When I was thirteen, my family moved from Boston to Tucson, Arizona.  36  the move, my father  37  us in the living-room on a freezing January night. My sisters and I sat around the fire, not   38  that the universe would suddenly change its course. "In May, we're  39  to Arizona."
The words, so small, didn't seem  40  enough to hold my new life. But the world changed and I awoke on a train moving across the country. I watched the  41_  change from green trees to flat dusty plains to high mountains as I saw strange new plants that  42  mysteries(奥秘) yet to come. Finally, we arrived and  43  into our new home.
44  my older sisters were sad at the loss of friends, I   45  explored(探索) our new surroundings.
One afternoon, I was out exploring  46  and saw a new kind of cactus(仙人掌). I crouched (蹲) down for a closer look. "You'd better not  47  that."
I turned around to see an old woman
"Are you new to this neighborhood?" I explained that I was,  48 , new to the entire state.
"My name is Ina Thorne. Have you got used to life in the  49 ? It must be quite a _50  after living in Boston."
How could I explain how I  51  the desert? I couldn't seem to find the right words.
"It's vastness," she offered. “That vastness  52  you stand on the mountains overlooking the desert -- you can  53  how little you are in comparison with the world.     54  , you feel that the possibilities are limitless.”
That was it. That was the feeling I'd had ever since I'd first seen the mountains of my new home. Again, my  55  would change with just a few simple words.
"Would you like to come to my home tomorrow? Someone should teach you which plant you should and shouldn't touch."
36. A. During            B. Until               C. Upon                    D. Before   
37. A. gathered          B. warned            C. organized          D. comforted 
38. A. hoping              B. admitting         C. realizing            D. believing  
39. A. going                B. moving           C. driving                 D. flying    
40. A. good                 B. simple            C. big                       D. proper    
41. A. picture              B. ground            C. scene               D. area     
42. A. suggested                   B. solved            C. discovered         D. explained 
43. A. settled              B. walked           C. hurried              D. stepped
44. A. If                     B. After                    C. Once               D. While  
45. A. bitterly             B. easily                   C. proudly             D. eagerly   
46 A as well                B. as usual           C. right away         D. on time 
47. A. move                B. dig                         C. pull                  D. touch   
48. A. of course           B. in fact                    C. after all             D. at least  
49. A. desert               B. city                 C. state                  D. country 
50. A. luck                  B. doubt                C. shock                D. danger  
51. A. found               B. examined         C. watched            D. reached 
52. A. why                 B. when               C. how                         D. where   
53. A. prove                B. guess               C. sense                 D. expect   
54. A. However           B. Otherwise        C. Therefore              D. Meanwhile
55. A. idea                  B. life                        C. home                    D. family