Question

I lived in a poor family with my wonderful mother. She often told me that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream.

My dream was athletics. When I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and_______anything that moved on the field.I was also________: my high school coach was John, who believed in me and taught me how to believe in myself. He taught me the difference ________having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One unusual________with Coach John changed my life forever.

A friend helped me to find a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket for a new bike, new clothes and the________of saving for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to_______up summer baseball and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn't be playing.

When I told John, he was_______as I expected him to be. "You have your whole life to work," he said. "You don't have too many playing days in your life. You can't afford to waste them." I stood before him with my head________, trying to think of the________that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment in me.

"How much are you going to make at this job, son?" he asked. "3.5 dollars an hour," I replied.

"Well," he asked, "Is $ 3.5 an hour the price of a dream?"

That simple question made me understand the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I decided myself to play sports that summer and within the year I was taken on by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was_______ a $ 20 000 agreement. Two years later, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

1.A. kick    B. hit    C. pass    D. play

2.A. right    B. shy    C. lucky    D. comfortable

3.A. between    B. to    C. about    D. in

4.A. accident    B. interview    C. problem    D. experience

5.A. idea    B. start    C. view    D. purpose

6.A. put    B. take    C. pick    D. give

7.A. sad    B. happy    C. frightened    D. helpful

8.A. up    B. off    C. on    D. down

9.A. answers    B. excuses    C. words    D. ways

10.A. got    B. paid    C. offered    D. presented

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.D

5.B

6.D

7.A

8.D

9.C

10.C

【解析】短文大意：作者自幼家境清贫，妈妈告诉他不管一个人多么贫穷，仍旧能够拥有自己的梦想。 作者的梦想是体育运动。16岁的时候开始打棒球，幸运地结识了启蒙教练约翰，教练对作者充满信心，并教会他如何对自己充满自信。与教练一个不寻常的经历永远地改变了作者的生活。让他继续从事自己的棒球运动，得到了一份不菲的合同，终于圆了为妈妈买一套房子的梦想。

1.B

句意：我可以掷出时速达九公里的球，并且能击中任何在足球场上移动的物体。A. kick踢；B. hit 打击，击中；C. pass通过；D. play玩。这里hit是 “击中”的意思。结合句意可知，答案为B。

2.C

句意：我也很幸运，我高中的教练是约翰，相信我并教我如何相信自己。A. right 正确的；B. shy害羞的；C. lucky幸运的；D. comfortable舒服的。从后面的句子可以看出，作者为拥有好的教练而感到幸运，故答案为C。

3.A

句意：他教会了我拥有梦想和忠于梦想的区别。A. between在……之间；B. to 到，向；C. about 关于；D. in在……里。between…and…在两者之间。结合句意可知，答案为A。

4.D

句意：与教练约翰一个不寻常的经历永远地改变了我的生活。A. accident 事故； B. interview采访；C. problem 问题；D. experience经验，经历。从下文内容可知，是指与教练的一段经历，故答案为D。

5.B

句意：这意味着我的口袋里有钱可以买一辆新自行车，买新衣服，还可以开始攒钱为我母亲买一套房子。A. idea主意，想法； B. start开始； C. view看法；D. purpose目标。结合句意可知，答案为B。

6.D

句意：然后我意识到我必须放弃夏季棒球。 put up举起；take up从事； pick up捡起；give up放弃。根据后面的句子“and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn't be playing.”判断，不能在打棒球意味着放弃棒球，故答案为D。

7.A

句意：当我告诉约翰时，他和我预料的一样伤心。A. sad悲伤的；B. happy高兴的；C. frightened 害怕的；D. helpful有益的。根据后面的句子“and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment in me.” 我甘愿去面对他对我的失望。判断教练对于我的决定很伤心，故答案为A。

8.D

句意：我低着头站在他面前。结合上下语境可知，教练对于作者的决定很不满意，认为打棒球的日子是非常有限的，浪费不起。作者绞尽脑汁地思考该如何才能向他解释清楚，故答案为D。

9.C

句意：绞尽脑汁地思考着如何才能向他解释清楚，我要给妈妈买一套房子，为了实现这个梦想，我甘愿去面对他对我的失望。A. answers 回答；B. excuses 借口；C. words 话语；D. ways方法。结合句意可知，作者对于自己的决定该想出什么样的语言向教练解释，故答案为C。

10.C

句意：并且签订了20000美元的合约。A. got 得到；B. paid支付；C. offered提供； D. presented出示，展现。结合句意可知，球队为队员提供20000美元的合约，此句是被动语态的形式，故答案为C。