第二节 完形填空(共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分)

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 __38____. By the time I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and ___39____anything that moved on the football field. I was also __40___: My high school coach was John, who not only believed in me, but also taught me ___41___ to believe in myself. He __42___.me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One particular __43___with Coach John changed my life forever.

　 A friend recommended me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket--- money for a new bike, new clothes and the ___44___ of saving for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to __45___ up summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing.

　 When I told John, he was __46____ as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said “Your __47__days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head __48___, trying to think of the __49___ that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his __50__ in me.

　 “How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked.”3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied.

　 “Well,” He asked, “ is $3.5 an hour the price of a dream?”

　 That simple question made ___51___ for me the difference between ___52___ something right now and having a ___53___. I decided myself to play sports that summer and ___54___ the year I was hired by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was __55__a $20000 contact (agreement). In 1999, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

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

37.A. live　　　　　 B .afford　　 　C. make　　　 　D. need　

38. A. athletics　　　 B. music　　　 C. business　　　 D. money

39. A .kick　　　　 B. play　　　　 　C. pass　　　　 D. hit

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

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

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

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

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

45. A. keep　　 　　B. end　　　　 　C. give　 　　　　D. pick

46. A. mad　　 　　B. mournful　　 C. frightened　　 D. shameful

47. A. living　　 　B. playing　　　 　C. working　　　 　D. learning　

48. A. moving　　 B. nodding　　 　C. shaking 　　　D. hanging

49. A. answers　　 B .excuse　　 　　C. words　 　　　D. ways　

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

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

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

53. A. wish　　　 　B. goal　　　 C. score　　　 　　D. desire

54. A. by　　　　 　B. for　　　 　C. over 　　　　　D. with

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

35. The managers discussed the plan that they would like to see _____ the next year..

　 A. carried out　 　　B. carrying out　　

C. to carry out　 　　D. being carried out

34. Helen had to shout to make herself ____ above the sound of music.

　 A. hear　 B. heard　 C. hearing　 D. to be heard

33. The news came as no surprise to me. I ______ 　for some time that the factory was going to shut down.

　 A. had known　 B. knew　 C. have known　 D. know