Can you imagine walking across a stage in front of 300 wearing a swimsuit? This is my ___21___as a competitor in the Miss Teen Massachusetts Pageant.
As soon as I was___22___as a contestant I began preparing, though the pageant (盛會) was months away. I had to___23___my classes with extracurricular activities, and___24___ the pageant. I barely has time to breathe!___25___, I did the best I could.
I’d always dreamed of___26___in a beauty pageant. Although I didn’t win, I had a great time. It took___27___to cross a stage in a swimsuit and those heels, walking like a model and smiling at so many people. It gave me the guts to try other___28___. I improved my interviewing skills, met a lot of great people, and learned how to put on a___29___.
The week after the beauty pageant, everyone___30___how I had done. I always told them___31___I didn’t place, it was a terrific experience. It’s not a breeze to tell everyone that you didn’t___32___. After the experience, I realized that it is not necessarily the ___33___ that determines what you take from an experience, it is the quality of the experience, the memories, and what you___34___along the way.
Most ___35___, I was aware that you should always reach for your dreams, because ___36___you will never know what could have been. If I hadn’t___37___the pageant, I would always wonder. Now, looking back, I will be___38___ with everything I’ve accomplished, I took the initiative to strive for my dreams and___39___life along the way. I’ll no longer let opportunities pass by me, but___40___all my goals and dreams, no matter how big or small.
21. A. dream B. experience C. success D. ambition
22. A. defeated B. accepted C. questioned D. refused
23. A. fill B. improve C. balance D. compare
24. A. preparing for B. laying off C. making for D. setting off
25. A. Thus B. Instead C. Besides D. However
26. A. speaking B. competing C. swimming D. sharing
27. A. time B. energy C. courage D. patience
28. A. things B. trips C. jobs D. competitions
29. A. smile B. coat C. position D. parade
30. A. shrugged B. wondered C. proved D. judged
31. A. if B. since C. because D. although
32. A. recover B. improve C. fear D. win
33. A. process B. script C. outcome D. struggle
34. A. suspend B. gain C. expect D. allocate
35. A. commonly B. luckily C. naturally D. significantly
36. A. yet B. still C. also D. otherwise
37. A. entered B. missed C. won D. finished
38. A. irritated B. fascinated C. content D. concerned
39. A. find B. show C. enjoy D. ignore
40. A. pursue B. set C. compile D. remember
