Dear Benter,
　　You have been away exactly two weeks today but it seems more like two years to me!
　　I’m glad to hear you’ll be back soon. Are you coming directly home, dear? Or do you plan to make some stops   36  the way? I hope you’ll be home in  37 for Patsy’s birthday next Sunday. She is  38 you to show films to her  39 friends.
Patsy keeps asking every day  40 you’ll be back. She says you never  41  that story you were telling her about  42 train that lost its “ toot”(喇叭嘟嘟声). You’d better   43  and think up a good ending  44 it. You know how Patsy is? She  45 be happy until she knows exactly what ­__46  to the “toot” and  47 the little train got it back  48 !
　　Everything at home is fine except that we  49 you so much! I’ve been  50 with the spring cleaning. Yesterday I had Cora  51 in to wash the kitchen walls and she did a very good __52 of it. The kitchen looks as though it’s been repainted. I made some new yellow curtains, and they  53 very beautiful.
　 I went to see your mother yesterday. Her  54 is all gone and she looks very  55 . Your sister Jean looks wonderful! She has taken off about fifteen pounds since she began dieting. But now she’s complaining that none of her clothes fit!
Hope to see you before next Sunday.
　 Love and kisses to you!
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　     Yours
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　           Lynn
【小题1】A in           B. on          C. at          D. along

Columbus returned home with the news of his discovery of “Indian” 36 Columbus called it. Then he was considered as the hero who had given a new world to Spain. Never had so great __37__ been shown to any __38__man.But there were some who were jealous of the __39__.”Who is this Columbus?” they asked, “and what has he done? Isn’t he a poor sailor from Italy？And could __40__ other seamen sail across the ocean just as he has done?”
One day Columbus was at 41 and several of these fellows were __42__ too. They tried to make Columbus __43__.”You have discovered strange lands __44__ the sea,”they said.“But we don’t see why there __45__ be so much said about it. Anybody can sail across the ocean and anybody can coast along the islands __46__ ,just as you have done. It is the __47__ thing in the world.”
Columbus made no answer, but after a while he took an egg from a dish and said to the people at the table, “Who __48__ you, gentlemen, can make the egg stand __49__ ?” One by one they tried the __50__．When the egg had gone __51__　around and everyone had failed, all said that it could not be done, Then Columbus took the egg and __52__the shell of the egg’s small end a little upon the table. After that there was no trouble in making it stand __53__.“Gentlemen,”said he, “what is easy than to do this __54__ you said was impossible ? It is simplest thing in the world. Anybody can do it-----AFTER HE HAD BEEN SHOWN __55__.”
【小题1】A. so         B. when     C as        D. that