I was a publishing director and was looking forward to embracing a new day of work, as always，that morning．
I would always turn to the crossword, but that day it didn't 31 I'd been doing it for 30 odd years, but trying to read this one was like treading through syrup（糖浆）: 32 slow and hard． I thought I must be tired． I said to my assistant． The 33 colleague contacted my wife, Beth, and she drove me straight to hospital． There, confirmation came that I'd had a stroke in the part of my brain that 34 communication． I was now in a condition that means it's difficult or 35 to receive and produce language． It was the only time I 36 ．
I was back at home a week later, and my goal was to get better and 37 Work in a couple of months． The way to 38 my language ability was rough． I'd look at simple pictures and try to describe them as my mind 39 round and round in the darkness, looking for words．
As the months passed it became 40 that I wasn't going to be able to go back to my old job． For 25 years, I had 41 myself as a publisher． I was used to a busy day of meetings． I enjoyed colleagues and the 42 I'd had． I didn’t feel ready to say goodbye to my old self． There were times when I felt incredibly 43 ．
In the darkest months, I devoted myself to 44 ． I couldn't manage novels or newspapers, 45 I tried reading poetry, and found the shorter lines less overwhelming． My speech came back, and I learned how to read again, though much more slowly． I also learned the 46 to keep up． I allowed myself to slow down, and started to enjoy it．
47 , I rid of my old skin． I grieved the past, its passing and its absence, and started to 48 it． Now, 10 years later, I look after my grandson a day a week, and my relationship with my family is deeper than ever． If you'd asked me 15 years ago to 49 the importance of the things in my life I might have said work, but now I'm no longer a high-achieving publisher． I'm a 50 man．
| 小题1: | | A．wear off | B．make any sense | C．count up | D．pay off |
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| 小题2: | | A．temporarily | B．scarcely | C．incredibly | D．savagely |
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| 小题3: | | A．curious | B．reserved | C．rigid | D．concerned |
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| 小题4: | | A．calls for | B．deals with | C．suffers from | D．responds to |
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| 小题5: | | A．practical | B．absurd | C．impossible | D．innocent |
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| 小题6: | | A．prayed | B．cried | C．failed | D．withdrew |
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| 小题7: | | A．contribute to | B．agree to | C．return to | D．appeal to |
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| 小题8: | | A．obtaining | B．rebuilding | C．revealing | D．improving |
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| 小题9: | | A．slipped | B．doubted | C．wandered | D．reckoned |
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| 小题10: | | A．messy | B．flexible | C．straightforward | D．self-evident |
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| 小题11: | | A．informed | B．estimated | C．reflected | D．defined |
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| 小题12: | | A．extinction | B．reward | C．agenda | D．status |
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| 小题13: | | A．angry | B．acute | C．prejudiced | D．merciless |
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| 小题14: | | A．speaking | B．trying | C．writing | D．managing |
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| 小题16: | | A．favor | B．patience | C．coincidence | D．comfort |
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| 小题17: | | A．Gradually | B．Hopefully | C．Narrowly | D．Annually |
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| 小题18: | | A．keep up with | B．come to terms with | C．get around to | D．live up to |
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| 小题19: | | A．arrange | B．compare | C．rank | D．declare |
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| 小题20: | | A．genius | B．community | C．dignity | D．family |
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