A Good Friend, A Second Self

I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard my name called for the leading role in our high school play. Mrs. Dermitt, my drama teacher, had been looking for someone to play an energetic boy in a comedy. Luckily for me, she thought that I could handle the 　36 .

That afternoon my friend Kevin and I talked 　37 about the play. Although Kevin hadn’t been 　38 for a part on stage, his job with the set crew was important to the success of the play. I told him I was a little 　39 because I had a lot of lines to memorize.

“You can do it.” He said. I knew I could 　40 him: we had been friends since the third grade, and we 　41 a good team.

Preparations for the play moved at a rapid pace. While working hard with the set crew, Kevin 　42 spent hours helping me learn my lines. He often said my lines with me by silently moving his lips. We 　43 that he could probably play my part as well as I could.

Three days before the 　44 night, everything was ready for the performance. But when I woke up 　45 a fever and sore throat on the day of the play, the entire production came to a sudden 　46 . Everyone in the drama department was worried, 　47 there was no way I could perform. The play was 　48 to open in fewer than six hours, and we had no time to cancel. I tried to think of a way to 　49 . Then it hit me – Kevin knew the 　50 as well as I did. I called Mrs. Dermitt to give her my 　51 . Within a few short hours, Kevin stood onstage in costume and makeup. The amusing lines he had 　52 with me so many times made the crowd laugh and cheer. In a strange turn of events, Kevin and I had 　53 the day for everyone by working as a team.

Of course, I was terribly disappointed to have 　54 my chance in the spotlight, but I was extremely 　55 to have such a good friend.

36．A．part　　　　　　　　　 B．play　　　　　　　　　 C．band　　　　　　　　　 D．crew

37．A．excitedly　　　　　　 B．seriously　　　　　　 C．calmly　　　　　　　　 D．anxiously

38．A．elected　　　　　　　 B．trained　　　　　　　　 C．invited　　　　　　　　 D．chosen

40．A．talk with　　　　　　 B．tend to　　　　　　　 C．depend on　　　　　 D．agree with

41．A．joined　　　　　　　　 B．made　　　　　　　　　 C．took　　　　　　　　　 D．found

42．A．simply　　　　　　　　 B．only　　　　　　　　　 C．still　　　　　　　　　　 D．also

43．A．expected　　　　　　 B．debated　　　　　　　 C．joked　　　　　　　　 D．agreed

44．A．opening　　　　　　　 B．special　　　　　　　　 C．final　　　　　　　　　 D．greeting

45．A．from　　　　　　　　　 B．with　　　　　　　　　 C．in　　　　　　　　　　　 D．by

46．A．change　　　　　　　 B．turn　　　　　　　　　 C．end　　　　　　　　　　 D．stop

47．A．so　　　　　　　　　　　 B．but　　　　　　　　　　 C．and　　　　　　　　　　 D．for

48．A．likely　　　　　　　　　 B．ready　　　　　　　　 C．due　　　　　　　　　　 D．sure

49．A．pass　　　　　　　　　 B．care　　　　　　　　　 C．help　　　　　　　　　 D．face

50．A．lines　　　　　　　　　 B．steps　　　　　　　　　 C．point　　　　　　　　　 D．case

51．A．introduction　　　　 B．suggestion　　　　　 C．explanation　　　　 D．instruction

52．A．scanned　　　　　　 B．practiced　　　　　　 C．grasped　　　　　　　 D．presented

53．A．valued　　　　　　　　 B．left　　　　　　　　　　 C．saved　　　　　　　　 D．kept

54．A．missed　　　　　　　 B．avoided　　　　　　　 C．risked　　　　　　　　 D．offered

55．A．successful　　　　　 B．hopeful　　　　　　　 C．trustful　　　　　　　 D．thankful

 There is a fine line between being a concerned parent and one that doesn’t know when to let go.

      As my daughter, Nicole, prepares to leave home for college, I’m   36   how hard it is to stay on the right side of this line.   37   I tightly hold the string (绳) connecting us, Nicole,   38   to taste her independence,   39   hard at it, trying to get out of my control. We act as if we were dancing kind of tango (探戈舞). So we reached a(n)   40  . She accepted that as her mother, I had a right to express my idea and   41   suggestions. I accepted that I had to trust her   42   and respect her choices. I bit my lip a few times and Nicole shot me a few glares,   43   our agreement held.

      Thank God! She was finally accepted by a great university. When the time came for registration (注册), we went to an introductory meeting together, but then parents and students were   44  . “You may be paying the tuition (学费).” a university   45   told the parents, “but choosing classes really is the students’  46  . ”

      Obviously, I wasn’t the only parent having a hard time   47  . The night before, I had carefully read the course catalog (目录) and   48    classes I thought looked good. As Nicole went   49   to meet her adviser, we agreed to meet for lunch before registration. “  50   those courses I marked.” I called to her.

      We met three hours 1ater in the   51   hall. Nicole was excited and said to me, “Mum, I have my   52   schedule figured out. It’s great. Look at what I’m taking.” I examined the   53  . Nicole had not taken a single one of the classes I had   54  . Every class she had chosen exactly suited her interests. Though somewhat disappointed, I felt   55   that my daughter had grown into an able girl.   

36．A．discovering          B．expecting             C．wondering              D．discussing

37．A．Since                   B．Unless                 C．While                     D．Before

38．A．willing                 B．delighted              C．eager                     D．content

39．A．works                 B．pulls                    C．pushes                   D．blows

40．A．destination           B．explanation            C．conclusion             D．agreement   

41．A．shared                 B．offered                C．afforded                 D．created

42．A．consideration         B．suggestion            C．judgment                D．development

43．A．so                       B．and                      C．or                          D．but   

44．A．separated         B．warned                C．informed                D．persuaded

45．A．producer              B．translator             C．designer                  D．official

46．A．responsibility      B．activity                 C．ability                    D．quality

47．A．letting out            B．1etting go             C．letting alone            D．1etting down

48．A．improved             B．took                    C．attended                 D．marked

49．A．through               B．around                 C．off                        D．by

50．A．Think about       B．Pick out               C．Get through            D．Carry on

51．A．meeting               B．dinning                C．dancing                  D．reading

52．A．entire                   B．potential               C．regular                   D．original

53．A．program              B．notice                  C．schedule                D．course

54．A．forced                 B．provided              C．organized               D．suggested

55．A．nervous               B．proud                  C．regretful                 D．anxious

I grew up poor — living with six brothers, three sisters and my mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and   36  . I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still   37   a dream.
My dream was   38  . By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour baseball and   39   anything that moved on the field. I was also   40  : my high school coach was John, who not only   41   me, but also taught me how to believe in myself. He   42   me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念). One particular incident with coach John changed my life forever.
A friend   43   me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — money for a new bike, new clothes and the   44   of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to   45   up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.
When I told John, he was as   46   as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said, “Your   47   days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head   48  , trying to think of the words that would   49   to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his   50   in me.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the   51   of a dream?”
That simple question made   52   to me the difference between   53   something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself in sports that summer and   54   the year I was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and   55   a $ 20,000 contract（合同）. Later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

I grew up poor — living with six brothers, three sisters and my mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and   36  . I was happy and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still   37   a dream.

My dream was   38  . By the time I was sixteen, I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour baseball and   39   anything that moved on the field. I was also   40  : my high school coach was John, who not only   41   me, but also taught me how to believe in myself. He   42   me the difference between having a dream and showing conviction (信念). One particular incident with coach John changed my life forever.

A friend   43   me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket — money for a new bike, new clothes and the   44   of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to   45   up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

When I told John, he was as   46   as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said, “Your   47   days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head   48  , trying to think of the words that would   49   to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his   50   in me.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the   51   of a dream?”

That simple question made   52   to me the difference between   53   something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself in sports that summer and   54   the year I was chosen by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and   55   a $ 20,000 contract（合同）. Later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!