【原创】英语美文与完形填空：Family Christmas Tradition of Picking the Perfect Tree

【博主按语】再推荐一篇有关圣诞节的美文，同样地令人感觉非常温暖，作者的Granddad非常用心地每年都悄悄滴以一种秘密的方式帮孩子们准备圣诞树，每年都会使孩子为能找到那棵完美的圣诞树而兴奋...。一个很特别的family Christmas tradition! 

 By Arleen Fishel

Alexandria, Kentucky

I was in my early 20s when I discovered the truth about the perfect Christmas trees my sister and I found each year in the forest behind my grandparents’ farmhouse.

When we were growing up, Colleen and I rode the train 300 miles from Seattle to Spokane every summer and Christmas vacation. Then we took a taxi 5 miles to the Greyhound（美国灰狗长途巴士） terminal, where we’d wait 2 hours for the bus to Loon Lake. Forty miles and another hour later, we would hop out at the Loon Lake post office, where Granddad and Gammie(=Grannie) met us with smiling faces and Granddad’s green 1954 Chevy pickup（皮卡）.

Our warmest childhood memories are of their farm on Grouse River Road. We bumped along on the broad back of their horse, Jenny, who was 15 hands high and blind in one eye. We milked cows and goats, slopped the pigs, ate berries off the vine and ran through newly plowed fields with dirt squishing between our toes, gathering worms for the chickens.

How ’bout that One?

Christmases were always white at Loon Lake, with snow piled deep for building forts and playing with Blondie, our grandparents’ cocker spaniel（可卡猎犬）. Before we finally ran inside to warm up, little balls of snow dangled from her long fur like Christmas ornaments.

But the fondest memory of all was when Granddad would hitch up Jenny and we’d trudge up the hill into the forest behind their house. It was slow going, partly because Colleen and I couldn’t resist flopping down regularly to make angels in the untouched snow. Then we’d search the grove of pine trees looking for that special one to honor as our Christmas tree. The search always involved excited chatter, for all three of us had to agree that we’d found the perfect tree before Granddad would swing his trusty ax.

After we girls gently guided the cut tree to the ground, Granddad would hitch it to Jenny and drag it back to the house. As we returned, we followed the snow angels back to our little bit of heaven on earth.

The Twinkle in Gammie’s Eye

Granddad passed away when my sister and I were grown. Only then did Gammie reveal his secret: He’d pick out a tree early each spring, then trim and shape it through the summer and fall so it would be ready for our big day in December.

As Colleen and I raced through the trees searching for the perfect tree, he would cleverly guide us toward its location, without actually pointing it out. We always thought we’d discovered it ourselves.

As Gammie told us this story, we realized that was why she always had that extra twinkle in her eye when we came rushing in the door, bursting with excitement about how this year we’d found the best Christmas tree ever.

Of all the Christmas presents we ever received, none is more special than the memory of Granddad’s secret gift. It remains as bright and beautiful as the snow on a clear December day or the twinkle in Gammie’s eyes.

原文网址:  http://staging.country-magazine.com/short-stories/inspirational-stories/family-christmas-tradition-of-picking-the-perfect-tree/#ixzz4Ttx53NBx

由此美文改编的完型填空(与原文有较大改动)：

I was in my early 20s when I discovered the truth about the perfect Christmas trees my sister and I found each year in the forest behind my grandparents’ farmhouse.

When we were __41__ , Colleen and I rode the train 300 miles from Seattle to Spokane every summer and Christmas __42__ . Then we took a taxi and a bus to Loon Lake. We would hop out at the Loon Lake post office, where Granddad and Grannie __43__ us with smiling faces.

Christmases were always __44__ at Loon Lake, with snow piled deep for building forts and __45__ with our grandparents’ pet dog. Little balls of snow hung from her long fur like Christmas ornaments.

But the fondest _46 __of all was when Granddad would ride the horse Jenny and we’d walk up the hill into the __47__ behind their house. We’d search the pine trees looking for that __48__ one to honor as our Christmas tree. The __49__ always involved excited chatter, for all three of us had to __50__ that we’d found the perfect tree __51__ Granddad would swing his ax. Granddad would __52__ the cut tree to Jenny and drag it back to the house.

Granddad passed away when my sister and I were grown. Only then did Grannie __53__ his secret: He’d __54__ a tree early each spring, then shape it through the summer and fall so it would be __55__ for our big day in December. As Colleen and I raced through the trees searching for the __56__ tree, he would cleverly __57__ us toward its location, without actually pointing it out.

As Grannie told us this story, we _58 __that was why she always had that extra happiness in her eyes when we came rushing in the door, bursting with __59__ about how this year we’d found the best Christmas tree ever.

Of all the Christmas presents we ever received, none has been more special than the memory of Granddad’s __60__ gift. It remains as bright and beautiful as the snow on a clear December day.

41. A. staying up              B. growing up       C. hanging out      D. setting out

42. A. vacation           B. celebration       C. preparation       D. schedule

43. A. praised                      B. watched     C. met             D. visited

44. A. warm                   B. white          C. simple           D. different

45. A. playing                   B. helping             C. dealing          D. covering

46. A. occasion           B. journey            C. process          D. memory

47. A. field                     B. forest              C. market              D. garden

48. A. special                   B. interesting        C. straightest       D. tallest

49. A. festival                   B. experiment       C. travel                D. search

50. A. explain                   B. agree                   C. understand       D. promise

51. A. when                    B. until                C. before            D. after

52. A. pass                    B. give                C. apply           D. attach

53. A. know                    B. make                    C. keep            D. reveal

54. A. plant                    B. buy                    C. hide             D. decorate

55. A. possible                 B. easy                   C. normal            D. ready

56. A. small                    B. magical           C. perfect           D. strange

57. A. force                    B. guide        C. drive            D. follow

58. A. realized                  B. argued             C. admitted         D. imagined

59. A. confusion          B. anxiety             C. excitement           D. surprise

60. A. funny                   B. practical     C. expensive            D. secret

 完型答案：

41-45 BACBA 46-50 DBADB
51-55 CDDAD 56-60 CBACD