Billy Peck was a farm duck whose biggest dream was to become a tightrope walker (走钢丝者). Every day he __16__ hours practicing on a rope, encouraged by his best __17__， Artie Quack.
One day, a sheep arrived at the __18__. Soon after the duck finished their tightrope practice, the sheep __19__ and began praising them. He said they had done __20__ work, and he believed that they could cross any precipice (悬崖) on that rope. This left Billy feeling very __21__. But Artie said that he didn’t notice __22__ real improvement.
A few days later, they went to a precipice. The space between two sides of the precipice was so __23__ that no one dared cross it. The sheep persuaded Billy to __24__ the precipice on a rope. Artie tried to make his friend understand that he wasn’t such a great tightrope walker, and that it would be really __25__. However, the sheep disagreed, and said that Billy was the __26__ tightrope walker he had ever seen. Billy believed the sheep and thought Artie was just jealous (嫉妒的) of him. Artie was very angry with Billy and __27__ to help with the tightrope walk.
Billy made up his __28__ to take the risk. But as soon as he __29__ out onto the rope, he lost his balance and fell. __30__， he landed on a small ledge (岩架). When he asked the __31__ to help him up, he found that he had disappeared. Billy understood that Artie had been telling him the __32__ all along.
Artie was a real good friend, because knowing what was going to __33__， he had prepared a plan to __34__ Billy.
Billy asked Artie to __35__ him, and Artie happily did so.
16．A.took B．cost
C．spent D．paid
17．A.brother B．owner
C．teacher D．friend
18．A.town B．farm
C．house D．school
19．A.walked away B．laughed out
C．came over D．passed by
20．A.great B．wrong
C．bad D．right
21．A.sad B．encouraged
C．nervous D．amazed
22．A.some B．any
C．every D．little
23．A.long B．wide
C．hard D．far
24．A.measure B．fill
C．cross D．face
25．A.dangerous B．exciting
C．wonderful D．useless
26．A.worst B．best
C．last D．first
27．A.accepted B．agreed
C．forced D．refused
28．A.thought B．breath
C．mind D．idea
29．A.stepped B．shouted
C．stood D．started
30．A.Expectedly B．Sadly
C．Happily D．Fortunately
31．A.duck B．sheep
C．farmer D．owner
32．A.joke B．lie
C．truth D．problem
33．A.give B．happen
C．change D．produce
34．A.stop B．beat
C．fight D．save
35．A.forgive B．leave
C．forget D．thank