was unexpected that I ________ my childhood friend in such a far－away small town.

[　　]

Behind our house is the start of a fascinating trail (小径). This trail is one of the old roads that wind through untold miles of forest. My 　1 , Beans, and I walk the trail frequently. Normally, Beans sniffs alongside the 2　 to follow the smell of a deer track or 3 some cause known only to him.

　 Beans is a white dog, quite handsome and very 　4　 . He not only understands what

we tell him, but also often makes sounds as if he were trying to 　5 back.

　 One morning, we took a different route, which led us to a(n) 　6　 trail. I was sure this trail would eventually lead us to our familiar 　7　 . But, no. We seemed to be far off course. After two hours, I suddenly realized that Beans probably 　8　 the way home. So I urged, "Beans, take me home." He ran down a new trail. But it merely led to an intersection (岔道口) of trails.

　 Soon it became 　9　 that we were getting nowhere. I began to picture the rest of the day in the 　10 , without food or drink. We had walked about ten miles. But Beans seemed totally 　11　 . The sniffing and exploring was going well for him.

　 Finally, we 　12 a crossroad near a highway. Lady Luck suggested I should turn left. We did and 13　 　reached a cottage beside a field. I knocked on the door and explained my situation to an old man. He laughed and then 14　 us home.

　 Since our adventure, I 15 that Beans probably knew all along how to get home.

He was just having too much fan exploring new trails.