In 1982, Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the sailing track and floating in a lifeboat, alone. His supplies were  36 . His chances of surviving were small.  37 when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later, he was alive — much  38 than he was when he started, but alive.
His  39 of how he survived is interesting and attractive. His subtle act — how he  40 to catch fish, how he evaporated sea water to 41 fresh water — is very interesting. But the thing that  42 my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when it seemed no  43  continuing the struggle, when he was  44  greatly, when his lifeboat was pierced and after more than a week’s struggling with his weak body. He was starved and  45  exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sensible choice.
When people  46 these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in  47 dangerous circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the courage to carry on  48 major difficulties.
"I tell myself I can  49 it," wrote Callahan in his book. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over,  50  courage and strength."
I wrote that down after I read it  51 it struck me as something important. And I've told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed 52 off or when my problems seemed too powerful. And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad  53 to something better. But others have been through much worse, that is, in comparison with what  54 have been through, you're fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over again, and it will help you  55 the rough spots with a little more perseverance(毅力) .

In 1898 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,ooo people in less than four minutes. In the middle of complete damage and disorder, a father rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be,  26  that the building was  2 7.
After the unforgettably shock, he 28  the promise he had made to his son: “ No matter  29 happens, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to 30 his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his 31  to his son. He rushed there and started 32 the ruins.
As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived , 33 : “It’s too late ! They are all dead! 34  , face reality; there’s nothing you can do!” To each parent he responded with 35 : “Are you going to help me now? ”No one helped. And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone.
Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know 36 : “Is my boy 37 or he is dead?” He dug for eight hours … 12 hours…36 hours…then , in  38  hour , he pulled back a large stone and heard his son’s 39 . He screamed his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told other kids not to worry.  I told them that if you were alive, you 40 me and 41 you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it, Dad!”
“What’s going on in there? ”the father asked
“There are 14 of  us  42 43  33,Dad. We’re scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you are here. When the building collapsed, it made  44  , and it saved us.”
“Come out , boy!”
“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, 45 I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”

In 1898 an 8.2 earthquake almost flattened America, killing over 30,ooo people in less than four minutes. In the middle of complete damage and disorder, a father rushed to the school where his son was supposed to be,  26  that the building was  2 7.
After the unforgettably shock, he 28  the promise he had made to his son: “ No matter  29 happens, I’ll always be there for you!” And tears began to 30 his eyes. As he looked at the pile of ruins, it looked hopeless, but he kept remembering his 31  to his son. He rushed there and started 32 the ruins.
As he was digging, other helpless parents arrived , 33 : “It’s too late ! They are all dead! 34  , face reality; there’s nothing you can do!” To each parent he responded with 35 : “Are you going to help me now? ”No one helped. And then he continued to dig for his son, stone by stone.
Courageously he went on alone because he needed to know 36 : “Is my boy 37 or he is dead?” He dug for eight hours … 12 hours…36 hours…then , in  38  hour , he pulled back a large stone and heard his son’s 39 . He screamed his son’s name, “ARMAND!” He heard back, “Dad!?! It’s me, Dad! I told other kids not to worry.  I told them that if you were alive, you 40 me and 41 you saved me, they’d be saved. You promised, ‘No matter what happens, I’ll always be there for you!’ You did it, Dad!”
“What’s going on in there? ”the father asked
“There are 14 of  us 42 43  33,Dad. We’re scared, hungry, thirsty and thankful you are here. When the building collapsed, it made  44  , and it saved us.”
“Come out , boy!”
“No, Dad! Let the other kids out first, 45 I know you’ll get me! No matter what happens, I know you’ll always be there for me!”
【小题1】          

In a land far away, once upon a time there was great poverty (贫困）,and only the rich could manage without great  36  . Three of those rich men and their servants were  37  together on a road when they came to a very  38  village.
The first could not stand seeing the poverty,  39  he took all the gold and jewels from his wagons (四轮载重马车) and shared  40  out among the villagers. He wished them all the best of luck, and he left.
The second rich man ,seeing the  41  situation, stopped for a short time and gave  42  all his food and drink, since he  43   see that money would be of little  44   to them. He made sure that they each  45  their fair share and would have enough food to  46  for some time . Then, he left.
The third rich man, on seeing such poverty,  47  and went straight through the  48  without stopping. The two other rich men saw this from a distance and commented with each other  49  the third rich man lacked sympathy. It was  50  that they themselves had been there to offer help.
However, three days later, they  51  the  third rich man ,who was coming in the opposite direction . He was  52  travelling quickly, but his wagons,  53  the gold and valuables they had been  54  ,were now full of farming tools and bags of  55  .He was rushing back to help them out of poverty.

In the middle of the night, Peter’s wife suddenly fell ill. She rolled from side to side, crying, “Oh, my stomach! Get the ___31___!”
Peter thought his wife was only having a ___32___dream.
“Stop that noise,” he said to her. He turned over and tried to go to __33___ again. But his wife still cried out, “Oh, help! Help! I’m sure I am ___34___.”
Peter got out of bed and started ___35___, but he could not find his clothes.
“Where is my shirt?” he asked. His wife was __36__ ill to tell him, and she could only cry, “Oh, my poor ___37___!”
As soon as he had put his clothes ___38__, he said, “Now, my dear, are you quite __39___ that you need the doctor? Surely you can wait ___40___next morning, can’t you?”
“No, I can’t, go, go, go!” his wife shouted, “___41__ you will find me dead in the morning!”
So Peter went out into the ___42___street. He had only gone a few steps, when he heard his wife ___43___ him again. “I’m __44___again, and I shall not want the doctor.” She said softly.
Hearing this, he started running as ___45___ as he could towards the doctor’s house. When he arrived there, he knocked at the door with his stick loudly enough to wake ___46___ around.
“Oh, Doctor,” Peter called loudly to the doctor, “I have very ___47___ news for you. My wife ___48___ ill with a terrible stomachache. I was on the way to bring you to her. But she called me back to say that the trouble had suddenly ___49___her. So you need not come. Go back to bed now and ___50___ well.”