二、完形填空

One day Birbal saw an artist who was quite worried. Birbal asked him, “What’s the 　　16　 ?” The artist said, “One day I met a businessman in a party. There he said no artist could portray (为……画像) him perfectly. Hearing this, I accepted his 　　17　 . A few days later when I finished the portrait, I visited him and showed the portrait to him. But 　　18　 　the portrait, he screamed, ‘You have portrayed me in beard!’ I tried to convince him that at the time of the portrait making, he was possessing beard. But he did not 　　19　 　me at all.”

The artist was in tears. Birbal 　　10　 　him and asked further. The artist said, “Sir, then I asked him to give me another 　　21　 　to prove my skills. He 　　22　 . After a few days I visited him with a new portrait. I was quite 　　23　 　this time. But when I saw him he was not clean-shaven. As I 　　24　 , he shouted, ‘This can’t be my picture.’ I said it was not my 　　25　 . However, he declared I 　　26　 　to fulfill my challenge. I asked for one more chance but he 　　27　 　me the next time, too.”

Birbal was a kind man; he decided to 　　28　 　the artist. He accompanied him up to the businessman’s house. Birbal remained outside, whereas the artist entered inside.

As soon as the businessman saw the artist, he said, “Oh, great artist! You are here again! It seems you have come again with some of your rubbish 　　29　 .” The artist replied, “Sir, I’m sure, what I’ve 　　30　 　today will surely match your 　　31　 .”

Saying so, he passed on something to him. The businessman 　　32　 　it and looked. But it was just a mirror. He screamed 　　33　 , “What a silly joke it is!” Then entered Birbal; he said, “I think only mirror can show your present face.”

The businessman was very 　　34　 　to see and hear Birbal. He begged his pardon for what he had done and 　　35　 　the artist well.

16. A. mistake　　　　 B. cause　　　　　　　 C. truth　　　　　　 D. difference

17. A. decision　　　　 B. opinion　　　　　 C. battle　　　　　　 D. challenge

18. A. finishing　　　 B. painting　　　　　 C. seeing　　　　　 D. collecting

19. A. listen to　　　　 B. look at　　　　　　 C. trust　　　　　　　 D. understand

20. A. saved　　　　　　 B. comforted　　　 C. followed　　　　 D. supported

21. A. standard　　　　 B. test　　　　　　　　 C. chance　　　　　 D. place

22. A. prepared　　　 B. agreed　　　　　　 C. stopped　　　　 D. managed

23. A. confident　　　 B. free　　　　　　　　 C. positive　　　　 D. content

24. A. feared　　　　　 B. discovered　　　 C. heard　　　　　　 D. believed

25. A. doubt　　　　　 B. trouble　　　　　　 C. fault　　　　　　　 D. duty

26. A. pretended　　　 B. attempted　　　　 C. refused　　　　　 D. failed

27. A. hurt　　　　　　　 B. blamed　　　　　　 C. tricked　　　　　 D. punished

28. A. protect　　　　　 B. help　　　　　　　　 C. employ　　　　　 D. reward

29. A. item　　　　　　 B. bag　　　　　　　　 C. load　　　　　　　 D. suggestion

30. A. observed　　　 B. brought　　　　　 C. kept　　　　　　　 D. started

31. A. body　　　　　　 B. action　　　　　　 C. dress　　　　　　 D. face

32. A. caught　　　　　 B. reached　　　　　 C. held 　　　　　　 D. touched

33. A. sadly　　　　　　 B. proudly　　　　　 C. carefully　　　　 D. angrily

34. A. ashamed　　　 B. worried　　　　　 C. disappointed　 D. surprised

35. A. served　　　　　 B. paid　　　　　　　　 C. praised　　　　　 D. knew

15. “Well done, Gina! Not a single mistake 　　　　in this exam!” said the teacher.

　　 A. you made　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. did you make C. made you　　 D. you did make

14. 　　　　it have been the pressure from the tough task that led to his sleepless nights?

　　 A. Could　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. Would　　　 　 C. Should　 　　　 D. Must

13. Last night Liverpool beat Barcelona 3:1. It will play AC Milan in the European Cup final 　　　　in Moscow on May 28th.

　　 A. held　　　 B. being held　　　 C. to hold　　　 　　 D. to be held

12. — Don’t blame yourself too much. It is too early to start the afternoon class at 1:00 p.m.

　　 — No, the class 　　　　to 2:00 p.m., and I was still 30 minutes late.

　　 A. will be rescheduled　　　 　　　　 B. would be rescheduled

　　 C. is being rescheduled 　　　　　　　 D. had been rescheduled

11. I bought an apartment at the beginning of 2007, when house prices were still reasonable; but 　　　, its value began to shoot up.

　　 A. long before B. in time　　　　　　 C. before long　　 　　　 D. on time

10. — I’m sorry to hear about Bill’s 　　　. I know he was sick a lot.

　　 — It wasn’t that. Bill made a big mistake in his report, which made his boss very angry.

　　 A. firing　 　　　　 B. to be fired　　　 C. having fired　 　　 D. being fired

9. With the demand outnumbering the supply in the job market, it is no news nowadays that a person with a doctorial (博士的) degree may 　　　　jobless.

　　 A. put up　 　　B. end up　　 　 C. take up　 　　　　 D. pick up

8. His failure came as no surprise 　　　　the fact that he hadn’t got himself well prepared for it.

　　 A. due to　　 　 B. along with　 　 C. in spite of　 　 D. regardless of

7. Generally speaking, female assistants are more patient and skillful in their relationship with customers, because they’re more 　　　　to customers’ needs.

　　 A. gifted　　　 B. available　　 C. sensitive　　 D. addicted