【浙江英语·八年级下册】2024年期中提分精炼：完形填空

Mark would turn ten in three days. His mom asked him what he wanted as a 1 . He thought maybe a bicycle, a 2  or a telescope (望远镜). He told his mom his choices and said any of these gifts would be great. In fact, he hoped for the telescope. He 3  learning about the planets.

Mark's parents 4 the gifts one night after Mary went to sleep.

"Mark will just get 5  of the basketball. He already has two," said Dad.

We 6 bought him a bicycle last year. It's new," said Mom.

"We should 7  Mark a telescope," said Dad. " He's so interested in space and the planets; he will like8 ."

"Sounds good," said Mom.

Dad stopped by the 9  the next day after work and bought a telescope. He put it in his car.

He 10  until Mark was asleep and brought it into the house.

"This is 11 ." said Mark's mom after she saw it. "He would love it."

Dad put it in the attic (阁楼).

Mark's birthday came and he was excited. He ran into the 12 . His gift was usually there,13 he couldn't find anything. Dad came into the kitchen and saw Mark was looking for a gift. He asked Mark to 14 him to the attic.

"This is fantastic!" said Mark. "Thanks so much."

That night, Mark saw many beautiful15 and planets. How happy he was!

Wherever Paul Horton goes, his six-year-old dog Yogi walks closely behind him. They have always been best friends. 

One October morning, Horton was 1  his bike in the neighborhood. Yogi ran 2  beside his master (主人). Yogi had done it every morning for nearly three years. 3  they came to a tall stone edge (边缘)，Horton wanted to jump down from his bike. But the wheel hit the stone and Horton fell down 4 . As Horton tried to rise, he 5  the situation was very bad. He couldn't feel his legs. 

When Horton was 6  on the ground, Yogi was by his side nervously. Horton said, "Go home, Yogi. Go and get 7  to help. " Horton said the words slowly, again and again. 8 , Yogi refused to leave. But Horton continued asking Yogi to go. Finally, the dog 9 . 

That morning, Bruce Tate and Maggie Tate, two of Horton's neighbors, were taking a walk. When they saw Yogi running down the street alone, they thought it was very 10 . The dog never did that before. So they decided to 11  Yogi to see what happened. 

The wait was agony(痛苦) for Horton. When he heard the sound of Yogi, he, 12  his eyes and saw the Tates. They were surprised at Horton's condition and they sent him to the hospital quickly. 

13  he has to move in a wheelchair (轮椅) now, Horton feels better. Horton says that Yogi and he are much closer after the 14 . "I'm very thankful to Yogi. He played a very 15  role in saving my life. He's my watchdog and my hero," Horton says. 

Sujan Dhakal is a high school student from Maryland, America. Earlier 2022, he1 Braille literacy (读写能力）competitions. Braille is a written language for people2 blindness or low vision(视力). It uses raised dots(点)that can be3 using fingers.

Some players use the competitions to test their4 in Braille. And some want to win prizes.But for players like Sujan, it is a good time to develop5 .

A worker of this competition says, "Students who are blind or unable to see normally are6 .They may be the only student in their school or even in their county. And at this event, the students have a7 to come together and talk." In 2022, more than 8008 in the 1st to 12th grade joined in the Maryland Braille Challenge.Only the top scorers moved on to the National Braille Challenge. Sujan placed first,which gave9 a ticket to the national challenge.

" My dad is always more excited than I am10 I see the competition less as a competition—11 , more like a place to talk to people,"he said.

This was Sujan's fifth time to enter the national competition. Sujan didn't get any prize but he was not too12 about it. He said that13 is not the purpose (目的)of these competitions. In his eyes, it's the friendships that allow him to14 the events.

"I'll say this to everybody who really wants to win. If you win, that's15 . If you don't, then that's OK as well. Don't pay attention to winning but to people there."Sujan said.

A young lady was driving a family car home with her father when they were caught in a heavy storm.

The young lady was a little 1 and asked her father, "What should I do, stop or 2 driving?" Her father said, "Keep driving. "

After 3 a few kilometers, the storm was becoming heavier 4 heavier. The young lady noticed that some cars and big transport trucks 5 pulling over (靠边停) to the side of the road.

The young lady asked her father again 6 they should stop. But her father said 7. So, she had to keep on driving.

Ten minutes 8, the storm started to become 9 and she could see a little more clearly. After a few of kilometers, she drove out of the storm. What's more, the sun 10 and the road ahead was dry.

Her father told her to 11 and get out of the car.

"But why 12, Father?" she asked in surprise.

Her father said, "When you get out, you can look back 13 all the people in cars and big trucks that gave up and they are still in the storm. Now, your storm is over 14 you didn't give up. "

Don't give up, even if the stronger do. If you keep going, soon your "personal 15" will be over. The sun will shine on you again and the road ahead will be dry and clear.

Long long ago, there was a king. He loved animals very much. One day he got1nice falcons from his son. He had never seen such2falcons before. He loved them so much and he ordered the best falconer（猎鹰者）to 3them to fly.

After several months, the king came to see4the training was going on. He found that one falcon had already been able to fly high in the sky, while5was staying on the branch（树枝）o fa tree quietly.

The king called all his falconers together and ordered them to6every way they could to make the other falcon fly. But none of them7. One day, while the king was taking a walk in the forest. an idea came to his 8. Maybe someone who knew the natural environment well could9this problem. Then he invited a   10who lived in the forest into his palace to train it at once.

The next morning, the king saw the other falcon flying in the sky freely. He felt very surprised.

"It is unbelievable!" shouted the king. "How could you11it happen?"

The farmer replied, "It is very12. I just cut off the branch where the falcon rested. It had no place to rest. Then it had to13. "

It is always the same to human beings. We all have "two flying wings" in our hearts as well. But it seems that we don't notice them and stay in a place where we just feel14and comfortable. We won't realize we can fly so high and freely until the branches we are resting on15. Do you think so?