从所给的四个选项中选择最佳答案

　One day a man was walking along the bank of the River Sarwan．He saw 　1　 in the water．It was a small 　2　 of gold ... and there were 　3　 pieces like it in the water．Some were big, 　4　 were small．The man who found these pieces of gold in the 　5　 became a rich man at 　6　 ．But that was not the end of the 　7　 ．In a little time 　8　 was talking of only 　9　 thing: Gold!

　Everyone wanted to be 　10　 , like the man who 　11　 the pieces of gold in the river, 　12　 came from everywhere to look for gold．They 　13　 all the ground near the 　14　 of the river．They made big 　15　 in it, trying to find 　16　 gold．Some men found 　17　 ; others found 　18　 at all．

　Many of those who came here were 　19　 men．They had guns．When they were 　20　 or had too much to 　21　 , they made a lot of trouble．Good men were afraid of them 　22　 they could do nothing．Our town was not the 　23　 place as before．It became 　24　 and richer but for a long time it didn't have a good 　25　 because of the bad men who came there to find gold．

I believe that families are not only blood relatives, but sometimes people who show up and love you when no one else will．

In May 1977, I was living in a Howard Johnson’s motel off Interstate 10 in Houston．My dad and I 36 a room with two double beds and a bathroom was too 37 for a 15-year-old girl and her father．Dad’s second marriage was 　38 and my stepmother had 　39 us both out of the house the previous week．Dad had no　 40_ what to do with me．And that’s when my other family 　41 ．

Barbara and Roland Beach took me into their home 　42 their only daughter, Su, my best friend, asked them to．I 　43 with them for the next seven years．

Barb washed my skirts the same as Su’s． She 　44 I had lunch money, doctors’ appointments, help with homework and nightly hugs．Barbara and Roland attended every football game where Su and I were being cheerleaders． 45　 I could tell, for the Beaches there was no 46 between Su and me; I was their daughter, too．

When Su and I 47 college they kept my room the same for the entire four years I attended school．Recently, Barb presented me with an insurance policy they bought when I first moved in with them and had continued to pay on for 23 years．

The Beaches knew 48 about me when they took me in – they had heard the whole story from Su．When I was seven, my mother died and from then on my father relied on other people to _49 his kids．Before I went to live with the Beaches I had believed that life was entirely 　50__ and that love was shaky and untrustworthy．I had believed that the only person who would take care of me was me．

51 the Beaches, I would have become a bitter, cynical （愤世嫉俗的） woman．They gave me a（n） 52 that allowed me to grow and change．They kept me from being paralyzed by my _53 , and they gave me the confidence to open my heart．

I 　54 family．For me, it wasn’t the family that was there on the day I was 55 , but the one that was there for me when I was living in a Howard Johnson’s on Interstate 10．

36．A．lived 　　　　　　　　 B．shared 　　　　　　　　 C．possessed 　　　　　　 D．bought

37．A．cheap 　　　　　　　 B．noisy 　　　　　　　　 C．small 　　　　　　　　　　 D．limited

38．A．in trouble 　　　　　 B．in sight 　　　　　　　 C．in place 　　　　　　　　 D．in parts

39．A．struck 　　　　　　　 B．removed　　　　　　　 C．kicked 　　　　　　　　　 D．knocked

40．A．plan 　　　　　　　　　 B．choice 　　　　　　　　 C．chance 　　　　　　　　　 D．idea

41．A．looked after 　　　 B．showed up 　　　　 C．turned over 　　　　　 D．came across

42．A．so 　　　　　　　　　　 B．because 　　　　　　　 C．until 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．while

43．A．worked 　　　　　　 B．traveled 　　　　　　　 C．lived 　　　　　　　　　　 D．learned

44．A．worked out 　　　 B．called up 　　　　　　 C．watched out 　　　　　 D．made sure

45．A．As long as 　　　　 B．As far as　　　　　　　 C．As soon as 　　　　　　 D．As many as

46．A．change 　　　　　　　 B．problem 　　　　　　 C．conflict 　　　　　　　　 D．difference

47．A．set off 　　　　　　　 B．left for　　　　　　　　 C．entered into 　　　　　 D．admitted into

48．A．all 　　　　　　　　　　 B．little 　　　　　　　　　 C．something 　　　　　　 D．nothing

49．A．supply　　　　　　　　 B．teach 　　　　　　　　 C．encourage 　　　　　　 D．raise

50．A．different 　　　　　　 B．unfair 　　　　　　　　 C．easy 　　　　　　　　　　 D．hopeful

51．A．Thanks to 　　　　 B．In spite of 　　　　　 C．Except for 　　　　　　 D．But for

52．A．home 　　　　　　　　 B．house 　　　　　　　　 C．ability 　　　　　　　　　 D．lesson

53．A．choice 　　　　　　　 B．failure 　　　　　　　　 C．past 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．present

54．A．doubt about 　　　 B．call on 　　　　　　　　 C．center on 　　　　　　　 D．believe in

55．A．born 　　　　　　　　 B．accepted 　　　　　　 C．educated 　　　　　　　 D．deserted

Great changes would never have taken place　　 the economic reform in our country.

　 A．apart from　 B．but for　　 C．except　　　 D．besides

________ she was afraid at that time, she would have said no to the plan.

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