完形填空Back in the 15th century, in a small village in Germany, lived a family with eighteen children, Eighteen! In order to keep food on the table, the father, a poor man, worked almost eighteen hours a day. Despite(尽管) their 1 conditions, two of the eldest children had a dream. They both wanted to make a success in art, 2 they knew well that their father would never be able to 3 either of them to study at college.
After many long discussions at night in their 4 bed, the two boys finally reached an agreement. They would toss(掷) a coin. The 5 would go down into the nearby mines(矿井), and, with his money, 6 the winner for college. Then, in the next four years, the winner would support(资助) the loser. Then Albrecht Dürer won the toss and left for college. His brother Albert went 7 into the dangerous mines.
Four years later, when Albrecht Dürer, the young artist 8 home and said to his brother, "And now, Albert, it is your 9 . You can go to college to achieve your dream, and I will 10 you. "
Albert rose and wiped(擦) the tears from his cheeks, "No, brother. I cannot go to college. It is too 11 for me. Look...look what four years in the mines has done to my 12 . They cannot make beautiful lines on pictures 13 a pen or a brush. They can net even hold a glass. "
More than 450 years has 14 . By now, Praying Hands is the one that can 15 the world's hearts among Albrecht Dürer's hundreds of wonderful portraits.
