美文与完形填空：The View from the Slow Lane慢车道上的风景

By nathan0715, Davisburg, Michigan

 链接：http://www.teenink.com/nonfiction/memoir/article/1030662/The-View-From-The-Slow-Lane

 【博主按语】16岁的孩子正为可以拥有驾照、可以疯狂地飙车而兴奋，却忽视了妈妈的那种依依不舍的不愿放手，当突然意识到妈妈的这份牵挂的时候，作者发现在“慢车道”上有我们常常忽略的另一番美景…

As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed that something seemed different about my mom. She was facing away from me and, rather than having white knuckles and clenched fists (like she usually does when I drive), her shoulders were slouched(下垂) and her hands relaxed. I parked the car and she turned toward me.

“Okay, we’re home,” I said, implying that now was her time to get out and let me be on my own. She sniffled and brushed her hair behind her ears to reveal her bloodshot（充血的） eyes and moist cheeks. She had been crying.

“Mom!” I whined, surprised by the tears running down her face. “Why are you crying?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

I had just gotten my license because I had finally turned 16. I was free --- able to drive myself where I needed to go, finally able to blast my own music through my speakers, drive too fast on the back roads, and ride with the windows down with my best friend riding shotgun（坐副驾驶位）.

I’d been looking forward to this for months. But now that I had my license in my pocket, I suddenly felt guilty. I had been so quick to grow up, get out of my house, and be independent of my parents that I completely disregarded the surreal emotions that my mom must be experiencing with her firstborn nearing adulthood.

“My baby boy is growing up too fast,” she managed to say between deep breaths. She wiped her eyes once more and did the delicate touch below them, the touch girls do in order to spare their mascara（睫毛膏）.

My heart ached. I hated to see my mom cry, and I hated more that I had been so ignorant toward her feelings. I had been counting down the days, impatiently waiting to enter the next stage of my life, while she counted down with dread and heartache. The elation and freedom I had previously felt were gone, replaced by an odd sense of mourning.

We hugged. A nice, long hug that was rare in my family. She looked me in the eyes and told me to drive carefully. “Of course I will,” I reassured her. She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out. I delicately put the car in reverse, waved good-bye, and pulled out of the driveway.

On my way to meet my friends, I drove slowly through the back roads, refusing to rush the experience. I reached toward the dash（仪表盘） and turned the music down a few notches.

It doesn’t really need to be that loud.

Rather than the fast-paced ride I had been so looking forward to, I went the speed limit and took my time not just for my mom, but for me.

The speed limit is 45 on this road? I would’ve never known.

I had been so excited to start speeding and skirting around corners that I’d forgotten just how beautiful the ride is. I couldn’t wait to play my music so loud that it hurt my ears and drowned out reality, but it’s low enough now to hear the soothing hum of the rubber tires against the asphalt（沥青） and the short pause in the engine as the transmission shifts from gear to gear. I sigh.

I’ll be safe, mom. I’m not driving in the fast lane anymore.

I cruise down the peaceful two-lane road, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of the nature that surrounds me. At that moment I made a promise to myself, a promise to take things slow and to never, ever, catch myself speeding again.

Life had passed me by while I lived my days in fast forward, ignorantly wishing for tomorrow and failing to notice all the beautiful things along the way. Friendships, victories, heartbreaks – have sped by me because I was too busy looking toward the future. It seems life also has its own speed limit, and if you find yourself going too fast, you risk missing the moments that make it so special.

Moments such as this.

海淀区期中检测完形：

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

The View from the Slow Lane

       As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed that something seemed different about my mom. She was ______ (31) away from me, her shoulders dropped and her hands relaxed. I parked the car and she turned toward me.

       “Okay, we’re home,” I said, ______ (32) that now was her time to get out and let me be on my own. She sniffled and brushed her hair behind her ears to reveal her bloodshot eyes and moist cheeks. She had been crying.

       “Mom!” I whined (嘀咕着说), surprised by the tears running down her face. “Why are you crying?” I asked, ______ (33) I already knew the answer.

       I had just got my ______ (34), which I’d been looking forward to for months. I was free — able to drive myself where I needed to go. But now that I had it in my pocket, I suddenly felt ______ (35). I had been so quick to grow up, completely ignoring the emotions that my mom must be experiencing with her firstborn ______ (36) adulthood.

       “My baby boy is growing up too fast,” she ______ (37) to say between deep breaths.

       My heart ached. I hated to see my mom cry, and I hated more that I had been so ignorant toward her ______ (38). I had been counting down the days, ______ (39) waiting to enter the next stage of my life, ______ (40) she counted down with fear and headache. The ______ (41) and freedom I had previously felt were gone, replaced by an odd sense of mourning.

       We hugged. Then she looked me in the eye and told me to drive carefully. “Of course I will,” I reassured her. She unbuckled her seatbelt, opened the door, and stepped out. I waved goodbye and pulled out of the driveway.

       I had been so ______ (42) to start speeding and skirting around corners that I’d ______ (43) just how beautiful the ride is. Now I cruised (漫游) down the peaceful two -lane road, ______ (44) the sights, sounds, and smells of the nature that surrounds me. At that moment I made a promise to myself, a promise to take things  ______ (45) and to never, ever, catch myself speeding again.

       Life had passed me by while I lived my days in fast ______ (46), ignorantly wishing for tomorrow and ______ (47) to notice all the beautiful things along the way. Friendships, victories, heartbreaks — have sped by me because I was too busy looking toward the ______ (48). It seems life also has its own ______ (49), and if you find yourself going too fast, you risk ______ (50) the moments that make it so special.

       Moments like this.

31.   A. facing           B. running          C. escaping                  D. breaking

32.   A. fearing             B. implying           C. remembering           D. considering

33.   A. in case              B. now that           C. as though                D. even though

34.  A. car                  B. offer                 C. license                     D. scholarship

35.   A. guilty                B. anxious             C. annoyed         D. disappointed

36.   A. crossing           B. spending          C. nearing             D. delaying

37.   A. tried                 B. managed          C. intended           D. hesitated

38.   A. feelings            B. greetings         C. warning            D. waiting

39.   A. unwillingly        B. impatiently       C. nervously          D. thankfully

40.   A. so                     B. and                   C. for                    D. while

41.   A. luck                  B. honor               C. delight              D. gratitude

42.   A. afraid               B. confident          C. surprised          D. excited

43.   A. denied              B. realized            C. discovered        D. forgotten

44.   A. enjoying           B. following          C. imagining         D. recognizing

45.   A. easy                 B. slow                  C. wrong               D. personal

46.   A. upward             B. downward        C. forward             D. backward

47.   A. trying               B. failing               C. refusing            D. pretending

48.   A. fortune             B. scenery             C. past                  D. future

49.   A. speed limit        B. fast track         C. comfort zone    D. daily routine

50.   A. wasting            B. losing               C. missing             D. deleting

参考答案：

31. A  32. B  33. D  34. C  35. A  36. C  37. B  38. A  39. B   40. D

41. C  42. D  43. D  44. A  45. B  46. C  47. B  48. D  49. A   50. C