36．A．advantage　　　　　　 B．disadvantage　　　　 C．trouble　　　　　　　　 D．discomfort

55．A．expensive　　　　　　 B．precious　　　　　　　 C．comfortable　　　　 D．interesting

Answers:

36-40 DABCA　　 41-45 ADBAC　　 46-50 CAABC　 51-55 DAACB

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 Passage　 8

As an engineering student, I had a degree and three good job offers. I couldn’t help trembling when I heard about studies which showed that women are at a (n) 　36　 　when it comes to math. However, I discovered: just because a subject is 　37　 　to learn, it does not show you are not good at it. You just have to grit your teeth and work harder to get good at it. 　38　 　you do, there’s a (an) 　39　 　chance you will enjoy it more than anything else.

In eighth grade I took algebra (代数). On one test I got only 36 percent of the 　40　 　answers. I failed the next one, too. I started to 　41　 　maybe I’m just not good at this. I was lucky enough to have a teacher who didn’t take my bad grades as a judgment of my 　42　 , but 　43　 　as an indication that I should study more. He 　44　 　me aside and told me he knew I could do better. Success grows out of struggles to overcome difficulties. I 　45　 　the following tests, and pulled my grade up to an A.

I studied a lot in college, too. I had moments of fear while sitting below the fluorescent lights in the 　46　 　library on Saturday afternoons, when I 　47　 　that the estrogen (雌性激素) in my body was 　48　 　me from understanding thermodynamics (热动力学). But the 　49　 　in my class had to work just as hard, and I knew that I couldn’t 　50　 　to lose confidence in myself. I didn’t want to choose between my femininity (女人气) and a good career.　 51　 　I reminded myself that those 　52　 , the ones that say math comes more naturally to men, are faulty.

Here’s a secret: math and science don’t go 　53　 　to most people. No one was 　54　 　born knowing calculus (微积分). But as a famous saying goes: Y nothing is difficult if you put your heart into it. A woman can learn anything a man can, but first she needs to know that she can do it, and then takes a leap of 　55　 .

54．A．world　　　　　　　　 B．feeling　　　　　　　　 C．possession　　　　　 D．love

53．A．filled with　　　　　 B．pleased with　　　　 C．crowded with　　　 D．equipped with

52．A．imaginary　　　　　 B．kind　　　　　　　　　　 C．gentle　　　　　　　　 D．warm

51．A．days　　　　　　　　　 B．months　　　　　　　　 C．nights　　　　　　　　 D．years

50．A．overcoat　　　　　　　 B．incident　　　　　　　 C．accident　　　　　　　 D．action

49．A．kindness　　　　　　　 B．forgiveness　　　　　 C．sadness　　　　　　　　 D．carelessness

48．A．put　　　　　　　　　　 B．turned　　　　　　　　 C．handed　　　　　　　　 D．gave

47．A．at all　　　　　　　　　 B．after all　　　　　　　 C．above all　　　　　　 D．in all