As we get older, many of us may believe that we’ve missed certain opportunities. But in reality, it’s never too late to ____1____ what you want. An 85-year-old named Roberto Fernandez is living ____2____ of that. He recently graduated from college, 50 years after he first ____3____ to focus on family and work. And now, he’s finally achieved his life goal.

Fernandez first ____4____ Florida International University (FIU) in 1972, but three years later, he decided to ____5____ from his studies to focus on running his own accounting firm. After years of hard work, raising children, and grandchildren, he decided it was finally time to ____6____ himself first. Fernandez asked his son — who is now part of the FIU faculty — to ____7____ whether he could still obtain his degree. ____8____, they discovered he only needed to complete one more class to get his ____9____.

When asked what ____10____ him to go back and do that one last class, Fernandez revealed, “It’s ____11____ I had in my mind all the time. I thought about it every day.” He added, “I decided to find out if I could do it. I found out that I could, and I did it.”

On Tuesday, Fernandez finally walked across the graduation stage with his diploma, to roaring ____12____ from his fellow students and teachers. “I’ve been wanting to have this for 50 years,” he said. “Finally I was ____13____ to. I’m very proud of myself for having done it.”

1.1.

A seek

B change

C pursue

D forget

解析：选C。C 考查动词辨析及语境搭配。文章主旨是“追求梦想永不嫌晚”。A. seek（寻找）、B. change（改变）、D. forget（忘记）均与“梦想/目标”搭配时，不能精准表达“持续追寻并努力实现”的含义。C. pursue 意为“追求；致力于实现（目标、事业等）”，与下文的 “pursue a dream” 直接呼应，是唯一准确表达“追求人生目标”的选项。故选C。

2.2.

A evidence

B symbol

C model

D proof

解析：选D。D 考查名词辨析及固定搭配。A. evidence（证据，多指客观、具体的证据或迹象）、B. symbol（象征）、C. model（模范，模型）。D. proof 意为“证据，证明”，尤指能证实某事真实性的具体人或事，常用搭配 “living proof” （活生生的证明）。文中这位老人正是“活生生的证明”，D 项最贴切。故选D。

3.3.

A turned up

B stepped away

C let down

D left off

解析：选B。B 考查动词短语辨析及逻辑衔接。根据下文“to focus on family and work”可知，他50年前离开了学业。A. turned up（出现）、C. let down（使失望）、D. left off（停止，中断，但通常后接名词，如 leave off work），语义或搭配不当。B. stepped away (from) 意为“从……中抽身/暂时离开”，形象地描述了他为家庭和工作而暂时搁置学业，符合语境。故选B。

4.4.

A passed

B attended

C joined

D admitted

解析：选B。B 考查动词辨析。A. passed（通过，经过）、C. joined（加入组织）、D. admitted（被录取，准入）。描述“开始在某大学上学”常用 attend (a school/university)。他于1972年“进入/就读于”FIU，故B正确。故选B。

5.5.

A separate

B withdraw

C depart

D abandon

解析：选B。B 考查动词辨析。A. separate (from)（分离）、C. depart (from)（离开某地）、D. abandon（放弃，及物动词，直接加宾语）。B. withdraw (from) 专指正式“退出（课程、活动等）”或“辍学”，是描述从大学学业中退出的最准确、正式的用词。故选B。

6.6.

A put

B make

C set

D take

解析：选A。A 考查动词固定搭配。考查 “put oneself first” 这一固定短语，意为“把自己放在第一位，优先考虑自己”。其他动词（make, set, take）均无法构成此意搭配。故选A。

7.7.

A look into

B look for

C look after

D look out

解析：选A。A 考查动词短语辨析。根据句意，他让儿子“调查、核实”是否还能获得学位。B. look for（寻找）、C. look after（照顾）、D. look out（当心）均不符合。A. look into 意为“调查，查明”，符合语境。故选A。

8.8.

A Eventually

B Surprisingly

C Hopefully

D Naturally

解析：选B。B 考查副词辨析及语篇逻辑。根据上下文，他辍学多年后，发现“只需再修一门课”就能获得学位，这应是出乎意料的惊喜。A. Eventually（最终）、C. Hopefully（希望地）、D. Naturally（自然地）均不能表达此转折与意外。B. Surprisingly（令人惊讶地）最贴合。故选B。

9.9.

A certificate

B license

C degree

D qualification

解析：选C。C 考查名词辨析及上下文复现。全文围绕“大学毕业获得学位”展开。上文 “obtain his degree” 已明确提示。A. certificate（证书，一般指单项技能或课程证书）、B. license（执照）、D. qualification（资格，资质）均不如 C. degree（大学学位）准确直接。故选C。

10.10.

A motivated

B persuaded

C forced

D prevented

解析：选A。A 考查动词辨析。询问“是什么促使/驱动他回去完成学业”。B. persuaded（说服）、C. forced（强迫）、D. prevented（阻止）均不符合老人自发完成夙愿的积极语境。A. motivated（激励，成为……的动机）最准确，强调内在驱动力。故选A。

11.11.

A anything

B nothing

C something

D everything

解析：选C。C 考查不定代词辨析及上下文指代。老人说“这是我心里一直惦记着的某件事”。这里的“某件事”指代“完成学业、获得学位”这个具体的梦想或目标。A. anything（用于否定/疑问）、B. nothing（没有东西）、D. everything（一切）均无法准确指代这个特定的、萦绕心头多年的目标。故选C。

12.12.

A cheers

B shouts

C applause

D whistles

解析：选C。C 考查名词辨析。毕业典礼上，当学生走上舞台领取文凭时，通常会响起“掌声”。A. cheers（欢呼，喊叫）、B. shouts（喊叫）、D. whistles（口哨）虽然可能出现在热烈场合，但 C. applause（鼓掌，掌声）是最贴合毕业典礼庄重又庆祝场景的词汇。故选C。

13.13.

A suitable

B able

C fortunate

D qualified

解析：选B。B 考查形容词辨析。老人说“我终于能够（完成这件事了）”。A. suitable（合适的）、C. fortunate（幸运的）、D. qualified（有资格的）均不如此处需要表达的“有能力/有机会做到”之意。B. able 构成 “was able to”，完美呼应前文 “I found out that I could, and I did it”。故选B。

14.14.

A inspiration

B recognition

C attention

D stimulation

解析：选A。A 考查名词辨析。对于犹豫是否追梦的人来说，这位老人是一个“激励/鼓舞人心的人或榜样”。B. recognition（认可）、C. attention（关注）、D. stimulation（刺激，激励，但更偏外在刺激或生理/智力刺激）均不符合。A. inspiration（灵感；鼓舞人心的人或事）是标准且贴切的表达。故选A。

15.15.

A give away

B give in

C give out

D give up

解析：选D。D 考查动词短语辨析及文章主旨呼应。文章首尾呼应，强调“永不放弃”。A. give away（赠送；泄露）、B. give in（屈服，让步）、C. give out（分发；耗尽）均无“放弃”之意。D. give up (on) 意为“放弃（某人/某事）”，与开头的 “never too late to pursue” 和 “never... on something we truly want” 的否定结构完美契合，点明主题。故选D。