It was late in the fall of 1976.I was a junior at Williams College and had been a member of the __1__ team the previous year.One morning, when I found my name wasn’t on the list, I stood frozen at the wall for a long time, __2__ scanning up and down, trying to hold back the tears that were making me feel __3__.
As players looked at the __4__ on the wall, my coach Curt Tong sat on the shelf along the bottom of a window across the __5__ floor.His office was only a few feet away, __6__he sat out in the outside where anyone with a strong emotion could visit without being __7__ to knock at his office door.That was his __8__ touch and it couldn’t have been more pleasant.
I __9__ the gym and sat next to him.I told Coach Tong that I understood why he __10__ me, but in my immature youth, I was angry at him for __11__ my spot and my identity.Anyone who has ever been cut from a team hates the __12__，whether for a moment or for a lifetime.
Coach Tong __13__ me for my past work, telling me I was a good player, just not quite good enough.He __14__ me there would be better days ahead.We shook hands.I walked out of the gym and then __15__ for a few hours.
Two weeks later, contrary to all expectations, he __16__ me for a vacant position, coaching a basketball team at the local high school.It was the most __17__ experience of my life at the time.And I got a lot out of coaching.
Coach Tong knew that would happen and the experience __18__ pushed me into coaching as my career.I chose journalism __19__ though, because ...well, who knows __20__ we do anything at 21?
语篇解读：本文是一篇记叙文。“我”在篮球队被除名，找到教练后向他表达了“我”的愤怒。教练安慰“我”，后来推荐“我”进了一所高中当篮球教练。后来“我”从事新闻工作，明白了年轻人会做一些连自己都不能理解的事情。
1．A.rugby B．volleyball
C．basketball D．baseball
解析：选C 根据倒数第二段第一句中的“coaching a basketball team at the local high school”可知，“我”曾经是这个篮球队的成员。C项意为“篮球”，符合语境，故C项正确。
2．A.calmly B．delightedly
C．curiously D．repeatedly
解析：选D 根据该段中的“One morning, when I found my name wasn’t on the list, I stood frozen at the wall for a long time”可知，一天早晨，“我”发现自己的名字不在名单中了，“我”待在那里很长时间，“重复地(repeatedly)”在名单中由上到下寻找“我”的姓名。故D项正确。
3．A.nervous B．excited
C．tired D．ashamed
解析：选D 根据该句中的“trying to hold back the tears that were making me feel __3__”可知，发现自己的名字不在篮球队名单中，“我”强忍泪水，以使自己不感到“羞耻(ashamed)”，故D项正确。
4．A.commercial B．roll
C．mirror D．score
解析：选B 根据第一段中的“One morning, when I found my name wasn’t on the list, I stood frozen at the wall for a long time”可知，“我”发现自己的名字不在名单中了；结合本句可以判断，球员们看着墙上的名单。B项意为“名单”，符合语境，故B项正确。
5．A.gym B．office
C．hall D．classroom
解析：选A 根据第三段第一句“I __9__ the gym and sat next to him.”可知，“我”的教练坐在“体育馆(gym)”的架子上，故A项正确。
6．A.so B．for
C．but D．or
解析：选C 根据该句中的“His office was only a few feet away, __6__ he sat out in the outside”可知，他的办公室离他只有几英尺远，但是他却坐在外面；设空前后为转折关系，故C项正确。
7.A.forced B．persuaded
C．invited D．allowed
解析：选A 根据该句中的“he sat out in the outside where anyone with a strong emotion could visit without being __7__ to knock at his office door”可知，由于教练坐在门外，想和他交流的人无需“被迫(forced)”敲门，故A项正确。
8．A.lost B．professional
C．strict D．temporary
解析：选B 上文讲述教练选择坐在办公室外而不是办公室内以便来找他的人无需被迫敲门，这是他作为教练的“专业的(professional)”做法，对于队员们来说，没有什么比这种做法更令他们愉快，故B项正确。
9．A.walked across B．passed by
C．slipped out of D．got away from
解析：选A 根据该句“I __9__ the gym and sat next to him.”可知，“我”“走过(walked across)”体育馆，坐在他的旁边，故A项正确。B项意为“经过”；C项意为“从……溜走”；D项意为“摆脱”。
10．A.encouraged B．ignored
C．dismissed D．supported
解析：选C 根据上文可知，“我”发现自己被除名了，据此可以判断，该句是说，“我”理解他为什么“开除(dismissed)”“我”，故C项正确。
11．A.putting away B．putting up
C．taking up D．taking away
解析：选D 根据该句中的“I was angry at him”并结合上文可知，“我”对他“夺走(taking away)”“我”的球队队员身份感到愤怒，故D项正确。A项意为“把……收拾起来；储蓄”；B项意为“建造；张贴”；C项意为“拿起；开始从事”。
12．A.teammate B．manager
C．coach D．judge
解析：选C 根据该句“Anyone who has ever been cut from a team hates the __12__， whether for a moment or for a lifetime.”并结合语境可知，任何一个从队伍中被开除的人都讨厌教练。C项意为“教练”，符合语境，故C项正确。
13．A.scolded B．paid
C．discouraged D．thanked
解析：选D 根据该句中的“for my past work, telling me I was a good player, just not quite good enough”可知，Coach Tong“感谢(thanked)”“我”过去的付出，故D项正确。
14．A.warned B．promised
C．advised D．informed
解析：选B 根据该句中的“there would be better days ahead”可知，他对“我”承诺说，“我”会有更好的前途。B项意为“承诺”，符合语境，故B项正确。
15．A.wept B．negotiated
C．celebrated D．argued
解析：选A 根据语境可知，“我”因教练开除“我”而感到愤怒，虽然教练安慰了“我”，说“我”会有更好的前途，但是“我”仍然感到难过；据此可知，“我”走出体育馆，哭泣了几个小时。A项意为“哭泣”，符合语境，故A项正确。B项意为“协商，谈判”；C项意为“庆祝，祝贺”；D项意为“争论，讨论”。
16．A.praised B．asked
C．recommended D．trained
解析：选C 根据该句“Two weeks later, contrary to all expectations, he __16__ me for a vacant position, coaching a basketball team at the local high school.”可知，两周后，出乎所有人的意料，他推荐“我”去一个空缺的职位，在当地高中的一支篮球队当教练。C项意为“推荐”，符合语境，故C项正确。
17．A.regretful B．rewarding
C．interesting D．painful
解析：选B 根据后一句“And I got a lot out of coaching.”可知，在当教练的过程中“我”得到了许多；据此可以判断，当教练是“我”人生中最有意义的经历。B项意为“有意义的”，符合语境，故B项正确。
18．A.nearly B．completely
C．eventually D．simply
解析：选A 根据该句中的“the experience __18__ pushed me into coaching as my career”并结合后一句中的“I chose journalism”可知这段经历“几乎(nearly)”促使“我”把教练作为“我”以后的职业，但是“我”后来选择了新闻工作。
19．A.again B．instead
C．too D．meanwhile
解析：选B 根据该句中的“I chose journalism”可知，“我”几乎将教练作为“我”的职业，但是最终“我”选择了新闻工作。B项意为“相反”，符合语境，故B项正确。
20．A.when B．how
C．where D．why
解析：选D 根据该句中的“who knows __20__ we do anything at 21”并结合常识可知，此处表示，谁会知道我们为什么在二十一岁的时候会做那样的事情？D项意为“为什么”，符合语境，故D项正确。
