(2019·贵州省遵义航天高级中学第一次模拟)Have you ever heard of an old saying? Intelligence is a born gift while goodness is a choice of people. Gifts are easy—they're __1__ after all. But choices can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon many years ago. I __2__ the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2,300 percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the __3__ of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very __4__ to me. I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to __5__ my job and go to do this __6__ thing that probably wouldn't work __7__ most startups don't and I wasn't sure what to __8__. MacKenzie told me I should __9__ it, and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City and I had a brilliant boss. I went to my __10__ and told him I wanted to start a company selling __11__ on the Internet. He __12__ me for a long walk in Central Park, listened __13__ to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't __14__ have a good job.” That logic made some __15__ to me, and he __16__ me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision.
It really was a difficult choice, __17__ finally, I decided I had to give it a __18__. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. After much consideration, I took the less __19__ path to follow my passion, and I'm __20__ of that choice. For all of us, in the end, we are our choices.
篇章导读：本文是一篇记叙文。互联网的使用量大大增加启发了作者建立一个网上书店的想法，尽管妻子十分支持，但他的老板却对此提出了异议，在深思熟虑后作者选择跟随自己的心意去做，即使失败了也不后悔。
1．A.appreciated B．chosen
C．given D．bought
答案：C 根据“Intelligence is a born gift”“Gifts are easy”可知，天赋是生来被赋予的，故选C。
2．A.came across B．made up
C．turned into D．dreamed of
答案：A 由语境并结合选项可知，此处指“我”偶然发现，互联网的使用每年增长2,300%。come across “偶然发现”，故选A。
3．A.decision B．plan
C．project D．idea
答案：D 由下文的叙述可知，此处指建立一个拥有数百万种图书的在线书店的想法，故选D。
4．A.frightening B．exciting
C．disappointing D．practical
答案：B 此处指建立在线书店的想法令“我”非常兴奋，故选B。
5．A.change B．improve
C．quit D．increase
答案：C “我”告诉“我”的妻子MacKenzie，“我”想辞掉“我”的工作，故选C。
6．A.crazy B．grateful
C．intelligent D．flexible
答案：A 由下文的“probably wouldn't work __7__ most startups don't and I wasn't sure”可知，“我”将做一件很疯狂的事情，故选A。
7．A.while B．since
C．although D．therefore
答案：B 由语境可知，设空处前后为因果关系，故选B。
8．A.find B．say
C．offer D．expect
答案：D 此处指“我”不确定该期待什么，故选D。
9．A.look through B．knock on
C．go for D．believe in
答案：C 由下文的“she wanted me to follow my passion”可知，妻子让“我”去努力争取。go for it “好好争取”，故选C。
10．A.friend B．boss
C．colleague D．office
答案：B “我”去找“我”的老板，告诉他“我”想创办一家公司，在网上卖书，故选B。
11．A.keys B．hobbies
C．books D．ideas
答案：C 由上文提到的“building an online bookstore”可知，此处指在网上开店卖书。
12．A.asked B．advised
C．took D．begged
答案：C 此处指他带“我”在中央公园走了很长一段路。take sb. for a walk “带某人去散步”，故选C。
13．A.cautiously B．impatiently
C．generously D．carefully
答案：D 此处指老板仔细地听着“我”说话，故选D。
14．A.instead B．also
C．otherwise D．already
答案：D 由语境可知，此处指对于那些还没有找到好工作的人来说，这是一个更好的主意，故选D。
15．A.effect B．sense
C．progress D．power
答案：B 这种逻辑对“我”来说有些道理。make some sense “有一定的意义”，故选B。
16．A.forced B．refused
C．reminded D．convinced
答案：D 他说服“我”考虑48小时再作决定。convince sb. to do sth.“说服某人做某事”，故选D。
17．A.so B．then
C．but D．next
答案：C 这真的是一个艰难的选择，但最后，“我”决定“我”必须试一试。前后之间表转折，故选C。
18．A.try B．hope
C．thought D．sense
答案：A “我”决定“我”必须试一试。give it a try “试一试”，故选A。
19．A.painful B．safe
C．profitable D．attractive
答案：B 由上文的“probably wouldn't work”“I wasn't sure what to __8__”可知，此处指经过再三考虑，“我”选择了不那么安全的道路来追随“我”的激情，故选B。
20．A.sad B．aware
C．shamed D．proud
答案：D 由下文的“we are our choices”可知，“我”为自己的选择感到骄傲，故选D。
