There are many stories about people who did not let age stop them in the pursuit of their goals. I’m sure you have heard of recent 70-year-old college graduates, or teenagers who are 1 of many useful things or owners of companies. Actually, it can be done; it just 2 your attitude.
Michael had wanted to run his own business from an early age, but he was 3 a big risk taker. After many years of working for others, he put a business plan together and was about to make the 4 , but his friends told him that at 45 he was too 5 to start his own construction business. They thought it was a young man’s business while Michael needed a steady income to support his family. Michael was discouraged. 6 many of his friends worked in the very field that he was considering starting his business in, he 7 that they knew what was best, so he decided to give up his 8 . But his wife told him that he was foolish to do so. They discussed it and Michael 9 that he’d been using his age as a(n) 10 instead of as an advantage.
Have you put off a goal 11 age or another limiting factor? Does the limiting 12really have as much influence as you think? Age is just a number and each challenge is an opportunity. Your attitude 13 . You’re not too old to try something 14 and never too old to give up on your dreams. They may 15 a bit of adjustment, but if you want something enough, believe in yourself and your desires will have no bounds.

There are many stories about people who did not let age stop them in the pursuit of their goals. I’m sure you have heard of recent 70-year-old college graduates, or teenagers who are 1 of many useful things or owners of companies. Actually, it can be done; it just 2 your attitude.

Michael had wanted to run his own business from an early age, but he was 3 a big risk taker. After many years of working for others, he put a business plan together and was about to make the 4 , but his friends told him that at 45 he was too 5 to start his own construction business. They thought it was a young man’s business while Michael needed a steady income to support his family. Michael was discouraged. 6 many of his friends worked in the very field that he was considering starting his business in, he 7 that they knew what was best, so he decided to give up his 8 . But his wife told him that he was foolish to do so. They discussed it and Michael 9 that he’d been using his age as a(n) 10 instead of as an advantage.

Have you put off a goal 11 age or another limiting factor? Does the limiting 12really have as much influence as you think? Age is just a number and each challenge is an opportunity. Your attitude 13 . You’re not too old to try something 14 and never too old to give up on your dreams. They may 15 a bit of adjustment, but if you want something enough, believe in yourself and your desires will have no bounds.

1.                A．owners         B．discoverers      C．inventors D．users

2.                A．depends on     B．turns down      C．makes up D．leads to

3.                A．never          B．hardly          C．nearly    D．surely

4.                A．decision        B．leap           C．conclusion    D．contribution

5.                A．early           B．old            C．hard     D．wise

6.                A．If              B．Before          C．Even     D．Since

7.                A．hoped         B．learnt          C．thought   D．heard

8.                A．plan           B．job            C．belief    D．method

9.                A．stressed        B．decided        C．realized  D．Dreamed

10.               A．response       B．reply          C．answer    D．excuse

11.               A．instead of       B．regardless of    C．because of     D．in spite of

12.               A．result          B．factor          C．pressure  D．strength

13.               A．changes        B．helps          C．begins D．matters

14.               A．opposite        B．impossible      C．strange    D．valuable

15.               A．make          B．suggest         C．require   D．follow

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案。

Once there 1 a man who had two 2 , boy and a girl.

The boy was good-looking 3 the girl was not.

One day they found a mirror and 4 the first time they saw 5 they looked 6 .The boy was very 7 and he said to his sister.“ 8 handsome I am! I look 9 nicer than you!”

The girl 10 not like what her brother said and gave him a hard push.“Go away!”she said.

Their father saw what was happening. 11 went up to them and 12 to the boy.“You 13 always BE good as well as Look 14 .”Then to the girl he said,“My dear, if you 15 everyone and 16 your best 17 please, everyone 18 love you. It will not matter that you are not as good-looking 19 your 20 .”

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My first job was at a local restaurant, where I worked for seven years and learned so many lessons, especially from a fellow  36 .
Helen was in her 30s and had extraordinary self-confidence, something I was really  37 . I looked up to Helen  38 she was doing what she loved—  39 people better. She always made everyone, customers and co-workers,   40 and feel good.
Being a waitress changed my life. One of my  41 customers was Fred Hasbrook. He always ate an omelet, and when I saw him _42 , I tried to have it on his table as soon as he sat down.
Thanks to the newfound confidence I  43  __from Helen, I dreamed of having my own  __44 . But when I called my parents to ask for a loan, they said, “We just don’t have the money.”
The next day, Fred saw me and asked, “What’s  45 ? You’re not smiling today.” I  __46__my dream with him and said, “Fred, I know I can do more if somebody  47 just have faith in me.”
Before long he handed me checks  48  __$50,000—along with a note that I have to this day. It reads, “The only collateral（抵押品）on this loan is my trust in your  49 as a person. Good people with a dream should have  50  __to make that dream come true.”
I took the checks to Merrill Lynch, where the money was provided for me. I_ 51 __working at the restaurant, making  52 for the restaurant I would open. My plans soured, though, and I lost the  53 .
Later I decided to apply for a job at Merill Lynch. Even though I had no experience, I was__54 and ended up becoming a pretty good agent.   55 . I paid back Fred the $50,000, plus 14-percent annual interest. Five years later, I was able to open my own firm.