Mrs. Hammond was old and blind, but she was determined to do everything for herself. She even used to go for walks by herself once a day for  36 , and found her way by  37  things with her white stick. She learned where everything was, so she never lost her way.

     One day, some men came and cut down some of the familiar trees at the side of one of the paths which she  38  . When she reached that place that evening, she did not  39  the trees with her stick, so she was in  40  .

    She  41  for a while and listened, but did not  42  any other people, so she went for a kilometer or two, and then she heard  43  beneath her. “Am I  44 ? I suppose so,” she said, “I must be on a  45 , and there must be a river under me. I've been told that there's a river in this part of the country, but I don't know its exact  46 . How am I going to get  47  to my house from here?”

     All at once she heard a man's friendly  48  near her. “Excuse me, can I help you?” “How kind of you!” Mrs. Hammond answered. “Yes, please. Some of the trees which I follow have been  49  today, and if I hadn't been 50  enough to meet you, I don't know  51  I'd have done. Can you please  52  me to get home?”

 “Certainly,” the man answered. “Where do you live?”

  Mrs. Hammond told him, and the man took her to her house. She told the man how pleased she was that she had met him. But the man said. “I want to  53  you.”

    Mrs. Hammond asked, “Whatever for?”

 “Well,” the man said quietly, “I was balanced (悬在) on the edge of that bridge for ages in the  54 , because I was trying to make up my mind to  55  myself into the river and drown myself. But I'm not going to do it now.”

-- What were you doing at that time, young man?

-- I think I was at school, _______ I was staying with a friend.

A. and then         B. or else       C. or so         D. even so

-- Do you think the rain will affect the results of the football game?

--Well, the players are used to such rainy weather, so it shouldn’t make any _______ to them.

    A. difficulty      B. difference     C. trouble        D. good

--Did Jack come back early last night?

--Yes. It was not yet eight o’clock ________ he arrived home.

    A. before         B. when            C. that        D. until

-- ________ was it that he managed to get the information?

-- Oh, a friend of his helped him.

A. Where          B. What             C. How        D. Why

-- ________ was it that he managed to get the information?

-- Oh, a friend of his helped him.

A. Where          B. What             C. How        D. Why

-- ________ was it that he managed to get the information?

-- Oh, a friend of his helped him.

A. Where          B. What             C. How        D. Why

Jack had traveled six miles across the Channel ______ his engine failed and was forced to land on the sea.

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

Dinner will be ready _______but we have time for a drink before then.

A. lately         B. suddenly     C. presently            D. later

He felt rather _____ as he was the only person who wore sportswear at the dinner party.

A. in place      B. in the way     C. by the way   D. out of place