The Price of a Dream
I grew up poor, living with my wonderful mother. We had little money but plenty of love and attention. I was 36 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still 37 a dream.
My dream was to be a sportsman. 38 I was sixteen, I had started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball and hit anything that moved on the football field. I was also 39 : My high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who not only believed in me, but taught me 40 to believe in myself. He 41 me the difference between having a dream and realizing the dream. One particular 42 with Coach Jarvis changed my life forever.
It was the summer between my junior and senior years, and a friend recommended (推荐) me for a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket—money for a new bike and new clothes, and the 43 of savings for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to 44 summer baseball to deal with the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing.
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 45 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your playing days are limited. You can’t 46 to waste them.” I stood before him with my head hanging, trying to think of the 47 that would explain 48 him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his 49 in me.
“How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “Three twenty-five an hour,” I replied.
“Well,” he asked, “is $3.25 an hour the 50 of a dream?”
That simple question made it 51 to me the difference between 52 something right now and following a dream. I 53 myself to sports that summer, and within the year I was 54 by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was 55 a $20,000 contract. In 2000, I bought my mother the house of my dream!
36. A. happy B. polite C. shy D. honest
37. A. lose B. have C. make D. need
38. A. By the time B. The time C. At one time D. At a time
39. A. right B. popular C. lucky D. confident
40. A. how B. why C. when D. whether
41. A. gave B. taught C. brought D. asked
42. A. accident B. matter C. problem D. experience
43. A. aim B. idea C. start D. purpose
44. A. keep up B. put up C. give up D. pick up
45. A. mad B. happy C. frightened D. shameful
46. A. adopt B. afford C. affect D. effect
47. A. answers B. excuses C. words D. ways
48. A. for B. to C. on D. in
49. A. sadness B. regret C. hopelessness D. disappointment
50. A. source B. prize C. price D. allowance
51. A. direct B. clear C. clean D. straight
52. A. wanting B. changing C. dreaming D. choosing
53. A. provided B. devoted C. headed D. imagined
54. A. worked B. mentioned C. fired D. hired
55. A. paid B. got C. offered D. signed