二．完形填空：
Why did I come today? I wondered. My Christmas   16   contained several people that claimed they wanted nothing but I knew their feelings would be hurt   17   I didn’t buy them anything, so gift buying was   18   but fun.
Hurriedly, I finished shopping and   19   the long checkout lines. In front of me were a boy of about 5 and a younger girl. She carried a beautiful pair of    20   slippers. When we finally   21   the checkout register, the girl   22   placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a   23  .
“That will be $ 6.09,” the cashier said. The boy   24   his pockets. He finally came up with $ 3.12. “I guess we will have to put them back,” he   25   said. “We will come back some other time, maybe tomorrow.” With that statement, a soft   26   broke from the little girl. “But Jesus would have loved these shoes,” she cried.
“Well, we’ll go home and work some more. Don’t cry. We’ll surely   27  ,” he said. Quickly I handed $ 3.00 to the cashier. These children had waited in line for a long time. And,   28  , it was Christmas. Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice   29   said, “Thank you, lady.” “What did you   30   when you said Jesus would like the shoes?” I asked. The boy answered, “Our mommy is sick and going to   31  . Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus.” The girl spoke, “My Sunday school teacher said the streets in heaven are shiny gold, just like these shoes. Won’t mommy be   32   walking on those streets in these shoes?”
My eyes   33   as I looked into her tear-streaked face. “Yes,” I answered, “I am   34   she will.” Silently I thanked God for using these children to   35   me of the true spirit of giving.
16. A. plan                B. list                    C. goods                D. purchases
17. A. if                       B. because             C. unless               D. since
18. A. something           B. nothing             C. anything            D. everything
19. A. waited                B. joined               C. attended            D. gathered
20. A. cotton                 B. leather                     C. gold                  D. silver
21. A. approached         B. passed               C. checked             D. found
22. A. immediately        B. hesitantly          C. shyly               D. carefully
23. A. gift                    B. treasure             C. life                   D. prize
24. A. opened               B. touched             C. tore                  D. searched
25. A. bravely               B. uncertainly        C. slowly               D. doubtfully
26. A. tear                    B. sob                   C. smile                D. sigh
27. A. leave                  B. come                C. return               D. arrive
28. A. above all             B. at last                C. at least                     D. after all
29. A. gratefully            B. sweetly             C. gracefully          D. kindly
30. A. request               B. expect               C. mean         D. attempt
31. A. hospital                     B. tomb                 C. heaven                     D. sky
32. A. equal                  B. comfortable              C. convenient         D. beautiful
33. A. pained                B. flooded             C. shut                  D. froze
34. A. sure                    B. afraid                C. glad                  D. confident
35. A. inform                B. warn                 C. cure                  D. remind