一、完形填空

One morning, when I was leaving for my business, a middle-aged man asked me for help. He said he had no 1 to get food for his large family.
“You look 2. Why don't you work?” I asked. “Simply because I can't get work, Sir.” “If I give you work, what pay do you want?” “3 I can get bread for my family, Sir,” he answered.
I decided to find out if he 4 meant what he said. “OK. I'll give you one pound an hour if you will 5 a brick under your arm and walk around the square for five hours without stopping.” “Thank you, Sir. I will.”
I found a brick and started him on his walk before I went to my 6. I never thought he would do what he had 7.
When I came back five hours later, I saw him 8 walking, with the brick under his arm.
I stopped him and gave him 9 pounds. He thanked me and told me that some people had 10 to help him when they knew why he was doing all this. He would go and ask 11 for work. Before leaving, he asked if I would give him the 12. I did.
Several years later, a well-dressed man greeted me on a train. Seeing I was not sure who he was, he 13 that he was the brick man and had his own business now. “You know, I still keep that brick and always value it as the most 14 thing I have as it has brought me luck and success.”
15, it was not the brick that made the man successful, but his faithfulness(坚定) in doing even a very little thing.
()1. A. courage B. money C. plan D. time
()2. A. funny B. sick C. serious D. strong
()3. A. As long as B. As soon as C. Even if D. Ever since
()4. A. certainly B. simply C. really D. usually
()5. A. break B. carry C. fix D. hide
()6. A. business B. lesson C. program D. research
()7. A. planned B. prepared C. promised D. suggested
()8. A. also B. already C. even D. still
()9. A. four B. five C. six D. seven
()10. A. continued B. forgotten C. offered D. refused
()11. A. him B. them C. me D. her
()12. A. brick B. chance C. job D. bread
()13. A. explained B. imagined C. realized D. supposed
()14. A. beautiful B. expensive C. important D. interesting
()15. A. As a result B. At last C. In a word D. In fact

【短文大意】本文主要讲述了一个中年男人信守承诺夹砖行走,并因为他的诚信与毅力获得了成功的故事。
1. B 【解析】句意:他说他没有钱为他的大家庭买食物。联系下文可知,这个中年男人没钱买食物。
2. D 【解析】句意:你看起来很强壮。结合下文可知,"我"认为这个男人很强壮,所以问他为什么不去工作。
3. A 【解析】句意:他答道:"先生,只要我能为我的家人获得面包。"as long as意为"只要";as soon as意为"一……就";even if意为"即使";ever since意为"自从"。
4. C 【解析】句意:我决定去查明他是否真的说出了自己的心里话。
5. B 【解析】句意:如果你将一块砖头夹在腋下,并在广场上不停地行走五个小时,我将按每小时一英镑的约定给你钱。结合下文可知,这里指的是夹着砖头行走。
6. A 【解析】句意:在我去做生意之前,我找到了一块砖头,并让他开始行走。结合上文"One morning, when I was leaving for my business"可知,"我"是在做生意的路上碰到这个中年男人的。
7. C 【解析】句意:我从没想到他会做他答应过的事。结合下文语境可知,该男子答应了夹砖行走五小时的要求就真的不停地走了五小时,即使在这段时间内他已经得到了别人的帮助。
8. D 【解析】句意:当我五个小时后回来时,我看见他仍然夹着砖块在行走。
9. B 【解析】句意:我让他停下来并给了他五英镑。结合上文"I'll give you one pound an hour"可知,一小时一英镑,走了五小时,应是五英镑。
10. C 【解析】句意:他感谢了我并告诉我,当一些人知道他为什么做这些事情的时候,他们给他提供了帮助。
11. B 【解析】句意:他会去向他们寻求工作。结合上文可知,这里的them指的是要帮助他的那些人。
12. A 【解析】句意:在离开之前,他问我是否能把这块砖给他。结合下文可知,这位男子向"我"要这块被他夹着行走的砖。
13. A 【解析】句意:……他解释说他就是那个夹砖行走的男子,并且现在有了自己的生意。
14. C 【解析】句意:我仍然保留着那块砖头,并且总是把它看作是我所拥有的最重要的东西,因为它给我带来了好运和成功。
15. D 【解析】句意:事实上,并不是那块砖使这个男人成功的,而是他对一件小事的坚定信念使他成功了。