第二节：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36—55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

There is a fine line between a parent who is active and open-minded and one that doesn’t know when to let go （放手）．As my daughter, Nicole, prepares to leave home for college, I’m discovering how hard it is to stay on the __36__ side of this line．When I hold __37__ the apron strings （围裙带） connecting us, Nicole, eager to __38__ independence, tries to loosen my grasp．What results is a （an） __39__ mother-daughter, push-me, pull-you kind of tango．

For the past two years, it’s gone like this:

Mother’s question: “Have you thought of taking an advanced placement class （大学预修课程） so that you can earn college credit?”

Daughter’s __40__: “No, I’m not interested in that．”

………

I bit my lip a few times and Nicole shot me a few glares．

Two months ago, she was __41__ to a great university．However, I was still the mother having a __42__ time letting go．The night before the introductory meeting of the university, I had read the course catalog carefully and __43__ courses which I thought looked good．We met on the campus the next afternoon, and Nicole’s face __44__ with excitement．“I have had my entire schedule figured out,” she said．“Already?” I was astonished, __45__ she should have discussed it with me．I examined the schedule．Nicole hadn’t taken a （an） __46__ one of the courses I had suggested．Every course she had chosen __47__ suited her interests．Just then I saw a mature, capable young woman with a __48__ mind and the ability to shape her future．She no longer needed her mother __49__ every decision she made．I felt proud, though still a bit __50__．

I __51__ the lessons carefully．Nicole has struggled to learn over the past 18 years: __52__, sympathy, and hard work．There have been a few holes along the way．__53__, she is well-equipped and eager to __54__ the future．The next step, I recognized, was mine to take: giving my daughter and myself the __55__ we both needed．

36．A．left   B．right  C．either       D．each

37．A．onto  B．up     C．back  D．out

38．A．keep  B．refuse       C．taste  D．bear

39．A．awkward  B．relaxing    C．lively       D．beautiful

40．A．comment  B．word C．concept     D．response

41．A．received   B．invited      C．treated      D．accepted

42．A．good B．great C．hard  D．easy

43．A．taken B．underlined       C．offered     D．emphasized

44．A．lit up B．built up    C．turned up  D．made up

45．A．imagining B．thinking    C．hoping      D．adding

46．A．only  B．just   C．even  D．single

47．A．mostly      B．hardly      C．exactly     D．slightly

48．A．sharp B．normal     C．different   D．typical

49．A．encouraging     B．evaluating C．disagreeing      D．agreeing

50．A．anxious    B．excited     C．sad    D．tense

51．A．reviewed  B．observed   C．checked    D．studied

52．A．competence      B．creativity  C．responsibility   D．confidence

53．A．Therefore B．Instead     C．Still  D．Besides

54．A．embrace   B．discover    C．determine D．control

55．A．character  B．strength    C．relief D．Independence