In 1982, Steven Callahan was crossing the Atlantic alone in his sailboat when it struck something and sank. He was out of the sailing track and floating in a lifeboat, alone. His supplies were  36 . His chances of surviving were small.  37 when three fishermen found him seventy-six days later, he was alive — much  38 than he was when he started, but alive.
His  39 of how he survived is interesting and attractive. His subtle act — how he  40 to catch fish, how he evaporated sea water to 41 fresh water — is very interesting. But the thing that  42 my eye was how he managed to keep himself going when all hope seemed lost, when it seemed no  43  continuing the struggle, when he was  44  greatly, when his lifeboat was pierced and after more than a week’s struggling with his weak body. He was starved and  45  exhausted. Giving up would have seemed the only sensible choice.
When people  46 these kinds of circumstances, they do something with their minds that gives them the courage to keep going. Many people in  47 dangerous circumstances give in or go mad. Something the survivors do with their thoughts helps them find the courage to carry on  48 major difficulties.
"I tell myself I can  49 it," wrote Callahan in his book. "Compared to what others have been through, I'm fortunate. I tell myself these things over and over,  50  courage and strength."
I wrote that down after I read it  51 it struck me as something important. And I've told myself the same thing when my own goals seemed 52 off or when my problems seemed too powerful. And every time I've said it, I have always come back to my senses.
The truth is, our circumstances are only bad  53 to something better. But others have been through much worse, that is, in comparison with what  54 have been through, you're fortunate. Tell this to yourself over and over again, and it will help you  55 the rough spots with a little more perseverance(毅力) .

A．less B．little C．few D．enough

A．And B．Yet C．Still D．While

A．thinner B．poorer C．worse D．fatter

A．attitude B．imagination C．instruction D．story

A．tried B．tended C．managed D．intended

A．make B．collect C．select D．replace

A．attacked B．caught C．froze D．cheated

A．operation B．taste C．message D．use

A．firmly B．completely C．surely D．generally

A．deal B．defend C．survive D．observe

A．similarly B．likely C．probably D．commonly

A．for the lack of B．in spite of C．in support of D．as a result of

A．handle B．carry C．follow D．inspect

A．rolling up B．using up C．building up D．making up

A．but B．so C．although D．and

A．far B．long C．near D．short

A．related B．measured C．contributed D．compared

A．you B．others C．we D．another

A．see through B．cut through C．get through D．think through