Some years ago I was offered a writing assignment that would require three months oftravel through Europe. I had been abroad a couple of times, but I could hardly 47 to know myway around the continent. Moreover, my knowledge of foreign languages was 48 to a littlecollege French.

　　I hesitated. How would I, unable to speak the language, 49 unfamiliar with local geographyor transportation systems, set up 50 and do research? It seemed impossible, and withconsiderable 51 I sat down to write a letter begging off. Halfway through, a thought ranthrough my mind: you can't learn if you don't try. So I accepted the assignment.

　　There were some bad 52 . But by the time I had finished the trip I was an experiencedtraveler. And ever since, I have never hesitated to head for even the most remote of places,without guides or even 53 bookings, confident that somehow I will manage.

　　The point is that the new, the different, is almost by definition 54 . But each time you trysomething, you learn, and as the learning piles up, the world opens to you.

　　I've learned to ski at 40, and flown up the Rhine River in a 55 . And I know I'll go on doingsuch things. It's not because I'm braver or more daring than others. I'm not. But I'll acceptanxiety as another name for challenge and I believe I can 56 wonders.

　　A) accomplish

　　B) advanced

　　C) balloon

　　D) claim

　　E) constantly

　　F) declare

　　G) interviews

　　H) limited

　　I) manufacture

　　J) moments

　　K) news

　　L) reduced

　　M) regret

　　N) scary

　　O) totally

　　答案解析：

　　47. 【答案】 D)。

　　【精析】 動(dòng)詞辨認(rèn)題。空格處缺少動(dòng)詞原形。根據(jù)句意，意為"聲稱"。 D)claim比較隨意，可以表示"個(gè)人的聲明，宣稱";claim to do表示"宣稱做某事"。A)accomplish"完成";F)declare"宣布(法律、公告等)，聲明";M)regret"遺憾，抱歉"，詞義不符。

　　48. 【答案】 H)。

　　【精析】 句法推斷題。空格位于系動(dòng)詞was之后，介詞to之前，因此缺少形容詞或者過去分詞，可用于be...to 的搭配。be limited to表示"局限于"。 L)reduced表示"減少"，不能與to搭配。

　　49. 【答案】 O)。

　　【精析】 副詞辨認(rèn)題。用于形容詞之前，空格處缺少副詞。根據(jù)句意，表示"完全地"。選項(xiàng)中的另一個(gè)副詞E)constantly"經(jīng)常地"，不符合句意。

　　50. 【答案】 G)。

　　【精析】 名詞辨析題。空格處缺少名詞，與research并列，因此選擇G)interviews"采訪"。選項(xiàng)中的另三個(gè)名詞C)balloon"氣球"， J)moments"時(shí)刻"， K)news"新聞，消息"，不符合句意，排除。

　　51. 【答案】 M)。

　　【精析】 名詞辨析題。空格前有形容詞considerable，這里需要填名詞。regret"抱歉，遺憾"。

　　52. 【答案】 J)。

　　【精析】 名詞辨析題。空格位于形容詞bad之后，需要名詞，根據(jù)句意，這里表示"沮喪、糟糕的時(shí)候"。

　　53. 【答案】 B)。

　　【精析】 形容詞辨析題。空格位于名詞bookings之前，缺少形容詞或者過去分詞。修飾bookings"預(yù)約"，所填詞應(yīng)表示"提前的"。其他分詞、形容詞選項(xiàng)L)reduced"減少的"，N) scary"引起驚慌的"，意義不符。

　　54. 【答案】 N)。

　　【精析】 名詞辨析題。空格處需要形容詞，表示"令人害怕的，引起驚慌的"。

　　55. 【答案】 C)。

　　【精析】 動(dòng)詞辨析題。空格位于不定冠詞之后，因此缺少名詞。根據(jù)句意應(yīng)選C)balloon"氣球"。

　　56. 【答案】 A)。

　　【精析】 動(dòng)詞辨析題。空格位于情態(tài)動(dòng)詞can之后，名詞wonders之前，缺少動(dòng)詞原形。根據(jù)句意A)accomplish"實(shí)現(xiàn), 完成"符合句意。