The Price of a Dream
I grew up poor, living with my wonderful mother. We had little money but plenty of love and attention. I was 36 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 37 a dream.
My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 39 . My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.
It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 47 that would explain 48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 49 in me.
“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 50 of a dream?”
That simple question made it 51 to me the difference between 52 something right now and following a dream. I 53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!
A．happy B．polite C．shy D．honest
A．lose B．have C．make D．need
A．By the time B．The time C．At one time D．At a time
A．right B．popular C．lucky D．confident
A．how B．why C．when D．whether
A．gave B．taught C．brought D．asked
A．accident B．matter C．problem D．experience
A．aim B．idea C．start D．purpose
A．keep up B．put up C．give up D．pick up
A．mad B．happy C．frightened D．shameful
A．adopt B．afford C．affect D．effect
A．answers B．excuses C．words D．ways
A．for B．to C．on D．in
A．sadness B．regret C．hopelessness D．disappointment
A．source B．prize C．price D．allowance
A．direct B．clear C．clean D．straight
A．wanting B．changing C．dreaming D．choosing
A．provided B．devoted C．headed D．imagined
A．worked B．mentioned C．fired D．hired
A．paid B．got C．offered D．signed
完型填空
阅读下面短文，从下列各题所给的A、B、C、D三个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
Personally I think trains are exciting and romantic. I must that trains are not important means of transportation in the US, but I do have some with them.
When I was a child, growing up in a small town with very little , we used to go to the station to watch the passenger trains coming in. There was something about the steaming, roaring string of cars coming into view around the mountains, slowly growing larger and and finally crowds of strangers onto the platform.
I took my train trip when I was ten years old. I went with my elder sister to visit our cousins six hundred miles away. The train--so loud and violent on the outside—was and rocking inside. We were very excited, and as that was also our first time away from our parents, we felt somewhat frightened too. However, because I had so much, I was a little disappointed when I was finally one of the passengers I had for so long.
As a college student, I ride overnight train to my roommate’s hometown. We could never afford a , so we played cards, sang, ate, read and talked we finally fell uncomfortably asleep in the straight-backed seats.
My idea that trains are may come from the fact that my husband and I took the train on our honeymoon, spending extra money to eat in the dining car, and the window as the desert scenery slid past.
Now, when I make a trip, I always fly or drive, and are not a very important part of my life. , every time I hear the train whistle faraway on a quiet night, I can always feel the in my heart to pack my bags and jump on board, entering a world of motions, sounds, sights, and experience which just aren’t in the dull environment of an airplane.
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完形填空
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后在所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出一个最佳选项。
It wasn’t yet 8:30 am. However, instead of entering my office, I was leaving it. Carrying a plastic shopping bag of my personal things, I moved in a(n) ________way to my car, and drove home crying. I had just been_______.
For following weeks, I was troubled by the_______of that sudden lay-off: What about the people who would be_______by my abandoned projects? Would I have a chance to get another job? _______with anxiety, shame and sudden outbursts of tears, I felt completely_______. “What should I do next?” I asked myself.
One day, over dinner with my good friend Sophia in a restaurant, I told her about my_______, “Being fired came as a_______. I am not a bad person. I don’t know _______it happened to me. In fact, I was so hard-working and _______to my company”. After listening to my words, she_______ me, “Never be so depressed. Being fired isn’t the same thing as being bad. There are lots of_______that we cannot escape in life, and we have to face them_______and find solutions. I think you should make some changes to help you_______ this issue. Unemployment just means a new start.” Her words gave me a lot of confidence and strength, which_______me to take action to change the bad situation. I had a firm belief that everything would hopefull_______fine.
Then a long journey of applying for new jobs began. In addition, I made a decision — starting to _______the people who helped me either with the emotional support of my unemployment or in my search for a new job. I would send each of them a thank-you card. Sophia had helped me a lot, and she got my first card.
Expressing gratitude is the best thing that I have done to _______my negative thoughts and move forward. Fortunately, I have got a(n) _______job that fits my skills and interests. No matter what happens in the future, I will _______ this wonderful decision and show more people my thanks.
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完形填空
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后在所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出一个最佳选项。
“It’s no use, Mum,” said Johnny. “I’m just no good at dancing.”
“You’ve got to keep trying. Tonight will be , dear. Try a turn with that pretty Lisette.”
Johnny . Every Saturday night used to be the best of the week. He and his parents went to the at the Club, where his hero, Alcide, played the accordion（手风琴）with the band. But lately everything had changed. Now that Johnny was older, he was to dance with a girl!
_____Johnny and his parents arrived at the Club, music had already started. Johnny got up his________to approach Lisette. “May I have this dance?” Johnny asked. “That’s all right,”
said Lisette. Johnny struggled to keep up with Lisette’s steps, but he was always one beat behind her. Then Johnny heard his friend Pierre say, “Look! Johnny has two left feet!” .burst from the crowd. Johnny and ran outside, determined never to go to another dance.
The next Saturday, Alcide to Johnny’s house for some potatoes. He happened to hear Johnny playing the accordion. Alcide’s eyes . “Bring that accordion and play some songs tonight,” Alcide said. Then he drove off, leaving Johnny staring open- mouthed him.
At the Club, Johnny scanned the crowd for Lisette and her. The band played for a long time before Alcide said, “Dear friends, I got a for you tonight. Young Johnny is going to join us!” , Johnny stepped up on the platform, his eyes on the floor. He began to play, and the band behind him. When the song ended, he heard cheers. Johnny kept playing until the dance was . “You did a fine job tonight. Play with us again next Saturday night,” Alcide said. “Yes, sir!” said Johnny. he went outside, Johnny saw Lisette and her friends near the door. Lisette stepped , smiling. “You played really good tonight!” she said.
“Thank you,” Johnny blushed （脸红）. As he walked on, Pierre moved out of the way for him to pass.
Johnny patted his accordion. Come to think of it, in his whole life, he had never once seen Alcide out on the dance floor.
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完型填空
阅读下面短文，从下列各题所给的A、B、C、D三个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳答案。
I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but we had a over our heads, food on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always . Not knowing we were poor, my kids(孩子们) just thought I was . I’ve always been glad about that.
It was Christmas time, and although there wasn’t for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big for the kids was the fun of Christmas .
They planned weeks ahead of time, asking what they wanted for Christmas. Fortunately, I had saved $120 for to share by all five of us.
The big arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would ___ back at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually . She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies—fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, to be angry again. This is what she told me:
“I was looking thinking of what to buy, and I to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so as I did that day.
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完形填空，阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One day I was taking a bus. The driver didn't to start the bus soon because it was not yet .A middle-aged woman got on. Tired and sad, she told her story , not to anyone particular. On her way to the station, half of her was stolen. The other half was hidden under her blouse, so she still had some left. A few minutes later, she stopped crying, but still looked .
When all the seats were taken, the driver started the engine. The conductor（售票员；列车员） began to collect the fares. When she came to an old man in worn-out clothes, he that he had spent all his money as he accidentally got on a wrong bus and now was trying to go home. On hearing this, she ordered the old man to the bus. The old man was almost in tears as he her to let him take the bus home. The driver took the conductor's side and repeated the conductor's .
The woman was watching the incident. the driver and the conductor raised their voices at the old man, she interfered（干涉，介入，干预）.
“Stop him! Can't you see he's only trying to get home”
“He doesn't have any money!” the driver .
“Well, that's no to throw him off the bus.” She insisted.
Then she reached inside her blouse, took out her money, and handed it to the conductor. “Here's his fare and mine. Just stop giving him a time.
All heads turned to the woman. “It's only money,” she shrugged(耸肩).
She rode the rest of her way home a happy smile, with the money she'd lost earlier .
On the road of life, the help of strangers can our loads and lift our spirits. How much sweeter the will be when we make it a little smoother for others!
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