Scott and his companions were terribly disappointed. When they got to the South Pole, they found the Norwegians(挪威人) had ___36___ them in the race to be the first ever to reach it. After ___37___ the British flag at the Pole, they took a photograph of themselves ___38___ they started the 950-mile journey back.
The journey was unexpectedly ___39___ and the joy and excitement about the Pole had gone out of them. The sun hardly ___40___. The snow storms always made it impossible to sight the stones they had ___41___ to mark their way home. To make things ___42___. Evans, whom they had all thought of ___43___ the strongest of the five, fell badly into a deep hole in the ice. Having ___44___ along for several days, he suddenly fell down and died.
The four who were ___45___ pushed on at the best speed they could ___46___. Captain Oates had been suffering for some time from his ___47___ fact; at night his feet swelled(肿胀) so large that he could ___48___ put his boots on the next morning, and he walked bravely although he was in great ___49___. He knew his slowness was making it less likely that ___50___ could save themselves. He asked them to leave him behind in his sleeping-bag, but they refused, and helped him ___51___ a few more miles, until it was time to put up the ___52___ for another night.
The following morning, ___53___ the other three were still in their sleeping-bags, he said. “I am just going outside and may be ___54___ some time.” He was never seen again. He had walked out ___55___ into the snow storm, hoping that his death would help his companions.
36. A. hit       B. fought C. won    D. beaten
37. A. growing      B. putting       C. planting     D. laying
38. A. after     B. until   C. while  D. before
39. A. safe      B. fast     C. short   D. slow
40. A. rose     B. set      C. appeared    D. disappeared
41. A. taken up      B. cut up C. set up  D. picked up
42. A. easier   B. better  C. bitter  D. worse
43. A. to B. upon   C. as       D. in
44. A. battled  B. struggled    C. speeded      D. waited
45. A. left      B. lost     C. defeated     D. saved
46. A. manage       B. try      C. employ      D. find
47. A. ached   B. frozen C. harden       D. harmed
48. A. hardly  B. never  C. seldom       D. nearly
49. A. pain     B. fear    C. trouble       D. danger
50. A. all others     B. some others       C. others D. the others
51. A. away    B. with    C. off      D. on
52. A. bed      B. tent     C. blanket       D. sleeping-bag
53. A. while   B. since   C. for      D. once
54. A. missed  B. separated    C. passed D. gone
55. A. patiently      B. lonely C. alone  D. worriedly