When I was 17，I read a quote that went something like：“If you live each day as if it were your last，someday you’ll most certainly be right” It made a deep 36 on me, and since then, for the past 33 years，I have 37 in the mirror every morning and asked myself：“If today were the last day of my life， 38 I want to do what I am about to do today?” And whenever the answer has been “No” for too many days in a 39 ，I know I need to change something．
Remembering that I’ll be 40 soon is the most important tool I’ve ever known to help me make the big 41 in life because almost everything falls away in the face of death， 42 only what is truly important.
About a year ago I was 43 with cancer. My doctor even advised me to go home and get my affairs 44 order，which is a doctor’s way of telling people to prepare to die．I 45 with that diagnosis all day． 46 ，at last an advanced test showed that it was a very rare cancer that is 47 with surgery．I had the surgery and I’m fine now.
48 wants to die．Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all 49 ．No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be，because death is very likely the single best invention of 50 ．It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to 51 for the new．Right now the new is you．But someday not too 52 from now，you will gradually become the old and be cleared away．Sorry to be so dramatic，but it is quite true.
Your time is 53 ，so don’t waste it living someone else’s 1ife．Don’t be 54 by dogma (教条) —which is living with the results of other people’s thinking．Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner 55 ．And most importantly，have the courage to follow your heart.
36. A. joke B. curse C. decision D. impression
37. A. looked B. seen C. found D. 1ost
38. A. might B. should C. would D. could
39. A. hurry B. 1ine C. row D. moment
40. A. successful B. dead C. rich D. frustrated
41. A. choices B. fortune C. impressions D. apologies
42. A. proving B. confirming C. leaving D. telling
43. A. treated B. cured C. diagnosed D. round
44. A. on B. for C. at D. in
45. A. met B. 1ived C. did D. got
46. A. But B. However C. Therefore D. So
47. A. incurable B. fatal C. curable D. changeable
48. A. No one B. Someone C. Anyone D. Everyone
49. A. want B. avoid C. escape D. share
50. A. destination B. science C. 1ife D. disease
51. A. make up B. make way C. make our D. make for
52. A. distant B. long C. short D. away
53. A. enough B. rare C. limited D. 1ost
54. A. wasted B. cheated C. excited D. trapped
55. A. love B. voice C. direction D. confusion