Don’t Take the Fun Out of Youth Sports
When I joined a private football league a few years ago, the sport meant everything to me. My coach(教练) said that I had lots of potential(潜力), and I became captain of my ___36___. That was before all the fun was taken out of ___37___.
At first, everyone on the team got ___38___ playing time. Then the team moved up to the top division after winning all its games, and the ___39___ started. Some parents, who had paid the coach extra so their daughters could have ___40___one-on-one training, got angry when she didn’t give them more playing time in our ___41___. The coach was replaced.
The new coach, however, took all the fun out of the game. All we did during practice was ___42___. I always wished to God that it would rain so we would not have the ___43___. Of course, all teams run drills; they are ___44___. But we ran so much that, afterwards, we had trouble ___45___. Younger people shouldn’t be doing exercises ___46___ for 18-year-olds.
I was very thin ___47___ I started football, but as a member of this team I wouldn’t eat much, because I was afraid of being too ___48___ to run. I feared making mistakes, and the added pressure caused me to make more than my usual ___49___.
Is all this pressure necessary? I ___50___ up leaving the football team. Four other girls did the same, and two of them stopped playing football completely. That’s ___51___, because they had so much potential. They were just burned-out with all the pressure they ___52___ from the coach or their parents.
I continued playing football at school and ___53___ my love for it. I joined a private team coached by my school coach. When I started playing ___54___ him, he told me I needed to relax because I looked nervous. After I ___55___ down, I played better. When you enjoy something, it’s a lot easier to do it well.
36. A. class B. club C. team D. board
37. A. playing B. living C. learning D. working
38. A. great B. equal C. right D. extra
39. A. business B. struggle C. attempt D. pressure
40. A. free B. private C. good D. basic
41. A. matches B. courses C. lessons D. programs
42. A. jump B. play C. run D. shoot
43. A. duty B. meeting C. operation D. training
44. A. necessary B. boring C. scientific D. practical
45. A. speaking B. moving C. sleeping D. breathing
46. A. used B. intended C. made D. described
47. A. till B. since C. before D. because
48. A. full B. tired C. lazy D. big
49. A. size B. share C. space D. state
50. A. gave B. kept C. ended D. picked
51. A. sad B. shameful C. silly D. serious
52. A. received B. suffered C. brought D. felt
53. A. reconsidered B. rediscovered C. reformed D. replaced
54. A. at B. by C. for D. around
55. A. fell B. stepped C. slowed D. calmed
第二节语法填空 (共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分)
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空，并将答案填写在答题卡标号为31～40的相应位置上。
Child labor has been a problem for many years. Over a hundred years ago, Charles Dickens shocked many of his readers when 31（describe）the conditions under which young children worked in British factories. 32 conditions Dickens described continue, almost unchanged today, in many parts of the world. The only difference is 33 today’s employment of children is confined to small industries and family businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and 34 (particular) farms, rather than to large factories. The children not only receive nothing or very 35 for their long hours of work, but also they 36 (prevent) from attending school. Therefore, when they become older they are 37 (able) to do any other kind of work.
The solution 38 the problem of child labour is clearly better laws to protect young children greater supervision (监督) of industry and heavier fines for 39 who break the laws. Only 40 this way can young boys and girls be allowed to enjoy the most valuable time of their lives --- childhood.
第三节语法填空：（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）
Chinese proverbs(谚语) are rich and they are still __51__ (wide) used in Chinese people’s daily life. __52__ these proverbs there are often interesting stories. For example, the proverb, “plucking up a crop to help it grow”, __53__ (base) on the following story.
It is said that a short-tempered man in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) was very anxious to help __54__ rice crop grow up quickly. He was thinking about __55__day and night. But the crop was growing much slower than he expected.
One day, he came up with an idea __56__ he would pluck up all of his crop a few inches. He did so the next day.
He was very tired from doing this for a whole day, __57__ he felt very happy since the crop did “grow” __58__ (high).
His son heard about this and went to see the crop. Unfortunately, the leaves of the crop began to wither.
This proverb is saying we have to let things go in their __59__ (nature) course. Being too anxious to help an event develop often __60__ (result) in the contrary to our intention.
第二节：语法填空 (共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)
I have a 12-year-old son who is kind and helpful. And he is showing great interest 26 growing plants. I have been helping him plant flowers, vegetables and just plants in general since spring arrived.
When 27 (plant) a bunch of flowers one Saturday afternoon , I found that there were two flowers 28 (leave) in my son’s basket. My son decided to take them to the little house next door 29 an elderly woman lived by herself and didn’t seem to have much company. I watched him as he went up to her door, rather 30 (hesitant ) because he didn’t know her, and he quietly left the flowers 31 her doorstep so that she would get 32 the next time she went outside.
The next morning we were pleased to find that she 33 (plant) the flowers in a pot by the door. They looked really beautiful. 34 it was a small thing , it was important as my son has learnt to do good for 35 . He said to me, “It feels really good to do things for other people.”
第二部分：语言知识及运用第一节完形填空 (共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分)
As waiters, we deal with customers every day and when something goes wrong, somehow we have the ability to keep on going．It’s our responsibility to 16 the customer．
I remember my first waiter job was at a fine restaurant. One afternoon，the manager informed all the cooks and waiters that a VIP group were coming for lunch. The group were 17 VIPs in the city’s fashion industry．
After the group arrived and got 18 comfortably, drinks were ordered. Normally, the head waiter would be in charge of wine service. However, the manager asked me to serve that afternoon. I had never done wine service, nor had l ever served a group of twelve．
I arranged 12 wine glasses on the tray and went to the table. As I set one of the glasses in front of the first customer, somehow I had 19 my grip and six glasses fell on top of a young woman, and then to the floor and lay in pieces. I felt frightened and my face turned red. I apologized many times to the woman and to the rest of the group．
Quickly, the manager 20 my aid and helped in the clean-up and sent out their drinks right away. I didn’t understand why, but the group were forgiving me and the young woman 21 informed me it was OK.
My manager pulled me to the side and said, “If you know why an accident happened, learn from it and move on. You still have a table to serve and you can’t show your 22 or your disappointment. Mistakes and accidents do happen. Keep your 23 up and be confident. The glasses are replaceable.”
I understood why he was truly a well-respected restaurant manager within the neighborhood. His 24 relationship with the group made the situation 25 and the group forgave me for that．
16．A. welcomeB. feed C. invite D. please
17．A. let in as B. made up of C. added up to D. recognized as
18．A. introduced B. satisfied C. seated D. dressed
19．A. got B. caughtC. forgot D. lost
20．A. took overB. came toC. gave up D. rushed against
21．A. repeatedly B. regretfullyC. impatiently D. angrily
22．A. apology B. excitement C. nervousnessD. carelessness
23．A. noseB. face C. head D. hand
24．A. new B. famous C. terrible D. close
25．A. calmB. comfortableC. special D. possible
第二节完形填空(共20小题；每小题。1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36～55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。
What can you do to make sure your car isn't stolen? Well, first and most obviously, ____36____ the car when you leave it. That includes locking the boot for luggage and closing all the windows. Even a ____37____ break allows a thief to insert a wire to force open the lock button. Of course, don't leave the keys hanging in the ignition (点火器). And don't hide a ____38____ key inside or outside the car — thieves know all the hiding places. If your car ____39____, lock up before you go for help. ____40____ you can't start the car, a thief may be able to.
Now since dusk to mid-evening are the ____41____hours for car thieves, make sure you park in a ____42____ area, where there are plenty of passers-by, ____43____, near a busy store or a restaurant. Avoid leaving your keys with a garage or parking-lot assistant: choose the place you park ____44____.
Keep your driver's license in your wallet or purse, ____45____ in some small separate divisions of your car. You should also have a record of your car's ____46____ statistics both in your wallet and ____47____ at home. This can help with recovery ____48____ stealing.
And finally, it's a good idea to ____49____ some kind of safety equipment. There is a ____50____ available from alarm systems that set off a siren (警报) if an ____51____ is made to force open the car ____52____ any way, to fuel shut-off systems and time delay ignition systems. A warning sign will also help ____53____ would-be thieves. They don't want to waste time on trying to steal a ____54____ car.
So, help yourself put car thieves out of ____55____ by always locking your car, fixing anti-stealing systems and co-operating with the police by reporting any attempt at stealing.
36. A. start B. open C. lock D. stop
37. A. big B. tiny C. cosy D. long
38. A. useful B. special C. different D. spare
39. A. breaks down B. breaks up C. breaks in D. breaks out
40. A. Only if B. If only C. Even if D. As if
41. A. tiresome B. golden C. dangerous D. nervous
42. A. well-organized B. well-known C. well-educated D. well-lighted
43. A. say B. speak C. tell D. talk
44. A. oneself B. itself C. yourself D. himself
45. A. nor B. not C. or D. either
46. A. extra B. accurate C. common D. vital
47. A. somewhere B. anywhere C. everywhere D. nowhere
48. A. instead of B. in case of C. on account of D. for fear of
49. A. clean B. stick C. fix D. repair
50. A. category B. design C. branch D. range
51. A. announcement B. attempt C. expression D. explanation
52. A. in B. on C. by D. with
53. A. encourage B. inspect C. inspire D. discourage
54. A. protected B. decorated C. furnished D. examined
55. A. control B. sight C. business D. order