For most of us, it is not too difficult to correct a mistake. We say we are sorry, promise to   1   differently, and go on with no regrets. This is not   2  , though, of some   3   figures whose actions failed. They probably spent their   14   feeling regret.

Napoleon, for example, wasn’t   5   being Emperor of France. He wanted to rule all Europe and, for a time, seemed to   6  . In the end, Napoleon “met his Waterloo”. He spent the rest of his life in exile (流放) on Alba. We can only   7   the regret he must have felt   8   on that small island.

At the end of World War II, the Emperor of Japan must have regretted the   9   of Pearl Harbor (珍珠港). It brought to an end the Emperor’s   10   as a God to his people. It is   11   he did not feel regret for his country’s actions when he learned of the   12   of the atomic (原子的) bomb. He had to feel regret when he had to announce his country’s   13   to his people.

In our   14   country, a President left his office. President Nixon was deeply involved in the Water Gate problem.   15   revealing (揭露) the action of his men, he tried to cover up the   16  . When it was revealed there were tapes   17   his involvement, he must have felt regret. If he had not tried to cover up the problem, he might never have had to leave office.

It has been   18   for me to correct my mistakes so far. None of my behavior has had   19   effects. I will probably do things I will regret, but not, I hope, anything that cannot be corrected or that has a serious consequence (后果) for   20  .

1. A. work                    B. think                        C. play                         D. behave

2. A. true                      B. so                            C. same                        D. right

3. A. powerful               B. particular                  C. historical                  D. excellent

4. A. times                    B. days                         C. periods                     D. ages

5. A. amazed                 B. satisfied                    C. appreciated               D. concerned

6. A. win                      B. succeed                    C. realize                      D. occur

7. A. imagine                 B. detect                       C. expect                      D. relate

8. A. left                       B. missing                    C. lost                          D. remaining

9. A. seizing                  B. taking                       C. bombing                   D. exploding

10. A. job                            B. position                    C. role                          D. post

11. A. understandable     B. unbelievable              C. unfortunately            D. unlikely

12. A. leaking                B. delivering                  C. throwing                  D. dropping

13. A. defeat                 B. attack                       C. loss                         D. fall

14. A. great                   B. own                         C. industrial                  D. hilly

15. A. Thanks to           B. Due to                      C. Instead of                 D. Except for

16. A. appearance          B. state                         C. condition                  D. situation

17. A. trying                 B. testing                      C. challenging               D. proving

18. A. wrong                B. exciting                    C. easy                         D. usually

19. A. desired                B. lasting                      C. same                        D. harmless

20. A. others                 B. myself                      C. friends                            D. people