10. 【解析】to change。考查固定句型。分析句子结构可知, 本句考查"it is+adj. +to do sth. "句型, 故填to change。

Ⅳ. 完形填空

A Race Against Death

It was a cold January in 1925 in Nome, Alaska. The town was cut off from the rest of the world due to heavy snow.

On the 20th of that month, Dr. Welch 　1　 a sick boy, Billy, and knew he had diphtheria, a deadly infectious (传染的) disease mainly affecting children. The children of Nome would be 　2　if it struck the town. Dr. Welch needed medicine as soon as possible to stop other kids from getting sick. 3　, the closest supply was over 1, 000 miles away, in Anchorage.

How could the medicine get to Nome? The town's 　4　 was already full of ice, so it couldn't come by ship. Cars and horses couldn't travel on the　5　 roads. Jet airplanes and big trucks didn't exist yet.

　6　 January 26, Billy and three other children had died. Twenty more were 　7　. Nome's town officials came up with a(n)　8　. They would have the medicine sent by 　9　from Anchorage to Nenana. From there, dogsled (狗拉雪橇) drivers-known as "mushers"-would 　10　 it to Nome in a relay (接力).

The race began on January 27. The first musher, Shannon, picked up the medicine from the train at Nenana and rode all night. 11　 he handed the medicine to the next musher, Shannon's face was black from the extreme cold.

On January 31, a musher named Seppala had to 　12　 a frozen body of water called Norton Sound. It was the most 　13　 part of the journey. Norton Sound was covered with ice, which could sometimes break up without warning. If that happened, Seppala might fall into the icy water below. He would 　14　, and so would the sick children of Nome. But Seppala made it across.

A huge snowstorm hit on February 1. A musher named Kaasen had to brave this storm. At one point, huge piles of snow blocked his 　15　. He had to leave the trail (雪橇痕迹) to get around them. Conditions were so bad that it was impossible for him to 　16　 the trail again. The only hope was Balto, Kaasen's lead dog. Balto put his nose to the ground, 　17　 to find the smell of other dogs that had traveled on the trail. If Balto failed, it would mean disaster for Nome. The minutes passed by. Suddenly, Balto began to 　18　. He had found the trail.

At 5: 30 am on February 2, Kaasen and his dogs 　19　 in Nome. Within minutes, Dr. Welch had the medicine. He quickly gave it to the sick children. All of them recovered.

Nome had been 　20　.

【文章大意】本文是一篇记叙文, 文章讲述了一个人们接力运送药物来挽救患病儿童的感人故事。

1. A. examined　　　　　　　　 B. warned

C. interviewed D. cured

【解析】选A。词义辨析题。句意: 医生检查了一个生病的孩子Billy, 知道他患上了一种传染病。examine检查; warn警告, 告诫; interview采访, 面试; cure治愈。

2. A. harmless　　 B. helpless　　 C. fearless　 D. careless