“Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice．Gifts are easy—they're given after all. Choices can be hard．”
I got the to start Amazon 16 years ago．I the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year．I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew so fast，and the idea of building an bookstore with millions of titles was very to me．I had just turned 30，and I’d been married for a year．I told my wife that I wanted to my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t since most start-ups don’t，and I wasn’t sure what to ．She told me I should the idea．I’d always wanted to be an inventor，and she wanted me to follow my ．
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a boss that I admired very much．I went to my boss and with him that I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet．He took me on a long walk in Central Park，listened to me，and finally said，“That sounds like a really good idea， it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job．”That logic made some to me，and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours making a final decision．Seen in that light，it really was a difficult ，but finally, I decided I had to give it a shot．I didn’t think I’d regret and failing．And I suspected I would always be troubled by the decision not to try at a11．After much ，I took the less path to follow my dream，and I’m of that Choice．For all of us，in the end，we are our choices．
A．idea B．support C．fund D．message
A．got through B．set aside C．came across D．turn down
A．online B．available C．intelligent D．expensive
A．practical B．exciting C．flexible D．productive
A．take B．1and C．exchange D．quit
A．matter B．work C．fail D．exist
A．do B．finish C．plan D．expect
A．give up B．set up C．stick to D．put off
A．dream B．pace C．hobby D．example
A．cruel B．brilliant C．greedy D．honest
A．shared B．argued C．reasoned D．required
A．gradually B．eventually C．carefully D．generously
A．so B．and C．otherwise D．but
A．sense B．difference C．bet D．bargain
A．while B．before C．once D．since
A．puzzle B．suggestion C．choice D．report
A．managing B．requesting C．changing D．trying
A．consideration B．determination C．conversation D．application
A．difficult B．secure C．amusing D．interesting
A．confident B．regretful C．hopeful D．proud
One afternoon I was sitting at my favorite table in a restaurant, waiting for the food I had ordered to arrive. Suddenly I ___36___ that a man sitting at a table near the window kept glancing in my direction, ___37___ he knew me. The man had a newspaper ___38___ in front of him, which he was ___39___ to read, but I could ___40___ that he was keeping an eye on me. When the waiter brought my ___41___the man was clearly puzzled (困惑) by the ___42___ way in which the waiter and I ___43___each other. He seemed even more puzzled as ___44___went on and it became ___45___that all the waiters in the restaurant knew me. Finally he got up and went into the ___46___. When he came out, he paid his bill and ___47___without another glance in my direction.
I called the owner of the restaurant and asked what the man had ___48___. “Well,” he said, “that man was a detective (侦探). He ___49___ you here because he thought you were the man he ___50___. ” “What? ” I said, showing my ___51___. The owner continued, “He came into the kitchen and showed me a photo of the wanted man. I ___52___ say he looked very much like you! Of course, since we know you, we told him that he had made a ___53___. ” “Well, it’s really ___54___I came to a restaurant where I’m known, ” I said. “___55___, I might have been in trouble.”
36. A. knew B. understood C. noticed D. recognized
37. A. since B. even if C. though D. as if
38. A. flat B. open C. cut D. fixed
39. A. hoping B. thinking C. pretending D. continuing
40. A. see B. find C. guess D. learn
41. A. menu B. bill C. paper D. food
42. A. direct B. familiar C. strange D. funny
43. A. chatted with B. looked at C. laughed at D. talked about
44. A. the waiter B. time C. I D. the dinner
45. A. true B. hopeful C. clear D. possible
46. A. restaurant B. washroom C. office D. kitchen
47. A. left B. acted C. sat down D. calmed down
48. A. wanted B. tried C. ordered D. wished
49. A. met B. caught C. followed D. discovered
50. A. was to beat B. was dealing with C. was to meet D. was looking for
51. A. care B. surprise C. worry D. regret
52. A. must B. can C. need D. may
53. A. discovery B. mistake C. decision D. fortune
54. A. a pity B. natural C. a chance D. lucky
55. A. Thus B. However C. Otherwise D. Therefore
Scott and his companions were terribly disappointed. When they got to the South Pole, they found the Norwegians(挪威人) had ___36___ them in the race to be the first ever to reach it. After ___37___ the British flag at the Pole, they took a photograph of themselves ___38___ they started the 950-mile journey back.
The journey was unexpectedly ___39___ and the joy and excitement about the Pole had gone out of them. The sun hardly ___40___. The snow storms always made it impossible to sight the stones they had ___41___ to mark their way home. To make things ___42___. Evans, whom they had all thought of ___43___ the strongest of the five, fell badly into a deep hole in the ice. Having ___44___ along for several days, he suddenly fell down and died.
The four who were ___45___ pushed on at the best speed they could ___46___. Captain Oates had been suffering for some time from his ___47___ fact; at night his feet swelled(肿胀) so large that he could ___48___ put his boots on the next morning, and he walked bravely although he was in great ___49___. He knew his slowness was making it less likely that ___50___ could save themselves. He asked them to leave him behind in his sleeping-bag, but they refused, and helped him ___51___ a few more miles, until it was time to put up the ___52___ for another night.
The following morning, ___53___ the other three were still in their sleeping-bags, he said. “I am just going outside and may be ___54___ some time.” He was never seen again. He had walked out ___55___ into the snow storm, hoping that his death would help his companions.
36. A. hit B. fought C. won D. beaten
37. A. growing B. putting C. planting D. laying
38. A. after B. until C. while D. before
39. A. safe B. fast C. short D. slow
40. A. rose B. set C. appeared D. disappeared
41. A. taken up B. cut up C. set up D. picked up
42. A. easier B. better C. bitter D. worse
43. A. to B. upon C. as D. in
44. A. battled B. struggled C. speeded D. waited
45. A. left B. lost C. defeated D. saved
46. A. manage B. try C. employ D. find
47. A. ached B. frozen C. harden D. harmed
48. A. hardly B. never C. seldom D. nearly
49. A. pain B. fear C. trouble D. danger
50. A. all others B. some others C. others D. the others
51. A. away B. with C. off D. on
52. A. bed B. tent C. blanket D. sleeping-bag
53. A. while B. since C. for D. once
54. A. missed B. separated C. passed D. gone
55. A. patiently B. lonely C. alone D. worriedly
On May 27, 1995, our life was suddenly changed. It happened a few minutes past three, ___36___ my husband, Chris, fell from his horse as it ___37___ over a fence. Chris was paralyzed(瘫痪) from the chest down, ___38___ to breathe normally. As he was thrown from his horse, we entered into a life of ___39___with lots of unexpected challenges(挑战). We went from the “haves” to the “have-nots”. Or so we thought.
___40___ what we discovered later were all the gifts that came out of ___41___ difficulties. We came to learn that something ___42___could happen in a disaster. All over the world people ___43___Chris so much that letters and postcards poured in every day. By the end of the third week in a ___44___center in Virginia, about 35,000 pieces of ___45___ had been received and sorted.
As ___46___, we opened letter after letter. They gave us ___47___ and became a source of strength for us. We used them to ___48___ ourselves. I would go to the pile of letters marked with “Funny” if we needed a ___49___, or to the “Disabled” box to find advice from people in wheelchairs or ___50___in bed living happily and ___51___.
These letters, we realized, had to be shared. And so ___52___ we offer one of them to you.
Dear Chris,
My husband and I were so sorry to hear of your___53___ accident last week. No doubt your family and your friends are giving you the strength to face this ___54___ challenge. People everywhere are also giving you best wishes every day and we are among those who are keeping you ___55___.
Yours Sincerely,
Nancy Reagan
36.A.since B. before C. when D. while
37. A. walked B. climbed C. pulled D. jumped
38. A. able B. unable C. suitable D. unsuitable
39. A. disability B. possession C. convenience D. experience
40. A. So B. For C. Or D. Yet
41. A. sharing B. separating C. fearing D. exploiting
42. A. terrible B. similar C. wonderful D. practical
43. A. wrote for B. cared for C. hoped for D. sent for
44. A. medical B. postal C. experimental D. mental
45.A. news B. paper C. equipment D. mail
46. A. patients B. a family C. nurses D. a group
47. A. effect B. effort C. comfort D. explanation
48. A. encourage B. express C. control D. treat
49. A. cry B. laugh C. chat D. sigh
50. A. much B. never C. even D. seldom
5l. A. bitterly B. fairly C. weakly D. successfully
52. A. here B. there C. therefore D. forward
53. A. driving B. flying C. running D. riding
54. A. technical B. different C. difficult D. valuable
55. A. nearby B. close C. busy D. alive
Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes for natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of ___36___ is about Demeter, the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter, Persephone, whom she loved very much. Hades, god of the underworld, fell in love with Persephone, and he asked Zeus, the ___37___ of the gods, to give Persephone to him as his ___38___. Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter, so he said he would not agree to the marriage, but neither would he ___39___ it. Hades, therefore, decided to take the girl without ___40___. When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden, he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter ___41___ what happened to Persephone, she became so ___42___ that she caused all plants to ___43___ People were in ___44___ of starving. But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow ___45___ her daughter, Persephone, was returned to her. ___46___, still not wanting to disappoint Hades, decided upon a condition for Persephone’s ___47___. She could go back to her mother if she had not ___48___ anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter ___49___ it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate(石榴) seeds in the underworld. When Zeus ___50___ this, he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her ___51___, but he added that since she had eaten the seeds, she must spend part of the year in the underworld. And so it ___52___ that when Persephone is in the underworld, Demeter is sad and therefore ___53___ not let the crops grow. That is ___54___ we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns, Demeter is ___55___, it is spring, and plants begin to grow again.
36. A. periods B. seasons C. time D. age
37. A. winner B. ruler C. advisor D. fighter
38. A. wife B. lover C. partner D. daughter
39. A. forbid B. forgive C. admit D. accept
40. A. arrangement B. warning C. reason D. permission
41. A. let out B. worked out C. thought out D. found out
42. A. excited B. tired C. angry D. serious
43. A. grow fast B. start growing C. stop growing D. grow slowly
44. A. danger B. hope C. turn D. case
45. A. since B. until C. after D. when
46. A. Persephone B. Zeus C. Demeter D. Hades
47. A. return B. change C. marriage D. journey
48. A. stolen B. found C. eaten D. heard
49. A. understood B. refused C. doubted D. accepted
50. A. discovered B. studied C. forgot D. prepared
51. A. daughter B. mother C. god D. ruler
52. A. works B. remains C. happens D. starts
53. A. should B. can C. dare D. will
54. A. where B. because C. why D. how
55. A. nice B. friendly C. fresh D. happy
I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was ___36___ and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be ___37___ but a failure.”
After five years of ___38___ jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best ___39___ that could have happened to me. I ___40___ I wanted to do something positive (积极的) with my life because I wanted to prove to ___41___ that what people said about me was ___42___. Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s ___43___ it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my ___44___ and went to college. My first novel (小说) ___45___ while I was at college.
After college I taught during the ___46___ in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a ___47___ in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of ___48___ that job to write full time ___49___ I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself—___50___ was a working-class boy who’d ___51___ school early, now teaching at the university.
My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and ___52___, have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. ___53___ what does it mean? I ___54___ wish all the people that have put me down had ___55___: “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”
36. A. bright B. uselessC. simpleD. hopeful
37. A. anything B. somethingC. everythingD. nothing
38. A. low B. poorC. goodD. useful
39. A. support B. happinessC. surpriseD. thing
40. A. admitted B. decidedC. plannedD. told
41. A. me B. themC. herD. it
42. A. wrong B. rightC. stupidD. faulty
43. A. see B. knowC. understandD. face
44. A. experiment B. practiceC. writingD. composition
45. A. came on B. came inC. came outD. came back
46. A. day B. nightC. monthD. year
47. A. graduation B. passC. degreeD. success
48. A. giving in B. giving backC. giving outD. giving up
49. A. while B. ifC. whenD. or
50. A. there B. hereC. itD. that
51. A. left B. attended C. changed D. graduated
52. A. tired B. calmC. nervousD. famous
53. A. And B. ButC. HoweverD. Well
54. A. just B. exactlyC. soD. very
55. A. praised B. saidC. answeredD. advised