第二节  完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。并将答案写在答题卡上。
John Henry was a young man, and he was one of the best steel-drivers in the country,He cjould work for hours without missing a beat, People said he worked so fast that his  36    moved
Like lightening
One day,a salesman came to the work area with a new   37    machine by powered steam, He said it could drill holes    38   than twelve men working together, The railroad company  39 to buy the machine if it worked as well as the salesman said.
The supervisor(监工头) said,”I have the best steel-driver in the   40     , He can beat more than twenty men working together,”The salesman   41    the statements. He said the company could have the machine without cost   42    he was faster, The supervisor told John about it and said “How about a   43    ?” John Henry looked at the machine and saw   44    of the future, He saw machines taking   45    of America’s best laborers, He saw himself and friends   46   and standing by a road ,asking for food, He saw men losing their families and their    47    as human beings , John Henry told the supervisor he would never let the machine take his job, His friends all cheered.
The competition began, John Henry  48   his hammer and started working. At first, the steam-powered drill worked two times faster than he did,    49     he started working with a hammer in each hand. He worked faster and faster. In the mountain , the dust was so    50   that most men would have had trouble   51    . After a while , the machine was pulled from the tunnel , It had broken down, . But John Henry   52    working faster and faster. At last he became weak ,and his heart    53    . John Henry fell to the ground .”I beat them,” Then he took his 54    breath.
Soon, the steam drill and other machines replaced the steel-drivers ,.Many   55   left their families, looking for work, They took the only jobs they could find, As they worked, some sang about John Henry,
36.A  broom,           B  hammer          C hand         D sleeve
37.A washing            B drilling             C sewing        D flying
38. A quickly            B slower              C faster         D fast
39. A managed         B allowed             C refused       D planned
40 A family             B class               C film           D country
41. A doubted          B hated               C disagreed      D decided
42. A when             B if                   C unless          D despite
43. A lesson             B race                C unless         D despite
44.A images            B faces                C plans          D signs
45. A the place         B the room             C the space       D the air
46. A excited         B unemployed          C moved         D encouraged
47. A food             B rights              C wages       D houses
48.A touched           B kicked              C kissed        D stamped
49. A Otherwise         B But               C Then          D However
50. A thin               B big               C high          D thick
51. A laughing          B talking             C breathing      D singing
52.A stopped           B kept                C enjoyed       D suggested
53. A burst              B worked            C ran           D lived
54.A  own              B deep              C best          D last
55. A laborers          B women             C villagers       D salesmen