题目内容：

Here’s a surprising fact: Of the 1.1 million firefighters in the United States, about 780,000 are volunteers. Roughly a third of the population is  ________ by mostly- or all-volunteer fire departments.

Also  ________ , perhaps. Sometimes they have to pay for their own gear.

I  _______ this because I volunteer as a firefighter in Durango, Colorado. I responded to more than 50 calls in 2014, everything from  _________ to car accidents. In that period, I spent close to $1,000 on optional gear not supplied by my  _________ , things like higher-quality flashlights, knives, and better gloves, which make my  ________ easier.

Yesterday, a  ________ was introduced in Congress that would give a significant tax break to those who volunteer their time as  _________ responders. I hope it passes, not because it will put some money in my pocket （___________）, hey, that’ll be nice) but because it will ease the financial burden on volunteers and acknowledge their time commitment. I believe it will  ________ more people to help.

And we  _______ that.

In  _________ areas where population density is low and calls for fire and EMS services are relatively rare, it just doesn’t  _________ to have career firefighters on the staff 24/7 (全天候).  ________ , volunteers are used to fill in the  _________. We are ready to put our regular lives aside to help someone on what is the  _________ day  of  their  life.  We  have  likely  never  met  before,  and  might  never  again,  but  it doesn’t  _______ in a crisis. Without volunteers, the whole system would collapse.

There’s a T-shirt that’s popular among us, reading “For Pride, Not  _______.” We volunteer because we know our  _________ need us. We don’t need a small tax break. Without one, we’ll still put on our gear when the alarm goes off without any  ________ . But we’d appreciate one, and if it encourages more people to join us, it’s worth it.

1.A. taught    B. inspired    C. supported    D. protected

2.A. surprising    B. amusing    C. pleasing    D. worrying

3.A. appreciate    B. know    C. prove    D. analyze

4.A. wildfires    B. wars    C. lightning    D. embarrassments

5.A. company    B. department    C. team    D. family

6.A. manner    B. life    C. project    D. job

7.A. guest    B. politician    C. bill    D. word

8.A. wise    B. proud    C. same    D. first

9.A. so    B. when    C. though    D. because

10.A. encourage    B. persuade    C. invite    D. allow

11.A. neglect    B. need    C. predict    D. admit

12.A. dark    B. rural    C. dirty    D. cold

13.A. end up    B. stand out    C. work out    D. make sense

14.A. Recently    B. Quickly    C. Instead    D. Besides

15.A. time    B. hole    C. form    D. gap

16.A. busiest    B. hottest    C. worst    D. shortest

17.A. matter    B. pass    C. exist    D. happen

18.A. Satisfaction    B. Pay    C. Strength    D. Education

19.A. communities    B. neighbors    C. children    D. patients

20.A. disappointment    B. trouble    C. hesitation    D. anxiety