An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to 1 the house-building business to live a more 2 life with his wife and 3 his extended family. He would miss the paycheck（工资）each week, but he wanted to retire. They could 4 .
The employer was 5 to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, 6 over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He used bad workmanship and 7 materials. It was an unfortunate way to 8 a dedicated（献身的）career.
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to 9 the house. Then he handed the front-door 10 to the carpenter and said, “This is your house... my 11 to you.”
The carpenter was shocked!
What a 12 ! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
13 it is with us. We build our lives, a day at a time, often putting 14 than our best into the building. Then, with a shock, we 15 we have to live in the house we have built. If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.
But, you cannot 16 . You are the carpenter, and every day you hammer a nail, place a board, or build a wall. Someone 17 said, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your 18 , and the choices you 19 today, help build the “house” you will live in tomorrow. Therefore, build 20 !
1. A. continue B. start C. leave D. find
2. A. leisurely B. lonely C. orderly D. friendly 3. A support B. share C. enjoy D. care 4. A. go off B. get by C. pass on D. work away 5. A. polite B. nervous C. proud D. sorry
6. A. but B. while C. which D. before 7. A. perfect B. inferior C. superior D. tough 8. A. satisfy B. improve C. meet D. end
9. A. buy B. repair C. inspect D. sell 10. A. roof B. window C. key D. design 11. A. gift B. promise C. salary D. words
12. A. disappointment B. shame C. pleasure D. success 13. A. So B. Yet C. As D. Such 14. A. worse B. more C. rather D. less 15. A. realize B. explain C. think D. admit 16. A. step forward B. go back C. e out D. look around17. A. never B. again C. once D. nearly 18. A. attitude B. experience C. skill D.advantage 19. A. learn B. take C. see D. make 20. A. badly B. wisely C. early D.confidently 1-5 CACBD 6-10 ABDCC 11-15 ABADA 16-20 BCADB
网友回答
(答案→)17. A. never B. again C. once D. nearly 18. A. attitude B. experience C. skill D.advantage 19. A. learn B. take C. see D. make 20. A. badly B. wisely C. early D.confidently 1-5 CACBD 6-10 ABDCC 11-15 ABADA 16-20 BCADB
解析：1．C. 根据上文的retire可知，他想离开自己的工作，故选C项leave。
2．A.。leisurely悠闲的，慢悠悠的；lonely孤独的；orderly有秩序的，有条理的；friendly友好的。根据常识可知，人们退休了以后，生活常是悠闲的，故选A项。
3．C. 退休了以后，老人可以更好的享受家庭的乐趣，选C项enjoy最佳。
4．B. go off开火、爆炸，（电灯等）熄灭；get by维持生计，设法过活；pass on转交，递给；work away连续不停地工作。根据前面的extended family和miss the paycheck可推知，老人生活上悠闲，但没有了工资，生活可能不如以前宽松，但他们能设法维持，故选B项。
5．D. 根据上文retire和下文的his good worker，作为老板，自己的好员工要走了，自然惋惜，故选D项sorry是符合情理的。
6．A. 从下文得知，老木匠的最后一座房子造的很不好，是因为他不用心。所以此处表示转折，选A项but，意为“他虽然答应了，但并不用心工作”。注意while是并列连词，表示前后对比，而非转折。
7．B. 根据前文的bad workmanship和下文可知，老木匠用的建筑材料是劣质的，故inferior正确。
8．D. 根据前文的retire、go和asked if he could build just one more house可知，这是老木匠为老板建造的最后一座房子，是他一生事业的结束，故选D项end。
9．C. 作为老板，自己让人建设的房子完工了，自然来查看一下。下文也提到他并非来购买、出售或修理房子，排除了其他选项。
10．C. 从下文的If he had only known he was building his own house可以看出，老板把刚刚建设的房子作为礼物（gift）送给了老木匠，应该给他房门钥匙，故A项key正确。
11．A. 根据上下文可知，这是老板给老木匠的礼物，以表示感谢。
12．B. 根据上文的shock和下句If he had only known he was building his own house, he would
have done it all so differently可知，老木匠为自己做的蠢事感到羞耻、后悔，故选B项shame正确。
13．A. “So it is with sb.”是一常见句型，意为“……也如此”。注意此题易错选as，误认为是定语从句。As可以引导定语从句，但注意是此句末的标点是句号，因此缺少先行词，无法构成定语从句。其他两选项意思、结构均不正确。
14．D. 根据文意，作者在向我们阐述一个道理，我们的生活也象老木匠建房子一样，没有投入全身心，即用的努力少（less），因此，选D项符合文意。
15．A. 根据上下文，开始我们没有觉察，但后来当我们认识到自己的愚蠢行为时，为时已晚。所以，此处选择realize是正确的。
16．B. 根据上文If we could do it over, we would do it much differently.和But可知，我们虽认识到错误，但有些事情是无法重新再做一遍的。Step forward自告奋勇；go back回到、重新再来；e out（太阳、星星……）出现；look around环视、环顾。四个词组中只有go back有此意。
17．C. 根据下文可知，作者在引用某人（曾经说过）的话，所以用副词once最合适。其他选项与文意不符。
18．A. 根据上文，老木匠既有经验，技艺也高超，但态度不端正犯了大错。因此，一个人做事的态度决定结果，故选attitude是正确的。
19．D. Make a choice/ choices是常见的搭配，意为“作出选择”。
20．B. 根据最后一段和上文中的therefore可知，作者是在告戒读者：我们既然明白了这个道理，“建造自己的房子时”就明智些吧！所以wisely正确。