二、完形填空(每题1分,共8分)
阅读下面的短文,掌握其大意,然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选择最佳选项。
Our Christmas Goose
On a cold morning that December, my brother Rick and I were sent to Uncle Tommie's on the other side of Little Mountain to get a goose for Christmas dinner. This long journey over the mountain was hard but worth it.
That morning, dark clouds were coming together overhead. I knew it was going to snow on the 1 .
When we arrived, Uncle Tommie was already waiting for us. “Boys, I'm not 2 you off,” he said, “but the wind is picking up. You'd better get the goose and head for home soon.”
After a quick thank⁃you and goodbye, I took the goose and we left. Halfway up the mountain, it began to snow heavily. I held the goose 3 to me.
By the time we reached the top of the mountain, it snowed more heavily. And the wind seemed to blow straight through my coat. I stepped in front of Rick. “You must be cold. Open your coat!”
“Are you crazy?” Rick asked. “I'll lose what little warmth I have!” When he saw I was 4 , he slowly opened his coat.
I placed the warm goose inside his coat. Rick sighed happily(舒了口气). My plan was 5 .
On the way down, I started to shiver(发抖). Rick said, “Dave, it's your turn now.”
He passed me the goose. For a long moment, I just stood and 6 my freezing(冰冷的) hands on his body. We passed the goose back and forth(来回地) between us all the way. Finally, we got home.
Sitting at the table, we explained how the goose kept us from freezing. “We can't have him for dinner! This goose helped 7 our lives,” I said.
Later, we named the goose Charley and he lived out his life in the yard, bossing around the chickens and another goose we bought to keep him company. A life as the most important bird was fitting for our 8 .
1.A.mountain B.island C.lake D.beach
2.A.paying B.rushing C.showing D.calling
3.A.lightly B.secretly C.high D.close
4.A.frightened B.regretful C.serious D.surprised
5.A.working B.continuing C.improving D.changing
6.A.raised B.dried C.warmed D.examined
7.A.spare B.save C.treasure D.give
8.A.leader B.boss C.guide D.hero
答案解析：
1. 根据第一段中的“sent to Uncle Tommie's on the other side of Little Mountain”和第三段中的“Halfway up the mountain”，可知故事发生的地点是山上，天气变化也发生在山路上，所以选A。
2. 根据Uncle Tommie说的“the wind is picking up. You'd better get the goose and head for home soon”，可知他是在催促兄弟俩赶紧回家，所以选B。
3. 根据后文“the wind seemed to blow straight through my coat”和“stepped in front of Rick”等描述，可知天气非常寒冷，作者把鹅抱得很紧是为了取暖，所以选D。
4. 根据后文Rick“slowly opened his coat”，可知他一开始虽然不情愿，但看到作者“是认真的”(serious)之后，还是照做了，所以选C。
5. 根据前文作者让Rick打开衣服，以及后文Rick“sighed happily”，可知作者通过把温暖的鹅给弟弟取暖的计划奏效了，所以选A。
6. 根据前文作者“I started to shiver”和后文兄弟俩“passed the goose back and forth”，可知此时轮到作者取暖，他把冰冷的手放在弟弟身上是为了取暖，所以选C。
7. 根据前文兄弟俩通过轮流抱着鹅才抵御了严寒，最终安全到家，可知作者认为这只鹅“拯救了”(saved)他们的生命，所以选B。
8. 根据全文故事，这只鹅在严寒中帮助兄弟俩度过了难关，是他们生命中的“英雄”(hero)，所以选D。
