“It was all his own idea,” says Pat, the wife of California high school football coach Bob Peters. Bob had ___36___ made a “motherhood contract(合同)”—declaring that for 70 days this summer he would ___37___  the care of their four children and all the housework. ___38___ he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he sighed, he was very confident.
After40 of the 70 days, he was ready to ___39___. “ I was beaten down, “ admits Bob. “Not only is motherhood a ___40___ task, it is an impossible job for any normal human being. ”
Bob and Pat were married in 1991. After the married, Pat ___41___ a secretary to help put him through university. ___42___ Bob has been the football coach while Pat raised the kids. ___43___ two years ago Pat went back to work. “ I had been ___44___ children so much,” she ___45___, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up. ” She continued to run the household, ___46___ -- until Bob sighed the contract.
Bob tried hard to learn cooking, but the meals he prepared were ___47___. For the last three weeks, the family ___48___ a lot--- sometimes having MacDonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
___49___ housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean ___50___ the bed is made. “ I found ___51___ –I shut the doors,” he says. Soon the kids were wearing their shirts inside out. “When we went to ___52___ Pat at work, I made them wear their shirts 53 side out so they would look clean. ”
Now that Bob has publicly ___54___  he was wrong, he is ___55___ the child-raising and household tasks with Pat.
36. A. only     B. just     C. nearly D. ever
37. A. stick to B. set about    C. think about D. takeover
38. A. If  B. As      C. Since  D. Although
39. A. carry on       B. give up      C. break down       D. find out
40. A. strange B. pleasant      C. difficult     D. serious
41. A. sent      B. employed   C. learned from      D. worked as
42. A. In time B. Before long       C. Since then  D. Later on
43. A. Then    B. Thus   C. So      D. Still
44. A. near     B. after   C. about  D. around
45. A. insists   B. sighs   C. jokes   D. apologizes
46. A. besides B. therefore    C. however     D. otherwise
47. A. terrible B. tasty   C. expensive   D. special
48. A. starved B. traveled      C. worked out D. ate out
49. A. Due to  B. As for C. Along with D. Except for
50. A. until     B. before C. if D. unless
51. A. an easier way      B. a cheaper way    C. a cleaner way     D. a harder way
52. A. receive B. welcome    C. greet   D. fetch
53. A. good    B. wrong C. right   D. opposite
54. A. admitted      B. suggested   C. agreed D. explained
55. A. operating     B. realizing     C. sharing       D. performing