Back in the 15th century, in a tiny village in Germany, lived a family with eighteen children．Eighteen! In order 36 to keep food on the table, the father, a goldsmith by 37 , worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade．Despite their seemingly 38 condition, two of the eldest children had a dream．They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, 39 they knew well that their father would never be able to 40 either of them to study at the Academy．
After many long discussions at night in their 41 bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact．They would toss （掷） a coin．The 42 would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, 43 his winning brother for the academy．Then, in four years, he would support the Other one．Then Albrecht Durer won the toss and 44 to Nuremberg．Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, 45 his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation．By the time he graduated, he was beginning to 46 considerable fees for himself．
When the young artist 47 home and said to his brother, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your 48 . Now you can go to the Academy to pursue your dream, and I will 49 you．"
Albert rose and wiped the 50 from his cheeks．"No, brother．I cannot go to Nuremberg．It is too 51 for me．Look…look what four years in the mines have done to my 52 ! I cannot even hold a glass, much less make delicate lines on canvas 53 a pen or a brush．"
More than 450 years have 54 ．By now, among Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, "The Praying Hands" is one 55 creation that can catch the world's hearts．
36．A．merely B．fully C．completely D．entirely
37．A．heart B．method C．profession D．words
38．A．demanding B．promising C．hopeless D．careless
39．A．so B．and C．however D．but
40．A．study B．send C．give D．offer
41．A．separated B．crowded C．new D．unusual
42．A．winner B．loser C．old ．younger
43．A．support B．advertise C．expect D．require
44．A．flew away B．went off C．set aside D．left behind
45．A．deserved B．desired C．financed D．envied
46．A．spend B．save C．draw D．earn
47．A．arrived B．regained C．returned D．got
48．A．turn B．time C．top D．fate
49．A．take charge of B．make up for C．make use of D．take care of
50．A．smiles B．sweats C．tears D．hints
51．A．late B．nervous C．tiring D．tense
52．A．eyes B．hands C．pictures D．mines
53．A．in B．of C．upon D．with
54．A．passed B．kept C．remembered D．changed
55．A．strange B．touching C．wonderful D．mysterious