There was a time when I thought my dad didn’t know a thing about being a good father. I couldn’t 　41　 　him ever saying the words “I love you.” It seems to me his only purpose in life was to say “　 42　 ” to anywhere I wanted to go and anything I wanted to do, including getting a 　43　 . Some parents bought their kids cars when they got their driver’s licenses. Not my dad ---- he said that I’d have to get a job and buy my own.

So that is what I did. I got a job at a very nice restaurant and 　44　 　every penny I could and 　45 　I had enough to buy my car, I did! The day I brought that car home, my dad was the first one I wanted to 　46　 　to. “Look, dad, a car of my own. If you ever want a ride, I’ll only 　47　 you five dollars.” I offered with a smile.

　 “I see.” was all he said.

One day, there was something wrong with my father’s truck. So he needed a 　48　 　to work. The sun wasn’t even up when we left the house, 　49　 　it was already getting warm out. It was going to be a(n) 　50 　day. As I dropped my dad off, I 　51　 　him, dressed in his work clothes, getting his 　52　 　from the trunk (车尾箱) of my car. Watching his sunweathered face, and even from a distance I could tell there were 　53　 　lines than I ever remembered being there before. I realized how hard my dad works for the family. My father is a cement finisher(水泥修整工).

In that instant, it 　54　 　to me that he actually got down on his hands and knees to sweat over hot concrete to make a living for his family. And he did this day in and day out, 　55 　hot it got. Never, not once, had I heard him 　56　 　about it. To him we were “worth” it. And never once did he “charge” us for it.

When he closed the trunk, his tools set off to the side, he walked over to my window to 　57　 　me five dollars. I rolled down the window and said “Good-bye, dad. Keep your five dollars. It’s my 　58　 . Don’t work too hard. I love you.”

His 　59　 　met mine, then glanced away in the direction of his waiting tools, he 　60　 　his throat and said, “Oh, and… me, too.”

40. There are plenty of jobs______ in the western part of the country.

　 A. present　　　　　 B. available　　　　 C. precious　　　　 D. convenient

39. People try to avoid public transportation delays by using their own cars, and this ______ creates further problems.

　　 A. in short　　　　 B. in return　　　　 C. in doubt　　　　 D. in turn

38. _____for cheating in the exam, Tony was in low spirits.

　 A. Blaming　 　　　B. Blamed　　 　 　C. To blame 　　　　D. To be blamed　

37. On average the fire drill is arranged twice a month in our school, to teach students how to deal with dangerous_______.

　 A. states　　　　　 B. conditions　　　　 C. situations　　　 D. positions

36. We had thought the examination would be difficult, but it _____ easy. A. turned　　　 　　B. appealed　　　 　　C. appeared　　 　D. proved