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

    Many years ago, there was an emperor(皇帝). One day he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and 1 as much land area as he liked, he would give him the area of land he had covered.2 enough, the horseman quickly jumped onto his horse and 3 as fast as possible to cover as much land area as he could.

    He 4 riding and riding, whipping the horse to go as fast as possible. Even when he was 5or tired, he did not stop 6he wanted to cover as much area as possible. When he at last covered a large amount of land, he was exhausted and was 7. Then he asked himself, “Why did I 8myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only 9 a very small area to 10myself.”

    The above story is 11 to the journey of our 12. We push ourselves very hard every day to make more 13, to gain power or recognition. We neglect(疏忽，忘记) our 14, time with our family and to appreciate the surrounding 15and the things we love to do. One day 16 we look back, we will 17that we don't really need that much, 18 then we cannot turn back time for what we have 19

    Life is not about making money. Life is definitely(肯定地) not about work! Work is only 20 to keep us living so as to enjoy the beauty and pleasures of life.

    Volunteering abroad comes with a bit of a social stigma(耻辱).  From my 1this couldn't be further from the truth.  Volunteering isn't so expensive that it's only a2 for the well-off. I spent 10 weeks volunteering in Arizona with America Conservation Experience(ACE), helping3America's natural beauty.

    The 4 was arranged through BUNAC, a work and volunteer organization.5it cost me around $1,000 — a sum which I6 mostly by working part-time.

    The self-indulgent(放纵自己的) image is7 to overseas volunteer projects.  However, the work can be8 I spent my time maintaining trails, building fences and carrying out projects in some of the national monuments of America. Summer temperatures in Arizona stay well above 35℃9pleasant if you're carrying 50kg of concrete for 10 hours at a time.  And then there was the wildlife to deal with, which10my strength of character and made my 11of the English household spider disappear.

    12 do most people volunteer for? Probably they want to 13 things to the world.  But in reality, you 14 just as much as the local communities and ecosystems you're helping.

    Spending 10 weeks in America's most beautiful national parks and forests was 15 I gained a far deeper16 of the local environment than the average tourist17 ex-national park rangers(护林者) who knew18 of the area's history and ecosystem.  But best of all, my 10 weeks were spent volunteering with young people from a mix of19 — from Belgians to South Koreans.  When I left Arizona, I returned home having made a lifelong 20with people from around the world.

    Many years ago, when we first went to Canada, we were driving through Montana to Colorado with our two children, then aged 8 and 11. As it was getting1we started looking for a hotel, only to find out that it was

    2time in that part of the country, and all the hotels were3.

Finally, around 9 o'clock in the evening, we 4 at a gas station to fill up on gas. My husband asked for a

    5 book and told the woman at the counter that we were trying to find a hotel. She told us it would be 6. He tried for 15 more minutes. When he was 7, the woman, Linda, said she and her family

     8 nearby and would be happy if we spent the night at her home.

My husband was 9 at her offer of generosity (慷慨). She called her son to10us, since she had to

    11 at the gas station till midnight.

    When we reached their home, her husband12 us. He invited us to have coffee and chat while we 13 his wife. She came past 12 am. We asked if we could slip away in the morning so as not to14 them. They said we were now 15 and we would have to have breakfast with them.

    Next morning, we ate breakfast, and when we were 16, my husband asked if he could offer some17. They would not hear of it and18we were their guests. We kept in touch for many years, and invited them to our19, too. Over the years, we lost touch, but have 20 forgotten their kindness.

    A 1thing happened 2me last Sunday. It was such a beautiful day 3 I drove to go for a look in the country.

    On the way back home, my 4 stopped. It was out of gas on a 5 road far from a town! I decided to walk until I found someone 6could sell some gas. I had walked almost a mile 7 I finally found a house near the 8. I was glad to see it because it was getting dark.

    I knocked at the door and a little old lady with long white hair 9. She said, "I've been 10for you here for a long time. Come in. 11 is almost ready."

    "But I only came for some gas," I answered. I couldn't 12what she was talking about.

    "Oh, Alfred! Gas? You 13tea," said she.

    I quickly14 that my car was out of 15, but she didn't seem to listen to me. She just kept 16 me Alfred and talking about how long it had been17she had seen me. She was acting very strangely and I was anxious to leave. As soon as she went to get tea, I went out of the house as fast as I 18.

    Fortunately, there was another house down the road and I was able to buy the gas I needed. When I told the man about my 19, he said, "Oh, that's Miss Emily. She lives by herself in that big house. She's strange, but she wouldn't 20 anybody. She is still waiting for the man she was going to marry thirty years ago. The day before their wedding he left home and never came back because of the war."

    One evening, Mr. Green was driving his car along a lonely country road. He had drawn $10,000 from the bank in town. Suddenly a man in rags (破旧衣服) stopped him and asked for 1. Mr. Green told him to get in and continued on his way. 2 he talked to the man, Mr. Green learned that he had just broken out of prison. Mr. Green was very afraid at the thought of his 3. Suddenly he saw a police-car and had a 4 idea. He put on speed and drove as quickly as possible. Then he found the police-car running 5 him. After a mile or so, the police-car passed him and 6 him to stop. A policeman came up. Mr. Green had hoped to tell him about the trouble but the man put a gun to Mr. Green's 7.

    The policeman said he wanted Mr. Green's name and 8 and Mr. Green told him. The policeman wrote it down in his notebook and put it in his 9. "You must go to the police station." He said. Then he talked to Mr. Green about dangerous 10. Mr. Green started up his car again. He had 11 all hope of his $10,000, but as he reached a more lonely part, the robber said he wanted to 12. Mr. Green stopped and the man said, "Thank you. You've been so 13 to me. This is what I can do in 14." And he handed Mr. Green the policeman's 15 which he stole while the policeman was talking to Mr. Green.