完形填空

　　All kinds of people came in to have their shoes shined. Most folks were friendly. But this man was different.

　　“How much do you make a week, boy?”he asked me. I felt he was __1__ at me.

　　He kept giving a sharp __2__ around every now and then. All the time I kept __3__ where I'd seen his face. Suddenly I knew. I'd seen his __4__ in the post office many times. He was the big robber: __5__ by the police in three states!

　　“You know, ”he was saying,“it's imagination people __6__. You'll never get anywhere as a shoeshine boy.”

　　I kept brushing on his shoes as __7__ as I could. The sooner I finished, the better. He said,“When I was sixteen, I had __8__ $ 2 500 of my own.”

　　That reminded me of something. Was it $ 2 500 or $ 5 000 or $ 25 000? I wasn't __9__. I knew a big reward was __10__ for him.

　　But what could I do about it? __11__ him with a can of shoe polish（擦亮剂）? A man his __12__ could grind（压碎）me into the floor. If only someone would come in! He kept talking away（喋喋不休）.“Along with __13__, it takes courage. The courage to take a chance. Start something on a shoestring（鞋带）.”

　　Suddenly I saw Officer Dailey __14__ across the street. Then, real fast, I began tightening the man's shoestrings.

　　The policeman was at the window when I cried out,“Officer Dailey, __15__! This man's a robber.”

　　“__16__,”the man shouted angrily. He started to jump off the stand. But he didn't go the __17__ he planned. He fell flat on his face and knocked himself out cold.

　　“That was __18__ clever of you,”the officer said. “You'll get a reward of $ 7 500 for him.”

　　“Well, it really wasn't my __19__,”I said.“It was his. He told me that __20__ you had courage and imagination, you could start something big on a shoestring.”

Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.

Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my 　1 was more manageable , I 2　 ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. 　3　 that was years ago and times have changed. 　4　 I live with mother on a country farm

Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to 　5 my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). 　6 I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my 　7　 . I decided that I would consider 8　 to singing in restaurants.

My family are all musicians, so I was 　9 when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of　 10　 to get started. And 11　 you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can 　12　 use.

When I told the owner of the shop about my 　13　 ; he gave me a long thoughtful 　 14　 . “This means a lot to you, doesn’ t it?” he said. “Come with me.”

He led me 　15 the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand 16 on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your 17 and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”

I 　18　 . Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose 　19 that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.

His 　20 still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.

1. A. loneliness 　　　　　 B. sadness 　　　　　　　　 C. tiredness 　　　　　　　 D. sickness

2. A. set 　　　　　　　 　　B. enjoyed 　　　　　　　　　 C. kept 　　　　　　　　　　 D. shared

3. A. Gladly 　　　　　　　　 B. Eventually 　　　　　　　 C. Unfortunately 　　　　 D. Surprisingly

4. A. Now 　　　　　　　　　 B. Then 　　　　　　　 　　C. Sometime 　　　　　　　 D. Meanwhile

5. A. add up to　　 　 B. make up for 　　　 C. get rid of 　　　　 D. take advantage of

6. A. If 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. As 　　　　　　　　 　　C. Though 　　　　　　　 D. Before

7. A. movement 　　　　 B. condition 　　　　　　　 C. choices 　　　　　　　　 D. positions

8. A. reaching out 　　B. living up 　　　　　　　　 C. getting on 　　　　　　　 D. going back

9. A. recognized 　　　　 B. interviewed 　　　　　　 C. found 　　　　　　　　　　 D. invited

10. A. money 　　　　　　　　　　 B. time 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. energy D. knowledge

11. A. thus 　　　　　　　　 B. once 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. seldom 　　　　　　　　　 D. often

12. A. actually 　　　　　　 B. hardly 　　　　　　　　　　 C. nearly 　　　　　　　　　　 D. formerly

13. A. job 　　　　　　　　　 B. family 　　　　　　　　　　 C. idea 　　　　　　　　　　 D. offer

14. A. face 　　　　　　　　 B. view 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. look 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sight

15. A. over 　　　　　　　　 B. along 　　　　　　　　　　 C. towards 　　　　　　　　 D. through

16. A. unhappily 　　　　 B. lovingly 　　　　　　　　 C. pitifully 　　　　　　　　　 D. gratefully

17. A. pick 　　　　　　　　 B. turn 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. role 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. step

18. A. had to cry B. ought to cry C. should have cried 　 D. could have cried

19. A. more 　　　　　　　 B. the ones 　　　　　　　　 C. few 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the rest

20. A. courage 　　　　　　 B. devotion 　　　　　　　　 C. kindness 　　　　　　　　 D. trust