C
I was scared of public speaking. But when I 31 my first novel ten years ago, I was invited to speak at a writers' festival.
The festival was held on a lawn. I arrived at the large tent set-up, 32 find two hundred faces looking at me. Five teenagers sat close in the front row, stretching out their legs.
I was sweating 33 I even opened my mouth.
I only had one book to talk about, and it didn't seem like any of the students had read it, or 34 to. The five in the front row started heckling(起哄) and making jokes about some random cartoon characters, causing me to lose my place. 35 out of my depth, I started feeling nervous and 36 my words. I could feel the tears starting, and I didn't know what to do.
Then a teenage boy in 37 of tech for the tent took the spare microphone and began telling his own ghost story. The story was thrilling, full of fear and 38, and better than anything I'd said so far. I used the five minutes he spoke to 39 and prepare: when he finished, I thanked him, knowing he'd 40 me. And I managed to bumble through the rest of the speech.
I knew I had to somehow learn to 41 my fear. After asking other writers for their tips and advice, I added slideshows, readings and question-and-answers to my 42. I was still terrified, but the more I did, the better I 43 the unexpected. I had five more that week, none as 44 as the first.
I doubt I will ever look forward to fronting up to hundreds of students, but sometimes I 45 myself by enjoying it more than I ever would have thought was possible.
()31. A. read B. received C. published D. bought
()32. A. never to B. used to C. able to D. only to
()33. A. before B. when C. after D. until
()34. A. continued B. cared C. afforded D. regretted
()35. A. Precisely B. Obviously C. Amazingly D. Mainly
()36. A. keeping B. organizing C. forgetting D. changing
()37. A. search B. need C. charge D. favor
()38. A. suspense B. behavior C. plot D. prejudice
()39. A. settle B. operate C. polish D. anticipate
()40. A. cheated B. saved C. taught D. understood
()41. A. weigh up B. approve of C. forget about D. get over
()42. A. draft B. award C. presentation D. recreation
()43. A. forgave B. survived C. designed D. tolerated
()44. A. formal B. popular C. simple D. bad
()45. A. surprise B. oppose C. punish D. delay

31.C 32.D 33.A 34.B 35.B 36.C 37.C 38.A 39.A 40.B 41.D 42.C 43.B 44.D 45.A
【语篇解读】本文是一篇记叙文。作者害怕公开演讲，但十年前的一个作家节上的演讲让他有了改变。在不断努力下，作者更加享受面对观众，他自己对此感到惊讶。
31. C 解析：根据下文“my first novel ten years ago, I was invited to speak at a writers' festival”可知，作者在十年前出版了第一本小说。read 读；receive 收到；publish 发表；buy 买。故选C。
32. D 解析：根据上文“I was scared of public speaking. But when I 31 my first novel ten years ago, I was invited to speak at a writers' festival.”可知，作者害怕在公共场合讲话，结果被邀请在参加作家节时当着很多人的面讲话，这让作者大吃一惊。“only+不定式”表示意外的结果。never to 永远不；used to 曾经；able to 能够；only to 只为。故选D。
33. A 解析：根据上文“I arrived at the large tent set-up, 32 find two hundred faces looking at me”可知，作者对当着这么多人讲话感到很紧张，还没开口说话就一直流汗。故选A。
34. B 解析：根据下文“The five in the front row started heckling and making jokes about some random cartoon characters”可知，学生们并不在乎作者的书。continue 继续；care 护理，关心；afford 支付得起，承受得住；regret 后悔。故选B。
35. B 解析：根据下文“out of my depth, I started feeling nervous and 36 my words”可知，面对这样的情况，作者感到紧张，这是很明显的事情。precisely 准确地；obviously 显然地；amazingly 令人惊奇地；mainly 主要地。故选B。
36. C 解析：根据上文“I started feeling nervous”可知，作者很紧张，忘记了自己要说的话。keep 保留；organize 组织；forget 忘记；change 改变。故选C。
37. C 解析：根据下文“tech for the tent”可知，这个男孩负责技术。search 搜索；need 需要；charge 充电，要价，负责；favor 赞成。be in charge of“掌管，负责”。故选C。
38. A 解析：根据上文“his own ghost story. The story was thrilling, full of fear”可知，这个故事充满了悬念。suspense 悬念；behavior 行为；plot 情节；prejudice 偏见。故选A。
39. A 解析：根据下文“And I managed to bumble through the rest of the speech.”可知，小男孩的故事给了作者稳定下来和准备的时间。settle 解决，稳定下来；operate 操作；polish 抛光；anticipate 预料。故选A。
40. B 解析：根据下文“And I managed to bumble through the rest of the speech.”可知，最后作者完成了自己的讲话，是小男孩的鬼故事给了作者时间，让作者有时间稳定下来，因此是小男孩拯救了作者。cheat 欺骗；save 保存，拯救；teach 教；understand 理解。故选B。
41. D 解析：根据下文“After asking other writers for their tips and advice, I added slideshows, readings and question-and-answers to my 42 .”可知，作者学习了一些方法来克服自己的恐惧。weigh up 权衡；approve of 赞成；forget about 忘掉；get over 克服。故选D。
42. C 解析：根据上文“But when I 31 my first novel ten years ago, I was invited to speak at a writers' festival.”可知，作者在作家节上要做陈述。draft 草案；award 奖励；presentation 陈述；recreation 娱乐。故选C。
43. B 解析：根据下文“I had five more that week, none as 44 as the first.”可知，在作者不断努力下，演讲顺利完成。forgive 原谅；survive 存活；design 设计；tolerate 容忍。故选B。
44. D 解析：根据上文“but the more I did, the better I 43 the unexpected”可知，作者后来的演说越来越好，没有一个比第一个糟糕。formal 正式的；popular 流行的；simple 简单的；bad 坏的。故选D。
45. A 解析：根据下文“enjoying it more than I ever would have thought was possible”可知，作者比自己想象的还要享受，因此而感到惊讶。surprise 惊讶；oppose 反对；punish 惩罚；delay 延迟。故选A。