完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
As a child, I was afraid of everything. At the age of 8, I even became  36   of getting Halloween candy.  37   , on October 31, my twin brother and I went out and   38   to every house in the neighborhood. Most of the houses only had a few steps to the door. It was easy. However, when we   39    one of the bigger houses with 10 tall steps   40   to the front door, which were known to have the best candy, my fear  41    me. My brother was already up the stairs, while I stood   42    at the bottom.
It was  43    that I’d be able to climb all that way, for I was afraid that I might fall over in the dark and   44   my bag of candy. I might   45   my clothes on something. I wanted the candy, but there was no   46    I would go up those stairs to get it. I failed. I lost more than just candy. I lost my   47   .
Fear of the unknown   48   me for a long time. After six years in nursing, I was  49    with the career I had chosen. I faced a  50   : step out into the unknown or   51    the rest of my life at the bottom of those steps, never   52   the best candy.
Finally, with only $100 in my savings account, I started my own business. Whenever I would lose a client (客户), the old fears   53   . However, I’d tasted the candy, and now I don’t   54   when I face difficulties. I believe that, though    55   things can happen when we step out, worse things happen when we don’t.
36. A. afraid         B. happy            C. fond          D. tired
37. A. Hardly          B. Normally              C. Certainly      D. Approximately
38. A. pointed        B. rushed             C. moved              D. traveled
39. A. knocked          B. escaped                      C. reached       D. entered
40. A. pointing        B. belonging           C. opening             D. leading
41. A. encouraged     B. spread               C. prevented       D. attracted
42. A. slightly        B. frozen             C. calmly        D. happily
43. A. unlikely              B. unlucky             C. possible         D. pitiful
44. A. fall                  B. drop              C. forget         D. lose
45. A. bury          B. break               C. tear           D. catch
46. A. way                    B. need               C. doubt          D. wonder
47. A. bag               B. life               C. way           D. confidence
48. A. amused         B. controlled          C. helped         D. ruined
49. A. excited         B. concerned           C. impressive     D. unsatisfied
50. A. difficulty       B. cause               C. fear           D. choice
51. A. save            B. spend              C. change             D. escape
52. A. presenting      B. buying                       C. making           D. tasting
53. A. disappeared     B. warned                C. returned          D. reminded
54. A. fear           B. cry                C. fail              D. complain
55. A. big            B. fortunate                   C. bad             D. small