完形填空

（一）

My new birthday tradition was a big hit today. I 1 it a couple of years ago. It goes like this： I put the same 2 of one-dollar bills as my new 3 into my pocket and surprise strangers around town. I know， $24 isn’t much but that’s my attempt at 4 kindness.

I gifted strangers at local 5 including McDonald’s， Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf， Blenders， Kyle’s Kitchen， Yogutland， as well as tipping some of the folks behind the counter.

Reactions were wonderful as I 6 “It’s my birthday and paying for this is your gift to me.” I would put down the money and 7 . Recipients and even people working at the shops were astonished and excited.

I love it that people will tell the 8 of the mystery guy with the Batman mask who paid for their coffee or burger.

The 9 one of all was the last one at a restaurant. I paid for a young man’s 10 . He was shocked and delighted and I left and got into the car. He 11 me and told me I had made his day， and that I started something today. He told me his 12 was in three days and we’re both in December. He was turning 25. I told him about filling 25 13 in his pocket and making people 14 the way he felt right then.

He wished me a happy birthday and a happy new year， and I 15 quickly with my Batman mask on.

What a great birthday！

1. A. considered B. changed C. began D. stopped

2. A. size B. number C. color D. date

3. A. kindness B. career C. period D. age

4. A. receiving B. spreading C. finding D. appreciating

5. A. schools B. parks C. shops D. restaurants

6. A. warned B. explained C. informed D. reminded

7. A. leave B. think C. laugh D. stay

8. A. duty B. way C. story D. difference

9. A. best B. easiest C. funniest D. cleverest

10. A. clothing B. item C. meal D. ticket

11. A. cared about B. called for C. believed in D. ran after

12. A. celebration B. birthday C. wedding D. holiday

13. A. chocolate B. cards C. bills D. presents

14. A. feel B. improve C. touch D. create

15. A. looked out B. stood up C. turned around D. drove off

（二）

I remember the first time I saw a skateboarder roll past me when I was 14 in the early 90s. The skater moved in such a 1 and cool way. He 2 through the crowds in the same way that water finds its natural 3 . I can still clearly 4 the sound of the trail of the skateboard snapping against （撞擊） the road as the skateboarder jumped up with the board into the 5 . It was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Why walk to school when you could skate？ After serious saving and a 6 for early birthday funds， I 7 myself in the skate shop and got my first skateboard！

What I didn’t know then was that this first 8 was the beginning of a voyage that would never 9 . Information and experiences were exchanged and 10 with friends. And only through dedication and perseverance did my ability and confidence 11 .

And as my skateboarding years rolled by， my friends and I 12 further into the unknown architectural skate spots around the globe. 13 with fellow skateboarders get past borders because the sport brings with it a bond of sincerity. You know 14 good times await. You’re a global conqueror （征服者） aboard four wheels and seven layers of plywood （膠合板）.

I’m now 36， and， as I continue to age， my adventures as a skateboarder will 15 . Skateboarding is an extension of play and fun. I shall never get tired of it.

1. A. smooth B. sensitive C. safe D. strange

2. A. walked B. weaved C. drove D. looked

3. A. color B. route C. procedure D. origin

4. A. enjoy B. analyze C. recall D. recognize

5. A. night B. sea C. cave D. air

6. A. love B. goal C. request D. concern

7. A. dressed B. calmed C. expressed D. found

8. A. competition B. attempt C. plan D. order

9. A. end B. pass C. work D. fail

10. A. brought B. kept C. shared D. valued

11. A. improve B. change C. start D. grow

12. A. journeyed B. divided C. fell D. broke

13. A. Trades B. Relations C. Arguments D. Problems

14. A. endless B. worthless C. aimless D. restless

15. A. fade away B. come back C. go on D. run out

（三）

When I was 13， I enjoyed reading for hours. I always found myself in a small public 1 . I found a paradise of silence where I could 2 my inner self and find the treasures of other worlds.

When we moved to Florida， the first thing I did was to 3 the public library for the books and the adventures. Luckily， I found it！ I remember my 4 to read some horror novels and the 5 the librarian gave when I brought it up to the checking desk. “Are you sure your mother would 6 ？” “Sure，” I said with 7 . The librarian called my home to get permission. I knew my mother would give it because the books were her paradise as well.

Nowadays， after 8 the current generation of teens stuck in the waves of technology， I felt sure that the 9 object would be a thing of the past which the virtual （虛擬的） online world had gradually 10 . I was convinced that books would eventually gather dust on shelves.

But one day in August， I 11 that my fears might be premature （過早的）. A university hosted a competition for teens who 12 local libraries. Hundreds of young people enthusiastically responded to 13 questions about books they had read. Imagine， an entire summer 14 when they could have lazed （消磨時光） with their electronic devices. 15 ， they followed their imaginations and devoted themselves to the books. Perhaps there is hope for the world.

1. A. library B. park C. pool D. room

2. A. predict B. help C. imagine D. explore

3. A. seek for B. adapt to C. run over D. wait for

4. A. goal B. chance C. desire D. pity

5. A. novel B. advice C. look D. gift

6. A. promise B. approve C. confirm D. understand

7. A. confidence B. regret C. anger D. confusion

8. A. ending B. watching C. ignoring D. changing

9. A. popular B. physical C. valuable D. successful

10. A. distributed B. satisfied C. replaced D. limited

11. A. realized B. mentioned C. doubted D. decided

12. A. thanked B. searched C. assisted D. represented

13. A. hard B. various C. simple D. strange

14. A. playing B. studying C. camping D. reading

15. A. Instead B. Consequently C. Therefore D. Meanwhile

（四）

Porras and her daughter Elena have been taking weightlifting classes together for five years， though Elena is paralyzed （癱瘓） from the waist down.

When Elena was born， she was diagnosed with a disease which developed from immature nerve cells. This resulted in her 1 to walk. Porras was in such a（n） 2 that she needed to see a psychiatrist （精神科醫(yī)生） herself. She was 3 to create a long-term plan for life and start

4 . A local health club trainer recommended weightlifting.

Once Porras started attending the 5 training classes， she brought Elena with her， “She saw me become happy again and start to have my community. I wanted her to be a part of that， too.” Now Elena does strength training with her mom. Together， they have become stronger， both mentally and physically.

Out of their expectation， a（n） 6 arose. Months ago， Porras was about to carry Elena into the car from her wheelchair， but had to go back to 7 the door. “When I turned around and found her in the front seat， I was 8 ，” Porras said. “I got in by myself， Mom. I’m 9 like you，” said Elena.

Today， Elena is in a survivorship clinic and 10 numerous tests to get her health monitored. However， as Elena gets older， they have to face more 11 . Luckily， all of her efforts 12 . “Each year I find myself more 13 and mentally stronger，” said Porras. Meanwhile， Elena’s workouts have 14 her growth. “You can be happy or sad， but I 15 to be happy，” said Elena.

1. A. inability" " B. potential" " C. power" " D. attempt

2. A. surprise" " B. depression" " C. fear" " " D. anger

3. A. ordered" " B. warned" " " C. advised" " D. determined

4. A. dieting" " B. exercising" " C. learning" " D. recovering

5. A. speed" " " B. skill" " " " C. strength" " D. will

6. A. accident" " B. tragedy" " " C. blessing" " D. miracle

7. A. fix" " " " B. lock" " " " C. answer" " " D. clean

8. A. annoyed" " B. delighted" " C. astonished" D. upset

9. A. smart" " " B. healthy" " " C. flexible" " D. strong

10. A. prepares B. passesnbsp; " " " C. experiences" D. designs

11. A. interruption" B. chances" " C. attention" " D. challenges

12. A. took off" " B. held on" " " C. paid off" " D. set up

13. A. capable" " " B. efficient" " " C. ambitious" " D. creative

14. A. witnessed" " B. checked" " " C. delayed" " " D. prevented

15. A. deserve" " " B. choose" " " C. mean" " " " D. struggle

（五）

Silence is important for learning. I got it from my fourteen-month-old daughter Arielle.

One day， she sat on the floor with an old baby doll. Without buttons， it could neither 1 nor play music. The whole room was silent. Then Arielle began to 2 the baby doll. When her hand touched a tiny ear， she used one finger to trace （勾畫） its shape. Then she felt one of her own ears and then both ears. She 3 tracing the doll’s ear and her own a few more times until， 4 ， she turned her attention elsewhere.

At that moment I discovered how human 5 took place. Something stimulated Arielle’s 6 ： Is her body like her doll’s？ With no outside stimulation， she satisfied her curiosity by comparing the doll’s body and herself. 7 ， for many kids， experiences like Arielle’s are less and less 8 since children are surrounded by those so-called 9 toys which can talk and move at the push of a button. This 10 them to push buttons repeatedly without thinking and may rob （剝奪） children of opportunities to solve problems.

Like adults， children need time that is 11 to experience the difference between just reacting to outside stimulation and 12 their own ideas by exploring the world.

Indeed， the toys most likely to encourage creative play are not those that make 13 or have lots of unnecessary functions. 14 ， they are simple， quiet and can be used in lots of different ways. So next time， when 15 what to buy for your child， make a wise choice.

1. A. smile B. stand C. talk D. sleep

2. A. kick B. play C. watch D. explore

3. A. kept B. liked C. started D. avoided

4. A. worried B. interested C. confused D. satisfied

5. A. aging B. communication C. learning D. experiment

6. A. imagination B. curiosity C. creativity D. determination

7. A. Briefly B. Sadly C. Hopefully D. Traditionally

8. A. amazing B. excellent C. frequent D. strange

9. A. safe B. pretty C. exciting D. smart

10. A. required B. organized C. advised D. caused

11. A. limited B. quiet C. extra D. precious

12. A. developing B. changing C. expressing D. reflecting

13. A. noise B. benefits C. progress D. records

14. A. However B. Instead C. Therefore D. Besides

15. A. asking B. demanding C. deciding D. suggesting

（六）

There is no age limit to work or do something you love. Over 100-year-old Jean Bailey， a resident of Elk Ridge Village Senior Living in Omaha， is constantly 1 this by teaching a fitness class four times a week for almost three years now.

Bailey mentioned that some of her 2 clients have arthritis （關(guān)節(jié)炎） that restricts their mobility， but they can 3 perform stretching exercises by following her instructions and get benefit from them. Bailey， who also uses a 4 frequently due to her leg pain， is a strict coach despite this. She explained she was made fun of and called “mean” for being 5 in her classes. “The girls seem to 6 what I’m going to do for them，” she added. “They know it’s beneficial.”

In 2020， Bailey started 7 classes. Despite being a senior， she wasn’t 8 by the younger ages of her peers. Being someone who was keen on staying active and good at motivating people， she encouraged her students to bring chairs into the hallway and performed 9 exercises. Everyone enjoyed it greatly and the classes never stopped.

Bailey 10 30-minute exercise classes on Mondays， Wednesdays， Thursdays and Saturdays， which begin at 9：45 am. Apart from helping them stay 11 ， the classes also have allowed the women attending to form beautiful 12 . Bailey said， “One of us would do something for anybody. We really keep track of each other.”

One of these women is Phyllis Black， 87， who lives down the hall from Bailey. Black was 13 by Bailey with homemade cookies when she moved into Elk Ridge about three years ago. Bailey often treats the 14 with baked goods after the exercise sessions， especially on birthdays， as she believes all birthdays are significant at this age. Black said of Bailey， “She’s a very 15 neighbor， and she’s also a good friend.”

1. A. promoting B. identifying C. proving D. qualifying

2. A. wise B. regular C. warm-hearted D. skillful

3. A. vividly B. accidentally C. awfully D. easily

4. A. walker B. caretaker C. tool D. chair

5. A. confident B. active C. strict D. humorous

6. A. assume B. realize C. expect D. confirm

7. A. language B. driving C. exercise D. cooking

8. A. appreciated B. inspired C. trusted D. frightened

9. A. simple B. fierce C. typical D. elegant

10. A. attends B. conducts C. quits D. improves

11. A. brave B. smart C. busy D. fit

12. A. bonds B. shapes C. figures D. images

13. A. rewarded B. supported C. welcomed D. impressed

14. A. neighbors B. participants C. bosses D. couples

15. A. fair B. silly C. honest D. nice