Just off La Rambla Street in Barcelona, I skimmed through The Saints (圣人) of Spain in a bookstore. It would be a good read for the home. At that moment, I couldn’t help thinking of my own personal saint, the angel who’d my trip.
It was the first time for me to travel abroad and I called it a “spiritual journey”. I hadn’t a hotel before setting out I thought I could find a cheap one when I arrived. , it turned out to be a(n) .
I knew Spanish, but the quick, sad of each hotel owner’s head was easily understood — no room at the hotel. The sun had just gone down below the horizon (地平线)，I didn’t know what to do and began to . Just then, an old man came with a hat covering his white hair. He asked me if I needed any help. I supposed maybe he the worried look on my face.
After explaining why I was there, he asked me to him. At first, I whether the stranger did that out of kindness. However, considering my situation, I had no other choice but to him. I walked behind him and passed through a narrow, dark side street. Finally he rang the bell on a door. “You will stay here,” he said. “It is a place.”
He was . My room was huge —with a bed, a desk and even a bath. I wanted to him, but he’d gone away. “This man can be trusted,” I thought.
Now , at the , I felt a tap (轻拍) on my shoulder. It was him ! So he was . “I want to thank you. What’s your name ? ” I said.
“Raphael,” he said. “You’re very welcome.” With that, he went away into the crowd on La Rambla. “He was not an angel but just a kind ,” I thought.
On the planet, I turned to a page in The Saints of Spain by chance. “Raphael,” it read, “is known as the supporter of travellers. He helps guide spiritual journeys.’’ Yes, he does.
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It was the district sports meet. My foot still hadn’t healed(痊愈) from a(n) ___36___ injury. I had___37___ whether or not I should attend the meet. But there I was, ___38___for the 3,000-meter run.
“Ready…set…” The gun popped and we were off. The other girls rushed ___39___ me. I felt ___40___ as I fell farther and farther behind.
“Hooray!” shouted the crowd. It was the loudest___41___ I had ever heard at a meet. The first-place runner was two laps（圈）ahead of me when she crossed the finish line.
“Maybe I should___42___, I thought as I moved on. ___43___, I decided to keep going. During the last two laps, I ran ___44___ and decided not to ___45___in track next year. It wouldn’t be worth it, ___46___my foot did heal.
When I finished, I heard a cheer--___47___ than the one I’d heard earlier. I turned around and___48___, the boys were preparing for their race. “They must be cheering for the boys. ”
I was leaving ___49___ several girls came up to me. “Wow, you’ve got courage!” one of them told me.
“Courage? I just ___50___a race!” I thought.
“I would have given up on the first lap,” said another girl. “We were cheering for you. Did you hear us?”
Suddenly I regained___51___. I decided to ___52___ track next year. I realized strength and courage aren’t always ___53___ in medals and victories, but in the ___54___we overcome(战胜). The strongest people are not always the people who win, ___55___ the people who don’t give up when they lose.
36. A. slighter B. worse C. earlier D. heavier
37. A. expected B. supposed C. imagined D. doubted
38. A. late B. eager C. ready D. thirsty
39. A. from behind B. ahead of C. next to D. close to
40. A. ashamed B. astonished C. excited D. frightened
41. A. cheer B. shout C. cry D. noise
42. A. slow down B. drop out C. go on D. speed up
43. A. Therefore B. Otherwise C. Besides D. However
44. A. with delight B. with fear C. in pain D. in advance
45. A. play B. arrive C. race D. attend
46. A. even if B. only if C. unless D. until
47. A. weaker B. longer C. lower D. louder
48. A. well enough B. sure enough C. surprisingly enough D. strangely enough
49. A. while B. when C. as D. since
50. A. finished B. won C. passed D. lost
51. A. cheer B. hope C. interest D. experience
52. A. hold on B. turn to C. begin with D. stick with
53. A. measured B. praised C. tested D. increased
54. A. sadness B. struggles C. diseases D. tiredness
55. A. or B. nor C. and D. but
Tracy Wong is a well-known Chinese-American writer. But her writing ___36___ was something she picked up by herself. After her first ___37___, teaching disabled children, she became a part-time writer for IBM. ___38___, writing stories was simply a ___39___ interest. Tracy sent three of her stories to a publisher(出版商). ___40___, they immediately suggested that she put them together to make a single one long ___41___ and paid Tracy a $50,000 advance. “A pretty money,” said the publisher, “for ___42___ writer. ”
___43___ Tracy’s characters(人物) are interesting, her stories sometimes ___44___ readers uneasy: those about the supernatural. “My mother believed I could ___45___ the afterlife world,” she told a close friend. “She used to have me speak with my grandmother, who died many years ago. ”
“Can I? I don’t think I can,” Tracy said with a laugh. “But I do have ___46___when things come to me ___47___. ” Once, she was wondering how to complete a ___48___ set in ancient(古代的) China. ___49___the doorbell rang. It was a FedEx delivery man, with a copy of a book on Chinese ___50___. It came without her having ___51___it.
Though she has published 10 books, Tracy has remained ___52___ by her fame. She lives in the same ___53___ ___ she lived 27 years ago — although in a more comfortable home. There
s more room for ___54___in her life ’t just ___55___.
36. A. skill B. experience C. practice D. method
37. A. duty B. effort C. job D. task
38. A. Instead B. Normally C. Certainly D. Then
39. A. general B. deep C. personal D. lively
40. A. Interested B. Anxiously C. Seriously D. Encouraged
41. A. film B. story C. program D. article
42. A. a foreign B. a popular C. an unusual D. an unknown
43. A. Now that B. Even though C. Just because D. Except that
44. A. find B. turn C. leave D. hold
45. A. make up B. connect with C. control D. explain
46. A. events B. chances C. feelings D. moments
47. A. for no reason B. from a distance C. by accident D. as gifts
48. A. description B. pointing C. scene D. talk
49. A. Surprisingly B. Suddenly C. Expectedly D. Fortunately
50. A. cooking B. history C. play D. medicine
51. A. known B. sent C. realized D. ordered
52. A. unchanged B. excited C. determined D. unmoved
53. A. life B. city C. house D. way
54. A. success B. work C. joy D. variety
55. A. writing B. reporting C. luck D. fun
I played a racquetball game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most ___1___ and tiring games I’ve ever had. When Ed first phoned and ___2___ we play, I laughed quietly, figuring on an ___3___ victory. After all, Ed’s idea of ___4___ has always been nothing more ___5___ than lifting a fork to his mouth. ___6___ I can remember, Ed’s been the least physically fit member in the family, and ___7___ proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often ___8___ about that, Ed refused to buy a ___9___ T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed ___10___ for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly ___11___, I was so surprised that I was ___12___. My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape. ___13___, at the point in our game when I’d have predicted(预计) the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was ___14___ 7 to 9 — and Ed was ___15___. The sudden realization was painful. We ___16___ to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up, I was having serious ___17___ about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone ___18___ that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to ___19___. In a way, I think we both won: I the game, but cousin Ed my ___20___.
1. A. encouraging B. hopeless C. surprising D. regular
2. A. declared B. mentioned C. persuaded D. suggested
3. A. unforgettable B. unexpected C. easy D. early
4. A. exercise B. preparation C. joy D. fitness
5. A. time-saving B. comfortable C. suitable D. effort-making
6. A. As soon as B. As long as C. When D. Since
7. A. strangely B. personally C. reasonably D. eagerly
8. A. cared B. forgot C. quarreled D. joked
9. A. clean B. larger C. straight D. darker
10. A. set out B. got ready C. arrived D. returned
11. A. notice B. admire C. believe D. measure
12. A. nervous B. curious C. careless D. speechless
13. A. After all B. As a result C. Above all D. At last
14. A. mistakenly B. then C. instead D. naturally
15. A. leading B. coming C. waiting D. counting
16. A. pretended B. stopped C. continued D. decided
17. A. thoughts B. doubts C. situations D. problems
18. A. scoring B. completing C. receiving D. keeping
19. A. play B. start C. sleep D. move
20. A. friendship B. respect C. support D. favor
Andy was still traveling in Spain when he realized he had to confirm (确认) his flight home with the airline company (航空公司). He was visiting Spain in order to ___1___ his Spanish. When he was speaking to people ___2___ he had no ___3___ understanding what they said. ___4___, when he was speaking on the phone, he ___5___ had a problem. Andy ___6___ the airline. And the clerk confirmed that his plane was leaving at nine o’clock three days from that day. She ___7___ told Andy to be at the airport two hours ___8___ in order to check in his luggage and get a seat.
Since he was ___9___ in three days, Andy didn’t ___10___ any time. He visited as many places as he could. He thought that it would probably be a while before he had enough money again. He wished he could ___11___ and spend a year in Spain.
Too ___12___, the final day arrived. Andy left early for the airport to arrive two hours before take-off. He hated to ___13___. He went to the clerk to ___14___ his ticket. The clerk looked at the ticket with ___15___. “Why, sir, but your flight was at nine o’clock in the morning, and ___16___ it is eight in the evening.” “But I confirmed my flight,” ___17___ Andy. “Will I have to pay for another ticket?”
“No, sir. However, the next flight out will be three days from now.”
Andy’s ___18___ of shock turned to one of ___19___ as he realized that now he could continue his ___20___.
1. A. prepare B. improve C. enjoy D. learn
2. A. slowly B. in public C. in person D. carefully
3. A. difficulty B. idea C. mistake D. interest
4. A. Instead B. Therefore C. Meanwhile D. However
5. A. even B. just C. still D. seldom
6. A. called B. liked C. trusted D. asked
7. A. again B. also C. only D. once
8. A. before B. earlier C. later D. after
9. A. moving B. returning C. staying D. leaving
10. A. take B. have C. lose D. find
11. A. wait B. go home C. stop D. come back
12. A. shortly B. quickly C. badly D. early
13. A. speak B. go C. rush D. delay
14. A. buy B. present C. order D. provide
15. A. astonishment B. patience C. respect D. delight
16. A. maybe B. so C. here D. now
17. A. insisted B. apologized C. replied D. demanded
18. A. experience B. expression C. look D. face
19. A. pleasure B. comfort C. sadness D. hopelessness
20. A. plan B. flight C. journey D. vacation
You Did More Than Carry My books
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with a baseball bat and several other things. Mark___1___ down and helped the boy pick up these articles. ___2___ they were going the same way, he helped to carry some of them for him. As they walked Mark ___3___ the boy’s name was Bill, that he ___4___ computer games, baseball and history, that he was having a lot of ___5___ with his other subjects and that he had just broken ___6___ with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill’s home first and Mark was ___7___ in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed ___8___ with a few laughs and some shared small talk, and then Mark went home. They ___9___ to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, and then both ended up from the same high school. Just three weeks before ___10___, Bill asked Mark if they ___11___ talk.
Bill ___12___ him of the day years ago when they had first met. “Do you ___13___ wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?” asked Bill. “You see, I ___14___ out my locker because I didn’t want to leave a mess(脏乱) ___15___ anyone else. I had planned to run away and I was going home to ___16___ my things. But after we spent some time together ___17___ and laughing, I realized that ___18___ I had done that, I would have ___19___ a new friend and missed all the fun we would have together. So you see, Mark, when you picked up my books that day, you did a lot more. You ___20___ my life.”
1. A. fell B. sat C. lay D. knelt
2. A. Although B. Since C. After D. Until
3. A. discovered B. realized C. said D. decided
4. A. played B. loved C. tried D. made
5. A. questions B. ideas C. trouble D. doubt
6. A. up B. out C. off D. away
7. A. called B. helped C. invited D. allowed
8. A. peacefully B. willingly C. freely D. pleasantly
9. A. continued B. agreed C. forced D. offered
10. A. graduation B. movement C. separation D. vacation
11. A. would B. should C. could D. must
12. A. demanded B. reminded C. removed D. asked
13. A. ever B. usually C. even D. never
14. A. checked B. took C. cleaned D. put
15. A. over B. into C. with D. for
16. A. find B. pick C. pack D. hold
17. A. talking B. playing C. reading D. watching
18. A. before B. if C. while D. as
19. A. forgotten B. passed C. left D. lost
20. A. helped B. recovered C. improved D. changed