「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(16)

　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。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。

(16)
THE TENTH CHAPTER
THE RAREST ANIMAL OF ALL
PUSHMI-PULLYUS are now ①***(zealous : extinct : federal : stern). That means, there aren't any more. But long ago, when Doctor Dolittle was alive, there were some of them still left in the deepest jungles of Africa; and even then they were very, very ②**(stable : scarce : modest : potential). They had no tail, but a head at each end, and sharp horns on each head. They were very shy and terribly hard to catch. The black men get most of their animals by ③(behind / sneaking / them / up) while they are not looking. But you could not do this with the pushmi-pullyu—because, no matter which way you came towards him, he was always ④*(gaining : facing : revealing : describing) you. And ⑤*(because : besides : although : unless), only one half of him slept at a time. The other head was always awake—and watching. This was why they were never caught and never seen in Zoos. Though many of the greatest huntsmen and the cleverest menagerie-keepers ⑥*(ran : spent : cost : spread) years of their lives searching through the jungles in all weathers for pushmi-pullyus, not a ⑦(ever / single / had / one) been caught. Even then, years ago, he was the only animal in the world with two heads.

Well, the monkeys ⑧**(put off : set out : stood by : gave up) hunting for this animal through the forest. And after they had gone a good many miles, one of them found ⑨**(peculiar : tropical : secure : shallow) footprints near the edge of a river; and they knew that a pushmi-pullyu must be very near that spot.

Then they went along the bank of the river a little way and they saw a place ⑩*(which : where : when : what) the grass was high and thick; and they ⑪*(persuaded : expressed : guessed : approved) that he was in there.

⑫*(While : Because : So : Although) they all joined hands and made a great circle round the high grass. The pushmi-pullyu heard them coming; and he tried ⑬(through / break / to / hard) the ring of monkeys. But he couldn't do it. When he saw that it was ⑭(use / no / to / trying) escape, he sat down and waited to see what they wanted.

They asked him if he would go with Doctor Dolittle and ⑮(show / be / on / put) in the Land of the White Men.

But he shook both his heads hard and said, "Certainly not!"

They ⑯*(estimated : explained : supposed : apologized) to him that he would not be shut up in a menagerie but would just be looked at. They told him that the Doctor was a very kind man but hadn't any money; and people would pay to see a two-headed animal and the Doctor would get rich and could pay for the boat he had ⑰*(owned : borrowed : delivered : operated) to come to Africa in.

But he answered, "No. You know how ⑱**(decent : sensible : shy : bold) I am—I hate being stared at." And he almost began to cry.

Then for three days they tried to ⑲*(justify : persuade : attract : contribute) him.

And at the end of the third day he said he would come with them and ⑳(of / kind / what / see) a man the Doctor was, first.


※(16)の解答①(extinct)②(scarce)③(sneaking up behind them) ④(facing)⑤(besides)⑥(spent)⑦(single one had ever ) been caught. ⑧(set out)⑨(peculiar)⑩(where) ⑪(guessed )⑫(So)⑬(hard to break through)⑭(no use trying to)⑮(be put on show)⑯(explained)⑰*(borrowed)⑱(shy)⑲(persuade) ⑳(see what kind of)