My sister and I have been a headache for my mother, because my father was in the army, he was not around too often. __21__, my mother brought us up almost single-handedly and it must have __22__ real strength of mind to bring up such naughty and stubborn children who got out from one trouble only to get into another. Bonus and I weren’t scholars either. __23__, we hated studying from the very beginning. We were __24__ to spend time with our schoolbooks---out of the fear of Mum’s scolding. I almost did not make it to 10th grade. That entire summer Mum __25__ that I read my schoolbooks from the very first chapter till the last. I left __26__ college at 18. In my second year of college, while I was studying for my final exams, I got a phone call from Mum __27__ my sister had failed her 9th grade exams. Mum was heartbroken. My mother was an English teacher in a famous school in the city and it was a(n) __28__ for her. Then started another __29__ for my Mum. There always seemed to be people who would come and talk about how well their children were doing __30__ my mother would be having a tough time making sure we stayed on the right path. Mum was __31__ that we would do well for ourselves. She never let my sister and me __32__ that we had lost out on something and always told us: “Let this be a lesson. We are going to work really really hard...__33__ will change.” Things did change, but very slowly and __34__, one little step at a time. Last year I finished with law school and started working. My mother’s belief in me __35__. And just a few days ago I got a phone from Bonus. She had __36__ the exam with honors and was __37__ to the best university in the country. I was in tears. Later that night I __38__ Mum: “Mum, your two little failures didn’t do as badly as everybody thought.” Mum __39__ and said: “You are my daughters and I knew you the best. I always knew that you would succeed. It was just a __40__ of time.” 小题1: A．However B．Thus C．Otherwise D．Besides 小题2: A．devoted B．spent C．taken D．wasted 小题3: A．In that case B．In this way C．On the other hand D．On the contrary 小题4: A．pleased B．annoyed C．forced D．advised 小题5: A．demanded B．concluded C．promised D．mentioned 小题6: A．at B．for C．from D．after 小题7: A．announcing B．reading C．knowing D．saying 小题8: A．shame B．challenge C．pride D．honor 小题9: A．experiment B．research C．conflict D．trial 小题10: A．though B．while C．as D．unless 小题11: A．determined B．astonished C．satisfied D．concerned 小题12: A．predict B．imagine C．guess D．feel 小题13: A．Environment B．Society C．Circumstances D．Impressions 小题14: A．quickly B．extremely C．smoothly D．gradually 小题15: A．made up B．paid off C．took on D．burst out 小题16: A．attended B．received C．passed D．failed 小题17: A．accepted B．allowed C．admitted D．permitted 小题18: A．questioned B．convinced C．persuaded D．called 小题19: A．nodded B．laughed C．shouted D．joked 小题20: A．matter B．period C．waste D．length