第二节：完形填空(共20小题，每小题l.5分．满分30分)
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项．
It was the district track meeting, which we had been training for all seasons. My foot still hadn't healed from a(n)   36  injury. Actually I had hesitated whether or not to  37  the meet. But there I was, preparing for the 3,200-meter run.
"Ready... set..." The gun popped and off we were. The other girls ran ahead of me. I found myself limping(跛) and felt ashamed as I  38  farther and farther behind.
The first-place runner was two laps(圈) ahead of me when she crossed the finish line. "Hooray!" the  39  shouted with the loudest cheer I had ever heard at a meeting.
"Maybe I should quit," I   40  as I limped on. "Those people wouldn't like to wait for me to finish this race." Somehow,    41  , I decided to keep going. During the last two laps, I ran   42   and decided not to compete in track next year. I couldn't beat the girl who lapped me twice, even if my foot did 43  .
When I finished, I heard a cheer-just as  44  as the one the first-place girl received "What was that all about?" I asked myself. I turned around and sure enough, the boys were preparing for their race. "They  45   be cheering for the boys."
I went  46  to the bathroom where a girl came across me and said, "Wow, you've got courage!"
I thought, "Courage? She must be  47  me for someone else. I just  48  a race!  I would have never been able to finish those two miles  49  I were you. What happened to your foot? We were cheering for you. Did you hear us?"
I couldn't believe it. A(n)  50  stranger had cheered for me-not for my victory, but for my perseverance. Suddenly I  51  hope. I decided to stick with track next year. One girl saved my  52  .
That day I learned two things. First, a  53  kindness and confidence in people can make a great difference to them. Second, strength and courage aren't measured in the  54  and victories.                                                         They are measured in the struggles we  55  . 
36. A. earlier           B. smaller            C. simpler            D. later
37. A. mention             B. present           C. attend     D. watch
38. A. left                 B. dropped          C. moved     D. fell
39. A. competitors  B. crowd         C. public      D. team
40. A. swore           B. discouraged         C. determined D. thought
41. A. however            B. merely     C. therefore        D. too
42. A. in surprise    B. in a hurry        C. in pain     D. in panic
43. A. hurt              B. heal             C. harm           D. cure
44. A. different            B. same          C. enthusiastic         D. outstanding
45. A. may               B. would             C. must           D. could
46. A. soon              B. around             C. straight           D. opposite
47. A. recognizing    B. tricking            C. knowing          D. mistaking
48. A. won               B. defeated         C. lost              D. missed
49. A. as if               B. in ease             C. though             D. if
50. A. complete    B. new             C. crazy           D. excited
51. A. returned            B. rewarded        C. readapted      D. regained
52. A. life         B. face             C. dream     D. trouble
53. A. little              B. useful         C. rare             D. valueless
54. A. possessions      B. medals            C. words         D. smiles
55. A. get across         B. get in          C. get over          D. get to