阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

    He was known everywhere as a great artist. People1 from miles around to admire his beautiful2 His name was Pygmalion，and he lived long，long3 in Athens，Greece.

    Pygmalion4 his art for many years. His desire 5excellence made him spend months6a single work of art. He would not stop7he felt it was perfect.8the years passed，his work became9 Pygmalion painted flowers which looked 10natural that people tried to11them. He painted fruits which looked so12that people wanted to eat them. Everyone13 looked at the pictures he had painted was14by their beauty.

    As the years passed it15only his pictures that made him famous，Pygmalion16 made perfect pieces of sculpture.He could take a plain piece of wood17stone and make it beautiful. He could make a rough stone as18as glass. He worked long and hard to make his statues as real as possible. Often visitors who came to see his work began talking to someone. They were surprised when that person didn't19They were even more surprised20they realized they were talking to a statue. It always gave Pygmalion pleasure when people were surprised this way.

    A few days ago, I observed a teenager doing yardwork that his dad had told him to do. Instead of doing the task1, he wandered around there for hours,2 to himself and doing a bad job.

    The person he hurt the most was himself. His dad was trying to teach him 3and how to do a good job. As a result of his4attitude, he spent the whole afternoon finishing a task that should have taken one or two hours. And the yard 5 wasn't clean enough when he got through.

    He6his day because of his attitude. And his dad was 7with him, and the boy's bad mood ended up8 the whole family that day.

    A sweet lady was working in a fast-food9. The minute I walked in, she welcomed me10. She smiled as she took my order, and then as we11 for the food, she talked with me. As I walked off with my tray, she said with a big 12, “I hope you have a blessed day!” I think the food tasted better because of her13. There was a delay, during which I sat there hearing her singing as she14 her tasks behind the counter.

    She wasn't making a large salary, and she didn't have a powerful15, either. In addition, she stood on her feet for a long shift each day, often dealing with 16customers. But she chose to be joyful.

    I want to17from her. I want to do my best, even when there's no 18 or glory. Other people are watching me19 I might not realize it at the time. I want to bring joy to all those around me. A(n)20can make a great difference.

    My aunt came to my home with her six-year-old daughter Alice this morning. While my aunt was talking with my mom at home, my cousin felt a bit 1. So I suggested that I go out with her. My aunt happily 2. So we went to the park near my home together. There we bought two 3 and started flying them. While we were doing that, Alice couldn't help 4. She jumped up and down and I knew she was 5having great fun. And I must 6that I haven't enjoyed myself like that for a long time.

    Later, we sat down on a bench, looking at the gardens. As we were7there, Alice looked up at me and said, "What a 8day today!" I smiled at her and agreed. I then started 9 what we had done that day. We did something quite 10, yet we were very happy.

    Many people wait for their "best days". But I think today is our 11 day. That's a lesson I 12 today. As adults, we often make plans 13 in order to have a great day. Some people think that they can have a nice day through spending a lot of 14. I think we should be more like 15. They don't think about money or what will happen tomorrow. They 16 live in the moment and enjoy the moment!

    We often hear the expression that we should live in the 17. How do we do that? We're not doing such a 18 job. Remember today is important as we are exchanging (交换) a day of our 19 for it. Yesterday is a history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a 20. That's why it is called present. So seize (把握) the day!

    I had just started my second year studying at Cambridge University when I was faced with the news I had never expected. A lump in my neck1out to be cancer. I would2six months of chemotherapy (化疗).

    After the shock, I was struck by this thought: my3 didn't have any room for cancer. I had so much I wanted to4 and so many goals I wanted to chase.

    I was faced with the5 job of telling my friends and family. Then, I had to decide whether to 6 in Cambridge and take five exams at the end of the year. My doctor 7 against it, and so did my parents and teachers.

    My doctors and teachers convinced me that taking some time off to 8and relax would be the best thing for me. I could not think of anything 9. I did not want to10 a year of my life, receiving pity from those around me.

    Together with ray parents, I tried to persuade the university to 11 me to stay at Cambridge and study only half the course. At the end of the year I would take two exams. It was really a 12to persuade them to agree.

    Treatment began and I was up and down from Cambridge to London every other week. It made me feel 13, but to a much lesser degree than I had expected. I was14 to read, eat and socialize exactly as I used to. I slept a lot and rested a lot, but I also worked hard at my studies. It gave me focus, and it also gave me purpose. Completing my15 at the end of term felt like a great personal victory.

    I took a16 to continue studying while undergoing treatment, and it17. I was successful in my exams, and more18, I made a full recovery.

    Every person facing a disease like cancer must make the 19 that are right for them. I am 20 that I made the decision that was right for me.

    Frank was walking down the 6th Street on a hot sunny day when he saw smoke coming out of the street. He could 1 the smoke, and it was getting2. Seeing the smoke coming out of a storm drain(雨水沟), Frank called the fire department 3. “The storm drain is 4 fire!” he said. The fire department asked for his whereabouts and he said he was near the 6th street. They said they would be right there to investigate the situation. Frank needn't to go anywhere, so he waited for the 5 to arrive. He was curious what could be burning beneath the street. As far as he knew, there wasn't anything beneath the street 6 concrete(混凝土). And everyone knows that concrete doesn't 7.

    A fire truck arrived a few 8 later. “Are you the man who 9?” asked the driver. “Yes.” Frank answered. By now Frank could not only smell the 10 but also hear crackling sounds, just like wood burning. The firemen didn't seem to11it an emergency. “What do you think it could be?” Frank asked the driver. “Oh, we know what it is. We have to 12 a problem like this every few months. It's the homeless people in their 13.”

    Homeless people have been living under the streets for years.14 their knowledge of the storm drain system, they 15 their own “houses” beneath the streets. These living areas have tables, mattresses, chairs, and sofas. The settlers often “borrow” electricity by connecting to a live wire above ground to 16 their own lights and even TVs underground. Either this 17 electricity or a cigarette can cause an occasional fire.

    Frank watched 18  some firemen lifted a manhole cover (井盖) and went beneath the street with a fire hose (消防软管). Then a few minutes later, the 19 smoke turned white. Shortly afterward, the firemen reappeared with a 20 person who seemed to have just been woken up.

    One day, I drove into a service station to get some gas. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling 1 . As I paid for the gas, the attendant said, "How do you feel?" That seemed like a 2 question, but I felt fine and told him so. "You don't look 3." he replied and continued to tell me my skin appeared 4.

    By the time I left, I was a little 5 . About a block away, I 6 to the side of the road to look at my face 7 the mirror. Was everything all right? Had I picked up 8 rare disease? By the time I got home, I was beginning to feel a slight 9 somewhere in my body.

    The next time I went into that gas station, I 10 what had happened: The place had recently been painted a bright yellow, and the light reflecting off the walls made everyone inside 11 as though they were sick! That was the truth. 12 , I let that short conversation change my attitude for an entire day. His 13 observation affected the way I felt and acted.

    This experience made me think a lot. It is the same with life, in which attitude 14. The way we look at life determines how we feel and how we 15. If we expect something to turn out 16 , it probably will. But the 17 also works in reverse. If we expect good things to happen, they 18 do. An optimistic attitude, I believe, is not a luxury but a(an) 19. So after that, I chose to highlight the 20 throughout the rest of my life.