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!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

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!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

　　阅读理解：

　　There is one foreign product the Japanese are buying faster than others, and its popularity has caused an uneasy feeling among many Japanese．That product is foreign words．

　　Cairaigo words that come from outside have been part of the Japanese language for centuries．Mostly borrowed from English and Chinese, these terms are often changed into forms no longer understood by native speakers．

　　But in the last few years the trickle (涓涓细流) of foreign words has become a flood, and people fear the increasing use of foreign words is making it hard for the Japanese to understand each other and could lead to many people forgetting the good qualities of traditional Japanese．

　　“The popularity of foreign words is part of the Japanese interest in anything new,” says university lecturer and writer Takashi Saito．By using a foreign word you can make a subject seem new, which makes it easier for the media to pick up．

　　“Experts often study abroad and use English terms when they speak with people in their own fields．Those terms are then included in government white papery,” said Muturo Kai, president of the National Language Research Institute．“Foreign words find their way easily into announcements made to the general public, when they should really be explained in Japanese ．”

　　Against the flow of new words, many Japanese are turning back to the study of their own language．Saito's Japanese to Be Read Aloud is one of many language books that are now flying off booksellers' shelves．

　　“We were expecting to sell the books to young people,” said the writer, “but it turns out they are more popular with the older generation, who seem uneasy about the future of Japanese．”

1．What advantages do foreign words have over traditional Japanese terms?

[　　]

A．The ideas expressed in foreign words sound new．

B．Foreign words are best suited for announcements．

C．Foreign words make new subjects easier to understand．

D．The use of foreign words makes the media more popular．

2．In the opinion of Takashi Saito．Japanese people________．

[　　]

A．are good at learning foreign languages

B．are willing to learn about new things

C．trust the media

D．respect experts

3．Which of the following plays an important part in the spread of foreign words?

[　　]

A．The media and government papers．

B．Best-selling Japanese textbooks．

C．The interest of young Japanese．

D．Foreign products and experts．

4．The book Japanese to Be Read Aloud ________．

[　　]

A．sells very well in Japan

B．is supported by the government

C．is questioned by the old generation

D．causes misunderstanding among the readers