Everyone wants to win a first-place blue ribbon, to be the best in something. Even kids in kindergarten want that blue ribbon.

In sports, I was never a blue-ribbon person. In a race, I was always   36  . In baseball I was likely to be   37   on the head or drop the ball. During the spring of my kindergarten year, our class had a field trip to a park in a town about twenty miles away. Making that drive now is no big   38   but when you're six and you've lived in a town of 300 people all your life, going to a big town of a couple of thousand people is really something.

I don't remember too much about it. But there was one that I will never forget -- the   39   race. The parents tied our feet together. One little boy got me for a   40   . He was the second most   41   boy in our class so he usually won at everything and I knew that with me tied to him he didn't have a chance. And I was sure he knew he was in trouble. The gun sounded and we were off. Some couples were falling and stumbling all around us,   42   we stayed on our feet and made it to the other side.   43  , when we turned around and headed back for home, we were in the lead! Only one couple had a chance to win, and they were a good several yards behind us.

A few feet from the finish line, disaster struck: I tripped and fell. We were   44   enough that my partner could have easily dragged me across the finish line and won. But he didn't. Instead, he stopped,   45   down helped me up -- just as the other couple crossed the finish line. As a result, we received a small red ribbon for coming in a second.

I still remember that moment when the young boy decided that helping a friend get on her feet was more important than winning a blue ribbon. And 13 years later, I still have that little ribbon because it's a  46   that a friend like this boy is one who really  47  .

36. A. last                          B. first                        C. quick                      D. successful

37. A. touched                          B. felt                         C. hit                          D. beaten

38. A. question                  B. event                      C. one                         D. deal

39. A. one-legged                     B. two-legged                    C. three-legged           D. four-legged

40. A. partner                           B. helper                            C. supporter               D. competitor

41. A. tallest                      B. youngest                C. athletic                   D. handsome

42. A. but                                 B. therefore                C. however                 D. and

43. A. Obviously                 B. Unbelievably           C. Secretly                  D. Undoubtedly

44. A. strong                      B. brave                      C. clever                            D. close

45. A. lay                                   B. slowed                    C. moved                           D. reached

46. A. warning                          B. reminder                 C. gift                         D. notice

47. A. depends                         B. counts                           C. supports                 D. obeys

Everyone wants to win a first-place blue ribbon, to be the best in something. Even kids in Kindergarten want that blue ribbon. In sports, I was never a blue-ribbon person. In a race, I was always  36 . In baseball I was likely to be  37  on the head or drop the ball. During the spring of my kindergarten year, our class had a field trip to a park in a town about twenty miles away. Making that drive now is no big  38  but when you’re six and you’ve lived in a town of 300 people all your life, going to a big town of a couple of thousand people is really something.

I don’t remember too much about it. But there was one that I will never forget —the __39__ race. The parents tied our feet together. One little boy got me for a  40  . He was the second most   41 boy in our class so he usually won at everything and I knew that with me tied to him he didn’t have a chance. And I’m sure he knew he was in trouble. The gun sounded and we were off. Some couples were falling and stumbling all around us,  42   we stayed on our feet and made it to the other side.  43  , when we turned around and headed back for home, we were in the lead! Only one couple had a chance to win, and they were a good several yards behind us.

A few feet from the finish line, disaster struck: I tripped and fell. We were   44  enough that my partner could have easily dragged me across the finish line and won. But he didn’t. Instead he stopped,   45   down and helped me up — just at the other couple crossed the finish line. As a result, we received a small red ribbon for coming in second.

I still remember that moment when the young boy decided that helping a friend get on her feet was more important than winning a blue ribbon. And 13 years later, I still have that little ribbon because it’s a   46   that a friend like this boy is one who really   47  .  

1.                A．last            B．first            C．quick D．successful

 

2.                A．touched        B．felt            C．hit   D．beaten

 

3.                A．question        B．event          C．one  D．deal

 

4.                A．one-legged      B．two-legged      C．three-legged   D．four-legged

 

5.                A．partner         B．helper          C．supporter D．competitor

 

6.                A．tallest          B．youngest        C．athletic   D．handsome

 

7.                A．but            B．therefore       C．however  D．and

 

8.                A．Obviously       B．Unbelievably     C．Secretly  D．Undoubtedly

 

9.                A．strong          B．brave          C．clever    D．close

 

10.               A．lay            B．slowed         C．moved    D．reached

 

11.               A．warning        B．reminder       C．gift   D．notice

 

12.               A．depends        B．counts         C．supports   D．worthy