完形填空 （20分）
The famous British inventor George Stephenson was born in 1781 and died in 1848. one of his _21_ important inventions was the train. He _22_his first train when he was forty-four years old. When he was experimenting with the _23_ engine on the train, he met with _24_ from the government, newspapers and the gentlemen in the country. They said that the noise and the smoke would _25_ cows, horses and sheep, that the _26_ would hurtle(炸飞) or that the hot coals from it would _27_their houses. At that time, _28_ people believed what they said.
George Stephenson _29_ the people that the train could go on small _30_, could pull carriages _31_goods and passengers and there was _32_ to them. It was a very _33_ matter for him to _34_ them believe. However, after _35_, he was able to do it; and the first train that _36_ by Stephenson himself _37_ what he had said.
The first day _38_ the people along the way _39_ the noises of the train _40_ and saw it running quickly to them, they ran back home as quickly as they could and closed their doors tightly, for they thought it a genius. They did not dare to come out until it had passed.

Hey, Tahlia! How's the model?"

I had just taken a bite of my hot dog __26_ I heard a familiar voice yelling at me from across the crowded school yard. I saw a group of popular girls who were all __27__.

"What kind of __28__ are you going to do? An ad for a Frankenstein movie?" More laughter. My stomach twisted into a tight knot. How could they humiliate (羞辱) me like this, __29__ the entire school? As I walked into the cafeteria, I _30_ the dark scars on my right hand.

At 9 months old, I knocked over a tea pot and dumped boiling water all over my hands and stomach. My parents __31__ me to the hospital, but I had to have skin graft (移植) operation. I was in so much pain! But what __32__ me most were the cruel things people said about how I looked, __33__ that day at lunch.

The girls were being supermean to me because they'd heard I was considering doing some modeling. A close friend had suggested that I shouldn't let my scars limit me and that I might __34__ a good model.

But after that __35__ at school, I was sure I'd made a huge mistake. Upon arriving home, I covered the mirror with a blanket, fell on my bed and sobbed.

The next day, I __36__ myself to go to school. At lunch my best friend Jesse tried to encourage me: "You can't _37__ forever, Tahlia. So what if you have a few scars? Just go outside and show them that you're just as good as they are." Although I knew he was right, I couldn’t _38__ standing up for myself like that.

However, that night as I sat on the bed, my friend's words replayed in my mind. I'm _39_ hiding from myself, I thought. How stupid! Slowly, I stood up, walked over to the __40__, and tossed the blanket aside. There, in the mirror I saw a slim, dark-haired, blue-eyed girl, looking just fine, _41__ with a few scars.

The next day I wore a comfortable T-shirt to school. What's more, I had lunch outside the cafeteria, _42__ beside those mean girls. They were shocked that I should dare to walk into their territory. I felt _43__ too—free and happy.

Sometimes people still look at me strangely. They _44__ and stare, but I don't let it get to me. I have applied to several modeling companies, and at least one company is considering me for jobs. Maybe I'll never __45__ posing on the runway, but I do know one thing: I'm done.

Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic parents, was failing. Surprisingly, he could read.     21  his good reading skills, Steve had been failing since first grade. Steve was a big boy, yet, he went unnoticed...    22   Miss White.
Miss White was a smiling, beautiful, young lady. For the first time in his    23  life, Steve couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet,    24  he failed. In the middle of the first term, the entire seventh grade was    25  for basic skills. Steve hurried through his tests, and    26  to dream of other things, as the day passed slowly. One day, Miss White’s    27  voice broke into his daydreams. “Steve!” Startled (吓了一跳), he    28  to look at her. “Pay attention!” She began to    29  the test results. “You all did pretty well,” she told the class, “   30  one boy, and it breaks my    31  to tell you this, but...” She hesitated, pinning Steve to his seat with a sharp    32 . “... The smartest boy in the seventh grade is failing my class!”
After that, Steve still    33  do his homework. “Just try it,” Miss White said one day. “Steve! Please! I care about you!” Wow! Suddenly, Steve got it! Someone cared about him? Someone, so beautiful and perfect, cared about him! Steve went home from school,    34 ,  that afternoon.
The following Monday he arrived at school on time, and waited for Miss White to enter the classroom. She walked in, all sparkle and smiles! Immediately, she gave a    35  on the weekend homework. Steve was the first to    36  his paper. With a look of    37 , Miss White took his paper. Steve walked back to his desk, his heart beating strongly within his chest.
Miss White’s face was in total    38 ! Suddenly, her face broke into a bright smile. The smartest boy in the seventh grade had just    39  his first test! From that moment   40  was the same for Steve.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I teach biology at UNLV three times per week . Last Monday , at the beginning of class , I cheerfully asked my   21  how their weekend had been . One young man said that his weekend had not been so   22  . He had his wisdom teeth removed . Then he went on to ask me why I always seemed to be so     23  .
His question   24  me of something I’d read somewhere before : “Every morning when you get up , you have a   25  about how you want to deal with life that day .” I said . “I choose to be cheerful .”
“Let me give you an example ,” I continued ,   26  all sixty students in the class . “In   27  to teaching here at UNLY , I also teach out at a   28  in Henderson , 17 miles down the highway from where I live . One day a few weeks ago I drove those 17 miles to Henderson . I   29  the highway and turned onto College Drive . I only had to drive another quarter mile down the road to the college . But just then my car   30  .I tried to start it again , but the   31  wouldn’t work .   32  I turned my flashers on , took my books , and   33  down the road to the college .”
“As soon as I got there , I called and   34  for a tow truck to meet me at my car after   35  . The secretary there asked me what had happened . ” This is my   36  day .” I replied , smiling .
She was   37  . “What do you mean ?”
“My car could have broken down anywhere along the highway . It didn’t .” I relied . “  38 , it broke down in the perfect place : off the highway ,   39  walking distance of here . I’m still able to teach my class , and I’ve been able to get the tow truck to meet me after class . If my car was meant to break down today , it couldn’t have been arranged in a more convenient   40  .”
I ended my story . In spite of the early hour , no one in my class seemed to be asleep . Somehow , my story had touched them .

Michael O’her lived alone with his father, and the two of them had a very special relationship. The father believed in encouragement.
Though Michael was the    21   of the class when he entered high school, his    22  continued to encourage him, but also made it very clear that he did not have to play    23   if he didn’t want to.
However, Michael loved football and was    24  to try his best at every practice. All through high school, he never   25  a practice or a game, but remained a bench warmer(替补队员) all four years. His   26  father was always in the stands, with words of   27  for him.
It was the end of the football season, and as Michael ran slowly onto the practice field shortly    28  the big final game, the coach met him with a telegram. Michael    29   the telegram and became deathly silent—his father died that morning, and the sad man left for    30  immediately.
In the third quarter,  when the team was ten points   31  , a silent young man eagerly 32 onto the sidelines. The coach and his players were shocked to see their team-mate back so    33 .
“Coach, please let me  34 . I have to play today,” said Michael. Feeling sorry for him, the coach   35  . Before long, nobody could believe their eyes. This small bench warmer played like a(n)    36 . He helped his team win finally.
When the team was cheering for their    37 , Michael was sitting in the corner all alone. The coach came to him and said, “You were fantastic! Tell me   38  you did it?”
Tears in eyes, Michael said, “Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know he was blind?” He    39  a smile, “Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could    40   me play, and I wanted to show him I could do it!”
【小题1】.