请阅读下面短文，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，并在答题卡上将选项的标号涂黑。
After winning a big game，athletes are often asked how they feel．Usually athletes say how 36 it is to win this big game．On the contrary，the fact is that losing a big game，or in my case，all the games，can be even harder．
From the spectators’ point of view，last year’s basketball 37 for my high school team was nothing 38 of an embarrassment．And 39 0 and 20 is certainly nothing to be proud of，that season had a bigger impact on me than any other．As a team captain，I knew it probably wouldn’t be the 40 year，but did I ever think we would lose every game？Of course not．Since six of our top players had graduated，it was clear that we were a (n) 41 team who would struggle．The struggle began earlier than expected， 42 ，as our team center was suspended (禁赛) for the season，and two key members decided to 43 for some reason．At this point，dropping out probably passed through every player’s mind，but in the end，we all stuck it out， 44 to work still harder．
Then there came a time when even our 45 had given up on us．Personally，I felt like it was 46 worthwhile giving my all．I thought，if even the coach doesn’t believe in us，why should I？But just as my hope began to 47 ，a teammate called a meeting．He said，“Nobody thinks we are going to win，but，as teammates and friends，we 48 it to each other to go all out every game．”
It was that moment that 49 me how to be a leader．It hit me that I certainly didn’t 50 the role．As a leader you can never quit 51 the team who looks up to you．It is one 52 to be named captain，feel great and go through the motions，but it is quite another to be a real captain and make sure everyone realizes their full 53 all the time．
I am sure it is great to go through without losing and bringing home awards．But in all honesty，I 54 the fact that my team lost every game last year．It may not help me to become a better basketball player，but it already has made me a better leader，and 55 ．
36．A．exciting B．pleasant C．tough D．significant
37．A．game B．event C．league D．season
38．A．short B．full C．lacking D．sufficient
39．A．as B．while C．since D．now that
40．A．most interesting B．dullest C．most difficult D．easiest
41．A．unique B．adventurous C．young D．untrained
42．A．meanwhile B．though C．instead D．somehow
43．A．quit B．stay C．resign D．rest
44．A．hoping B．swearing C．claiming D．wishing
45．A．fans B．classmates C．sponsor D．coach
46．A．only too B．more than C．not a little D．no longer
47．A．fade B．gain C．destroy D．grow
48．A．owe B．think C．demand D．recommend
49．A．reminded B．told C．taught D．guided
50．A．act B．deserve C．play D．take
51．A．with B．alongside C．on D．for
52．A．matter B．aspect C．issue D．thing
53．A．potential B．goal C．enthusiasm D．confidence
54．A．hate B．treasure C．admit D．recognize
55．A．character B．captain C．person D．figure
Dear Students，
I am glad to be your guest speaker today. It’s a great pleasure to your school and to meet all of you.
I would like to tell you about . I have been a news reporter for the past fifteen years. I chose this job I could travel the world, but the job has me many unforgettable lessons. The work is sometimes difficult. I have seen famines (饥荒), , earthquakes, poverty and death. But I have also seen courage, hope and .
In India, I visited a city where there were many homeless children. Some were as as four years old. They lived in the streets and survived by begging or . But then a lady called Rosa opened a home for them. Within one year, she was two hundred children. She clothed them, fed them and taught them. She them hope.
Here in China, I a young boy with a serious disease. He had had twenty operations and spent nearly his whole life in hospital. I thought he would be , but when I met him, his smile was so warm and welcoming.
In life, we need role models that we can admire and learn from. I feel upset, I try to remember the courage and goodness of these people.
A．visit B．call C．run D．leave
A．yourselves B．Themselve C．myself D．itself
A．or B．so C．but D．and
A．taught B．made C．remembered D．heard
A．love B．help C．victories D．wars
A．sadness B．happiness C．loneliness D．illness
A．young B．new C．long D．short
A．studying B．laughing C．stealing D．teaching
A．stubborn B．terrible C．calm D．kind-hearted
A．caring for B．looking for C．giving in D．giving up
A．made B．paid C．gave D．told
A．liked B．asked C．trained D．met
A．sad B．happy C．pleased D．friendly
A．Since B．After C．When D．Before
A．one B．two C．three D．Four
When I walk through the streets of San Francisco’s business districts, white people stare at me as if I were a circus clown.
Their staring eyes don’t see that I get ________ A’s in school, or that I am a captain of the football team, or that I belong to ______youth organizations. All they see is that I am 6-foot-4, young, black, and male---a potential _______to them.
White men look at me as if I am up to no good, or as if they are ________to me. White women just look at me with________, say, sometimes they cross the street when they see my friends and me coming, or walk in the street and only get back on the sidewalk after we ________.
Many people come to San Francisco to get away from the stereotypes(成见) of the cities they were born and ________ in. The majority of the blacks and Latinos who live in this city don’t have that luxury.
How can you feel at home when people are__________telling you to get back to Africa or Mexico ----or just back to “where you belong”?
My way of dealing with this kind of thing has ________over the years. In the past, when my friends and I would walk the streets and a hundred pairs of white eyes would look at me as if we were the lowest form of dirt, it would make us angry enough to hurt or _______them.
Now I’m more likely to use ________ to defend myself against those eyes. To women who clutch their purse in terror, I’ll say, “Man, I ain’t gonna do anything to you, I got money in my pocket!” My cousin has even started wearing a T-shirt _______ in big letters, “NO, WHITE LADY, I DON'T’ WANT YOUR PURSE.”
The most painful thing is when we get those______ stares from black people, especially elderly ones. I want o say to them, “We’re black, too. Why would we do something to you?”
Usually I react more _______to all of this than a lot of my friends do. Some of them, so brainwashed, just think it’s part of life and that there is nothing you can do.
But for me, that’s not good enough. I just can’t stand it when every day a hundred pair of eyes tell you you’re not__________.
A．hardly B．mostly C．merely D．particularly
A．social B．local C．positive D．new
A．danger B．treasure C．gift D．neighbor
A．better B．close C．perfect D．superior
A．fear B．interest C．honor D．despair
A．run B．walk C．pass D．move
A．known B．developed C．raised D．located
A．honestly B．constantly C．hopefully D．freely
A．changed B．formed C．strengthened D．increased
A．kill B．rob C．damage D．steal
A．actions B．deeds C．signs D．words
A．writing B．printing C．telling D．saying
A．fearful B．doubtful C．pitiful D．impressive
A．strongly B．actively C．disappointedly D．casually
A．sincere B．mature C．welcome D．gentle
Mary was seven years old. Her parents recently moved to a new town, and so Mary was going to a school, which was a few kilometers from the house they lived in now. A school bus going around picked up every morning and brought them back to their every afternoon, and as both of Mary’s parents to go to work, she always went on this bus.
Mary’s parents always their alarm clock for seven o’clock so that none of them would be . But one morning the alarm to go off, and it was not until a quarter past eight that Mary’s mother suddenly , looked at the clock and said, “What’s ever happened to that clock?” and then into Mary’s room to wake her up.
“I’m sorry, dear,” she said, “ you’ll have to wash and dress very quickly, have an even break-fast and then I’ll you to school on my way to the office.”
“But how can you find the , Mum?” Mary said, “You’ve been to school only once.”
“Yes,” her mother answered, “but you’ve done the several times now on the bus, so you can be my guide to get there, can’t you?”
“Oh, yes,” said Mary, “I suppose so.” She washed, and and had a quick breakfast, and then they set off. Mary told her mother to turn each time they came to a place she . In this way she made her mother drive round most of the town they got to her school. When they arrived, her mother saw that it was not really very far from her house.
“Why ever did you make me go such a long way round, Mary, instead of the most way?” her mother asked her.
“Well, Mum,” answered Mary, “it was because I didn’t know else to get here. That’s the way our bus always goes to the other children to school.
A．big B．nice C．different D．distant
A．pupils B．teachers C．parents D．passengers
A．offices B．towns C．classrooms D．homes
A．seemed B．had C．refused D．used
A．found B．set C．cleaned D．fixed
A．late B．ready C．lazy D．asleep
A．started B．stopped C．failed D．continued
A．stood up B．stayed up C．put up D．woke up
A．rushed B．stepped C．escaped D．jumped
A．but B．and C．so D．then
A．later B．quicker C．easier D．heavier
A．bring B．fetch C．leave D．drive
A．truth B．bus C．way D．guide
A．homework B．shopping C．trip D．reading
A．rose B．dressed C．moved D．showed
A．wondered B．realized C．recognized D．designed
A．unless B．after C．if D．before
A．comfortable B．helpful C．important D．direct
A．how B．when C．what D．which
A．look for B．pick up C．drop by D．deal with
Soon it would be the holidays, but before that, there were final . All the kids had been working hard for some time, review their . If they didn’t pass the exams, they would have to them in September. There were usually a few who , but Jane didn’t want to be one of them. She had worked hard all year. She worked so hard that her mother her. Jane went bed late. The night before the big day, her mother that she should have an early night and take a sleeping pill. She promised to her up in the morning.
Jane was too to fall asleep. Her mind kept jumping from subject to subject. At last, the did work. In no time she was sitting in the examination hall, looking at the paper, but she couldn’t answer of the questions. Everyone her was writing pages and pages. she thought hard, she couldn’t find anything to write about. From time to time, she looked at her . Time was running . There was only an hour . She started one question, wrote two sentences, and tried another. With only an hour left, she wrote two sentences. By this time she was so worried that she started . Her whole body shook. It shook so much that she woke up. She was still in bed and it had all been a terrible . A minute later, called her name.
A．harvests B．exams C．reports D．papers
A．exercises B．jobs C．books D．lessons
A．take B．write C．attend D．do
A．cheated B．succeeded C．passed D．failed
A．cared about B．felt proud of C．worried about D．thought highly of
A．advised B．agreed C．promised D．allowed
A．ring B．wake C．put D．pick
A．sad B．tired C．happy D．nervous
A．dream B．pill C．suggestion D．music
A．all B．none C．any D．some
A．ahead of B．behind C．in front of D．around
A．Unless B．However C．Though D．As
A．watch B．paper C．teacher D．book
A．up B．down C．out D．over
A．run B．left C．remaining D．go
A．gave out B．gave up C．put off D．put out
A．another B．more C．other D．the other
A．thinking B．dreaming C．crying D．writing
A．exam B．dream C．story D．night
A．her mother B．her teacher C．a classmate D．a friend
Lilly was a French Canadian girl who grew up in the farming community. When she was 16, her father her to drop out of school to contribute to the family income. With English as her second language and education, the future didn't look bright for Lilly.
Lilly's father was a stubborn man who took “no” for an answer. He told Lilly to find a job. With small hope of gaining , each day, she would just ride to the city, walk around and at dusk return home.
On one of her trips, Lilly saw a sign at a big company. she knocked on her very first door. In her English, Lilly told the office manager she was interested in the position of being a secretary. The manager to give the girl a chance. He directed her to type a single letter, and then . Lilly looked at the clock and saw it was 11：40 a．m. She thought everyone would be leaving for lunch at noon, when she could away in the crowd. But she knew she should the letter.
On her first try, Lilly got through one line of five words and made four mistakes. On her second attempt, she completed a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. She looked at the clock: 11：55—five minutes to . Just then, the manager walked in. He came directly over to Lilly, read the letter and said, “Lilly, you're doing work !”
With those simple words of encouragement, her desire to escape disappeared and her began to grow. Lilly thought，“Well, if he thinks it's good, then it must be good. I think I'll stay！” Lilly did stay—all because someone gave a and uncertain girl the gift of self---confidence when she knocked on the door.
A．reminded B．forced C．encouraged D．helped
A．poor B．formal C．good D．modern
A．often B．usually C．sometimes D．hardly
A．employment B．improvement C．judgment D．development
A．carefully B．happily C．aimlessly D．rapidly
A．Confidently B．Proudly C．Calmly D．Nervously
A．broken B．perfect C．written D．fluent
A．refused B．decided C．pretended D．failed
A．stopped B．continued C．left D．sighed
A．break B．slip C．pass D．drive
A．read B．write C．attempt D．deliver
A．freedom B．success C．discussion D．reward
A．terrible B．excellent C．honest D．easy
A．belief B．patience C．confidence D．strength
A．shy B．lonely C．selfless D．modest