完形填空

        About 15 years ago I was studying at a University in Münster, Germany. The people I spent most of my1 with were a group of friends. Sometimes we went out together for parties, 2most of the time we did our own3back at someone's home. First we sat and talked and at some point during the night we4the chairs and tables and started dancing. It may not 5that special, but what was special to me was the 6we shared for each other.7, when someone had to find a new8, moving from one flat to the other, these friends were there.In the eyes you saw support, you saw9, making jokes, teasing and laughing about 10and weak points from each other, but always there was this11no one is better or worse. You felt there was always a shoulder you could 12on.

       Time passed by and we all went our own ways, following our own 13. I made my way passing Ireland and India for several 14so far. Now just a few days ago I met one of my old friends again. We sat and talked and after 15 years we shared our 15again from that time. On my way back home from our16it made me think. The last days were full of 17for me and my thoughts and feelings were just 18around them. Now I came back from this meeting and the memories we19were like a crystal(水晶) ball. All my 20feelings from the last days couldn't touch what was inside this ball. These memories spread like a virus through my thoughts and feelings and left me safe and warm and happy.

Notes：

①spread v ． 漫延，传播 ②strength n ． 力量；长处

    A storm was coming, but Alex was too busy fixing her leg bandage to notice it. She said to herself, "Great. I 1 myself the week before Cross Country Running tryouts (锦标赛). I am so 2. Why did I think running through the forest would be a good idea in the first place?"

    After 3, Alex went to the kitchen and poured herself some lemonade. She opened the door to her 4 and sat down outside. "Every year, I work so hard and yet, I always 5," Alex said. This year, I was one spot away from Varsity(校队). The previous 6, I handed in my medical forms late …"

    Suddenly there was a flash of 7 sounds like it's going to be a thunderstorm, Alex thought and 8 to head inside. She tried to 9 the door, only to find that she had locked herself out. 10, Alex shook the door handle 11 back and forth. As she took a quick step backwards, she lost her 12 and fell down. "Why me?" she yelled. "Why did this all happen to me?" Once Alex 13 to pull herself up, she sat silently on the staircase. As rapidly as the rain poured from the sky, so did the 14 stream down Alex's face. Alone and wet, Alex cried until all the 15and wetness of the day washed away. Finally, when she16crying, she looked up at a suddenly 17 image of her backyard. The air felt light and the sun shone through the clouds. 18 her leg still felt stiff, Alex tore off the 19 and stood up. "I will take part in the Cross Country this year and I will make Varsity," Alex 20 with a breath of inspiration, "Nothing will stop me."

    Songs bring us through our life. Each time I listen to my favorite song Reach, I'm deeply 1 by its lyrics: "If I could reach higher, just one moment touch the sky..." When we hear this 2 song sung by Gloria Estefan, we can 3 imagine how she managed to return to the stage after her serious back injury. In 1990, this Cuban singer was 4 down in a terrible traffic accident, and the doctor 5 that she might never walk again. But Gloria did not 6 and kept on working hard toward her 7. Just one year after the disaster 8, she stood up again and 9 this encouraging song at the Atlanta Olympics.

    Whenever I think of Gloria, a 10 crowds in my mind. When I entered university, naturally shy, ordinary looking, and with 11 scores in my lessons, just like an ugly duckling. I seemed to be the 12 outstanding one in my class. Continuous failures drove me into 13. "Am I to take a back seat to everyone else?" 14 to give in to such a fate I spared no effort to work on my lessons and joined in many 15, such as English speech contests and dramas. I just wanted to catch every little chance to 16 myself. My continuous efforts finally paid off. I received some 17. More importantly, I 18 courage and confidence to face any difficulty in my life.

    19 is just like farming. You 20 what you sow. Once you have a dream, don't hesitate. Keep moving!

    Skydiving isn't an activity for the faint of heart, but when you do it at 101 years old, you're pretty much a superhuman. On May 13, Verdun Hayes became the 1person in the world to complete a 15,000-foot tandern jump (双人伞), 2 the Guinness World Records he once set up.

    Verdun Hayes wasn't 3. He finished the jump with eight family members and two close 4 at Dunkeswell Airport in England. As they5to make the jump, the entire family looked nervous, but6as well. Hayes' grandson–in–law Ian Honnor, the organizer of the family's jump, told TODAY, "He was probably the calmest one on the 7. He had no fear and just loved it. He just wanted everyone to8it and be healthy." Honnor, who helped 9the outing, said this wasn't Hayes' first jump! "When he was more than ninety years old, his family kept telling him he wasn't 10 to do the jump. However, he didn't give up his 11. At the age of 100, he 12realized his ambition and became the first man of such an advanced age to 13a tandem skydive."

    This time he decided to shoot for the world record. "Because it's such a big14, it was decided that as many people in the family as we could possibly get were going to go15him," Honnor said. "He had four generations(世代) of his family in the 16at the same time—they ranged from age 16 to 101." The family held a big party to 17his achievement.

    Hayes even had some18for those people hoping to 19the same thing at his age. "Just keep your mind20occupied by positive thought and keep your body as fit as you possibly can," said Hayes. "Those are the two great things."

    After I graduated from the university, I got so pressured in finding a job. I did a lot of1both online and handing in person to a particular company. It occurred, one day I went to2my CV (履历)to a certain company and I wanted to meet the human resource manager in person because I believed it was the best3than leaving my CV at the reception.

    Unfortunately, in this company the4did not allow me to see the human resource manager and5asked me to just leave the CV with her and that she would6it. I was really7since I knew she wouldn't do that and my CV will just be thrown in the trash can, I thought so because it usually8a lot in some other companies. So I just left with my head9and never thought about it again since I knew I would never get any10from the company.

    Weeks passed and one day I received a call from a（an）11number and guess what… it was the human resource manager of that same company. I was really shocked since I did not12it at all. So he said he received my CV and that he would13it.

    I was so happy and felt bad at the same time for14the receptionist the other day. This humbled me and it was a15to believe in people and not assume things just because of the norm.

    I'm standing in a class of wild 14－year－old girls as they throw paper and howl with laughter. They won't1to me.

    I was 22 and I didn't know what I was doing. I never wanted to teach. I wanted to be a 2. But when I arrived in London, they were short of teachers. My3 at teaching were hopeless. When the bell finally rang, I rushed to the 4 room, red 5anger. The other teachers weren't surprised. "That's 4B, the worst class in school," one said.

    I was afraid of our next meeting, but I couldn't give up, because I needed the job. Therefore, I 6formal lessons.7 ， I brought topics for class discussions. One of the liveliest talks was about the arguments they had with their 8. They paid attention and shared about their families. Then I had them write about themselves. As time went on, their essays became a 9 between us. I think they 10 my interest in their lives.

    The musical My Fair Lady was playing in the West End, but they had never seen a(n) 11 stage performance. I asked if they would like to see the musical. They thought I was 12. No teacher had ever 13 taking them out. A few weeks later, 4B and I were 14 in a theatre. They loved the music and the characters. It was the 15 of their year, and they talked about it for days.

    Near the end of the semester, someone16 on the door of the staff room. The two girls most unwilling to 17 rules in 4B were there—with flowers. I was 18to know I had touched their lives, but they had also touched mine. When I returned to Australia several years later, I still wanted to be a writer. For the first time in my life, I stopped 19and started writing. My first story was 20, My Fair Ladies. Teaching wasn't the end of my writing career; it was the beginning.