When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near a copper smelter（炼铜厂），and the chemicals that poured out had made a wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. One day a young visitor looked at this wasteland and called it an awful area. Paul knocked him down. From then on, something happened inside him.

　　Years later Paul was back in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans or if they would let him try to bring the trees back. The answer from that big industry was “No”.

Paul then went to college to study the science of plants. Unfortunately, his teachers said there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds. It would be a waste of his life to try to do it. Everyone knew that, he was told. Even if he was knowledgeable as he had expected, he wouldn’t get his idea accepted.

　　Paul later got married and had some kids. But his dream would not die. And then one night he did what he could with what he had. As Samuel Johnson wrote, “It is common to overlook what is near by keeping the eye fixed on something remote. Attainable good is often ignored by minds busied in wide ranges.” Under the cover of darkness, he went secretly into the wasteland and started planting.

　　And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and grass. For fifteen years he did this against the plain common sense. Slowly rabbits appeared. Later, as there was legal pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing.

　　Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, and Paul has received almost every environmental award Utah has. It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.

When Paul was a boy，______________.

A. he had decided never to leave his hometown

B. the economy of Utah depended wholly on the copper smelter

C. no laws were made to protect the environment against pollution

D. he had determined to stop the copper smelter polluting the area

Why did Paul go to college to study the science of plants？

A. Because he wanted to find out the best way to save the area himself.

B. Because he was interested in planting trees since he was young.

C. Because he wanted to get more knowledgeable people to help him.

D. Because he thought his knowledge would make his advice more persuasive.

What does the underlined phrase “the plain common sense” probably refer to?

A. That it was impossible for trees to grow on the wasteland.

B. That his normal work and life would be greatly affected.

C. That no one would like to join him in the efforts.

D. That he had to keep everything he did secret.

The company hired Paul to plant trees and grass because___________.

   A. they realized the importance of environmental protection

   B. What Paul was doing moved them

   C. Paul persuaded them to help him

   D. they had legal pressure

The message of the passage is that _____________.

A. action speaks louder than words

B. perseverance（持之以恒）will work wonders

C. God helps those who help themselves

D. many hands make light work

阅读下面的短文，在空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号中单词的正确形式。

The profession of 　 ①　 journalist remains only a dream for most people. 　 However, Arash Markazi has luckily realized his dream as a writer for the sports television network ESPN.

But the road has not been 　 ②　 for Mr. Markazi, who is now 31 years old. More than ten years ago, while working for his college newspaper, he was given the 　　 ③ news possible—he had cancer! But cancer didn’t stop him 　 ④　 (achieve) his dream. When he was in hospital, he spent his 　 ⑤　 time making plans. He made a list of the games he wanted to go to 　 ⑥　 the events that he wanted to cover.

Up to now, he 　 ⑦　 (attend) all of the events he put down on his list. 　 ⑧　 his recovery from cancer, he has been looking at sports and his job in a different way. He says, “I remember when I was younger I would cry if my team 　 ⑨　 . But now, it really doesn’t matter to me who wins the game. I just want a good story.” He said cancer helped him value 　 ⑩　 is really important.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

A man liked to climb tall mountains. After years of 　21　 , he felt he could handle any mountain in the world.

During a climbing trip, with five other men, he 　22　 he would first make the final climb and claim the glory, while the others 23　 . So he headed toward the top and he was　 24　 　that there was a full moon.

25　 it was foolish to climb at night alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton (岩钉) protection. With the 　26　 of the moon, he made rapid progress. But 　27 , thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain. In just a few minutes visibility 　28　 to almost zero. It was now too late to　 29 , so he continued to climb up the mountain.

While 　30　 in total darkness, he got into some rotten rock, and slid over the edge of a cliff (悬崖). The good news is that he was still 　31　 after the fall, although he found himself hanging from his rope. The bad news is, he had 　32　 his heavy coat during the fall and the night air was getting colder and colder.

Suddenly, from above he seemed to hear a strong deep voice, “ 33　 the rope!” What? Once again, he heard a deep voice saying that. But 　34　 followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, hoping to grab something that would enable him to climb to 　35 . Unable to see his true 　36 , the climber concluded that hanging onto the rope was his only 　37 .

The following day, his teammates discovered him 　38　 to death, still on his rope --- only eight feet 39　 a large rock. If the climber had cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a relatively safe area, where he could have built a 40 , and probably survived the night.

21. A. recovering 　　　 B. experimenting 　 C. observing　 D. training

22. A. wondered 　 B. understood 　　　 C. decided　　 D. agreed

23. A. slept　　 　 B. climbed　　 　 C. walked　　　 D. prepared

24. A. sure　　 　 B. glad 　 　　　　C. upset　 　 D. calm

25. A. Since　 　 B. When 　　　 C. Although D. If

26. A. benefit 　B. position　　 　 C. protection　 D. track

27. A. naturally　　　 B. thankfully　 　 C. finally 　　 D. unfortunately

28. A. dropped　 B. changed　　 　 C. rose　 　　 D. settled

29. A. look around 　　　 B. set out 　　　 C. turn back　 D. set off

30. A. driving　 　 B. rushing　　　 　 C. jumping　　 D. moving

31. A. awake　 　 B. cold 　　　　C. alive　 　　 D. active

32. A. buried　 　 B. picked　　 　　 C. worn 　　 D. lost

33. A. Wave 　　B. Cut 　 　　　　C. Drop　　　 D. pick

34. A. violence 　　 B. reply 　　　　C. silence　　　 　　 D. failure

35. A. safety　 　 B. origin　　 　　　 C. top　　 　　 D. base

36. A. appearance　 B. situation　　 　 C. movement D. direction

37. A. reward 　 B. hope　 　　　 C. work　 　 D. result

38. A. burned　 　 B. bitten 　　　 C. beaten 　 D. frozen

39. A. in 　　　 B. beside 　　　 C. above 　　 D. below

40. A. path　　 　 B. fire　　 　　　 C. house 　　 D. cave

A man liked to climb tall mountains. After years of 　21　 , he felt he could handle any mountain in the world.

During a climbing trip, with five other men, he 　22　 he would first make the final climb and claim the glory, while the others 23　 . So he headed toward the top and he was　 24　 　that there was a full moon.

25　 it was foolish to climb at night alone, he did use a rope and put in good piton (岩钉) protection. With the 　26　 of the moon, he made rapid progress. But 　27 , thick clouds were starting to build around the mountain. In just a few minutes visibility 　28　 to almost zero. It was now too late to　 29 , so he continued to climb up the mountain.

While 　30　 in total darkness, he got into some rotten rock, and slid over the edge of a cliff (悬崖). The good news is that he was still 　31　 after the fall, although he found himself hanging from his rope. The bad news is, he had 　32　 his heavy coat during the fall and the night air was getting colder and colder.

Suddenly, from above he seemed to hear a strong deep voice, “ 33　 the rope!” What? Once again, he heard a deep voice saying that. But 　34　 followed, as the climber continued to hang onto the rope, hoping to grab something that would enable him to climb to 　35 . Unable to see his true 　36 , the climber concluded that hanging onto the rope was his only 　37 .

The following day, his teammates discovered him 　38　 to death, still on his rope --- only eight feet 39　 a large rock. If the climber had cut the rope, he would have dropped down to a relatively safe area, where he could have built a 　40 , and probably survived the night.

21. A. recovering 　　　 B. experimenting 　 C. observing　 D. training

22. A. wondered 　 B. understood 　　　 C. decided　　 D. agreed

23. A. slept　　 　 B. climbed　　 　 C. walked　　　 D. prepared

24. A. sure　　 　 B. glad 　 　　　　C. upset　 　 D. calm

25. A. Since　 　 B. When 　　　 C. Although D. If

26. A. benefit 　 B. position　　 　 C. protection　 D. track

27. A. naturally　　　 B. thankfully　 　 C. finally 　　 D. unfortunately

28. A. dropped　 B. changed　　 　 C. rose　 　　 D. settled

29. A. look around 　　　 B. set out 　　　 C. turn back　 D. set off

30. A. driving　 　 B. rushing　　　 　 C. jumping　　 D. moving

31. A. awake　 　 B. cold 　　　　C. alive　 　　 D. active

32. A. buried　 　 B. picked　　 　　 C. worn 　　 D. lost

33. A. Wave 　　B. Cut 　 　　　　C. Drop　　　 D. pick

34. A. violence 　　 B. reply 　　　　C. silence　　　 　　 D. failure

35. A. safety　 　 B. origin　　 　　　 C. top　　 　　 D. base

36. A. appearance　 B. situation　　 　 C. movement D. direction

37. A. reward 　 B. hope　 　　　 C. work　 　 D. result

38. A. burned　 　 B. bitten 　　　 C. beaten 　 D. frozen

39. A. in 　　　 B. beside 　　　 C. above 　　 D. below

40. A. path　　 　 B. fire　　 　　　 C. house 　　 D. cave