55．A．hardship　　　　　　　 B．thought　　　　　　　 C．money　　　　　　　　 D．experience

If You’re Not Dead，You Can Get Better

　　　 Randy Kraus was paralyzed (瘫痪)．His left side was useless．But his right hand was 　36 　enough to lift a bucket to his forehead．Once，he’d been a police officer and owned a private-eye agency．Once，he’d been strong and able．Now，he felt he was nothing．

　　　 His 　37 　started with Parkinson’s (帕金森) disease，but it didn’t 　38 　there．In July 2002，the 60-year-old Kraus went into the hospital for an operation to control the shaking． 39 ，during the operation，he had a stroke (中风)．He was paralyzed．The 　40 　man，who loved golf，could think，but couldn’t 　41 ．Kraus wanted the doctors to 　42 　it to him straight．“You may never walk again，” they told him．“Maybe you won’t 　43 　be able to talk．”

　　　 Once home，he 　44 　he couldn’t lift a fork or take a drink by himself．Physical treatment was so painful and slow．What did he have to 　45 　for? So now Kraus held the gun against his head． 46 　the cold metal on his skin，he began to consider not his pain，but the pain he 　47 　cause his wife，daughters and grandchildren．He didn’t pull the trigger (扳机)．

　　　 “You are where you are”，his exercise physiologist (生理学者)，Andrew Garud told him．“The pace (进度) would be slow；the pain would be 　48 ．But as long as you are 　49 ，you have the ability to get better．” After three months of 　50 　with Garud，Kraus wanted to see if he could　 51 ．He could．Then he took three steps，sat down and cried like a baby．One step　 52 　to another．Next he managed a short walk．It was the hardest 　53 　of Kraus’s life．

　　　 Garud kept saying he could 　54 　more．Now，Kraus can brush his teeth，shave himself and get around the house with a walker．Little success only the paralyzed can 　55 　understand．

54．A．luckiest　　　　　　　 B．cleverest　　　　　　　 C．bravest　　　　　　　　 D．best

53．A．found　　　　　　　　　 B．got　　　　　　　　　　　 C．felt　　　　　　　　　　 D．solved

52．A．burst　　　　　　　　　 B．hold　　　　　　　　　　 C．help　　　　　　　　　　 D．prevent

51．A．harmed　　　　　　　 B．helped　　　　　　　　 C．broke　　　　　　　　　 D．touched

50．A．listened　　　　　　　 B．danced　　　　　　　　 C．laughed　　　　　　　 D．remembered

49．A．alive　　　　　　　　　　 B．new　　　　　　　　　　 C．strange　　　　　　　　 D．familiar

48．A．gift　　　　　　　　　　 B．story　　　　　　　　　 C．sweater　　　　　　　 D．Christmas

47．A．enjoyed　　　　　　　 B．valued　　　　　　　　 C．suffered　　　　　　　 D．spent

46．A．paid　　　　　　　　　　 B．stopped　　　　　　　 C．took　　　　　　　　　　 D．cost