.
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The first day of college I met a little old lady. I was __36__. “Why are you here at such a young age?” I asked.
“To meet a rich husband, __37__, have children, and then retire and travel!” she replied __38__.
I laughed, but we became close friends. For the whole __39__ we would leave class together and __40__ nonstop. I was always listening as she __41__ her wisdom and experience.
At the end of the term Rose was invited to make a __42__. I’ll never forget her words. “We do not stop playing because we are old; we grow old __43__ because we stop playing. The only __44__ of staying young is being happy and achieving success. You have to find humor and __45__. You’ve got to have a(n) __46__. When you lose dreams, you die. We have so many people walking around who are __47__ and don’t even know it! Growing older doesn’t __48__ growing up. Anybody can grow older doing __49__. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. My idea is that one grows up by always finding __50__ in life. Have no regrets. The elderly don’t have regrets for what we did, __51__ for things we didn’t do. The only people who fear death are those with __52__.”
The college year ended. Rose got her __53__ but passed away one week after graduation. Many students attended the funeral (葬礼) of the __54__ woman who taught by __55__: never too late to be all you can possibly be.
36. A. happy B. sorry C. active D. curious
37. A. make money B. get married C. earn a degree D. find work
38. A. briefly B. happily C. jokingly D. seriously
39. A. term B. month C. week D. day
40. A. talk B. work C. race D. smile
41. A. shared B. enjoyed C. admired D. imagined
42. A. decision B. speech C. wish D. bet
43. A. slightly B. possibly C. hardly D. simply
44. A. skill B. secret C. plan D. style
45. A. stop B. rest C. wonder D. laugh
46. A. try B. chance C. dream D. education
47. A. weak B. dead C. old D. ill
48. A. include B. need C. mean D. escape
49. A. nothing B. anything C. something D. everything
50. A. solutions B. faults C. secrets D. opportunities
51. A. but rather B. in turn C. and yet D. if not
52. A. talents B. abilities C. regrets D. dreams
53. A. respect B. degree C. fame D. disease
54. A. attractive B. funny C. easy-going D. impressive
55. A. direction B. promise C. example D. theory