英语限时训练3
限时训练3
完形填空
I can still remember the first day when I met my best friend. I hid behind my mother and she hid behind her grandmother, 36 to look at each other. But we soon lost the 37 and started playing with each other. In the 7th grade, I first lost touch with her. She was 38 family problems and I deserted her to be with the “cooler people”. 39 of my new friends like her as much as I did 40 they knew she had “problems”. However, every summer we would 41 sit at each other’s house and watch soap operas and talk about everything we liked.
It was last year when I 42 the problem. I guessed I was just too busy to catch up in high school to realize she 43 someone there for her. Well, she made a new “best friend” and so did I. Then I didn’t know why, but she started cutting herself！
She was diagnosed with clinical depression（抑郁症. I was very 44 at first, but with the late night calls, we still stayed in 45 . I wanted to be there for her since her new best friend 46 deserted her, since people were calling her 47 , and I knew I still 48 her like a sister.
Yesterday she came 49 me and said this, “I never knew what a best friend was 50 you were the only person that would stop me from cutting; the only person that ever made me feel better about myself and my 51 . You don’t know this but I was trying to kill myself one night when you 52 me and I was crying. I 53 you so much, and you didn’t even know you were 54 me.”
We both cried. And I guess a kind of lesson from my life so far is to never 55 your friends.
36．A．pleased B．excited C．afraid D．disappointed
37．A．happiness B．kindness C．shyness D．sadness
38．A．working out B．answering for C．helping with D．going through 39．A．All B．None C．No D．Every
40．A．because B．though C．while D．yet
41．A．sometimes B．seldom C．just D．always
42．A．solved B．noticed C．faced D．understood 43．A．asked B．needed C．had D．left
44．A．mad B．careless C．hopeful D．upset
45．A．touch B．bed C．hospital D．love
46．A．luckily B．successfully C．basically D．calmly
47．A．selfish B．crazy C．brave D．lonely
48．A．believed in B．waited for C．cared about D．replied to
49．A．with B．after C．upon D．to
50．A．until B．when C．since D．if
51．A．mistakes B．parents C．friends D．problems
52．A．visited B．encouraged C．called D．prevented
53．A．tell B．owe C．give D．show
54．A．helping B．reminding C．cheating D．praising
55．A．give up on B．look back at C．drop in at D．look down on
阅读理解
Imagine a worker who never gets tired. This employee needs no lunch hours or holidays. Working 24 hours a day is no problem. Best of all, he or she is both accurate and efficient. There are few mistakes and tasks are finished quickly.
Any manufacturer would want a worker like this in a factory. Many more products could be made and sold if workers never stopped. That’s why there are more and more robots at work today. Robots do a wide variety of tasks. They weld (焊接), drill, and paint new cars. They locate underwater pollution sites. Robots handle poisons. Most of their work is too dangerous, difficult, or unpleasant for people to do. By
doing the dirty work, a robot is a worker’s helper, or aide.
Few robots look anything like people. They are machine. Like other
pieces of machinery, they come in different shapes and sizes. The way they
are built depends on the jobs they do. Most have a single arm that can lift
things. Most are built to handle tools.
Each robot has a computer inside it. The computer tells it what to do.
Skilled technicians enter directions into this computer. They are trained for this job.
The years ahead may be the era of robots. People are using them more and more. Already robots have explored active volcanoes and the ocean floor. Modern robots can maneuver in space. With their skillful movements, they can serve satellites that cannot be reached by humans. Some new uses will include harvesting crops and working in open pit mines. Robots can help us to live better and learn more about our world. 71．What mentioned in this passage is really .
A．a hard-working worker B．a day-dreamer
C．an advanced machine D．a manufacturer
72．Robots can do everything accurately and efficiently because
.
A．they have brains B．there are computers in them
C．they are technicians D．the manufacturer is helping them
73．Why do we regard the years ahead as the era of robots? Because .
A．no human beings will live on earth
B．robots will dominate the earth
C．robots will do more and more jobs which people aren’t supposed to do
D．humans needn’t do anything that robots can do
74．The underlined word “maneuver” means .
A．to keep still B．to walk carefully
C．to move skillfully D．to do everything perfectly 75．The best title for this passage is .
A．An Unbelievable Story B．What a Machine！
C．What a Worker！D．Robot-the Last Creature in the World
阅读表达
If you are worried about things and are under a lot of stress at work or school, then you are probably not sleeping well. Worry can keep you awake, tossing and turning in bed until the early hours of the morning when you eventually fall asleep. When you wake up, you don’t feel refreshed, but tired and worn out and unable to face a new day.
Dr. Henry Winkle, in a recent newspaper article entitled Stress and Sleep, indicates that . Dr. Winkle says, “The more we worry, the less we sleep, the more we are unable to deal with stress. If we can find a way to get a good night’s sleep,” he adds, “we can often find the energy to deal with what’s worrying us.”
So, what is a good night’s sleep? Research shows that the amount of sleep which people need in order to keep healthy varies a lot. Seven hours in about the average amount, though strangely enough, sleeping longer often gives you a headache instead of making you feel more refreshed.
Dr. Winkle believes that preparing for sleeping is important. People who work late should try to give themselves a short break and do something restful before going to bed. This could be watching TV or listening to music. Doing some exercise earlier in the day should help you to feel physically as well as mentally tired. A bedtime drink can also help, but coffee or tea should be avoided as they contain caffeine and will keep you awake. “When you put the light out,” Dr. Winkle says, “concen trate on relaxing your muscles, working slowly up from your feet, and you’ll be asleep before you know it.”
1. What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words)
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
People shouldn’t go to sleep immediately but should take a break after working late in the night.
3. Please fill in the blank in the second paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 10 words)
4. Someone says that the longer you sleep, the better you feel. Try to find some arguments from the passage against the idea. (Please answer within 30 words)
5. Translate the underlined sentence in the first paragraph into Chinese.
01
36. C 【解析】由“我藏在妈妈的身后”“她藏在她祖母的身后”可知，两个小孩不敢看对方。
37. C 【解析】由“But”可知她们的羞怯很快就没有了。
38. D 【解析】在7年级时，她经历了一些家庭问题。与家庭问题连用应是go through.
39. B 【解析】由后面的他们知道她有“问题”，所以应是没有人像“我”一样喜欢她。
40. A 【解析】“我”的新朋友们不喜欢她是因为她有“问题”。上下句存在因果关系，应用because.
41. D 【解析】由每个夏天可知，我们总是一起坐在双方的家里看肥皂剧，谈论我们爱谈的事情。
42. B 【解析】去年夏天，“我”开始注意到她的问题。
43. B 【解析】一个人在家里有问题时，最需要的就是有一个人能够陪着她。
44. D
45. A 【解析】因为她有病，所以我们只能在晚上通过电话保持联系。stay in touch 的意思是“保持联系”。
46. C 【解析】“我”要和她在一起，因为她的朋友基本上来说遗弃了她。这一点可从第一段第五句得到印证。
47. B 【解析】由上文“她被诊断为抑郁症”可推知，人们都说她疯了。
48. C 【解析】由上文“我要和她在一起”就表示“我”仍像姐姐一样关心着她。
49. D 【解析】去谁那里要用come to sb. 表示。
50. A 【解析】她过来说“直到你是唯一一个阻止我割伤自己的人，我才知道什么是最好的朋友。”until的意思是“到……”，与前面的never连用。
51. D 【解析】由第一段“her family problems”可知此处答案为problems.
52. C 【解析】由第三段中的“night calls”可以得出答案。
53. B 【解析】由上面这些话语，可知她觉得“我”对她太好了，因此她要表达的是“我欠你太多了”。
54. A 【解析】作为最好的朋友，就像关心姐妹一样关心着对方。因此她说“你甚至没有意识到你是在帮我”，更表明“我”所做的一切是发自内心的，并不是为了帮助而帮助。
55. A 【解析】整篇文章主要告诉我们：无论朋友处于怎样的处境，都不要放弃他们。
71. C 【解析】注意文章中多次提到的robot.
72. B 【解析】注意文章的第四段中有这样的描写“Each robot has a computer inside it. The computer tells it what to do.”
73. C 【解析】根据文章的第五段中的内容。
74. C 【解析】根据文章第五段：With their skillful movements,…。
75. C 【解析】学生最容易选错的是选项B。但注意整篇文章都是把robot当作worker来描述。
01 1. Sleep and Your Life / Stress and Sleep /Sleep is Important
2. People who work late should try to give themselves a short break and do something restful before going to bed.
3. stress / worry and (lack of ) sleep are directly related.
4. Seven hours is about the average amount, though strangely enough, sleeping longer often gives you a headache instead of making you feel more refreshed.
5. 当你醒来时，你不但没有感到精力充沛（旺盛），反而疲惫不堪，难以面对新的一天。
高一英语阅读限时训练
高一英语阅读限时训练(9.24) A A man wanted to give his mother a birthday present. He bought a parrot. The parrot was very expensive. It was $50.000. This was because the bird could talk in English, Japanese, Chinese and other nine languages. It could also sing ten famous songs. On her birthday, the mother got the bird. However, she did not know all this. Early the next morning, the telephone rang in her house, and the woman answered. It was her son. “Do you like the bird, Mother?”these came her son’s voice on the ot her side. “Oh, yes, very much!” answer the mother. “It was delicious!” 1. The man gave his mother _______ as her birthday present. A. a parrot B. some money C. a birthday cake D. some new clothes 2. A parrot is __________. A. a kind of car B. a bird which can do housework for you C. a bird that can speak D. a robot that can speak nine foreign languages. 3. Why was the bird so dear?______________ A. Because it was very friendly to people. B. Because it could speak twelve languages. C. Because it could sing ten famous songs. D. Both B and C 4. What was the end of the bird?____________ A. It flew away. B. It was dead. C. It talked with the old woman in different languages. D. Other people liked the bird very much and took it away. 5. How do you think the man felt when he heard the news?___________ A. He was angry. B. He was unhappy. C. He was very surprised. D. All of the above. B A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign (标牌) which said, “I am blind. Please help me.” There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put it back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. More and more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see the boy again. The boy recognize his footst eps and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said, “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way. I wrote, ‘Today is a beautiful day, but I can’t see it.’” Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind, but the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. 6. The blind boy held up the sign to ______. A. ask the way B. find the man C. ask for money D. find his family 7. What does the underlined word “it” refer to (指的是) __________？ A. the word B. the sign C. the coin D. the hat 8. The boy recognized the man from his _______. A. footsteps B. voice C. words D. coins
七年级英语限时训练
七年级英语限时训练 班级_____________ 姓名_____________ 得分____________ ( 满分100分) 一、单项选择：（每小题1分共10 分） ( )1. Tom has basketball. He likes playing basketball after supper every day. A. a \ \ B. a the \ C. the the the D. the \ a ( ) 2.One of the boys at playing badminton. He plays badminton very . A. are good good B. is good well C.does well much D. do well well ( )3. ---Can you it in English? ----No, I can’t.. But I can good Japanese. A.Speak say B. say say C. say speak D. speak speak ( ) 4.Let pick some apples for you. A. Allen and I B. I and Allen C. me and Allen D. Allen and me ( ) 5. His mother her school in the morning and her home in the afternoon.. A. takes \ takes to B. brings to brings \ C. brings to takes \ D. takes to brings \ ( ) 6. One of the girls can a model plane. A. practises to make . B. practices making C. practice making D. practice to making ( ) 7.Thank you for __________ the class trip. A. to organize B. organizing C. organizes D. organizeing ( ) 8.He often has breakfast his parents Monday morning. A.and in B. with on C. by on D. to at ( ) 9.There isn’t _______ milk in your cup. Would you like ________? A. some, some B. some, any C. any, some D. any, any ( ) 10. . ---_______ do you ________ the film? ---It is exciting and wonderful. A. What, like B. How, think C. What, think of D. How, think of 二、完形填空。（每小题2分共30 分） Tom is four years old now. his father works in a middle school and ____1___ P.E. there. His mother works in a shop and his grandma looks after him ___2____. The boy is clever and always ___3___ that he knows more than his little friends too. One morning Tom’s father ___4__ earlier. The school in which he works was going to hold a sports meeting that day. Of course he was going to be __5__ than any oth er teacher in his school. About two hours later Tom’s grandma __6__ sick. Her head hurt but she couldn’t go to see a _7___ by herself. She called her son, but ___8___ answered. So she asked the little boy to go to tell his father about it. As soon as Tom went out, he ___9___ his friend Henry. And he asked him to go there with him. The boys wanted to watch the sports meeting and they __10__ went there happily. When they got to the school, there were a lot of people on the ___11___ and the boys’ 400-metre relay race ___12___. They stopped to watch it. And Tom ___13__ what his grandma told him to do. They were attracted(吸引) by the race. Henry asked, “Why is the front boy running so fast?” Of course Tom didn’t know about it. He ___14___ for a minute and said, “What a
全国卷2019年高考英语复习题强化技能限时训练(十四)
强化技能限时训练(十四) 阅读理解(主旨大意类)+阅读填句 (限时35分钟) Ⅰ.阅读理解 ( A ) 【社会文化类】 I am a strong believer that if a child is raised with approval,he learns to love himself and will be successful in his own way. Several weeks ago,I was doing homework with my son in the third grade and he kept standing up from his chair to go over the math lines. I kept asking him to sit down,telling him that he would concentrate better.He sat but seconds later,as if he didn’t even notice he was doing it,he got up again. I was getting frustrated,but then it hit me. I started noticing his answers were much quicker and accurate when he stood up. Could he be more absorbed while standing up? This made me start questioning myself and what I had been raised to believe. I was raised to believe that a quiet,calm child was a sure way to success. This child would have the will power to study hard,get good grades and become someone important in life. Now those same people perhaps come to realize that their kids are born with their own sets of DNA and personality qualities,and all you can do is loving and accepting them. As parents,throughout their growing years and beyond that,we need to be our kids’ best cheerleaders,guiding them and helping them find their way. I have stopped asking my son to sit down and concentrate. Obviously,he is concentrating just in his own way and not mine. We need to learn to accept our kids’ ways of doing things. Some way may have worked for me but doesn’t mean we need to carry it through generations. There is nothing sweeter than being personal and unique.It makes us free and happy and that’s just the way I want my kids to live their own lives. 1.Time and again the author got his son seated in order to make him . A. work fast B. go polite C. stay relaxed D. keep attentive 2.The underlined “it” (in the first paragraph) probably refers to . A. his son’s doing better while standing up B. his failure in keeping his son under control C. his own experience as a school boy D. his disappointment with his active child 3.By this passage,the author attempts to tell other parents to . A. correct their kids’ manners from the early ages B. respect and trust their kids’ ways of behaviors C. develop a good relationship with their children D. guarantee their children’s freedom at home 4.Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?( ) A. Parental help with teens’ study B. Adult influence on teen growth C. Kids’ success in their own styles D. Friendship between generations
高一英语限时训练1
高一英语限时训练一（2014年2月19日） 班级：姓名： Passage 1 Many people think that Americans 1 their cars almost more than anything else. When 2__ people are fourteen years old, they want to have their __3_ cars. They don’t ask for a car from their 4__. So many of them work in _5_ time during their last year of high school to buy a car. Learning to 6 _ and getting a driver’s license may be one of the most exciting things in a young person’s life. Some people almost 7 _ go to a doctor when they are ill. But they will __8_ their cars to a garage as soon as they think there is a 9 . On Saturdays or Sundays some people may 10 most of their time washing and repairing their cars. 1. A. prefer B. love C. drive D. play 2. A. little B. big C. old D. young 3. A. new B. own C. expensive D. cheap 4. A, friends B. teachers C. parents D. brothers 5. A. free B. busy C. study D. good 6. A. make B. mend C. wash D. drive 7. A. always B. never C. often D. usually 8. A. take B. carry C. pull D. lift 9. A. question B. wrong C. mistake D. problem 10. A. cost B. get C. spend D. use Passage 2 Someone says, “Time is money.” But I think time is __1__ important than money. Why? Because when money is spent, we can get it back. However, when time is 2 it’ll never 3 . That’s 4 we mustn’t waste time. It goes without saying that the 5 is usually limited. Even a second is very important. We should make full use of our time to do 6__ useful. But it is a pity that there are a lot of people who do not know the importance of time. They spent their limited time smoking, drinking and __7 . They do not know that wasting time means wasting part of their own __8 . In a word, we should save time. We shouldn’t 9 today’s work for tomorrow. Remember we have no time to 10 . 1. A. much B. less C. much less D. even more 2. A. cost B. bought C. gone D. finished 3. A. return B. carry C. take D. bring 4. A. what B. that C. because D. why
高一英语限时阅读训练配详解
高一阅读限时测验 姓名：______ （A） While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke caused by air pollution. But things could start to get better soon. The government is co-operating with a US-based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel vehicles （柴油机） by 40 per cent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the technology can be applied to them. “ Weencourage the development of public transportation. But at the same time we need to reduce pollution from them, ” said an official. Efforts are being made to improve the capital ' s environment with tighter controls 排放m）issions （ Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November and December or be closed. Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998 the air quality index （指数） gave just 100 days as good. “I am glad to see an improvement, ” said a Senior 1 boy living in the northwest of Beijing. to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though. I hate the pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic accident because I couldn ' tasyeferoamcar only metr me in frog. ” In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by the visiting French air force was called off. Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes （烟） and sandstorms from the desert all contribute to the city ' s bad air. 1. The passage is mainly about ______ ? A. a programme to improve Beijing ' s air quality B. progress made in Beijing ' s air quality C. Beijing ' s air pollution D. the difference between Hainan and Beijing 2. Which of the following is not the measure taken or to be taken to improve Beijing ' A. Clean fuel technology will be used in public transportation. B. Some factories have been asked to cut production. C. Some construction sites have been told to be closed. D. A display show of airplanes has been called off. 3. We can infer from the passage that, with the aim of being an ecological （生态的） city by the 2008 Olympics, _______ . A. far more still needs to be done B. nothing else needs to be done C. all traffic has to be closed D. the development of the city has to be slowed down 4. Which is not correct according to the passage? A. Beijing ' s air quality is getting worse and worse. B. Development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms are all the causes of bad air quality. C. Clouds of smoke in the sky is the common feature in the winter of Beijing. D. The government is making every effort to stop air pollution. （B）
高一英语课堂限时强化训练试题及答案
2014—2015学年高一（4）部小张化限时训练 英语第（20）期2015.06.04 姓名_____________班级_____________考号_____________总分_____________ （试卷满分60分，其中完型30分，阅读20分，改错10分） 第一节:完型填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分) I remember one Thanksgiving Day when our family had no money and no food. We were worrying about how to spend the festival when there came a __1____ at the door. I came out of the house and 2 a man was standing there with a huge box of food, a giant turkey 3 even some pans to cook it in. I couldn’t 4 it. My dad asked him, “ Who are you? Where are you from?” The 5 answered, “I’m here because a friend of yours knows you’re in need and that you wouldn’t accept __6_ help, so I’ve brought this for_7___. Have a great Thanksgiving Day.” My father said, “No , no, we can’t_8__ this.”The stranger replied “You don’t have a__9_ ,” closed the door and left. We couldn’t know the man’s name and address, but we really had a__10_ Thanksgiving Day that year after all. __11_ that experience had a great effect on my life. I _12__ myself that someday I would do well enough if I have enough money so that I could do the _13__ thing for other people. By the time I was eighteen I had realized my _14___. I got a good job and earned a lot of money. So that Thanksgiving Day I went shopping and _15__ enough food for two families. Then I _16__ like a delivery boy, went to the poorest neighborhood and just _17___ on the door. I always included a __18_ that explained my Thanksgiving Day __19__ as a kid. The note read, “all that I ask in return is that you take good care of_20__ so that someday you can do the same thing for someone else.” Every year, I do the same thing and I have received more from it than I have from any amount of money I’ve ever earned. 1. A.cry B. shout C. knock D. scream 2. A. met B. found C. told D. knew 3. A. and B. or C. but D. yet 4. A. take B. buy C. guess D. believe 5. A. seller B. stranger C. salesman D. businessman 6. A. direct B. different C. deep D. clear 7. A. him B. her C. you D. them 8. A. do B. imagine C. receive D. accept 9. A. choice B. friend C. neighbor D. relative 10. A. terrible B. wonderful C. hard D. horrible
2020高考英语二轮复习40分阅读限时练(五)Word版含解析
40分阅读限时练(五) 阅读理解(共两节，满分40分) 第一节(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分) 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。 A [2019·湖北八校联考] Crazy-Creative Traditions in Schools Here are a few schools' crazy-creative traditions that will probably have you wish to go there so you could celebrate in all the graduation fun. Learn about them all in the below. Attire (服装) and Flowers at College of Charleston You fashionista will love this one. During the December ceremony, women wear black dresses and men wear black tuxedos (无尾礼服). During the May ceremony, women wear white dresses and men wear summer tuxedos. It's also been a tradition since the 1930s to carry flowers onto the stage: women carry bouquets of six red roses in a red bow and men wear a single red rose boutonniere (胸花). So classy! Hoop Rolling at Wellesley College This all-women's college tradition was originally held on May Day, but it's now held in April. The purpose was to allow students to essentially leave all their worries behind and just participate in some fun games outdoors. Back in the day, it was said that the winner of the hoop rolling race was the first to be married, and in the 1980s she would be the first to be a CEO. Nowadays, the winner would be the first to achieve her own happiness... that is, after being thrown into Lake Waban by all her classmates. Fabric and Green Grad Recycling Program at the University of New Hampshire You'll absolutely love this tradition. UNH's vendor provides wrinkle-resistant caps and gowns made of recycled plastic bottles. Graduates then have the opportunity to donate their gowns to be cleaned and reused. Graduates are still able to keep their caps and tassels as keepsakes, all while helping to save the environment. 体裁：应用文题材：学校生活主题：大学的疯狂创意传统 【语篇解读】本文主要介绍了三所国外的学校的一些有趣的、新奇的、富有创意的传统。
2020年中考英语限时训练及答案
2020年中考英语专题复习试卷 (名师精选中考真题+参考答案，值得下载练习) 姓名：班级：限时：分钟 一、补全对话 A: Welcome to the English Club. My name is Jack. Today we are going to talk about the best ways to learn English. 1 B: No, it's too hard to understand spoken English in them. A: 2 Do you learn English that way? B: Yes, I do. It helps to write English every day. A: Have you ever studied with a group? B: Yes. I have learnt a lot that way. A: 3 B: Yes, it is. It really improves my listening and speaking skills. A: What about reading aloud to practise pronunciations? B: I do that sometimes because I often need to look up new words in a dictionary. A: 4 B: I often watch English cartoon films. A: 5 I will be very glad to help you. B: Thanks a lot. It's very kind of you.
高中英语语言运用限时训练(二)
高中英语语言运用限时训练 完形，语法填空，话题写作 I. 完形填空（1.5X20 =30分） Another person’s enthusiasm was what set me moving toward the success I have achieved. That person was my stepmother(继母). I was nine years old when she entered our home in rural Virginia. My father 1 me to her with these words: “I would like you to meet the fellow who is 2 for being the worst boy in this area and will probably start throwing stones at you no 3 than tomorrow morning.” My stepmother walked over to me, 4 my head slightly upward, and looked me right in the eye. Then she looked at my father and replied, “You are 5 . This is not the worst boy at all, 6 the smartest one who hasn’t yet found an outlet（释放的途径）for his enthusiasm.” Her words began a(n) 7 between us. No one had ever called me smart. My family and neighbors had built me up in my 8 as a bad boy. My stepmother changed all that. She changed many things. She 9 my father to go to a dental school, from which he graduated with honors. She moved our family into a town, where my father’s career could be more 10 and my brother and I could be better 11 . When I turned fourteen, she bought me a secondhand 12 and told me that she believed that I could become a writer. I knew her enthusiasm, I 13 it, and I saw how it had already improved our lives. I accepted her 14 and began to write for local newspapers. I was doing the same kind of 15 that great day I went to interview Andrew Carnegie and received the task which became my life’s work later. I wasn’t the 16 beneficiary (受益者). My father became the 17 man in the town. My brothers and stepbrothers became a physician, a dentist, a lawyer, and a college president. What power 18 has! When that power is used to realize one’s dream and is