I grew up in a poor family where none of us kids believed in Santa Claus. My parents refused to let us believe in him. They couldn’t provide us 11 expensive presents. And they didn’t want us to think we weren’t as good as other kids who, on Christmas morning, found all kinds of toys under the tree that were 12 to be left by Santa Claus.
That year when Christmas came, we had no money at all. On Christmas Eve, Dad took us three kids out into the night one after 13 . I had a blanket（毛毯）with me, and when it was my turn, I offered to share it with Dad, but he said “No, thanks.” The 14 never troubled him. I sat next to Dad and we looked up at the sky.
“Pick out your 15 star. It’ll be your Christmas present.” Dad said.
“You can’t give me a star! No one owns a star.”
“That’s right,” Dad said. “No one else owns a star. You just have to claim（认领） it 16 anyone else does, just like Columbus claimed America.”
I 17 it for a while. “I want that one,” I said.
“That’s Venus（金星）. It is a planet. It shines only from reflected（反射的）light.”
“I like it anyway,” I said.
“It’s Christmas. You can have a planet if you want.”
That evening, we discussed outer space and I realized Dad was a man with much 18 of the stars and planets. We all 19 about the other kids who believed in Santa Claus and got nothing for Christmas but some cheap plastic toys. “Years from now, when all that they got are broken and long forgotten,” Dad said, “you’ll 20 have your stars.”
11. A. to B. with C. for D. of
12. A. used B. reported C. supposed D. chosen
13. A. another B. other C. the other D. others
14. A. heat B. night C. cold D. stars
15. A. big B. first C. different D. favorite
16. A. when B. before C. after D. until
17. A. heard of B. waited for C. thought about D. looked up
18. A. information B. advice C. experience D. knowledge
19. A. laughed B. talked C. learnt D. worried
20. A. also B. even C. still D. already
