One day, a little girl asked her mother, “What does the word ‘great’ mean? Who are great people and ___1___ do they become great?”

The mother asked her daughter to bring two plants and then told her to plant one of them inside the house and ___2___ outside the house. The girl did as her mother said.

The mother asked her daughter, “Which one of the two plants do you think will be safer and bigger?” The girl replied, “The plant inside the house will be safer, so it will grow bigger, ___3___ the plant outside the house is not safe at all. No one will be there to ___4___ it. It may be eaten by animals.”

The mother smiled and said, “Let’s wait ___5___. We will know the answer.”

Then the girl left for study and after five years she came back to her house. She said to her mother, “Look! ___6___ happens to this plant inside the house and it is safe.”

When the girl went outside, she was very ___7___ to see such a big tree. The girl couldn’t believe her eyes. She couldn’t understand how the plant outside was able to grow a lot bigger than the plant inside the house.

“The plant outside the house faced four ___8___ and many difficulties.” The mother ___9___ to her daughter why the plant outside was bigger. “The plant inside was safe, but it didn’t face weather changes or get enough sunlight. So it didn’t become big.”

Here is the answer ___10___ the question about being great. To become a great person, one must have experienced many difficulties and overcome those difficulties. After that, he or she is able to become great.

1.1.

A when

B how

C what

D where

解析：选B。根据“do they become great?”可知，此处是询问“那些伟大的人是如何变得伟大的”，用疑问词how。故选B。

2.2.

A other

B another

C the other

D others

解析：选C。根据“The mother asked her daughter to bring two plants and then told her to plant one of them inside the house and”可知，这里指的是“另外一棵植物”，两者之间的另一个，用the other。故选C。

3.3.

A while

B or

C if

D once

解析：选A。根据上下文可知，前后句是对比关系，所以用表示“然而”的while。故选A。

4.4.

A look like

B look for

C look through

D look after

解析：选D。根据“It may be eaten by animals.”可知，在屋外的植物，没有人照顾。故选D。

5.5.

A exactly

B patiently

C actively

D wisely

解析：选B。根据“We will know the answer.”可知，等待需要耐心。故选B。

6.6.

A Nothing

B Something

C Everything

D Anything

解析：选A。根据“and it is safe.”可知，屋内的植物很安全，什么也没有发生。故选A。

7.7.

A tired

B surprised

C worried

D pleased

解析：选B。根据“The girl couldn’t believe her eyes.”可知，女孩猜到了屋内的植物情形，但没猜到屋外的，因此是惊讶的。故选B。

8.8.

A chances

B weeks

C choices

D seasons

解析：选D。根据“The plant inside was safe, but it didn’t face weather changes or get enough sunlight.”和常识可知，植物成长过程中主要是经历四季变化，四个季节。故选D。

9.9.

A explained

B belonged

C turned

D smiled

解析：选A。根据“why the plant outside was bigger.”可知，母亲是在解释原因。故选A。

10.10.

A for

B of

C to

D up

解析：选C。the answer to the question是固定搭配，表示问题的答案。故选C。