——What do you think of your step—mother?

——There are some things that are not easy to______，but on the whole she is a good mother．

If you       any problems when you arrive at the airport, give me a ring.

完形填空（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）

John, a famous musician, took his priceless zither (齐特琴) and played it in the crowded subway station. The music from the zither was delicately streaming __1__ the whole station. However, during the one-hour play only six or seven people truly __2__ the charming music. A three-year-old kid was so __3__ by the music that he forgot everything around. John only got 52 U.S. dollars for his work that day.

__4__, in normal days, when John is about to hold a concert, the ticket can be sold for more than 100 dollars and it is extremely __5__ to buy a ticket even at such a high price. Therefore, later, many __6__ in the station that day felt deeply regretful for not __7__ the famous musician and missing such a valuable but __8__ music feast.

I have a very busy friend who totally __9__ after knowing that his wife came down with a deadly illness. He cooked by himself for the family and took a walk with his wife every day. But his wife still did not __10__ to conquer the illness and passed away after three months. After that, he often sighed miserably that __11__ his past busy life, he had missed a lot of beautiful time with his wife. But now it is impossible to __12__ it.

Actually, I also missed something __13__ before. The __14__ we missed those things is simple: we had thought that we could still own them __15__.

Yet tomorrow is actually by no means __16__. There was a famous Buddhist monk saying that in many people’s __17__, they had only done two things: waiting and regretting. The result is that they were always too late to __18__ what they had. We would often claim to do something when we grow up, or when we have money or when we become old, etc. However, when we reach the __19__ we have expected, we could no longer __20__ our wish, because we have lost it by then.

1.                A．throughout      B．before         C．above    D．for

2.                A．heard          B．appreciated     C．found    D．absorbed

3.                A．attracted       B．confused        C．excited   D．stuck

4.                A．Therefore       B．However        C．Then D．Also

5.                A．convenient      B．necessary       C．easy D．hard

6.                A．listeners        B．passers-by       C．viewers   D．children

7.                A．greeting        B．recognizing      C．paying    D．contacting

8.                A．common        B．meaningful      C．cheap    D．expensive

9.                A．escaped        B．abandoned      C．submitted D．changed

10.               A．decide         B．want           C．manage   D．agree

11.               A．as with         B．thanks to       C．due to D．as for

12.                                A．come up with    B．look forward to

C．make up for                      D．look back on

13.               A．difficult        B．present        C．precious   D．delightful

14.               A．reason         B．origin          C．chance    D．result

15.               A．today          B．nowadays       C．yesterday  D．tomorrow

16.               A．reliable        B．easy           C．comfortable    D．charming

17.               A．lives           B．works          C．plans D．tasks

18.               A．protect         B．miss           C．suggest    D．value

19.               A．top            B．condition       C．success   D．scene

20.               A．say            B．understand      C．forget D．realize

I keep a two dollar bill in my wallet that was given to me by my mother when I was six years old.

The  31  goes with me wherever I go. My mother gave it to me so that  32  would follow me. She looked at me and said, “I want you to carry this two dollar bill for extra good luck.”

“Thanks, mom,” I replied, “I will keep it  33  to me always.”

My mother passed away when I was seven years old. I remember I took out my two dollar bill and held it in my hand for the longest time, knowing that she would  34  me the rest of my life.

Each time I felt I had a crisis, I would  35  for my two dollar bill and set it on the table. I would  36  at it for several hours and could always  37  a solution. When I applied for my first job, I was thirty years old and very shy. The thought of being interviewed for a job was  38  but I had to work. I saw one of the interviewers well dressed with  39  purse and shoes. I also knew the chance of being chosen was  40  when looking at the length of others’ resumes.

“What makes you feel you are  41  for this job?” The well－dressed woman asked. “I really need this job and there is nothing I can not do” I responded. She then asked me a series of questions and the interview was over. As I left, I  42  and said “Please give me a chance. I learn quickly and can be a very  43  member of your team.”

I went home,  44 . That evening I received a phone call. “Gina” she said, “we decided to give you a chance to  45  yourself.” “Thank you, you will not regret this decision.” I  46  the phone and yelled. At that instant, I remember my mom once said to us “You are  47  in my mind. Don’t  48  failure. It is a way to get us to try harder.”

How  49  this gift from Mom! It had built up  50  in me.

1.                A．money         B．check          C．bill  D．paper

2.                A．luck           B．happiness       C．wealth   D．wisdom

3.                A．close          B．near           C．hard D．firm

4.                A．look out for     B．watch over      C．see to    D．come across

5.                A．get            B．stretch         C．hold D．reach

6.                A．stare           B．glance          C．observe  D．glare

7.                A．come up with    B．put forward      C．set up    D．pull through

8.                A．exciting        B．amazing         C．nervous  D．scary

9.                A．suitable        B．matching        C．fancy D．exaggerating（夸张的）

10.               A．slim           B．terrible         C．few  D．abundant

11.               A．born           B．qualified        C．stable D．grateful

12.               A．turned around   B．turned back     C．put up D．raise up

13.               A．productive      B．additional       C．concise（简洁）    D．effective

14.               A．terrified        B．exhausted      C．sound D．cautious

15.               A．test           B．challenge       C．prove D．strengthen

16.               A．hung up        B．got through     C．set aside   D．got off

17.               A．brilliant        B．awesome       C．careful    D．unbelievable

18.               A．stand          B．bend          C．fear  D．ruin

19.               A．rare           B．special         C．relative   D．primary

20.               A．confidence      B．perseverance    C．model D．intelligence

More and more fast-food restaurants have _____ all over the town in the last few years.