「ドリトル先生航海記」から学ぶ大学入試・英検・TOEIC頻出語彙と読解(7)

　著作権の切れた童話「ドリトル先生航海記」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。
　コロンで区切られているのが四語選択問題、スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題です。四語選択問題の単語は大学入試、英検、TOEICに共通する重要単語で＊印は問題の難易度の目安です。＊印が多いほど難しい単語になっています。無印は語法・文法問題です。

※(6)の解答①(bumped)②(I had run into)③(wet pavement like myself)④(shabby)⑤(of getting angry at)⑥(reminds)⑦(flies followed me everywhere)⑧(fault)⑨(sit talking like this)⑩(soaked)⑪(declare)⑫(last)⑬(took)⑭(began to wonder who)⑮(refused)⑯(found myself back at)⑰(suppose) ⑱(which)⑲(shouted as we sped)⑳(bother)

(7)
I popped in, he and Jip following. Then he slammed the door to behind us.

The storm had made it dark enough outside; but inside the house, with the door closed, it was as black as night. Then began the most ①(I / that / noise / extraordinary ) have ever heard. It sounded like all sorts and kinds of animals and birds calling and squeaking and screeching at the same time. I could hear things trundling down the stairs and hurrying along passages. Somewhere in the dark a duck was quacking, a cock was crowing, a dove was cooing, an owl was hooting, a lamb was bleating and Jip was barking. I felt birds' wings fluttering and fanning near my face. Things kept bumping into legs and nearly ②*(complaining : upsetting : governing : attracting) me. The whole front hall seemed to be ③(up / filling / animals / with). The noise, together with the roaring of the rain, was tremendous; and I was beginning to grow a little bit ④**(scared : robbed : sighed : overlooked) when I felt the Doctor take hold of my arm and ⑤(my / shout / ear / into).

"Don't be ⑥**(captured : alarmed : lamented : discriminated). Don't be frightened. These are just some of my pets. I've been away three months and they are glad to see me home again. Stand still where you are till I strike a light. My Gracious, what a storm!—Just listen to that thunder!"

So there I stood in the pitch-black dark, while all ⑦(animals / kinds / which / of ) I couldn't see chattered and jostled around me. It was a curious and a funny feeling. I had often wondered, when I had looked in from the front gate, what Doctor Dolittle would be like and what the funny little house ⑧(it / would / inside / have). But I never imagined it would ⑨(anything / be / this / like). Yet somehow after I had felt the Doctor's hand upon my arm I was not frightened, only ⑩*(ignored : confused : condemned : ruined). It all seemed like some queer dream; and I was beginning to wonder if I was really awake, when I heard the Doctor speaking again:

"My blessed matches are all wet. They won't strike. Have you got any?"

"No, I'm afraid I haven't," I called back.

"Never mind," said he. "Perhaps Dab-Dab can raise us a light somewhere."

Then the Doctor made some funny clicking ⑪(tongue / noises / his / with) and I heard some one trundle up the stairs again and start moving about in the rooms above.

Then we waited quite a while without anything happening.

"Will the light ⑫(long / be / coming / in)?" I asked. "Some animal is sitting on my foot and my toes are going to sleep."

"No, only a minute," said the Doctor. "She'll be back in a minute."

And just then I saw the first glimmerings of a light around the landing above. At once all the animals kept quiet.

"I thought you lived alone," I said to the Doctor. "So I do," said he. "It is Dab-Dab who is bringing the light."

I looked up the stairs ⑬(make / trying / out / to) who was coming. I could not see around the landing but I heard the most curious footstep on the upper flight. It sounded like some one hopping down from one step to the other, as ⑭(he / though / using / were) only one leg.

As the light came lower, it grew brighter and began to ⑮(see : catch : throw : watch) strange jumping shadows on the walls.

"Ah-at last!" said the Doctor. "Good old Dab-Dab!"

And then I thought I REALLY must be dreaming. For there, craning her neck round the bend of the landing, hopping down the ⑯(leg : one : stairs : on), came a spotless white duck. And in her right foot she carried a lighted candle!

THE FOURTH CHAPTER. THE WIFF-WAFF
WHEN at last I could look around me I found that the hall was indeed simply full of animals. It seemed to me that almost every kind of ⑰*(creature : ancestor : colleague : passenger) from the countryside must be there: a pigeon, a white rat, an owl, a badger, a jackdaw—there was even a small pig, just in from the rainy garden, carefully ⑱(feet / wiping / on / his ) the mat while the light from the candle glistened on his wet pink back.

The Doctor took the candlestick from the duck and turned to me.

"Look here," he said: "you must ⑲(wet / get / clothes / those) off—by the way, what is your name?"

"Tommy Stubbins," I said.

"Oh, are you the son of Jacob Stubbins, the shoemaker?"

"Yes," I said.

"Excellent bootmaker, your father," said the Doctor. "You see these?" and he held up his right foot to show me the enormous boots he was wearing. "Your father made me those boots four years ago, and I've been wearing them ever since—perfectly wonderful boots—Well now, look here, Stubbins. You 've got to change those wet things and quick. Wait a moment till I get some more candles lit, and then we'll go upstairs and find some dry clothes. You'll have to wear an old ⑳(till / mine / of / suit) we can get yours dry again by the kitchen-fire."

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