阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
A farmer once owned an old mule(骡子)．One day，the mule fell into a nearby well，and he began to ____ and made a lot of loud noise. After carefully assessing the ____，the farmer felt sympathy for the mule，but ____ that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving，then he called his ____ together and told them what had happened and ____ them to help shovel(铲) some dirt to bury the old mule in the ____ and put him out of his suffering.
Hearing many people coming to help，the old mule initially was ____...But as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back，a thought suddenly ____ him. He was ____ that every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his ____，he should shake it off and step up！So he did，blow after blow.
He repeated “Shake it off and step up！” to ____ himself. No matter how painful the blows were，or how disappointing the situation seemed，the old mule just ____ on shaking it off and stepping up!
As you might have guessed，it was not long ____ the old mule finally stepped over the wall of the well，painful and tired. What would  otherwise ____ him，actually blessed him because of the manner in which he ____ his adversity(逆境)．
____ is life！As long as we face our problems and respond to them ____，and refuse to give in to panic，bitterness，or selfpity，the adversities that come along to bury us ____ have the potential to ____ and bless us！Forgiveness，tolerance，hope and perseverance are ____ in shaking it off and stepping up out of the well in which we find ourselves.

A．sink B．struggle C．leave D．sigh

A．location B．ground C．position D．situation

A．decided B．doubted C．complained D．responded

A．brothers B．relatives C．neighbors D．children

A．required B．requested C．demanded D．recommended

A．house B．water C．hole D．well

A．excited B．amused C．disappointed D．surprised

A．came B．happened C．struck D．occurred

A．awake B．aware C．afraid D．ashamed

A．chest B．stomach C．tail D．back

A．enjoy B．express C．encourage D．praise

A．kept B．held C．moved D．relied

A．when B．before C．until D．since

A．save B．protect C．desert D．bury

A．solved B．handled C．refused D．experienced

A．That B．How C．As D．What

A．readily B．passively C．positively D．willingly

A．frequently B．seldom C．never D．usually

A．affect B．benefit C．direct D．conduct

A．cheerful B．hopeful C．helpful D．meaningful