I coutdn't have got to the meeting on time____________ an earlier train.

A. if I had not caught　　　　　　 B. unless I had caugh

C. if ! did not catch　　　　　　　 D. unless I caugh

 

Learning experience happens to us throughout our lives. Not long ago I had one that I would like to 　 36 　.

I was going to Marblehead with my sailboat team. The team was racing down the highway at 85 mph 　37 　we realized we were 　 38 　. Luckily, we saw a rest area ahead. I had a brand-new $ 20 bill. I was so 　 39 　because I had never had that kind of cash before. But spending it on 　 40 　seemed like throwing it away. We all rushed into the pizza line. 41 　I got a pizza and a drink, and walked to my table. About halfway through the meal, I 　42 　I had not actually handed any money to the cashier . I had just 　 43 　out, and nobody had noticed. I felt terrible.

My conscience opened its mouth and swallowed me in one big bite. I couldn't 　 44 　over it. I just couldn't go back to the cashier and 　45 　for my stolen pizza. I was so upset that I

　 46 　to give myself the pleasure of an ice cream in 　 47 　that someone would say “Hey, Jeff, why don't you use the change 　 48 　the pizza instead of that nice, new $ 20 bill?” I was not so 　49 　of my cash now.

For the next two years, whenever I was 　50 　of the “Pizza incident”, I would say to myself “Don't think about it any more”.

I have learned two things from this 　 51 　. Maybe I was a fool for 　 52 in to my conscience, and being too stupid to appreciate a 　53 　pizza. But the real lesson is that even if you get away from what you have done, your conscience will 　 54 　up with you.

This reflects the saying “A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies one.” I was a coward and have felt terrible about that incident at least a thousand times. If I had been a 　 55 　and gone back to pay for the pizza, I would have felt a little uncomfortable about it only once, or maybe twice.

36. A. say　　　 　　　　 B. talk　 　　　　 C. share　　　　 　 D. explain

37. A. as　　　　 　　　　 B. then　　　　　 C. while　　　　 　 D. when

38. A. lost　　　 　　　　　 B. tired　　　　 　 C. hungry　　　 D. anxious

39. A. excited　 　　　　 B. eager　　　　 C. satisfied　　 　　 D. encouraged

40. A. rest　　　 　　　　　 B. food　　　　　 C. travel　　　 　 D. drink

41. A. Luckily　 　　　　　 B. Finally　　　 　 C. Immediately　 D. Actually

42. A. thought　 　　　　 B. recognized　　 C. noticed　　　 D. realized

43. A. walked　　 　　　 B. left　　　　　 　 C. worked　　　 D. found

44. A. look　　　 　　　　　 B. get　　　　　 C. turn　　　　 　 D. think

45. A. ask　　　 　　　　 B. pay　　　　　 C. apologize　　 D. send

46. A. refused　 　　　　 B. wanted　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. hoped　　　　 　 D. meant

47. A. hope　　　 　　　 B. surprise　　　 　 C. anger　　　　 D. fear

48. A. into　　　 　　　　　 B. with　　　　　 C. for　　　　　 　 D. from

49. A. sure　　　 　　　　　 B. upset　　　　 C. proud　　　　 D. pleased

50. A. warned　　 　　　 B. reminded 　　　　 C. thought　　 　　 D. told

51. A. experience 　　　　 B. experiment　　 C. story　　　　 　 D. mistake

52. A. turning　 　　　　　 B. talking　　　 　 C. handing　　　 D. giving

53. A. free　　　 　　　　　 B. cheap　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. plain　　　　 　　 D. delicious

54. A. make　　　 　　　 B. wake　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. catch　　　　 　 D. put

55. A. coward　　 　 B. fool　　　　　 　　 C. loser　　　　 　　　 D. hero

After the board meeting, Frank began to tell us of his childhood. “I grew up in San Pedro. My dad was a fisherman and had his own 　36 . But it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he 　37 enough to feed the family.”

He looked at us and said, “I 　38 you could have met my dad. He was a big man and strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch. When you got close to him, he　 39 like the ocean. He would wear his old canvas, foul-weather coat and overalls with the rain hat　 40 down over his brow. No matter how much my mother washed them, they would still smell of the sea and of fish.”

Frank’s voice 41 a bit as if he were back to his childhood. “When the weather was bad he would drive me to school. His truck was older than he was, which you could hear coming for 42 . As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink down into the seat hoping to 43 .”

“When the truck stopped, it would throw out a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like 　44 would be standing around and watching. Then he would 　45 　and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so 　46 for me at that time.”

He paused and then went on, “I 　47 that day I decided I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school, he had his 　48 big smile. He started to lean toward me, 　49 I put my hand up and said, ‘No, Dad.”

“It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this 　50 look on his face. My dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear 　51 . I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked out of the windshield. ‘You are right,’ he said, ‘You are a big boy --a man. I won’t kiss you any more.’”

Frank got a funny look on his face, and tears began to well up in his eyes as he spoke. “It wasn’t long 　52 that when my dad went to sea and never came back. It was a day when most of the fleet stayed 　53 but not dad.”

I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks. Frank spoke again, “Guys, you don’t know 　54 I would give to have my dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek ... If I had been a 　 55 , I would never have told my dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.”

36. A. house　　　　　 B. truck　　　　　　　　　　 C. boat　　　　　　　　　 D. car

37. A. caught　　　　 B. received　　　　　　　　 C. made　　　　　　　　 D. took

38. A. think　　　　　 B. wish　　　　　　　　　　 C. hope　　　　　　　　 D. mean

39. A. looked　　　　 B. tasted　　　　　　　　　　 C. felt　　　　　　　　　　 D. smelled

40. A. pulled　　　　　 B. taken　　　　　　　　　　 C. put　　　　　　　　　　 D. laid

41. A. worked　　　 B. rose　　　　　　　　　　　 C. lost　　　　　　　　　 D. dropped

42. A. blocks　　　　 B. streets　　　　　　　　　 C. hours　　　　　　　　 D. moments

43. A. appear　　　　 B. escape　　　　　　　　　 C. disappear　　　　　 D. flee

44. A. the students B. everybody　　　　　　 C. somebody　　　　　 D. the teachers

45. A. come over　 B. lean over　　　　　　　 C. go over　　　　　　 D. turn over

46. A. exciting　　　 B. frightening　　　　　　 C. embarrassing　　 D. surprising

47. A. remember　　 B. believe　　　　　　　　　 C. think　　　　　　　　 D. imagine

48. A. unusual　　　 B. common　　　　　　　 C. ordinary　　　　　　 D. usual

49. A. and 　　　　　 B. but　　　　　　　　　　　 C. so　　　　　　　　　　 D. therefore

50. A. surprised　　 B. excited　　　　　　　　　 C. moved　　　　　　　 D. worried

51. A. up 　　　　　 B. down　　　　　　　　　　 C. off　　　　　　　　　　 D. away

52. A. since　　　　　 B. before　　　　　　　　　 C. after　　　　　　　　　 D. from

53. A. on 　　　　　 B. in 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. off　　　　　　　　　　 D. out

54. A. if　 　　　　　 B. that　　　　　　　　　　　 C. which　　　　　　　 D. what

55. A. student　　　　 B. boy　　　　　　　　　　　 C. child　　　　　　　　 D. man