Although he will always be remembered for starring “Superman,” the greatest role of actor Christopher Reeve’s life was as a champion of sufferers of spinal cord （脊椎） injuries and an supporter of stem cell （干细胞） research.
Unlike the man of steel, he wasn’t faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than an engine and he couldn’t leap tall buildings in a single bound. But the courage and determination Reeve showeed in trying to overcome his paralysis （瘫痪） from a 1995 horse-riding accident went beyond any of the achievements of the comic book hero.
“He became a real-life Superman. His heroism, his courage was extraordinary,” Colin Blakemore, the chief executive of Britain’s Medical Research Council said. “Like many people who suffer some terrible injuries, Christopher Reeve was totally changed by that experience and brought the kind of energy and enthusiasm that made him successful as a film star to an entirely different issue, with huge effect.”
Reeve, 52, died of heart failure on October 10, 2004 after having treatment for an infected pressure wound without realizing his dream of walking again. But in the nine years since his accident, he made personal progress to regain respect and admiration, founded the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, a non-profit research organization, and used his fame to raise millions of dollars for research into spinal cord injuries.
He also provided hope and inspiration to other patients and made speeches to support scientists to be allowed to conduct stem cell research in the hopes of eventually curing paralysis and other illnesses such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
“He has been our champion. If you think of spinal injuries, you automatically recall a picture of Christopher Reeve,” said Paul Smith, executive director of the Spinal Injuries Association in England. It is because of Reeve that spinal cord injuries and stem cell research are so widely discussed, according to Smith. The fact that it happened to Reeve showed it can affect anyone, even Superman.
Reeve did not live long enough to see whether stem cell research could help restore movement to the paralyzed. The research is still in its early days and no one knows what advances it may bring.
1.Which of the following words can best describe the characteristics of Reeve?
A. strong-willed and caring
B. tough and persuasive
C. caring and reliable
D. sympathetic and considerate
2.The purpose of paragraph 2 is to show us that ______.
A. Reeve was not as capable as the image he acted in his film
B. the image of Superman created by Reeve will always be remembered
C. Reeve is no more than an ordinary person when he was faced with paralysis
D. the inspiring image in Reeve’s real life was even greater than that in his film
3.Reeve made the following contributions to the scientific research except______.
A. setting up a non-profit research organization
B. winning public respect and admiration by overcoming obstacles
C. influencing the world by making speeches on stem cell research
D. struggling for the permission to conduct stem cell research
4.It can be implied from the passage that ______.
A. Reeve remained optimistic after suffering from paralysis
B. stem cell research has long been a controversial subject
C. paralysis can happen to anyone no matter how strong he seems
D. some presently incurable illnesses are to be cured in the near future
5.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A. A Fighter of Spinal Cord Injuries
B. A Real Hero in Film
C. A Forever Superman
D. A Struggling Life
完形填空
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1-20各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
It was 4 o'clock in the morning, when I received the phone call．
“This is the emergency room calling and your son was just ______ in with severe burns on his face, neck and arms. We have called for a(n) ______ and are going to fly him to the burn unit in Seattle.” Seattle was 350 miles from his college, so we knew immediately this was ______.
The doctor described the ______, which caused the burns. At 6 am, our son and his friends decided to barbecue hamburgers in the courtyard of their apartment. When they ______ the charcoal(木炭), it burst into flames because they had sprayed too much gasoline. The flames ______ my son’s shirt tail and shot from his waist to well over his head.
______, one of the boys who was quick—minded grasped my son and ______ him on the grass. While it saved his life, it was not in ______ to save him from severe burns and the terrible scars.
After he ______ from the treatments, the doctors told him they would not do plastic surgery(整容)for 6 months ______ it takes that long for the skin to stop wrinkling(起皱). So, he had to return to college with scars typical of severe burns．
When I was a child, my mother told my sister，who had a 10-inch very ______ scar on her arm, “Nancy，if you ignore the scar，other people will ignore it. It does not mean they will not ______ it, but it means it will not matter to them if it doesn’t matter to you. ’’
I ______ this wisdom on to my son. He took my advice to _____ and returned to school with his head held high—glad he was alive.
By the end of the six-month waiting period, he decided that the scars did not ______. So he made the ______ to give up any plastic surgery.
We all have “scars” that we believe ______ people to keep away from us. And we spend a lot of time thinking that if only we looked differently, or dressed differently, people would like us better. But you see, people will only judge you by your looks or your clothes if you are judging yourself by these same ______ standards. Put your imperfections out of your mind and concentrate on what you value ______ yourself, and your beauty will shine through.
1.A. brought B. given C. turned D. showed
2.A. doctor B. hospital C. aircraft D. ambulance
3.A. serious B. terrible C. dangerous D. important
4.A. event B. process C. reason D. accident
5.A. got B. lit C. burned D. moved
6.A. took B. held C. caught D. attracted
7.A. Fortunately B. Surprisingly C. Happily D. Slowly
8.A. pushed B. threw C. dropped D. rolled
9.A.shape B. place C. fact D. time
10.A. benefited B. recovered C. suffered D. relaxed
11.A. if B. while C. because D. although
12.A. normal B. violent C. obvious D. popular
13.A. mention B. notice C. 1augh D. hide
14.A. sent B. kept C. handed D. passed
15.A. heart B. life C. practice D. admission
16.A. grow B. matter C. exist D. appear
17.A. mistake B. effort C. decision D. request
18.A. invite B. cause C. allow D. remind
19.A. false B. strict C. moral D. general
20.A. by B. over C. beyond D. within
Mary felt ___________ from the outside world, since the Internet connection isn’t available in the island.
A. cut off B. put out C. cut out D. put forward
The soldiers fought _________ of their country’s safety.
A. in advance B. in need C. in defense D. in support
__________ to smart phones just before bed, as a research says recently, can lead to poor night’s sleep.
A. Being exposed B. Exposed C. Having exposed D. To expose
It was ________ of our boss to care so much about our feelings, as a result of which many of my co-workers decided to stay when our company was at risk.
A. modest B. particular C.strict D. considerate
