「ドリトル先生アフリカゆき」から学ぶ大学入試・英検・TOEIC頻出語彙と読解(5)

　著作権の切れた童話「ドリトル先生アフリカゆき」から、シンプルで、大学入試にもTOEICにも英検にも有効な練習問題を作成しています。楽しみながら英語力を伸ばしていただければ幸いです。

(5)
"Money is a nuisance," he used to say. "We'd all be much better off if it had never been ①( )nvented. What does money matter, so long as we are happy?"

But soon the animals themselves began to get ②( )orried. And one evening when the Doctor was asleep in his chair before the kitchen-fire they began talking it over among themselves in whispers. And the owl, Too-Too, who was good at arithmetic, ③(that / figured / out / it) there was only money enough left to ④( )ast another week—if they each had one meal a day and no more.

Then the parrot said, "I think we all ought to do the housework ourselves. At least we can do that much. After all, it is for our sakes that the old man finds himself so lonely and so poor."

So it was agreed that the monkey, Chee-Chee, was to do the cooking and mending; the dog was to sweep the floors; the duck was to dust and make the beds; the owl, Too-Too, was to ⑤( )eep the accounts, and the pig was to do the gardening. They made Polynesia, the parrot, housekeeper and laundress, because she was the oldest.

Of course at first they all ⑥( )ound their new jobs very hard to do—all except Chee-Chee, who had hands, and could do things like a man. But they soon got used to it; and they used to think it great fun to watch Jip, the dog, sweeping his tail over the floor with a rag tied onto it for a broom. After a little they got to do the work so well that the Doctor said that he had never had his house kept so ⑦( )idy or so clean before.

In this way things went along all right for a while; but without money they found it very hard.

Then the animals made a vegetable and flower stall outside the garden-gate and sold radishes and roses to the ⑧(passed / people / by / that ) along the road.

But still they didn't seem to make enough money to pay all the ⑨( )ills—and still the Doctor wouldn't worry. When the parrot came to him and told him that the fishmonger wouldn't give them any more fish, he said,

"Never mind. So long as the hens lay eggs and the cow gives milk we can have omelettes and junket. And there are plenty of vegetables left in the garden. The Winter is still a long way off. Don't fuss. That was the trouble with Sarah—she would fuss. I wonder how Sarah's getting on—an ⑩( )xcellent woman—in some ways—Well, well!"

But the snow came earlier than usual that year; and although the old lame horse hauled in plenty of wood from the ⑪( )orest outside the town, so they could have a big fire in the kitchen, most of the vegetables in the garden were gone, and the ⑫( )est were covered with snow; and many of the animals were really hungry.

THE FOURTH CHAPTER
A MESSAGE FROM AFRICA
THAT Winter was a very cold one. And one night in December, when they were all sitting round the warm fire in the kitchen, and the Doctor was reading aloud to them out of books he had written himself in animal-language, the owl, Too-Too, suddenly said, "Sh! What's that noise outside?"

They all listened; and presently they heard the sound of some one running. Then the door flew open and the monkey, Chee-Chee, ran in, badly out of ⑬( )reath.

"Doctor!" he cried, "I've just had a ⑭( )essage from a cousin of mine in Africa. There is a terrible sickness among the monkeys out there. They are all ⑮( )atching it—and they are dying in hundreds. They have heard of you, and ⑯(come / beg / to / you) to Africa to stop the sickness."

"Who brought the message?" asked the Doctor, taking off his spectacles and laying down his book.

"A swallow," said Chee-Chee. "She is outside on the rain-butt."

"Bring her in by the fire," said the Doctor. "She must be ⑰(with / perished / cold / the ). The swallows flew South six weeks ago!"

So the swallow was brought in, all huddled and shivering; and although she was a little afraid at first, she soon got ⑱( )armed up and sat on the edge of the mantelpiece and began to talk.

When she had finished the Doctor said,

"I would gladly go to Africa—especially in this bitter weather. But I'm ⑲( )fraid we haven't money enough to buy the tickets. Get me the money-box, Chee-Chee."

So the monkey climbed up and got it off the top shelf of the dresser.

There was nothing in it—not one single penny!

"I felt sure there was twopence left," said the Doctor.

"There WAS," said the owl. "But ⑳(on / it / spent / you ) a rattle for that badger's baby when he was teething."

※(5)の解答①invented ②worried③(figured it out that)④last ⑤keep⑥found⑦tidy or so clean before⑧(people that passed by) ⑨bills⑩excellent⑪forest ⑫rest⑬breath⑭message⑮catching ⑯(beg you to come)⑰(perished with the cold)⑱warmed ⑲afraid⑳(you spent it on)