完型填空

　　One afternoon John was cutting up wood when a neighbor drove up in his car．

　　“Have you heard the 　　1　　 about the mine in Placerville?” he asked．“There was a cave - in and a miner was killed．He has three children．The 　　2　　thing is, his wife is dead．He only has a married sister who might take them 　　3　　 she lives on the other side of the Sierras．And the snow is too 　　4　　to get any mail across the mountains．”

　　John went on working, but his thoughts were on the snow - covered 　　5　　 through the mountains．He remembered 　　6　　 as a boy he had climbed snow mountains on snowshoes．He examined the wood．Then and there he decided to make a pair of snowshoes out of it．

　　After he made them he began to practise on his snowshoes until he felt 　　7　　 of himself．Then he showed his neighbors how his snowshoes 　　8　　．

　　Stepping forward, one of the town elders spoke up．“If you are ready．Go ahead and carry the mail．” With neither tracks nor paths to 　　9　　 , he moved ahead on what he believed to be the proper 　　10　　 ．As he went up the mountains the wind and cold could barely slow him down．

　　When darkness 　　11　　 ．John still moved on, guided by the stars．It was late into the night when he finally decided to stop．He must save his 　　12　　 for the long journey still ahead．

　　Finding the stump of a tree, he set it on 　　13　　 ．Then he made a platform of branches on the snow．Stretching out on it with his feet to the fire and the mailbag under his head, he fell asleep．

　　After three days of traveling, he 　　14　　 smoke curling upward from the chimneys．John knew he was nearing the town．As he glided into town, people 　　15　　 out of their homes and gathered around him．They started in 　　16　　 at the blue - eyed man on strange snowshoes．

　　“I brought you mail from Placerville,” John said simply．

　　The following day the sister of the dead miner gave John a letter, “I’ll come 　　17　　 the children as soon as the pass is clear．” She told him．

　　For the next five winters, 　　18　　 paid little, snow - shoes John went on steadily carrying the mail．For many years John was talked about as the famous mail - carrying 　　19　　 of the Far West．He was also 　　20　　 for the shoes he wore．They were the first snow - shoes, ever seen in California．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)

完形填空

　　Why did I come today?I wondered．My feet ached almost as much as my head． My Christmas 　　1　　 contained several people that claimed they needed nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt 　　2　　 I bought them something, so gift buying was 　　3　　 but fun．

　　Hurriedly, I finished shopping and 　　4　　 the long checkout lines．In front of me were a boy of about five and a younger girl．She carried a beautiful pair of 　　5　　 slippers．When we finally 　　6　　 the checkout register, the girl 　　7　　 placed the shoes on the counter．She treated them as though they were a 　　8　　 ．

　　“That will be ＄6.09,” the cashier said．The boy 　　9　　 his pockets．He finally came up with ＄3.12．“I guess we will have to put them back,” he bravely said．“We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow．” With that statement, a soft 　　10　　 broke from the little girl．“But 　　11　　 would have loved these shoes,” she cried．

　　“Well, we’ll go home and work some more．Don’t cry．We’ll surely 　　12　　 ,” he said．Quickly I handed ＄3.00 to the cashier．These children had waited in line for a long time．And, 　　13　　, it was Christmas．Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice 　　14　　 said, “Thank you, lady．” “What did you 　　15　　 when you said Jesus would like the shoes?” I asked．The boy answered, “Our mommy is sick and going to 　　16　　 ．Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus．” The girl spoke, “My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes．Won’t mommy be 　　17　　 walking on those streets in these shoes?”

　　My eyes 　　18　　 as I looked into her tear-stained face．“Yes,” I answered, “I am 　　19　　 she will．” Silently I thanked God for using these children to 　　20　　 me of the true spirit of giving I once was familiar with．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)