It was the district sports meet. My foot still hadn’t healed(痊愈) from a(n) ___36___ injury. I had___37___ whether or not I should attend the meet. But there I was, ___38___for the 3,000-meter run.
“Ready…set…” The gun popped and we were off. The other girls rushed ___39___ me. I felt ___40___ as I fell farther and farther behind.
“Hooray!” shouted the crowd. It was the loudest___41___ I had ever heard at a meet. The first-place runner was two laps（圈）ahead of me when she crossed the finish line.
“Maybe I should___42___, I thought as I moved on. ___43___, I decided to keep going. During the last two laps, I ran ___44___ and decided not to ___45___in track next year. It wouldn’t be worth it, ___46___my foot did heal.
When I finished, I heard a cheer--___47___ than the one I’d heard earlier. I turned around and___48___, the boys were preparing for their race. “They must be cheering for the boys. ”
I was leaving ___49___ several girls came up to me. “Wow, you’ve got courage!” one of them told me.
“Courage? I just ___50___a race!” I thought.
“I would have given up on the first lap,” said another girl. “We were cheering for you. Did you hear us?”
Suddenly I regained___51___. I decided to ___52___ track next year. I realized strength and courage aren’t always ___53___ in medals and victories, but in the ___54___we overcome(战胜). The strongest people are not always the people who win, ___55___ the people who don’t give up when they lose.
36. A. slighter B. worse  C. earlier D. heavier
37. A. expected      B. supposed    C. imagined    D. doubted
38. A. late      B. eager  C. ready  D. thirsty
39. A. from behind B. ahead of     C. next to       D. close to
40. A. ashamed      B. astonished  C. excited       D. frightened
41. A. cheer    B. shout  C. cry     D. noise
42. A. slow down   B. drop out     C. go on  D. speed up
43. A. Therefore     B. Otherwise   C. Besides      D. However
44. A. with delight B. with fear    C. in pain       D. in advance
45. A. play     B. arrive  C. race    D. attend
46. A. even if  B. only if       C. unless D. until
47. A. weaker B. longer C. lower  D. louder
48. A. well enough B. sure enough       C. surprisingly enough   D. strangely enough
49. A. while    B. when  C. as       D. since
50. A. finished       B. won    C. passed D. lost
51. A. cheer    B. hope   C. interest       D. experience
52. A. hold on B. turn to       C. begin with  D. stick with
53. A. measured     B. praised       C. tested  D. increased
54. A. sadness B. struggles    C. diseases      D. tiredness
55. A. or B. nor     C. and     D. but