三、完形填空（共20小题，每题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文稿，掌握其大意，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D、）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
In 1929, the awful Depression（美国经济大萧条）began. It was a year of change for me, too. I’d taken my first  36  that spring, at age 10. From 6:00 to 11:00 on Saturday nights, I  37  the Sunday edition of the Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph at a street corner.
I went to the news store,   38  my papers and took them up to the street corner. I had to make three   39   because the Sunday edition was big and I was small.
After waiting for  40  from the last streetcar, I gathered up my extras and   41   them to the news store. It was 10:20. Next I hurried across the street to the flower shop and bought the most beautiful flower for my mother   42  tomorrow was Mother’s Day.
It was almost  43  when I arrived . Mom was sick with tuberculosis（肺结核）.I peeked in to see if she was 44  , then quickly tiptoed in and set the flower on the table beside her bed. I wanted her to be   45  when she woke on Mother’s Day.
The next morning, I dressed and hurried downstairs. The sun was shining  46  the kitchen windows as I looked into Mom’s room, She motioned （示意） for me to come in, then 47  over at the table where the flower was.
When I looked at Mom, she was  48 , with tears streaming down her cheeks. She  49  her hand for me to come near, then pulled me close and hugged  50  it hurt. Then,  51 her contagious（接触传染的） condition and that she wasn’t  52  to touch me, she quickly let go.
My dear mom died the next night. That moment she hugged me  53  to be the most wonderful of my life. Not only had that beautiful flower helped  54  just how much I loved her, but I’d  55 remember how much she loved me.
36. A. chance                       B. exam                       C. job                          D. course
37. A. bought                       B. sold                         C. printed                         D. carried
38. A. took up                      B. held up                    C. put up                      D. picked up
39. A. attempts                     B. trips                       C. ways                        D. efforts
40. A. customers                     B. workers             C. drivers        D. reporters
41. A. gave                             B. brought             C. returned                    D. took
42. A. for                              B. when                C. though                        D. because
43. A. midnight                       B. noon                 C. evening                       D. daybreak
44. A. anxious                  B. alive                        C. asleep                      D. afraid
45. A. well                             B. surprised           C. excited                        D. interested
46. A. on                             B. across                      C. at                                   D. through
47. A. watched                        B. glared               C. fixed                        D. glanced
48. A. smiling                      B. crying                      C. screaming                 D. thinking
49. A. took out                        B. held out        C. picked out                D. put out
50. A. before                       B. after                        C. till                           D. when
51. A. thinking                        B. forgetting                 C. remembering                D. wondering
52. A. meant                        B. supposed                  C. planned                    D. demanded
53. A. turned to              B. turned up                   C. turned in                  D. turned out
54. A. explain                      B. show                        C. mean                       D. tell
55. A. never                         B. seldom                C. always                    D. often