阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1--20各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

    I often read of incidents of misunderstanding or conflict. I'm left 1 .Why do these people create mistrust and problems, especially with those from other 2 ?

    I was growing up in Kuala Lumpur in the early 1960s, 3 children from different races and religions played and studied 4  in harmony. At that time my family lived a stone's 5 from Ismail's. And no one was bothered that Ismail was a Malay Muslim and I was an Indian Hindu-we just 6 our differences. Perhaps, our elders had not filled our heads with unnecessary advice, well 7 or otherwise.

    We were nine when we became friends. During the school holidays, we'd 8 the countryside on our bicycles, hoping to 9 the unexpected. At times Ismail would accompany my family as we made a rare shopping trip to town. We would be glad of his 10.

    When I was twelve, my family moved to Johor. Ismail's family later returned to their village, and I 11 touch with him.

    One spring afternoon in 1983, I stopped a taxi in Kuala Lumpur. I 12 my destination. The driver acknowledged my 13 but did not move off. Instead, he looked 14 at me. “Raddar?”he said, using my childhood nickname(绰号). I was astonished at being so 15 addressed(称呼). Unexpectedly! It was Ismail! Even after two 16 we still recognized each other. Grasping his shoulder, I felt a true affection, something 17to describe.

    If we can allow our children to be 18 without prejudice, they'll build friendships with people, regardless of race or religion, who will be 19 their side through thick and thin. On such friendships are societies build and20 we can truly be, as William Shakespeare once wrote, “we happy few, we band of brothers”.

    Mrs. Jones was over eighty, but she still drove her old car like a woman half her age. She loved driving very fast, and was proud of the fact1she had never, in her thirty-five years of driving, been punished2a driving offence(犯规).

    Then one day she nearly3her record. A police car4her, and the policemen in it saw her5a red light without stopping. Of course, she was stopped. It seemed6that she would be punished.

    7Mrs. Jones came up to the judge, he looked at her seriously and said that she was8old to drive a car, and that the9why she had not stopped at the red10was most probably that her eyes had become weak11old age, so that she had simply not seen it.

    When the judge had finished what he was12, Mrs. Jones opened the big handbag she was13and took out her sewing. Without saying a word, she14a needle(针) with a very small eye, and threaded it at her first attempt. When she had15done this, she took the thread out of the needle again and handed16the needle and the thread to the judge, saying, "Now it is your17. I suppose you drive a car, and that you are quite sure about your own eyesight." The judge took the18and tried to thread it. After half a dozen tries, he had still not succeeded. The case(案例) against Mrs. Jones was19, and her record20unbroken.

    It has always been my dream to attend college. When I was younger, I would watch TV shows with college students having lots of 1.It looked like a great experience－going to parties,2with

    friends and letting the good times 3 When I entered high school, however, I started learning the real4 of college－to get a good education and a well-paid job. Therefore, with a passion for success in life, I expressed my 5about attending university to my parents. They were6I'd chosen the path, but were disappointed because they couldn't 7the cost. Upset and stressed, I started looking for 8to pay myself.

    My search for money began online. I went to every free scholarship search engine and spent up to five hours each day looking for scholarships I 9for. It was hard, but I knew it would10When I'd found almost all the scholarships I could apply for, I11them by deadline, which  gave me a way to prioritize my schedule. After12 everything, it was time to fill out the applications. Despite the amounts, ranging from＄100 to ＄40,000, I took each scholarship13because together they would fund my goal. With this in my mind, the hardest part began: writing the essays. To 14my writing, I asked friends, relatives and teachers to15over my work. Now I've won16scholarships and can attend college for free.

    The scholarship search truly made me a17person. I learned the importance of setting a(n)18 and accomplishing it.19 I did have to read several rejection letters, those made me stronger. I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to learn more about my20to succeed no matter what difficulties got in my way.

Inspiration

    “Mama, when I grow up, I'm going to be one of those!” I said this after seeing the Capital Dancing Company perform when I was three. It was the first time that my1 took on a vivid form and acted as something important to start my training. As I grew older and was 2to more, my interests in the world of dance 3 varied but that little girl's dream of someday becoming a 4 in the company never left me. In the summer of 2005 when I was 18, I received the phone call which made that dream a 5I became a member of the company6 back to 1925.

    As I look back on that day now, it surely 7 any sense of reality. I believe I stayed in a state of pleasant disbelief8 I was halfway through rehearsals (排练) on my first day. I never actually9 to get the job. After being offered the position, I was completely10I remember shaking with excitement.

    Though I was absolutely thrilled with the change, it did not come without its fair share of 11. Through the strict rehearsal period of dancing six days a week, I found it vital to 12 up the material fast with every last bit of concentration. It is that extreme 13 to detail (细节) and stress on practice that set us 14.To then follow those high-energy rehearsals 15 a busy show schedule of up to five performances a day, I discovered a new 16 of the words “hard work.” What I thought was my physical 17 were pushed much further than I thought 18I learned to make each performance better than the last.

    Today, when I look at the unbelievable company that I have the great19 of being a part of, not only as a member, but as a dance captain, I see a 20 that has inspired not only generations of little girls but a splendid company that continues to develop and grow and inspires people every day to follow their dreams.

    I lifted my wet woollen gloves to my face and wiped the snowflakes from my eyes. I could not feel my nose and my 1 formed a thick fog in the air. The biting wind was making me 2 I was fed up! I didn't want to be here. I wanted to go home. But Mum and Dad had 3 me to go for a Sunday afternoon walk in the park. I could see my 4 in the snowy path, like a trail of breadcrumbs(一串面包屑) in the forest showing me the way 5. I stopped and listened to my 6. I could 7 the wind crying like a homeless dog hungry for a delicious 8. The once-green tree 9, which used to wave gently in the breeze, had become bare, and the grass was covered with a 10 blanket of fresh snow. Then I saw a broken spider's web shining golden beneath a pale sun. My breath was like silky soft 11 floating up into the freezing cold air.

    Suddenly there was Mum, 12 handing me a big cup of hot chocolate. Her big smile immediately 13 my heart.

    "Here you are, Jo. This will keep you 14," she said as she placed a comforting arm around my shoulders and 15 her cheek against mine.

    I slowly took a mouthful of the hot 16 and felt it slowly dripping down my throat like lava(熔岩) 17down a mountainside. My wet woollen gloves were now warm, not 18. My breath warmed, and I was 19fed up or cold. I was happy and 20.

When I was a child my father taught me five words that I've used all my life — in my acting career, as a mother, in my business activities. If I 1 that I was afraid of the dark, or if I seemed worried about meeting new people, Dad would say, "Stand porter to your 2 . "

A porter is a gatekeeper who stands at a door letting people in or out. Dad would get me to picture myself stopping 3 things — such as fear — at the door, 4 saying "Come in" to faith, love and self-assurance.

As an actress, before I went on camera, I'd make sure anxiety stayed out and confidence in my ability came in. As a mother, when I was anxious about my children, I would try not to let worry in but would 5 my mind with trust in them.

Of course, there were always times I'd 6 those words.

In 1972 my husband, Fillmore Crank, and I opened the doors to our own 7 in North Hollywood. This was a new business venture for us, and it was a lot more 8 and complicated than we had 9 .

We were on call 24 hours a day. Something was always going 10 . Electricity went on the blink (失灵), food wasn't enough, employees called in sick. Once, a flu epidemic suddenly left us with no maids. Fillmore gave me a choice: scrub (擦洗) floors or do the laundry. For 10 days I folded enough sheets to 11 the whole state of California.

Then there was the 12 crisis. The price of gasoline doubled, and tourism in California 13 . How could we fill our beds? What if we kept losing money? What if we failed? Fear and worry were sneaking in. But I caught them just 14 I stood porter.

I stood in the door of my mind and sent fear packing.

These days at the hotel, whenever fear tries to 15 , I just smile and point to the sign that reads "No Vacancy".