第二节：完型填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
One afternoon John was cutting up wood when a neighbor drove up in his car.
“Have you heard the 36 about the mine in Placerville?” he asked. “There was a cave-in and a miner was killed. He has three children. The 37 thing is, his wife is dead. He only has a married sister who might take them 38 she lives on the other side of the Sierras. And the snow is too 39 to get any mail across the mountains.”
John went on working, but his thoughts were on the snow-covered 40 through the mountains. He remembered 41 as a boy he had climbed snow mountains on snowshoes. He examined the wood. Then and there he decided to make a pair of snowshoes out of it.
After he made them he began to practise on his snowshoes until he felt 42 of himself. Then he showed his neighbors how his snowshoes 43 .
Stepping forward, one of the town elders spoke up. “If you are ready. Go ahead and carry the mail.” With neither tracks nor paths to 44 , he moved ahead on what he believed to be the proper 45 . As he went up the mountains the wind and cold could barely slow him down.
When darkness 46 . John still moved on, guided by the stars. It was late into the night when he finally decided to stop. He must save his 47 for the long journey still ahead.
Finding the stump of a tree, he set it on 48 . Then he made a platform of branches on the snow. Stretching out on it with his feet to the fire and the mailbag under his head, he fell asleep.
After three days of traveling, he 49 smoke curling upward from the chimneys. John knew he was nearing the town. As he glided into town, people 50 out of their homes and gathered around him. They started in 51 at the blue-eyed man on strange snowshoes.
“I brought you mail from Placerville,” John said simply.
The following day the sister of the dead miner gave John a letter, “I’ll come 52 the children as soon as the pass is clear.” She told him.
For the next five winters, 53 paid little, snow-shoes John went on steadily carrying the mail. For many years John was talked about as the famous mail-carrying 54 of the Far West. He was also 55 for the shoes he wore. They were the first snow-shoes, ever seen in California.
36．A．fact B．expressions C．news D．reality
37．A．sorry B．harmful C．first D．happy
38．A．and B．but C．so D．unless
39．A．cold B．freezing C．deep D．fallen
40．A．village B．part C．pass D．street
41．A．how B．what C．why D．when
42．A．tired B．proud C．afraid D．sure
43．A．did B．worked C．wore D．took
44．A．travel B．pass C．follow D．look
45．A．cause B．course C．beginning D．branch
46．A．sank B．fell C．happened D．remained
47．A．strength B．time C．food D．money
48．A．place B．bed C．board D．fire
49．A．sighted B．smelled C．heard D．tasted
50．A．kept B．poured C．picked D．stayed
51．A．public B．order C．fear D．surprise
52．A．for B．at C．on D．to
53．A．if B．however C．although D．because
54．A．passenger B．guide C．hero D．teacher
55．A．recognized B．reported C．remembered D．realized
35．When he was a student, his father gave him a monthly towards his expenses.
A．salary B．wages C．income D．allowance
34．The day we had looked forward to at last.
A．coming B．come C．came D．comes
33．-Did you remember Tom the money you had borrowed from him?
-Yes, I gave it to him I saw him.
A．returning, the moment B．to return, the moment
C．returning at the moment D．to return, in the moment
32．On the bus I always manage to the headlines the newspaper.
A．examine, on B．notice, on C．glance at, in D．look at, in
31．It was difficult to see what could be taken.
A．action B．steps C．measures D．all above
30．-Would you help me clean the windows?
- . I’d rather water the floor.
A．Nothing but that B．Don’t mention it
C．Anything but that D．With pleasure
29．-Do you like dogs?
-Of course. They are a kind of pet. They can do much good to their masters.
A．better than B．more than C．no more than D．not more than
28．Key European governments insist Iraq’s co-operation good and military action to allow inspections to continue.
A．be; be delayed B．is; delay
C．should be; be delayed D．is; be delayed
27．The children are very quiet. I wonder what they are .
A．up to B．crying for C．going for D．stick to