第二節(jié)：完形填空(共20小題：每小題1分，滿分20分)

閱讀下面短文，掌握其大意，然后從21～40各題所給出的A、B、C、D四個選項中選出最佳選項。

Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford, I’ve watched one friend after another land high-ranking, high-paying Wall Street jobs. As executives (高級管理人員) with banks, consulting firms, established law firms, and major corporations, many are now 21 on their way to impressive careers. By society's 22 , they seem to have it made.

On the surface, these people seem to be very lucky in life. As they left student life behind, many had a 23 drink at their cheap but friendly local bar, shook hands with longtime roommates, and 24 out of small apartments into high buildings. They made reservations at restaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine 25 a college year's monthly rent. They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars.

The thing is, a number of them have 26 that despite their success, they aren't happy. Some 27 of unfriendly coworkers and feel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they 28 . Some do not respect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and 29 . However, instead of devoting themselves to their work, they find themselves working to support the 30 to which they have so quickly become 31 .

People often speak of trying a more satisfying path, and 32 in the end the idea of leaving, their jobs to work for something they 33 or finding a position that would give them more time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion; it’s 34 . They have loans, bills, a mortgage (抵押貸款) to 35 , retirement to save for. They recognize there’s something 36 in their lives, but it's 37 to step off the track.

In a society that tends to 38 everything in terms of dollars and cents, we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our 39 in financial terms. But what about the personal and social costs 40 in pursuing money over meaning? These are exactly the kinds of costs many of us tend to ignore — and the very ones we need to consider most.

21. A. much B. never C. seldom D. well

22. A. policies B. standards C. experiments D. regulations

23. A. last B. least C. second D. best

24. A. cycled B. moved C. slid D. looked

25. A. shared B. paid C. equaled D. collected

26. A. advertised B. witnessed C. admitted D. demanded

27. A. complain B. dream C. hear D. approve

28. A. distribute B. hate C. applaud D. neglect

29. A. calm B. guilty C. warm D. empty

30. A. family B. government C. lifestyle D. project

31. A. accustomed B. appointed C. unique D. available

32. A. yet B. also C. instead D. rather

33. A. let out B. turn in C. give up D. believe in

34. A. fundamental B. practical C. impossible D. unforgettable

35. A. take of B. drop off C. put off D. pay off

36. A. missing B. inspiring C. sinking D. shining

37. A. harmful B. hard C. useful D. normal

38. A. measure B. suffer C. digest D. deliver

39. A. disasters B. motivations C. campaigns D. decisions

40. A. assessed B. involved C. covered D. reduced