3. 【2011·江蘇南通市第二次模擬】 完形填空

My husband Jeff and I moved into our new home in Scottsbluff last year just before Christmas. I did not have the ? 36 ? or energy to carry out my traditional Christmas decorating and baking activities. What was the point, anyway? It was going to be a ? 37 ? Christmas after all. ???38 ?, the neighborly nature of west Nebraska residents started to trickle (陸續(xù)來臨) in.?

There was a ? 39 ? on the door one evening. It was Jeff’s new colleague, John Smith, and his wife, Phyllis. The Smiths had stopped by to ? 40 ? us to town with a loaf of homemade bread. They pointed out a ? 41 ? on the porch (門廊). Apparently the doorbell wasn’t working in the cold snowy weather and we had ? 42 ? a visit from the Browns, our across-the-street neighbors, who brought us a Christmas card and more Christmas cookies.?

The ? 43 ? feelings brought by these thoughtful gestures lasted longer than the food.

As Jeff and I were clearing pre-Christmas ? 44 ? from our driveway, Ernie Guzman came over from next door to ? 45 ? us to dig out.?

Then, we received an invitation to ? 46 ? a Christmas Eve meal with our neighbors, Ernie and Nancy Sommer, and their ? 47 ?—a 90-year-old lady, who also had no family in the immediate area with whom to spend the holiday.?

Our Christmas Eve was quite merry, thanks to our ? 48 ?. Our Christmas morning ? 49 ? was special, thanks to the Smiths’ gift of bread. I was so ? 50 ? for these gestures of welcome, especially during the holidays.

This year, we were again unable to be with our families for Christmas. The ? 51 ? and work schedules just made things too difficult. ? 52 ? that sense of Christmas isolation (孤立) all too well, we decided to try to round up some other folks who were ? 53 ? in the holidays.?

Lonely people are all around us, but most of us ? 54 ? notice them. Just take a look around you. Sometimes, the smallest ? 55 ? gesture can make a world of difference.

36. A. chance ? ?B. time ? ? ?C. anxiety ? ? D. ability

37. A. merry ? ?B. free ? ?C. lonely ? ? D. usual

38. A. Therefore ? B. Meanwhile ? C. Somehow ? ?D. However

39. A. card ? ? B. sign ? ?C. knock ? ?D. note

40. A. welcome ? B. invite ? ?C. drive ? ?D. send

41. A. tree ? ? B. package ? ? C. mail ? ? ? D. flower ?

42. A. forgot ? ?B. arranged ? C. received ? ?D. missed

43. A. deep ? ? ?B. true ? ? ?C. warm ? ? D. mixed ?

44. A. snow ? ? ?B. rubbish ? ? ?C. dust ? ? ? D. leaves

45. A. teach ? ? ?B. help ? ? ?C. urge ? ? ?D. forbid?

46. A. share ? ? ?B. prepare ? ?C. taste ? ? ?D. exchange

47. A. aunt ? ? ? B. guest ? ? ?C. maid ? ?D. partner

48. A. folks ? ? ? B. relatives ? ? C. colleagues ? ? ?D. neighbors

49. A. call ? ? B. greeting ? ? C. breakfast ? ? D. meeting

50. A. sorry ? ? ?B. eager ? ? ?C. ready ? ? D. grateful ?

51. A. distance ? ? B. expense ? ? C. season ? ? ?D. situation ??

52. A. Studying ? ?B. Showing ? ? C. Knowing ? ? D. Discovering

53. A. alone ? ? ?B. busy ? ? ? ? C. happy ? ? D. active

54. A. always ? ? ?B. seldom ? ?C. finally ? ? ? ? D. usually?

55. A. careful ? ? ?B. patient ? ? ?C. vague ? ? ?D. kind

36—40 BCDCA 41—45 BDCAB 46—50 ABDCD 51—55 ACABD