Question

Failing Successfully

Two years ago I took part in a speech competition and delivered a memorized speech. It was a hard time for me when the judge_______ the winners. At last, the moment of truth came. I got the worst.

After not being placed in the competition, I really wanted to_______ again. I realized that finding the right topic was the most important part of the whole_______. It needs to be motivational and inspirational to the _______. So I reworked my speech for the following year, _______ a different topic and spending many hours before the computer and in libraries doing research. Then I worked _______ the speech, line by line, word by word, making it _______ better.

The next year I participated in the competition again. I gave my _______ in two parts, one was about my own experience and the other was about the feelings that people usually have when giving a speech—how _______ it is, standing on a stage all alone, with everyone sitting and watching them. My speech ________ on well and I was hoping to do that a little bit better. ________, my wish didn't come true. The competition was so fierce and again I wasn't ________.

I was deeply disappointed, since I couldn't accept the fact that I had ________ twice in something that I had worked so hard on. However, I knew that losing is ________ and part of life. One of the judges said to me that my speech was quite good, ________ it needed to be better if I wanted to go any further. He advised me to struggle to ________ something like some of the empty gestures. He said that I would surely succeed someday.

While I didn't earn ________ as a result of the competition, I did gain a new viewpoint. I discovered that I could fail successfully. I think I'll ________ to work hard and enter the next competition. Now, whenever I'm faced with a defeat, I ________ myself of what a famous person said, "The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself that it's a slip and not a ________. "

1.A. predicted    B. announced    C. observed    D. interviewed

2.A. compete    B. suffer    C. win    D. check

3.A. process    B. condition    C. system    D. range

4.A. director    B. companion    C. audience    D. author

5.A. reviewing    B. supposing    C. comparing    D. picking

6.A. during    B. through    C. behind    D. against

7.A. increase    B. occur    C. expose    D. flow

8.A. choice    B. instruction    C. speech    D. reason

9.A. frightening    B. surprising    C. annoying    D. confusing

10.A. rolled    B. dropped    C. slowed    D. went

11.A. Angrily    B. Strangely    C. Sadly    D. Eagerly

12.A. settled    B. placed    C. treated    D. affected

13.A. failed    B. escaped    C. struggled    D. decreased

14.A. flexible    B. normal    C. appropriate    D. typical

15.A. or    B. so    C. for    D. but

16.A. overcome    B. declare    C. assume    D. acquire

17.A. profits    B. comments    C. awards    D. rewards

18.A. agree    B. continue    C. regret    D. apply

19.A. allow    B. inform    C. remind    D. accuse

20.A. kick    B. push    C. walk    D. fall

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.A

4.C

5.D

6.B

7.D

8.C

9.A

10.D

11.C

12.B

13.A

14.B

15.D

16.A

17.C

18.B

19.C

20.D

【解析】

本文是一篇记叙文。作者两次参加演讲比赛，虽然精心准备仍然没有拿到奖项，但是作者感到虽败犹荣，他时刻提醒自己，失败只是自己滑了一跤，而不是跌倒。

1.考查动词。A. predicted预测；B. announced宣布；C. observed观察；D. interviewed采访。根据首句得知，作者参加了演讲比赛，当裁判宣布获胜者时，作者非常难过。故选B。

2.考查动词。A. compete竞争；B. suffer遭受；C. win赢得；D. check核查。作者排名不佳，他还想再比赛一次。故选A。

3.考查名词。A. process过程；B. condition条件；C. system体系；D. range范围。根据So I reworked my speech for the following year,___5___ a different topic and spending many hours before the computer and in libraries doing research.得知我意识到在整个准备过程中最重要的是找到合适的演讲主题。故选A。

4.考查名词。A. director导演；B. companion陪伴；C. audience观众；D. author作者。演讲的主题要对观众有激励的作用。故选C。

5.考查动词。A. reviewing复习；B. supposing假定；C. comparing比较；D. picking摘下，挑选。挑选不同的主题，并且在图书馆、电脑上查找信息。故选D。

6.考查介词。A. during期间；B. through通过；C. behind后面；D. against反对。接着我开始完成整个演讲，work through强调完成。故选B。

7.考查动词。A. increase增加；B. occur发生；C. expose暴露；D. flow流动，流畅。为了让演讲更加流畅，我逐词逐句的修改演讲。故选D。

8.考查名词。A. choice选择；B. instruction指导；C. speech演讲；D. reason理由。根据the other was about the feelings that people usually have when giving a speech得知，作者把演讲分为两部分。故选C。

9.考查形容词。A. frightening吓人的；B. surprising惊讶的；C. annoying烦人的；D. confusing令人困惑的。根据standing on a stage all alone, with everyone sitting and watching them.得知,站在很多人面前独自演讲是很吓人的感觉。故选A。

10.考查动词。A. rolled滚动；B. dropped掉下；C. slowed放慢；D. went去。我的演讲进展的很顺利，短语go on well进展的顺利，故选D。

11.考查副词。A. Angrily生气；B. Strangely奇怪；C. Sadly悲伤；D. Eagerly渴望。根据my wish didn't come true.得知，我又一次演讲失利，这让我感觉很伤心。故选C。

12.考查动词。A. settled定居；B. placed摆放，入选；C. treated对待；D. affected影响。根据After not being placed in the competition得知，作者再一次尝试演讲比赛时，还是没有入选。故选 B。

13.考查动词。A. failed失败；B. escaped逃避；C. struggled挣扎；D. decreased减少。作者努力准备了两次演讲比赛，都失利，这让作者非常失望，故选A。

14.考查形容词。A. flexible灵活的；B. normal正常的；C. appropriate合适的；D. typical典型的。根据However, I knew that losing is ___14___ and part of life.得知，作者明白失败是正常的，这是人生的一部分。故选B。

15.考查连词。A. or否则；B. so因此；C. for为了；D. but但是。One of the judges said to me that my speech was quite good, ___15___ it needed to be better if I wanted to go any further.得知，有一位评委说我的演讲不错，但是还需要提升。表示转折关系，故选D。

16.考查动词。A. overcome克服；B. declare宣布；C. assume假定；D. acquire要求。根据He advised me to struggle to ___16___ something like some of the empty gestures.得知，这位评委建议作者克服一些演讲中不良的习惯。故选A。

17.考查名词。A. profits利润；B. comments评论；C. awards奖项；D. rewards报酬。根据上文得知，作者两次演讲比赛都没有赢得奖项。故选C。

18.考查动词。A. agree同意；B. continue继续；C. regret后悔；D. apply申请。根据I did gain a new viewpoint. I discovered that I could fail successfully得知，作者经过两次演讲比赛感悟到虽败犹荣，他会继续努力。故选B。

19.考查动词。A. allow允许；B. inform通知；C. remind提醒；D. accuse指责。每次自己遇到失败，都会想到一个名人的话。故选C。

20.考查动词。A. kick踢动；B. push推着；C. walk走路；D. fall掉下。My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself that it's a slip and not a ___20___. "得知，作者感慨失败对于自己只是滑了一下，而不是跌倒。故选D。