第二节：完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family were all back home in Florida, leaving me  36  in a rather cold California. I was working at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter. It was about 9:00 P.M. on Christmas Eve, and there were a few of us  37  and very few customers waiting to be   38  . When the next person came to the counter, I  39  to see a very old man, whose leg was wrapped in a bandage(绷带) ,standing with a stick. He walked very  40  over and in a low  41  told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him there were no more  42  that night and that he would have to wait till the  43  .
Later, I  44  this old man was Mr. MacDonald and that his relative  45  him off at the sidewalk on Christmas Eve and told him to go to New Orleans, where he had his family. He was given some  46  and told just to go inside and buy a ticket. When  47  if he could come back tomorrow, he said that he had no place to  48  here and he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. I felt a little ashamed. The poor old man now  49  me of what being alone really meant.
I never really had a  50  like this, and I was feeling really miserable inside. I went back and told my supervisor(主管) about it, who promised to  51  everything. To my great  52  , the next morning we  53  to get him a ticket and took him to wait for the plane. As he left he said, “Thank you”; then he  54  his head and started to cry. Seeing this, my homesickness began to disappear.
From the experience I learned a  55  : He who helps others gets helped himself.
36.A. unbearable    B. hopeless     C. lively  D. alone
37.A. working       B. chatting      C. leaving       D. moving
38.A. invited  B. helped C. greeted       D. passed
39.A. pulled up      B. turned up   C. looked up   D. woke up
40.A. swiftly  B. slowly C. unwillingly D. wildly
41.A. position B. manner      C. voice  D. degree
42.A. flights   B. hotels  C. buses  D. passengers
43.A. morning       B. afternoon   C. evening      D. dusk
44.A. suspected      B. insisted      C. agreed D. learned
45.A. turned   B. pulled C. carried       D. dropped
46.A. cash      B. freedom     C. reasons       D. chances
47.A. asked    B. doubted      C. ordered      D. decided
48.A. hide      B. stay    C. visit    D. relax
49.A. informed      B. persuaded   C. reminded    D. warned
50.A. demand B. concern      C. challenge    D. situation
51.A. try B. arrange      C. give    D. inspect
52.A. relief     B. embarrassment   C. disappointment  D. regret
53.A. intended       B. planned      C. desired       D. managed
54.A. kept      B. bent    C. shook  D. lost
55.A. sentence       B. story   C. lesson D. text