Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took her boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were   1 , the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the passage to greet her.

Seizing the   2  to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and 3__ explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.” When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and 4  that the child was missing.

Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In __5  , the mother saw her little boy sitting at the key-board, 6__ picking out Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

At that moment, the great piano master made his 7 , quickly moved to the piano, and __8  in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

Then 9 over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obbligato (伴奏). Together, the old master and the young novice (beginner) transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully 10 experience. The audience was strongly 11  .

That’s the way it is in life. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly 12 . We try our best, but the 13  aren’t exactly graceful flowing music. But when we trust in the hands of a Greater Power, our life’s work 14 can be beautiful.

Next time you set out to 15 great achievements, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit. Keep playing.”

1.                A．seated         B．sat             C．dressed  D．rested

 

2.                A．fact            B．difficulty        C．opportunity   D．risk

 

3.                A．actually         B．occasionally     C．fortunately    D．eventually

 

4.                A．discovered      B．told            C．accepted D．offered

 

5.                A．joy            B．trust           C．horror   D．pleasure

 

6.                A．quickly         B．personally       C．generally D．innocently

 

7.                A．entrance       B．disappearance   C．arrangement   D．opening

 

8.                A．shouted        B．repeated        C．promised D．whispered

 

9.                A．turning         B．bending        C．rising D．handing

 

10.               A．creative        B．effective        C．annoying  D．fearing

 

11.               A．addicted        B．invited         C．attacked   D．attracted

 

12.               A．abnormal       B．remarkable      C．unimportant    D．ordinary

 

13.               A．goals          B．intentions       C．results    D．purposes

 

14.               A．luckily         B．truly           C．slightly    D．fortunately

 

15.               A．overcome      B．enjoy          C．accomplish D．become

 

 

One day, Raul was miles away from the small ranch（牧场）house in a large valley. 36 seemed to be all right, yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up, and angry, dark clouds 37 across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did. 38 , the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly 39 Raul. The thunder（雷声）was so loud that he buried his 40 in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Then he heard it. Hoofbeats（蹄声）. He 41 . There before him stood a tall, white 42 . An old man stared down at him from its back.

“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?” asked Raul. “My name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered 43 . “Come with me.”

Raul followed on his horse. A 44 feeling came over him. All 45 them the rain was pouring down, 46 not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be 47 back toward Raul’s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once he found 48 at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse, 49 his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were 50 .

Raul’s father ran out across the yard to 51 him. “We have been 52 about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let’s get in out of the 53 .”

“Wait”, said Raul. “Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?”

“Can’t say I…wait. I 54 my great-grandfather used to tell stories about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They say he was 55 by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?”

36．A．Something　　　 B．Everything　　　　 C．Anything　　　　 D．Nothing

37．A．dropped　　　　 B．fell　　　　　　　 C．rolled　　　　　 D．covered

38．A． Suddenly　　　 B．Strongly　　　　　 C．Quickly　　　　 D．Hardly

39．A．beating　　　　 B．blinding　 　　 C．burning　　　　 D．touching

40．A．nose　　　　　 B．hair　　　　　　 　 C．neck　　　　　 D．head

41．A．looked up　　　 B．woke up　　　　 　 C．lay down　　　　 D．sat down

42．A．tiger　　　　　 B．horse　　　　　 　 C．lion　　　　　　 D．elephant

43．A．lazily　 　　　 B．angrily　　　　　 　 C．coldly　　　　　 D．slowly

44．A．natural　　　　 B．common　　　　 　 C．strange　　　　 D．bad

45．A．around　　　　 B．beside　　　　 　　　 C．through　　　　 D．above

46．A．yet　　　　　　 B．for　　　　　　 　 C．so　　　　　　 D．or

47．A．walking　　　　 B．leading　　　　 　　 C．heading　　　　 D．returning

48．A．them　　　　　 B．themselves　　　 　　 C．him　　　　　　 D．himself

49．A．shook　　　　 B．waved　　　　　 　 C．held　　　　　　 D．took

50．A．gone　　　　　 B．left　　　　　　 　　 C．followed　　　　 D．lost

51．A．see　　　　　 B．meet　　　　　 　　 C．beat　　　　　　 D．ask

52．A．waited　　　　 B．thought　　　　 　　 C．worried　　　　　 D．excited

53．A．yard　　　　　 B．wind　　　　　 　　 C．grass　　　　　　 D．rain

54．A．believe　　　　 B．consider　　　 　　 C．doubt　　　　　 D．forget

55．A．defeated　　　 B．caught　　　　　　 C．damaged　　　　 D．struck

One day, Raul was miles away from the small ranch (牧场)house in a large valley. Everything seemed to be all right, yet he felt strange and somewhat uneasy. The wind had picked up, and angry, dark clouds  31  across the sky. He could smell the rain coming. And it did.  32 , the lightning flashed through the clouds, nearly  33  Raul. The thunder (雷声) was so loud that he buried his head in his hands and rubbed his eyes. Then he heard it — hoof beats (蹄声). He  34  . There before him stood a tall, white horse. An old man stared down at him from its back.

“Wh-wh-who are y-y-you?” asked Raul. “Oh, my name is Gray Cloud,” the old man answered

 35 , “come with me.”

Raul followed on with his horse. A  36  feeling came over him. All  37  them the rain was pouring down,  38  not a drop fell on them. They seemed to be  39  back toward Raul’s home. Raul lost track of time. Then all at once, he found  40  at the ranch gate. The old man turned his horse, waved his hand, and smiled. Lightning flashed again. The old man and his horse were  41 .

Raul’s father ran out across the yard to  42  him. “We have been  43  about you. Are you okay? Hurry. Let’s get in out of the  44 .”

“Wait,” said Raul. “Have you ever heard of an old man called Gray Cloud?”

“Can’t say I … wait. I believe my great-grandfather used to tell stories about a man called Gray Cloud. He died a long time ago. They all say he was  45  by lightning during a terrible thunderstorm. Why do you ask?” At this, Raul was really more shocked than puzzled.

31. A. dropped                  B. fell                       C. rolled                     D. covered

32. A. Suddenly          B. Strongly               C. Quickly            D. Hardly

33. A. beating          B. blinding             C. burning             D. touching

34. A. looked up      B. woke up             C. lay down           D. sat down

35. A. lazily             B. angrily             C. freely                     D. slowly

36. A. natural           B. common             C. strange             D. sad

37. A. around           B. beside               C. through            D. above

38. A. yet               B. for                C. so                 D. or

39. A. reaching         B. leading              C. heading             D. returning

40. A. them            B. themselves           C. him                D. himself

41. A. gone             B. left                       C. followed            D. lost

42. A. see              B. meet               C. beat               D. ask

43. A. waited           B. thought             C. worried            D. excited

44. A. yard             B. wind               C. grass              D. rain

45. A. defeated         B. caught              C. damaged            D. struck