36.请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　Middle school students today may behave surprisingly. Are you often（1）of them?

　　My daughter (12 years old, 7th grade) is on the cross-country team at her middle school. As with any（2）, the cross-country team has its “stars” as well as its less （3）athletes. Ethan, Michael (8th grade) and Kenji (7th grade) are the（4）runners for the boys. Yesterday was the first track meet of the season, and when she got home, my daughter told me a story that made me（5）.

　　According to my daughter, one of the new 6th graders is a boy named Albert. He is apparently “a little short and （6）” and has never played any7races before. The 6th graders ran last, three laps (圈) around the school. （8）in the race, Albert was dead last. All of the other racers were（9）  the race when he was just at the end of his second lap. Albert thought he was （10） near the end. But quickly the poor kid realized that he had another whole lap left to run. He broke down and started （11）.

　　When Ethan, Michael, and Kenji saw Albert in a （12） mood in the middle of the field, they didn’t even   （13）. All three of them immediately went out on the field to run Albert’s last lap   （14） him. Everyone knew that was  （15）   the rules in cross country, yet they all remained   （16）  . Both other teams hung around and waited for Albert to finish. When he managed to   （17）  the finish line, all three schools cheered for him.

　　After my daughter told me this sweet story I said, “I hope Albert doesn’t   （18）  the team after this.” She replied, “No! He’ll get better, he just needs some   （19） .”

　　And that is why I   （20）  middle school children.

（1） A. tired            B. proud                C. ashamed            D. nervous

（2） A. recreation        B. competition            C. sport              D. course

（3） A. gifted            B. committed            C. ambitious          D. confident

（4） A. energetic        B. clumsy            C. top                D. lazy  

（5） A. moved            B. relaxed            C. confused            D. embarrassed

（6） A. athletic            B. outgoing           C. earnest              D. stout

（7）A. ignored         B. organized            C. sponsored            D. approved

（8） A. Early            B. Finally             C. Exactly            D. Surprisingly

（9）A. undergoing        B. enjoying            C. continuing             D. finishing

（10） A. even           B. also                C. merely                D. hardly

（11）A. rushing            B. complaining        C. hesitating           D. crying

（12） A. black            B. relaxed            C. strange            D. cheerful

（13）A. rest            B. pause                 C. confirm            D. arrange

（14） A. for                B. behind                C. with                D. past

（15） A. within            B. outside            C. under                D. against

（16） A. guilty            B. blank                C. silent                D. worried

（17）A. approach        B. touch                C. break                D. cross

（18） A. join            B. hate                C. quit                D. pick

（19） A. help              B. strength            C. confidence            D. challenge

（20）A. award            B. love                C. teach                D. support