A few weeks ago, our dog, which we had kept for more than ten years, had to be put down. First, a tumor on her stomach got worse, and she was very   36 . Then, the pain in her back got so bad that sometimes she   37  lie down in the middle of a walk and couldn't take another   38 .

When I first found out, l was very sad and cried a lot. She was more like a sister to me than a   39 .But I was also angry at my stepfather,Steve,who told us the  40  a week after it happened. He   41  because he didn' t want to worry us, and he didn't want me to get depressed(抑郁的) and fail my exams. I just thought she was   42  at the animals' hospital.

I think you know all the   43  that went through my head: She was my dog！Why didn't he tell us earlier? I didn't even get to say goodbye.

People in my family have a   44  of keeping things from me to protect me, such as only telling me that my aunt had cancer   45  she had already improved health. All I could think was: Not again !

I   46  to my mum, and she said， “I know. I'm   47  , too.” I opened my mouth to shout. And then she added, “I'm so angry with Steve that he had to   48  through all this on his own.”Hearing my mum's words, I shut up my mouth. I had been so   49  on myself. I hadn't thought about   50  Steve was going through. That dog was his baby. He'd had her for longer than he'd had us—and he had to make the decision to   51  her life, and then kept in silence for an entire   52 . All my anger melted away, and all I felt was   53 .

It makes me realize that we focus so much on ourselves that we   54  the pain of others. At that moment, my mum's words were an incredible   55  that I'll never forget.

1.                A．lazy            B．lonely          C．painful   D．shameful

2.                A．would          B．should          C．might D．could

3.                A．walk           B．step            C．foot D．breath

4.                A．tool           B．toy            C．baby     D．pet

5.                A．plan           B．accident        C．anecdote D．truth

6.                A．lied            B．waited          C．reflected D．hesitated

7.                A．still            B．once           C．even     D．never

8.                A．facts           B．opinions        C．thoughts D．doubts

9.                A．story           B．secret          C．habit D．hobby

10.               A．until           B．before         C．while D．after

11.               A．adjusted        B．turned         C．contributed    D．related

12.               A．angry          B．shocked        C．guilty D．abused

13.               A．break          B．go             C．look D．push

14.               A．focused        B．hooked         C．dependent D．hard

15.               A．that           B．where          C．what D．which

16.               A．save           B．expand         C．make D．end

17.               A．year           B．month          C．week D．day

18.               A．regret          B．blame          C．sorrow    D．sympathy

19.               A．shared         B．ignored        C．reminded D．rid

20.               A．comfort        B．compromise     C．gift   D．suggestion

There was a man who played the piano in a small bar. There were not too many 36  , but because he was a good piano player, some people 37  came in every night just to hear him play. But one night, a patron (老主顾) told him he didn’t want to hear him play but to sing a song.

The man said, “I have never 38  that before in public. I think I’m 39  at playing the piano.”

But the customer 40 . He told the waiter, “I’m 41  listening to the piano day after day. I want to hear something new and I want that guy to sing.”

The waiter 42  across the room, “Hey, buddy! If you want to get 43  , sing a song. The patrons are asking you to sing!”

  44  in order to bring some money home that night, the piano player who had never sung in public did so for the very first time. And 45  had ever heard the song Mona Lisa sung before  46   that night by Nat King Cole, and it surprised all, including the 47  himself!

He had talent he was 48  on! He may have lived the rest of his life as a no-name piano player in a no-name bar, but because he had to sing, he 49  to become one of the best-known entertainers in America.

You, too, have skills and 50  . You may not feel as if your “talent” is particularly 51  , but it may be better than you think! And with persistence (坚持), most skills can be 52  . Besides, you may as well have no ability at all if you sit on whatever talent you 53 ! The 54  is not “What ability do I have that is useful?” It is 55 “How will I use whatever ability I have?”.

Just think a minute…

1.                A．waiters         B．customers       C．singers   D．players

2.                A．never          B．still            C．ever     D．only

3.                A．practiced       B．shown          C．dreamed  D．done

4.                A．better          B．richer          C．easier    D．sooner

5.                A．agreed         B．confused        C．insisted   D．charged

6.                A．familiar with     B．fond of         C．used to   D．tired of

7.                A．served         B．explained       C．shouted  D．complained

8.                A．changed        B．broadcast       C．paid D．drunk

9.                A．So             B．And            C．Because  D．But

10.               A．nobody        B．anybody        C．somebody D．everybody

11.               A．until           B．after           C．since D．when

12.               A．waiter          B．singer          C．patron    D．owner

13.               A．sitting          B．waiting         C．depending     D．playing

14.               A．went up        B．went on        C．went off   D．went away

15.               A．advantages      B．character       C．principle  D．abilities

16.               A．unique         B．surprising       C．famous    D．great

17.               A．recognized      B．wasted         C．improved D．impressed

18.               A．imagine        B．possess         C．expect    D．develop

19.               A．decision        B．answer         C．question   D．solution

20.               A．even           B．rather          C．pretty D．fairly

James sat outside the office waiting for the interview. He felt so    36  that he didn’t know what to do with himself. The person who had gone in   37  him had been in there for nearly an hour. And she looked so confident when she went in, not like James. He felt    38  that she had already got the job. The problem was that he wanted his job so much. It meant everything to him. He had   39  it such a lot before the day of the interview. He had imagined himself   40  brilliantly（出色地）at the interview and being offered the job immediately. But now here he was feeling    41 . He couldn’t remember all those things he   42  to say. At that moment, he almost decided to get up and leave. But no – he had to do this. He had spent so much time considering it that he couldn’t    43  like that. His hands were hot and sticky and his mouth felt dry. At last the door of the office opened. The woman who had gone in an hour earlier came out looking very    44   with herself. She smiled sympathetically （同情地）at James. At the moment, James    45  her. The managing director then appeared at the office door. “would you like to come in now, Mr. Davis? I’m sorry to have kept you    46 .” James suddenly wished that he had gone home after all. He got up, legs    47  and forehead sweating and wondered he looked as terrified as he felt.

Terry was a middle-aged leather trader whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often __36__ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so __37__ with the city that he had to leave.

So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Terry and his wife were busily __38__ up their new home, the light suddenly __39__. Terry was regretful to have forgotten to bring along __40__ and had to wait __41__ in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant __42__ on his door that were clearly audible (听到) in the __43__ night.

“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Terry was a __44__ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be __45__, so he went to the door and opened it __46__. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor. ” “No,” answered Terry in anger and shut the door __47__. “What a nuisance!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to __48__ things.”

After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. __49__ this time she was __50__ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She __51__ me here to give you these.” Terry was very __52__ by what he saw.

At that moment he suddenly realized what caused his __53__ in life. It was his __54__ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was __55__ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been blurred (蒙蔽) by his unsympathetic mind.

完型填空（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，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上涂黑。

Tom was a middle-aged leather trader (皮货商) whose repeated failure in career made him a depressed man, often __1_ that he had been cheated by others. One day he told his wife he was so __2__ with the city that he had to leave.

So his family moved to another city. It was the evening of a weekend. When Tom and his wife were busily _3_ up their new home, the light suddenly __4_. Tom was regretful to have forgotten to bring along 5__ and had to wait _6_ in a low mood. Just then he heard light, hesitant 27_ on his door that were clearly audible (听到) in the __8__ night.

“Who’s it?” he wondered, since Tom was a _9__ to this city. And this was the moment he especially hated to be __10__, so he went to the door and opened it __11_. At the door was a little girl, shyly asking, “Sir, do you have candles? I’m your neighbor. ” “No,” answered Tom in anger and shut the door __12__. “What a nuisance (麻烦事)!” He complained over it with his wife. “No sooner had we settled down than the neighbor came to _13__ things.”

After a while, the door was knocked again. He opened it and found the same girl outside. __14_ this time she was _15__ two candles, saying, “My grandma told me the new neighbor downstairs might need candles. She _16_ me here to give you these.” Tom was very _17__ by what he saw. At that moment he suddenly realized what caused his _18__ in life. It was his _19_ and harshness (刻薄) with other people. The person who had cheated him in life was _20__ nobody else but himself, for his eyes had been blurred (蒙蔽) by his unsympathetic （无同情心的）mind.

1.                A．complaining     B．telling          C．hoping   D．pretending

2.A. pleased          B disappointed     C. exhausted      D. encouraged

3.                A．looking         B．turning         C．coming   D．tidying

4.                A．went on        B．went down      C．went out  D．went through

5.                A．candles         B．matches        C．lights D．flashlights

6.                A．happily         B．patiently        C．hopefully D．helplessly

7.                A．steps          B．words          C．knocks   D．screams

8.                A．dark           B．quiet           C．noisy D．crowded

9.                A．newcomer      B．stranger        C．guest D．settler

10.               A．called          B．disturbed       C．watched   D．offered

11.               A．surprisingly     B．delightedly      C．impatiently D．willingly

12.               A．gently          B．kindly          C．politely    D．violently

13.               A．lend           B．sell            C．harness   D．borrow

14.               A．And           B．But            C．So   D．For

15.               A．holding         B．hiding          C．fetching   D．lifting

16.               A．suggested       B．commanded     C．sent  D．forced

17.               A．frightened      B．pleased        C．puzzled   D．surprised

18.               A．failure         B．success         C．complaint  D．determination

19.               A．warmth        B．coldness        C．kindness   D．sympathy

20.               A．doubtfully      B．hardly          C．actually   D．nearly