阅读下在短文，从短文后各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出适合填入对应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
A woman id her sixties lived alone in her little cottage with a pear tree at her door. She spent all her time taking care of the tree. But the children nearby drover her    21     by making fun of her. They would climb her tree and then run away with pears,     22  “Aunty Misery” at her.
One evening, a passer by asked to    23    for the night. Seeing that he had an   24  Face, she let him in and gave him a nice    25  . The next morning the stranger, actually a sorcerer (巫师), thanked her by granting (允准) her   26    that anyone who climbed up her tree 27  not be able to come back down until she   28 it.
When the children came back to steal her   29  , she had them stuck on the tree. They had to beg her
long   30  she gave the tree permission to let  31   go. Aunty Misery was free from the   32  at last.
One day another man    33   her door. This one did not look trustworthy to her,   34  she asked who he was . “I am Death, I’ve come to take you   35   me.” said he.
Thinking fast Aunty Misery said, “Fine, but I’d like to  36   some pears from my dear tree to remember the 37          
it brought to me in this life. But I am too    38  to climb high to get the best fruit. Will you be so   39   as to do it for me?” With a deep sigh, Mr. Death climbed up the tree   40  and was immediately stuck to it. No matter how much he warned or begged, Aunty Misery would not allow the tree to let Death go.
21.  A. hopeless    B. painful   C. dull   D. crazy
22.  A. calling     B. shouting   C. announcing       D. whispering
23.  A. stay       B. live       C. hide             D. lie
24.  A. interesting B. honest    C. anxious          D. angry
25.  A. gift       B. kiss      C. treat             D. smile
26.  A. suggestion  B. demand     C. permission       D. wish
27.  A. could      B. should     C. might            D. must
28.  A. permitted   B. promised   C. answered         D. declared
29.  A. branch    B. food       C. tree             D. fruit
30.  A. after      B. while      C. since            D. before
31.  A. it        B. them       C. him              D. her
32.  A. trick     B. question    C. trouble          D. difficulty
33.  A. stepped into   B. left for C. stopped at      D. walked around
34.  A. so       B. but          C. although        D. because
35.  A. with     B. off          C. upon            D. for
36.  A. choose    B. pick         C. shake           D. hit
37.  A. honor     B. pleasure      C. hope            D. excitement
38.  A. light     B. short        C. old             D. thin
39.  A. proud     B. kind         C. fine            D. smart
40.  A. disappointedly       B. cheerfully      C. unwillingly     D. eagerly