Question

The Price of a Dream

I grew up poor, living with my wonderful mother. We had little money but plenty of love and attention.  I was   36   and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still   37   a dream.

My dream was to be a sportsman.   38   I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field.  I was also   39  . My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me  40  to believe in myself. He   41  me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular   42   with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.

It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the   43   of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to   44   summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. 

When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as   45   as I expected him to be.  “You have your whole life to work,” he said.  “Your playing days are limited. You can’t   46   to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the   47   that would explain   48   him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his   49   in me.

“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.

“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the   50   of a dream?”

That simple question made it   51   to me the difference between   52   something right now and following a dream. I   53   myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was   54   by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was   55   a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!

1.A. happy              B. polite      C. shy          D. honest

2.A. lose               B. have        C. make         D. need

3.A. By the time        B. The time    C. At one time  D. At a time

4.A. right              B. popular     C. lucky        D. confident

5.A. how                B. why         C. when         D. whether

6.A. gave               B. taught      C. brought      D. asked

7.A. accident           B. matter      C. problem      D. experience

8.A. aim                B. idea        C. start        D. purpose

9.A. keep up            B. put up      C. give up      D. pick up

10.A. mad               B. happy       C. frightened   D. shameful

11.A. adopt             B. afford      C. affect       D. effect

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

13.A. for               B. to          C. on           D. in

14.A. sadness           B. regret      C. hopelessness D. disappointment

15.A. source            B. prize       C. price        D. allowance

16.A. direct            B. clear       C. clean        D. straight

17.A. wanting           B. changing    C. dreaming     D. choosing

18.A. provided          B. devoted     C. headed       D. imagined

19.A. worked            B. mentioned   C. fired        D. hired

20.A. paid              B. got         C. offered      D. signed

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.A

4.C

5.A

6.B

7.D

8.C

9.C

10.A

11.B

12.C

13.B

14.D

15.C

16.B

17.A

18.B

19.D

20.C

【解析】文章讲述一位棒球运动员的故事，告诉我们追求梦想和面对现实之间的区别。

1.A 形容词辨析。根据上文love and attention和energetic说明虽然我穷，但是很开心。

2.B 动词辨析。指无论人多穷，仍然可以有梦想。

3.A 词义辨析。A到…时；B那时；CD不能引导句子，根据后句的时态可知A正确。

4.C 形容词辨析。根据下文可知做有这样的一个教练我真是很幸运。

5.A 词义辨析。指他不仅相信我，还教会我相信自己。

6.B 动词辨析。他教会我拥有梦想和实现梦想的区别。

7.D 名词辨析。A事故；B麻烦事；C问题；D经历；指与这位教练的一次特殊的经历。

8.C 名词辨析。A目的；B观点；C开始；D目的。指为妈妈买房子开始存钱。

9.C 词义辨析。A保持；B张贴；搭建；C放弃；D捡起；指我不得不放弃夏季训练。

10.A 形容词辨析。指当教练听说我要放弃夏季训练时几乎都疯掉，和我预料的一样。

11.B 动词辨析。指我承担不起浪费这样的时间。

12.C 名词辨析。A回答；B借口；C话；D方法；指我要想一些话来向他解释。

13.B 固定搭配。Explain to sb向某人解释。【解析】同上。

14.D 名词辨析。A悲伤；B遗憾；C绝望；D失望；指教练对我的失望。

15.C 名词辨析。A来源；B奖品；C价格；D津贴；教练问：3.25一小时就是梦想的价格吗？

16.B 形容词辨析。A直接的；B清楚的；C干净的；D直的；mike it clear表达清楚…

17.A 动词辨析。指现在想要得到的东西和追求梦想的区别。

18.B 固定词组。Devote oneself to致力于…努力做…；

19.D 动词辨析。A工作；B提及；C解雇；D雇佣。这里指我被Pittsburgh Pirates选中，为这支球队打球。

20.C 动词辨析。A付；B得到；C提供；D签名；指Pittsburgh Pirates提供给我2万美元的合同。