The Price of a Dream

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

My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 　39 : My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 　41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 　42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 　43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 　45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 　46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 　47 that would explain 　48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　49 in me.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 　50 of a dream?”

That simple question made it 　51 to me the difference between 　52 something right now and following a dream. I 　53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 　54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

The Price of a Dream

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

My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 　39 : My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 　41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 　42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 　43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 　44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 　45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 　46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 　47 that would explain 　48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 　49 in me.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 　50 of a dream?”

That simple question made it 　51 to me the difference between 　52 something right now and following a dream. I 　53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 　54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 　55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

36.　 A. happy　　　　　　　　　 B. polite　　　　　　 C. shy　　　　　　　　　 D. honest

37.　 A. lose　　　　　　　　　　　 B. have　　　　　　　 C. make　　　　　　　　 D. need

38.　 A. By the time　　　　　　 B. The time　　　　 C. At one time　　　 D. At a time

39.　 A. right　　　　　　　　　　 B. popular　　　　　 C. lucky　　　　　　　 D. confident

40.　 A. how 　　　　　　　　　　 B. why　　　　　　　 C. when　　　　　　　 D. whether

41.　 A. gave　　　　　　　　　　 B. taught　　　　　　 C. brought　　　　　　 D. asked

42.　 A. accident　　　　　　　　 B. matter　　　　　　 C. problem　　　　　　 D. experience

43.　 A. aim　　　　　　　　　　　 B. idea　　　　　　　 C. start　　　　　　　　 D. purpose

44.　 A. keep up　　　　　　　　 B. put up　　　　　　 C. give up　　　　　　 D. pick up

45.　 A. mad　　　　　　　　　　　 B. happy 　　　　　 C. frightened　　　　 D. shameful

46.　 A. adopt　　　　　　　　　　 B. afford　　　　　　 C. affect　　　　　　　 D. effect

47.　 A. answers　　　　　　　　 B. excuses　　　　　 C. words　　　　　　　 D. ways

48.　 A. for　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to　　　　　　　　　 C. on　　　　　　　　　　 D. in

49.　 A. sadness　　　　　　　　 B. regret　　　　　　 C. hopelessness　　 D. disappointment

50.　 A. source　　　　　　　　　 B. prize　　　　　　　 C. price　　　　　　　　 D. allowance

51.　 A. direct　　　　　　　　　　 B. clear　　　　　　　 C. clean　　　　　　　　 D. straight

52.　 A. wanting　　　　　　　　 B. changing 　　　 C. dreaming　　　　　 D. choosing

53.　 A. provided　　　　　　　 B. devoted　　　　　 C. headed　　　　　　 D. imagined

54.　 A. worked　　　　　　　　 B. mentioned　　　 C. fired　　　　　　　　 D. hired

55.　 A. paid　　　　　　　　　　　 B. got　　　　　　　　 C. offered　　　　　　 D. signed

阅读理解

　　A report by the American Association of University Women (AAUW )notes that girls are scarce(稀少) in computer classes and in high-paying technology jobs and the reason is that girls think computer classes or jobs are stupid and boring.

　　The AAUW found that girls think programming classes are populated by boys playing shooting games. The girls want no part of that.

　　Meanwhile, a separate study found that boys and girls spend about the same amount of time on the Internet. But while boys are playing games, girls are doing research and e-mailing friends.

　　Excuse me if I am being stupid here, but I don't see what's wrong with all this. The AAUW says that the computer culture must change so it can attract women. But to me, it seems that women are using computer very sensibly for communication and learning.

　　If the computer culture should change so that boys won't waste so much time playing games.

　　It was suggested in the report that girls need to be encouraged to learn the basics of the technology, to examine the cards and microprocessors, to take the computer apart and see how it works.

　　But if either of my kids decided to pull the workings out of our US $2000 machine, I would break their little fingers. I have had to make this point with my son several times. My daughter thinks it would be a stupid waste of time. why would you risk making this useful machine useless?

　　Girls, I think, understand well how to use a tool effectively, you don't have to put it together from various parts. That is as true for a computer as it is for a telephone.

　　Girls use computers to chat with friends, make covers for their school reports and to look up things. As they move the schools and into a field of study or work, their use of computers will unavoidably grow. Girls will learn how to make the machine do what they need it to do. Any other information about computer is a waste of brain space, and girls know that clearly.

　　I hate reports that try to make women such as me immediately think our daughters have suffered a lack of chances that must be made up for by some forced training.

　　The AAUW found no deep barriers(障碍) to women entering the technology fields. But the group has a problem with the fact that girls don't want to.

　　I thought our goal was to give girls a choice.

1．The author of this passage is ________.

[　　]

A．a computer exert

B．a mother of two

C．a member of AAUW

D．a computer teacher

2．The author of this passage believe that, ________.

[　　]

A．both boys and girls are equally interested in computer games

B．Girls are making better use of computer than boys

C．Boys are just wasting their time on computers

D．Girls should be more active in computer classes

3．Which of the following is not supported by the author in this passage?

[　　]

A．In order to learn the basics of computer technology, girls should take the computer apart and see how it works.

B．The computer culture should change so that boys will spend less time playing games.

C．Boys and girls spend about the same amount of time on the Internet.

D．Girls should be given a choice to improve their computer learning.

4．The passage is mainly organized by ________.

[　　]

A．giving facts

B．giving different opinions

C．comparison

D．quotations(引言)