阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

   I like traveling from a young age. I had been waiting for the moment when I would get the chance to ____  (1)    (2)  ____ abroad, I spent a semester(学期) in Seville, Spain living with a host family and ____  (3)  ____ myself completely in the culture. I still ____  (4)  ____ my time abroad and my program provider API, Academic Programs International. ____  (5)  ____ my time abroad was challenging, it was the best experience I have ever had. Not only did I ____  (6)  ____ and develop, but also I feel more directed to where I want my life to go.

   Now I often ____(6)____ to my host mother in Seville and tell her about my life. She is such a beautiful woman, who ____(7)____ me to her home and treated me as if I had lived with her all my life. When I ____(8)____ my journey of studying abroad I had no expectations of what Spain would be. ____(9)____, the places I saw, the people I met and the things I did are incomparable and ____  (7)  ____ to put into words. When I ____(11)____ home, I was completely different from what I was at the beginning of semester.

   Looking back at the times I stepped out of my comfortable home, I feel ____(12)____. I challenged myself academically and mentally and have no ____  (8)  ____ of my time spent abroad. I expect to return to Spain and feel that ____  (9)  ____ of waiting in the airport, ordering food in a ____(15)____ language and grasping every moment that comes to me. The education I received outside the classroom will ____(16)____ with me my entire life. There is nothing more exciting than finding yourself ____(17)____ in a foreign city, with a map, a camera and a lot of courage.

   The best ____(18)____ of my life so far has been my time in Seville, Spain. I thank API for giving me the chance to ____(19)____ who I am, to see the world through a whole ____(20)____ set of eyes and for inspiring me to follow my dreams.

Pete Roy opened the gate and was turning round when something hit him in the stomach. Pete walked with difficulty a few meters but couldn't make it ____(1)____. The pain was so terrible that he fell to the ____(2)____, fighting to breathe. There was no phone ____(3)____ and Pete, a farm worker, in far north New Zealand, ____(4)____ he was in trouble. What's even worse, he was ____(5)____ except for his dog, Max.

   The ____  (1)  ____ was sharp and there was no way of ____(7)____ help. Then he turned to Max. "Go away back, boy." Max knew something was ____  (2)  ____ wrong and ____(9)____ off up the road, but a few minutes later Max came back, ____(10)____ to leave. Pete sent him back, and after some time he again ____(11)____, alone. "Go away back, go get Angela."

   Angela Rose-Collins, his former partner, ____(12)____ about 500 meters down the road. Max was a regular ____(13)____ to her house and she thought nothing of it when he ran into her ____(14)____. She just sent him away. The third time, Max left with her little pet dog, Roxy.

   Pete saw Max return to the place ____(15)____ he lay, holding Roxy down with a paw (爪子) and refusing to let the smaller dog go until its ____(16)____ arrived.

   By now nearly an hour had passed. Anxiously (焦急的) watching Pete, Max never moved from his position for Angela to come, looking ____(17)____.

   Sure enough, finally Angela arrived, ____(18)____ Roxy. She immediately called the ambulance (救护车) and before long Pete was ____(19)____ to the hospital. The ambulance officers said he probably would not have survived another hour if Max had not gone ____(20)____ help.

When you see my title “5 + 5 = 5”, I know what you are thinking: 5 + 5 does not equal 5. So, please let me   (1)  .

Let’s   (2)   a question: How many times have you heard that you need to have a “long-term” goal and   (3)   on it for the whole length of that “long term”? Let’s assume you have a 5-year goal, and I’m going to tell you how you can know if you are   (4)   on track to achieve the goal.

The first “5” in the equation   (5)   for the 5 people you call friends. I   (6)   you make a list of the 5 people and take a good look at it to see if they either have goals like yours or are   (7)   towards the achievement of a goal the same as your 5-year goal. A key to unlocking the secrets of your   (8)   is to realize the fact that you’ll finally become whomever you often spend time with.

The second “5” in the equation is to make a personal list of the last 5   (9)   you have read. Just for   (10)  : the next time one of your friends is not satisfied with something, ask him what the last 5 books he has read are. You will get one of the two   (11)  : I don’t have the time to read or I don’t   (12)  . The books will decide where your life develops. The   (13)   person reads one book a year after high school. This is why 95% of people are “dead broke” at age 65.   (14)   the greatest computer in the world   (15)   to be programmed in order to work well.

Concentrate on your 5-year goal and realize your 5 friends and the 5 books will decide if you can “hit” your   (16)   or not. Success is   (17)  , but not easy,   (18)   it takes the ability to grow, stretch（伸展）, and search.

5 + 5 = 5... Give it a try and see if it   (19)   for you. I can actually forecast your   (20)  : 5 + 5 = your dream.

People give gifts in almost all societies. Gifts   (1)   festivals and other important occasions (事件或庆典). Some gifts are expensive, or they may take months to create. Others are of less   (2)  , such as birthday cards.

Gift giving is often a process of exchange (交换过程).   (3)   you receive a birthday gift from someone, that person usually   (4)   a birthday gift from you   (5)  . In some cultures, there are certain rules about gift exchange. In Pakistan, for example, there is a tradition called “taking giving.” It   (6)   this way: You give the newly-married couple a gift, and they “repay” you with a gift of higher value. Then you give the couple   (7)   gift. This one should be worth the difference between the first two gifts. The gift exchange continues,   (8)   the same way.

In many ancient cultures, people made   (9)   to their leaders to show their loyalty (忠诚). The Nubians in ancient Egypt are a good   (10)  . They brought gold to the Egyptian kings. Traditions like these   (11)   today in some parts of the world. In parts ofAfrica, for example, farmers may give gifts to the local leaders to   (12)   them for protection.

Today presidents   (13)   bring gifts when they   (14)   a foreign leader. Leaders bring gifts to strengthen relationships between   (15)  , not to emphasize (强调) the power of the gift receiver.

Gifts can   (16)   send special messages. For example, gifts can tell people that we are thinking of them and that we want them to feel   (17)  . Sometimes a gift makes us remember the giver. The gift keeps the   (18)   of a special person and a special relationship alive.

There is no doubt about the good side of gift giving. That is why some people don’t   (19)   the idea that modern gift giving is very wasteful. It is   (20)   that there is an emotional benefit (情感好处) for people who exchange gifts. That is surely enough of a reason for the tradition to continue.

What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or   (1)   or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control   (2)  , like the weather? Is time the same all over the world? Thatˈs an easy question, you say.  (3)  you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. Well, maybe. But in America, time is   (4)   that. Americans see time as a valuable   (5)  . Maybe thatˈs why they are   (6)  of the expression, "Time is money."

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing   (7)  for other peopleˈs time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually   (8)  an apology, and maybe an explanation. People   (9)  

are running late often call ahead to let others know of the   (10)  . Of course, the less formal the situation, the less important it is to be exactly   (11)  . At informal get-togethers,  (12)  , people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the   (13)   time. But they usually donˈt try that at work.

American lifestyles show   (14)   people respect the time of others. When people plan an event, they often   (15)   the time days or weeks in advance. Once the time is fixed, it takes almost a(n)  (16)  

to change it. If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually   (17)  first to make sure it is convenient. Only very close friends will just   (18)   unannounced. Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they  (19)   be in bed. The time may vary, but most folks think   (20)   about calling after 10:00 p.m.

  I've been really tied up recently helping my elderly parents out of a crisis and sorting out their house．But sometimes   (1)   opportunities present themselves to you ，which is what   (2)   today．

    I was heading out of town on my way to a well-earned picnic in the countryside，  (3)   to turn across a stream of traffic into a side road，when I   (4)   out of the corner of my eye a pedestrian(行人)   (5)   crossing the road at an unexpected and rather   (6)   place． The figure of a young woman eventually   (7)   at my passenger window in the middle of a two-lane road，looking   (8)   and asking for a lift to a college in town，where she should have been taking an exam which had   (9)   1O minutes earlier，having been let down by the bus．

    I   (10)   to let her in my car and she eventually arrived 20 minutes late． It would probably have been another 40 minutes on stop of that if she'd had to   (11)   the next bus，so hopefully this will have helped her   (12)   the exam． The even was slightly   (13)   when she later called me and wanted to   (14)   me some money，which of course I firmly   (15)  ．

    This has led me to think about general   (16)   regarding being under obligation(责任)to someone，or owing them something which must be   (17)  ． Maybe another time I may have the presence of mind to   (18)   positively and helpfully to such a   (19)  ． The best thing that even when I was behaving normally and casually in my daily time，the fate arranged that I could still have an/a 60 to trust and do someone a favor．

Just the other day, a fierce storm hit our community. I looked out the window and witnessed a tree being    （ 1 ）    by the fierce winds. The branches bent, and swayed (摇摆) back and forth, thanks to their    （ 2 ）    to avoid breaking. The leaves desperately stuck to the branches because their life    （ 3 ）    the tree. The powerful trunk that    （ 4 ）    the tree upright bent slightly backwards from the force in a battle to    （ 5 ）    its position.

After the storm had passed, the tree gracefully returned to its   （6）   position standing tall amongst the chaos. It managed to   （7）   the storm. It didn’t look the same as leaves had shed from its branches and the soil had loosened a bit, but what   （8）    is that the tree won the fight for its life.

For a long time I couldn’t understand why this tree   （9）   my attention the way it did. As time passed, it became   （10）   that it wasn’t just about the tree but about the roots, which, although unseen, dig deep into the soil providing   （11）   and nutrition. The roots allow the tree to be able to take a   （12）   because they are there to support them.

I couldn’t but ask myself how deep the roots are in my life.   （13）  , the next time you catch your kids   （14）  , when the job is driving you crazy, when you are underpaid and the （15）   is tight, and when the storms of life are raging, go back to your roots. Life is full of   （16）  . They will make you sway, make you   （17）   , make you lose some leaves but the deeper your roots the stronger you stand.

Faced with   （18）   you might bend but don’t break. No matter how hard the wind blows don’t let life   （19）  you into an uncomfortable position. Your  （20）   lies in your roots.

Few days ago, I went to school with tons of books, hoping to get a locker. All of a sudden, it started raining  (1)  . I hurried to pay for my locker, but I was disappointed  (2)  they informed me that they only accepted cash. I was $7. 00  (3)  , which meant I had to carry the books back home. It would be an exhausting two-hour  (4)  back home with all those books.

There was an elderly gentleman nearby.   (5)  my predicament (困境) , he asked me how much cash I needed. When I told him I needed $7, he quickly took out the money. “You don’t have to pay me back,” he said. I was  (6)  ; I didn’t know whether to take the money or come back with the books the next day. A young student who was working there noticed my  (7)  . “He is really nice,” said the student, “I was starving this morning and he bought  (8)  for me. He always helps people in different ways.”   (9)  thinking for a while, I took the money and  (10)  my locker.

The next day, I went to him and thanked him for  (11)  me and lending me the money. He said he forgot about it and did not  (12)  that I would give it back. “I am very happy,” he said, “not because I am getting my money back,   (13)  because this is the right way to go whatever you get   (14)  this world, give it back as much as you can. Spread kindness around the world  (15)  the smallest things you can do.”

Later, I found out that he was not involved with any charity   (16)  . He has been performing these types of  (17)  for years. I desperately needed the locker that day but after meeting this man, I was much more  (18)  for meeting him than getting my locker. He taught me a very important  (19)  in life—we come to this world with nothing and we will leave with nothing. Whatever we own, it   (20)  someone else and whatever we leave, it will become somebody else’s.

A       

 Kindness is not always a straight line. I was traveling in a city of Central America with a friend, and we were   (1)   a post office. We were standing on a street corner and did not know what the Spanish word for “post office” was. Some   (2)   guy could see we were   (3)   and came up to us. We tried to   (4)   what we were looking for, and he said, “Oh, yes, yes,” and   (5)    us, with our backpacks on in the middle of the heat of the day, down all these little crooked (弯曲的) streets. It seemed like we walked for miles.   (6)   , he pointed us toward a   (7)  without any name on it. But when we   (8)   , it turned out not to be the post office.

     When we came out and were   (9)   standing around looking    (10)   , someone else soon came up. She asked if we    (11)    help. Again, we tried to explain   (12)  we were going. The woman said she   (13)   where the post office was. We headed off as she   (14)    us to another building which also had no   (15)   and which also turned out not to be the post office.

      At this point we decided that   (16)    we didn’t know where we were, we were not going to listen to anybody else. But then another person came up and said, “I can   (17)  you.” We said “No, thank you,”  (18)  he was very insistent (坚持的). He actually grabbed me by the hand and dragged (拉着) me through the streets. Circling around, we came back to the first    (19)    we had been standing on when we began. The   (20)   pointed across the street, and there was the post office.

John’s parents acquired the washer when he was a small boy. It happened during World War II. His family never   (1)   a washing machine and, since gasoline was expensive, they could not   (2)   trips to the laundry (洗衣店) several miles away. Keeping clothes   (3)   became a problem for young John’s household.
    A family friend joined the army, and his wife   (4)  to go with him. John’s family   (5)  _ to store their furniture while they were away. To the family’s   (6)  , the friend suggested they use their Bendix. So this is how they   (7)   the washer.
   Young John helped with the washing, and across the years he   (8)  a love for the old, green Bendix. But   (9)   the war ended. When the friends came to take it back, John grew terribly   (10)  .  His mother   (11)   him and said. “You must remember, that machine   (12)   belonged to us in the first place. That we ever got to use it at all was a gift. So, instead of being   (13)   at it being taken away, let’s use this   (14)   to be grateful that we had it at all.”
    The lesson turned out   (15)  . Years later, John watched his eight-year-old daughter die a slow and painful death of leukemia (白血病). Though he   (16)   for months with her death, John could not begin getting over from the   (17)   until he remembered the old Bendix.
    His daughter was a   (18)  . When he realized the simple fact, everything changed. He could now begin recovering from the death of his daughter. He started to see her as a marvelous gift that he was fortunate enough to   (19)   for a time. He felt   (20)  . He found strength and recovery. He knew he could get through the valley of loss.