完形填空（共20小题；每小题1．5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

Wranglers（争吵者） and Stranglers（扼杀者）

Years ago there was a group of brilliant young men at the University of Wisconsin, who seemed to have amazing creative  36   talent. They were would-be poets, novelists, and essayists. They were extraordinary in their   37    to put the English language to its best use. These promising young men  38   regularly to read and critique (评论) each other's work. And critique it they did!

These men were merciless with one another. They  39   the minutest literary expression into a hundred pieces. They were heartless, tough, even mean in their  40   .The sessions became such areas of literary criticism that the  41   of this special club called themselves the “Stranglers (扼杀者)”.

In order to  42   , the women of literary talent in the university  43   to start a club of their own, one comparable to the Stranglers. They  44   themselves the “Wranglers (争论者)”.They, too, read their  45   one another. But there was one great difference. The criticism was much softer, more  46   , more encouraging. Sometimes, there was almost no criticism at all. Every effort, even the weakest one, was   47   .

Twenty years later an alumnus (男校友；男毕业生) of the university was making an exhaustive (详尽的；彻底的)  48    of his classmates' careers when he   49    a vast difference in the literary accomplishments of the Stranglers as opposed to the Wranglers. Of all the  50   young men in the Stranglers, no one had made a significant literary   51    of any kind. From the Wranglers had come six or more successful   52   , some of national renown (名望；声誉) such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, who wrote The Yearling.

Talent between the two？Probably the same. Level of   53   ？Not much difference. But the Stranglers were strangled, while the Wranglers were determined to give each other a(an)   54   .The Stranglers   55    an atmosphere of argument and self-doubt. The Wranglers highlighted the best, not the worst.

1.A. architectural              B. artistic                   C. literary                  D. musical

2.A. strength                      B. ability                    C. performance       D. power

3.A. gathered                             B. organized    C. challenged           D. collected

4.A. turned                        B. translated    C. combined    D. divided

5.A. appreciation              B. criticism                C. assessment           D. judgment

6.A. leaders                       B. organizers  C. members              D. arrangers

7.A. participate                           B. practice                C. succeed                D. compete

8.A. determined               B. agreed                  C. promised     D. dreamed

9.A. regarded                             B. called                    C. thought                 D. recognized

10.A. works                        B. letters                   C. books                    D. papers

11.A. fantastic                            B. critical                   C. positive                 D. serious

12.A. required                            B. spared                   C. made                     D. encouraged

13.A. experiment             B. study            C. analysis                 D. judgment

14.A. reflected                           B. resolved               C. explained    D. noticed

15.A. optimistic                          B. confident              C. bright                    D. honest

16.A. achievement                    B. influence              C. contribution         D. improvement

17.A. engineers                          B. writers                  C. doctors                 D. lawyers

18.A. courage                             B. patience               C. education    D. skill

19.A. reward                     B. favor            C. honor                    D. lift

20.A. ruined                      B. lightened              C. promoted             D. enjoyed

 

Someone said encouragement is simply reminding a person of the “shoulders” he’s standing on, the heritage he’s been    1 . That’s what happened when a young man, the son of a star baseball player, was   2   by one of the minor league teams. As hard as he tried, his first season was   3   and by midseason he expected to be released any day.

The coaches were puzzled by his   4   because he   5   all the characteristics of an excellent athlete, but he couldn’t seem to incorporate （并入）those   6   into a coordinated （协调） effort. He seemed to have become disconnected from his   7  .

His future seemed   8   one day when he had already struck out his first time at bat. Then he   9   up to the batter’s box again and quickly ran up two strikes. The catcher called a time – out and ran to the pitcher’s mound for a conference.   10   they were busy, the referee, standing behind the plate, spoke   11   to the boy.

     Then play continued, the next pitch （投球） was thrown－and the young man   12  it out of the park. That was the turning point. From then on, he played the game with a new   13   and power that   14   drew the attention of the parent team, and he was   15   to the majors. 

On the day he was leaving for the city, one of his coaches asked him what had caused such a turnaround. The young man replied it was the encouraging   16   the referee had made that day when his baseball career had seemed doomed （注定失败）.

“He told me I reminded him of all the times he had stood   17  my dad in the batter’s box,” the boy explained.“He said I was holding the bat just the way Dad had held it. And he told me, ‘'I can see his genes in you; you have .your father’s   18 .’ After that,   19   I swung the bat, I just   20   I was using Dad’s arms instead of my own.”

1．A．witnessed              B．given                   C．conveyed            D．awarded

2．A．separated              B．recommended      C．drafted                D．inspected

3．A．disappointing         B．demanding           C．embarrassing       D．promising

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4．A．impression            B．judgment             C．courage               D．failure

5．A．possessed             B．included              C．represented          D．undertook

6．A．instructions           B．ambitions             C．advantages          D．preparations

7．A．experience             B．background         C．situation              D．potential

8．A．darkest                 B．positive               C．endless                D．optimistic

9．A．held                      B．turned                 C．stepped               D．speeded

10．A．Though               B．Until                    C．Since                  D．While

11．A．casually               B．silently                C．urgently              D．angrily

12．A．scratched            B．attempted            C．knocked              D．carried

13．A．decision              B．confidence           C．privilege              D．gesture

14．A．fortunately           B．hopefully             C．practically           D．quickly

15．A．taken on              B．checked out         C．called up             D．turned out

16．A．remark                B．lecture                 C．determination       D．presentation

17．A．before                 B．behind                 C．over                    D．like

18．A．strength              B．feeling                 C．arms                   D．talent

19．A．whenever            B．however              C．wherever             D．whatever

20．A．supposed             B．pretended            C．expected             D．imagined

Someone said encouragement is simply reminding a person of the “shoulders” he’s standing on, the heritage he’s been    1  . That’s what happened when a young man, the son of a star baseball player, was   2   by one of the minor league teams. As hard as he tried, his first season was   3   and by midseason he expected to he released any day.

The coaches were puzzled by his   4   because he   5   all the characteristics of an excellent athlete, but he couldn’t seem to incorporate (并入) those   6   into a coordinated (协调) effort. He seemed to have become disconnected from his   7  .

His future seemed   8   one day when he had already struck out his first time at bat. Then he   9   up to the batter’s box again and quickly ran up two strikes. The catcher called a time – out and ran to the pitcher’s mound for a conference.   10   they were busy, the referee, standing behind the plate, spoke   11   to the boy.

     Then play continued, the next pitch (投球) was thrown－and the young man   12  it out of

the park. That was the turning point. From then on, he played the game with a new   13   and power that   14   drew the attention of the parent team, and he was   15   to the majors. 

On the day he was leaving for the city, one of his coaches asked him what had caused such a turnaround. The young man replied it was the encouraging   16   the referee had made that day when his baseball career had seemed doomed (注定失败).

“He told me I reminded him of all the times he had stood   17  my dad in the batter’s box,” the boy explained. “He said I was holding the bat just the way Dad had held it. And he told me, ‘'I can see his genes in you; you have .your father’s   18  .’ After that,   19   I swung the bat, I just   20   I was using Dad’s arms instead of my own.”

1．A．witnessed              B．given                   C．conveyed            D．awarded

2．A．separated              B．recommended      C．drafted                D．inspected

3．A．disappointing         B．demanding           C．embarrassing       D．promising

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4．A．impression            B．judgment             C．courage               D．failure

5．A．possessed             B．included              C．represented          D．undertook

6．A．instructions           B．ambitions             C．advantages          D．preparations

7．A．experience             B．background         C．situation              D．potential

8．A．darkest                 B．positive               C．endless                D．optimistic

9．A．held                      B．turned                 C．stepped               D．speeded

10．A．Though               B．Until                    C．Since                  D．While

11．A．casually               B．silently                C．urgently              D．angrily

12．A．scratched            B．attempted            C．knocked              D．carried

13．A．decision              B．confidence           C．privilege              D．gesture

14．A．fortunately           B．hopefully             C．practically           D．quickly

15．A．taken on              B．checked out         C．called up             D．turned out

16．A．remark                B．lecture                 C．determination       D．presentation

17．A．before                 B．behind                 C．over                    D．like

18．A．strength              B．feeling                 C．arms                   D．talent

19．A．whenever            B．however              C．wherever             D．whatever

20．A．supposed             B．pretended            C．expected             D．imagined