完形填空

　　The years ago, when I was pregnant, I was on my own and in an extremely limited financial situation．I worked at a 　　1　　 but was not well paid．Gradually, I 　　2　　 losing weight instead of gaining it because of poor nutrition．

　　I had a 　　3　　 called Maggie and one day she started 　　4　　 at the pet shop too．Every day for lunch, she would 　　5　　 large, organic salads and other very healthy meals．To my 　　6　　, she insisted that I have some of her lunch．I felt 　　7　　 and I tried to 　　8　　, but she was determined．When I told everyone at work that I was pregnant, she was excited, and kept on 　　9　　 me for very long．

　　All through my pregnancy she was a guardian angel(守护天使), 　　10　　 me．She and her husband 　　11　　 attended my daughter’s birth．They ended up taking us into their 　　12　　 and we became part of their family．

　　One day I 　　13　　 how much I appreciated how she had shared her 　　14　　 with me when we worked at the pet shop．She told me that she heard about my 　　15　　 from a friend of mine who 　　16　　 my refrigerator was shockingly empty back then．In order to help me without letting me know, she 　　17　　 to get a job where I worked．

　　I was shocked and amazed 　　18　　 I learned this new information, I had been 　　19　　 and pregnant and poor, only to be taken under wing by this woman．How 　　20　　 I am! I’ll never forget her –my good neighbor!

Reading Comprehension

　　I used to believe in the American dream that meant a job, credit, success．I wanted it and worked toward it like everyone else, all of us separately chasing the same thing．

　　One year, through a series of unhappy events, it all fell apart．I found myself homeless and alone．I had my truck and ＄56．I searched the countryside for some place I could rent for the cheapest possible amount．I came upon a deserted cottage in a small remote valley．I hadn't been alone for 25 years．I was scared, but I hoped the hard work would distract and heal me．

　　I found the owner and rented the place for ＄50 a month．The locals knew nothing about me．But slowly they started teaching me the art of being a neighbor．They dropped off blankets, tools and canned deer meat and began sticking around to chat．They would ask if I wanted to meet cousin Albie or go fishing．They started to teach me a belief in a different American dream, not the one of individual achievement but of neighborliness．Men would stop by with wild berries, ice cream, truck parts to see if I needed some．The women on that mountain worked harder than any I'd ever met．They taught me how to store food in the stream and keep it cold and safe．I learned to keep enough for an extra plate for company．

　　What I had believed in, all those things I thought were necessary for a civilized life, were non-existent in this place．Up on the mountain, my most valuable possessions were my relationships with my neighbors．

　　After four years in that valley, I moved back into town．I saw a lot of people were having a really hard time, losing their jobs and homes．With the help of a real estate broker(房地产经纪人)I chatted up at the grocery store, I managed to rent a big enough house to take in a handful of people．It's four of us now, but over time I've had nine come in and move on to other places from here．We'd all be in shelters if we hadn't banded together．

　　The American dream I believe in now is a shared one．It's not so much about what I can get for myself; it's about how we can all get by together．