Although I love my life, it hasn’t been a lot of fun as I’ve been ill for 28 years.

Music has always been a great love of mine and, in my 20s, when my 　1 was more manageable , I 2　 ten years as a professional singer in restaurants, playing and singing folk songs. 　3　 that was years ago and times have changed. 　4　 I live with mother on a country farm

Two years ago, I decided that I would need to have some kind of extra work to 　5 my disability pension (残疾抚恤金). 　6 I needed to sleep in the afternoons, I was limited in my 　7　 . I decided that I would consider 8　 to singing in restaurants.

My family are all musicians, so I was 　9 when I went into our local music store. I explained that I wanted to sing again but using recorded karaoke music. I knew that discs were very expensive and I really didn’t have a lot of　 10　 to get started. And 11　 you find only three to four songs out of ten on a disc that you can 　12　 use.

When I told the owner of the shop about my 　13　 ; he gave me a long thoughtful 　 14　 . “This means a lot to you, doesn’ t it?” he said. “Come with me.”

He led me 　15 the crowded shop and to a bench with a large professional karaoke box on it. He placed his large hand 16 on his treasure and said, “I have 800 karaoke songs in here. You can take your 17 and I’ll record them for you. That should get you started.”

I 　18　 . Thanking him, I made a time with him to listen to all the songs and choose 　19 that I could sing. I have come full circle with his help.

His 　20 still warms my heart and makes me do just that bit extra, when I have the chance.

1. A. loneliness 　　　　　 B. sadness 　　　　　　　　 C. tiredness 　　　　　　　 D. sickness

2. A. set 　　　　　　　 　　B. enjoyed 　　　　　　　　　 C. kept 　　　　　　　　　　 D. shared

3. A. Gladly 　　　　　　　　 B. Eventually 　　　　　　　 C. Unfortunately 　　　　 D. Surprisingly

4. A. Now 　　　　　　　　　 B. Then 　　　　　　　 　　C. Sometime 　　　　　　　 D. Meanwhile

5. A. add up to　　 　 B. make up for 　　　 C. get rid of 　　　　 D. take advantage of

6. A. If 　　　　　　　　　　　 B. As 　　　　　　　　 　　C. Though 　　　　　　　 D. Before

7. A. movement 　　　　 B. condition 　　　　　　　 C. choices 　　　　　　　　 D. positions

8. A. reaching out 　　B. living up 　　　　　　　　 C. getting on 　　　　　　　 D. going back

9. A. recognized 　　　　 B. interviewed 　　　　　　 C. found 　　　　　　　　　　 D. invited

10. A. money 　　　　　　　　　　 B. time 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. energy D. knowledge

11. A. thus 　　　　　　　　 B. once 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. seldom 　　　　　　　　　 D. often

12. A. actually 　　　　　　 B. hardly 　　　　　　　　　　 C. nearly 　　　　　　　　　　 D. formerly

13. A. job 　　　　　　　　　 B. family 　　　　　　　　　　 C. idea 　　　　　　　　　　 D. offer

14. A. face 　　　　　　　　 B. view 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. look 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. sight

15. A. over 　　　　　　　　 B. along 　　　　　　　　　　 C. towards 　　　　　　　　 D. through

16. A. unhappily 　　　　 B. lovingly 　　　　　　　　 C. pitifully 　　　　　　　　　 D. gratefully

17. A. pick 　　　　　　　　 B. turn 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. role 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. step

18. A. had to cry B. ought to cry C. should have cried 　 D. could have cried

19. A. more 　　　　　　　 B. the ones 　　　　　　　　 C. few 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. the rest

20. A. courage 　　　　　　 B. devotion 　　　　　　　　 C. kindness 　　　　　　　　 D. trust

Like a]l little children, my seven-year-old daughter gets scared sometimes when she is trying to go to sleep．If the wind is howling, her 　 36　 can begin working overtime and she may see a (n) 　37 in the shadows laughing in the wind.

This past Monday was one such night. 　38 after I put her to bed, she came into my room crying that she was scared. She said she 　39 the sound of a bad guy laughing and she was extremely afraid that 　40 was going to get all of us. Her tears 　41 my heart, and I held my daughter in my arms and assured her that nothing would happen to her. I walked her back into her room and 　42 down beside her to continue to assure her that I would keep her safe.

“Yes, I know you will always 　43 me, Daddy, but what about when you go to sleep?” she asked.

“Sweetheart,” I comforted her, “there are great angels all around this house, and they 　44 sleep. They are here just to safeguard us. They can 　45 any bad guy from getting in here.”

“ 46 , Daddy, what about when the angels miss? I mean like when kids are kidnapped (绑架)or robbers 　47 people’s houses – what about those 　48 ?”

Her question struck m e – when did I start 　49 questions like this? When did I begin not to consider the most obvious problems of our 　50 ? I mean, I 　51 problems every day but I am still very surprised by this 　52 question.

I considered her question and realized there is no perfect 　53 . And I drew my 　54 and simply sated, “I don’t know, sweetheart.” I held her a little 　55 , and I went back to my original answer, “I am with you.”

36．A．thought　　　　　　　　　 B．imagination　　　　　　 C．idea　　　　　　　　　　　 D．creation

37．A．picture　　　　　　　　　 B．animal　　　　　　　　　　 C．tree　　　　　　　　　　　 D．figure

38．A．Shortly　　　　　　　　　 B．Long　　　　　　　　　　 C．Hardly　　　　　　　　　 D．Quietly

39．A．ignored　　　　　　　　　 B．made　　　　　　　　　　 C．heard　　　　　　　　　　 D．invited

40．A．anyone　　　　　　　　　 B．nobody　　　　　　　　　 C．someone　　　　　　　　 D．anybody

41．A．felt　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．cut　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．comforted　　　　　　 D．got

42．A．lay　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．laid　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．lied　　　　　　　　　　　 D．slept

43．A．hold　　　　　　　　　　　 B．watch　　　　　　　　　　 C．keep　　　　　　　　　　　 D．protect

44．A．sometimes　　　　　　 B．never　　　　　　　　　　 C．often　　　　　　　　　　 D．always

45．A．catch　　　　　　　　　　 B．see　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．stop　　　　　　　　　　　 D．observe

46．A．Thus 　　　　　　　　　 B．Then 　　　　　　　　　　 C．So 　　　　　　　　　　　 D．But

47．A．break into 　　　　　　 B．run into 　　　　　　　　 C．come into 　　　　　　 D．turn into

48．A．years 　　　　　　　　　 B．months 　　　　　　　　 C．days 　　　　　　　　　　 D．times

49．A．judging 　　　　　　　　 B．asking 　　　　　　　　　 C．avoiding 　　　　　　　 D．causing

50．A．existence 　　　　　　　 B．workshop 　　　　　　 C．memory 　　　　　　　 D．nature

51．A．point to 　　　　　　　　 B．deal with 　　　　　　　 C．play with 　　　　　　 D．stick to

52．A．hard 　　　　　　　　　　 B．simple 　　　　　　　　　 C．stupid 　　　　　　　　　 D．clever

53．A．result 　　　　　　　　　 B．word 　　　　　　　　　 C．answer 　　　　　　　　 D．exercise

54．A．breath 　　　　　　　　　 B．conclusion 　　　　　　 C．attention 　　　　　　　 D．money

55．A．closer 　　　　　　　　　 B．further 　　　　　　　　 C．higher 　　　　　　　　　 D．tighter

“Welcome, Mary,” I said. She raised her head and looked into my eyes. The smile on my face 36 . Dear God, I thought, what 　37 has entered the life of this little girl?

After settling Mary into her new desk and 　38 her, I went to the headmaster. She said, “Sit down and I’ll 　39 you in. Mary’s mother who loved her very much was shot and killed in her 　40 one night at their house. Mary, screaming, escaped to a neighbor’s. Then the child went into 　41 . She hadn’t cried or 　42 her mother since.”

I returned only to discover that the children were already avoiding this “ 43 ” child. “Mary’s been hurt badly, but we can do a lot to help her,” I explained gently. Bless all children. How loving they can be 　44 they understand.

In spite of our 45 , we seemed to be getting no closer to Mary and even my faith was wearing 　46 . My heart ached so badly, wanting this child to come alive, to be aware of the beauty, the wonder, the fun, and even the 　47 of living.

Spring approaching, children 　48 to make flower baskets for room decoration. During the lunch time, a girl came hurrying to me. “Come to see Mary’s basket,” she said 　49 . “You’ll never believe it!” I 　50 my breath at its beauty, for it couldn’t have been the work from a child that 　51 .

“Mary,” I said. “This is beautiful. How did you ever 　52 ?” She looked at me with the shining eyes of any 　53 little girl, saying, “My mother loved flowers.”

Thank you, God, You’ve 　54 us the miracle . I knelt and put my arms around the child. Then the tears came, slowly at first, but soon she was 　55 her heart out against my shoulder. The other children had tears in their eyes, too, but theirs—like mine—were tears of joy.

36. A. formed　　　　　　　 B. broadened 　　　 C. spread 　　　　　　 D. froze

37. A. wonder 　　　　　　 B. problem 　　　　　 C. horror 　　　　　 D. amazement

38. A. introducing 　　　 B. comforting 　　　 C. praising 　　　　　 D. touching

39. A. come 　　　　　　　 B. fill 　　　　　　　　　 C. push 　　　　　　　 D. let

40. A. home　　　　　 　 B. presence　　　　　 C. company 　　　 D. eyes

41. A. shock 　　　　　　 B. anger 　　　　　　 C. hunger 　　　　　 D. action

42. A. missed 　　　　　 B. mentioned 　　　 C. seen　 　　 　　D. heard

43. A. sweet 　　　　　　 　　B. sad 　　　　　　　　 C. lonely 　　　　　 D. different

44. A. before 　　　　　　 B. though 　　　　　　 C. once 　　　　　　 D. unless

45. A. lessons 　　　　　 B. talks　　 　　C. words　 　　　 D. efforts

46. A. strong 　　　　　　 B. thick　　　 　　 C. thin 　　　　　　　 D. heavy

47. A. cost　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. pain　　　　 　 C. course 　　　　　 D. pleasure

48. A. decided　 　　　 B. waited　　 　　 C. preferred 　　　　　　 D. wished

49. A. worriedly　　 B. excitedly　　 　 C. softly　 　 　　D. secretly

50. A. caught 　　　　　　　　　　 B. stopped　 　　　 C. counted 　　　　 D. took

51. A. old 　　　　　　　　 B. weak　 　　　　　 C. young 　　　　　 D. clever

52. A. arrange 　　　　　　 B. prepare　　　　　　 C. handle 　 　　D. manage

53. A. unusual　　 　　 B. careful 　　　　　 C. normal 　　　　　 D. friendly

54. A. told　 　　　　　　 B. taught　　 　　　 C. paid 　　　　 　　D. given

55. A. crying 　　　　　　　 B. shouting 　　　　 C. drawing 　　　　　 D. knocking