The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor, living with my wonderful mother. We had little money but plenty of love and attention. I was 　36 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　37 a dream.

My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 　39 : My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 　41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 　42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 　43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 　45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 　46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 　47 that would explain 　48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　49 in me.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 　50 of a dream?”

That simple question made it 　51 to me the difference between 　52 something right now and following a dream. I 　53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 　54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor, living with my wonderful mother. We had little money but plenty of love and attention. I was 　36 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 　37 a dream.

My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 　39 : My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 　41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 　42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 　43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 　45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 　46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 　47 that would explain 　48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　49 in me.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 　50 of a dream?”

That simple question made it 　51 to me the difference between 　52 something right now and following a dream. I 　53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 　54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

Ever since my brother graduated from the university, he _______ in the present company for 15 years and he is now chief engineer of the company .

　 A. worked 　　　　 B. has been working 　C. is working　 　　　D. works

---- How come your father can read books in German?

---- Well, he _________ on a project with some German engineers for 3 years when he was young.

　　　 A. worked　　 　 B. was working　　 C. had worked　　 　　 D. would work

阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从1-25各题所给的四个选项中, 选出一个最佳答案。

　　　　     One day two workers were installing (装设) electrical wires in the house. While they were working they 1 a problem: they had to put a 2 wire through a long 3 pipe. The pipe was about 10 metres long and only about 4 centimeters wide. 4 this pipe wasn't straight. It has several 5 in it, which made it rather 6 to pass the wire through the pipe.

　　     After thinking for some time, one of them, Frank, had 7. He told　　 his 8, Harry, that he was going to get what he needed. 9, Harry was a　　 little surprised.

　　    Thirty minutes later Frank 10 with two small white mice. He explained to Harry, "Hold this one very carefully, OK? Now 11 to that end of the pipe." Harry did so.

　　     Frank held the other mouse, a 12 mouse, at 13 end of the pipe.　　 Then Frank 14 the wire around the mouse's neck, and spoke to Harry,　　 "Now, very 15 pressed the mouse." Harry did 16 he was told. He　　 pressed lightly on the mouse. The mouse 17 a soft sound.　　 When the male mouse heard the sound, he began to 18 out of Frank's hand into the pipe toward 19. Of course, the male mouse was 20 the wire. Frank 21 the other end of the wire in his hand.　　 22 a few seconds the male mouse came out of the end of the pipe where the 23 was. The 24 had been solved; the wire was 25 through the long pipe.