「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(1)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
　３５回にわけて各回約２０の練習問題を含んでいます。英検準２級一次でコンスタントに９割以上得点できる位の力があれば、月に一冊やさしいペーパーバックを読むのはそれほど大変ではないと思います。レベルにあった教材を探すのが容易でインプット効率が高いのがリーディングです。徐々に質と精度を上げ、量も増やしていけば英語力はどんどん伸びます。　
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を多数紹介しておりますのでご利用下さい。

(1)

THE STORY OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE

THE FIRST CHAPTER
PUDDLEBY
ONCE upon a time, many years ago when our grandfathers were little children—there was a doctor; and his name was Dolittle—John Dolittle, M.D. "M.D." means that he was a ①prop( )( ) doctor and knew a whole lot.

He lived in a little town called, Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. All the folks, young and old, knew him well by ②sig( )( ). And whenever he walked down the street in his high hat everyone would say, "There goes the Doctor!—He's a clever man." And the dogs and the children would all run up and follow behind him; and even the crows that lived in the church-tower would caw and ③no( ) their heads.

The house he lived in, on the edge of the town, was quite small; but his garden was very large and had a wide lawn and stone seats and weeping-willows hanging over. His sister, Sarah Dolittle, was housekeeper for him; but the Doctor ④( )ooked after the garden himself.

He was very fond of animals and kept many kinds of pets. Besides the gold-fish in the pond at the bottom of his garden, he had rabbits in the pantry, white mice in his piano, a squirrel in the linen closet and a hedgehog in the cellar. He had a cow with a calf too, and an old lame horse-twenty-five years of age—and chickens, and pigeons, and two lambs, and many other animals. But his ⑤( )avorite pets were Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the baby pig, Polynesia the parrot, and the owl Too-Too.

His sister used to grumb⑥( )( ) about all these animals and said they made the house ⑦( )( )tidy. And one day when an old lady with rheumatism came to see the Doctor, she sat on the hedgehog who was sleeping on the sofa and never came to see him any more, but drove every Saturday ⑧(to / all / way / the ) Oxenthorpe, another town ten miles off, to see a different doctor.

Then his sister, Sarah Dolittle, came to him and said,

"John, how ⑨(expect / can / sick / you ) people to come and see you when you keep all these animals in the house? It's a fine doctor would have his parlor full of hedgehogs and mice! That's the fourth personage these animals have driven away. Squire Jenkins and the Parson say they wouldn't come near your house again—⑩(sick / how / matter / no ) they are. We are getting poorer every day. If you go on like this, none of the best people will have you for a doctor."

"But I like the animals better than the 'best people'," said the Doctor.

"You are ⑪ridicul( )( )( )," said his sister, and walked out of the room.

So, as time went on, the Doctor got more and more animals; and the people who came to see him got less and less. Till at last he had no one left—except the Cat's-meat-Man, who didn't ⑪( )ind any kind of animals. But the Cat's-meat Man wasn't very rich and he only got sick once a year—at Christmas-time, when he ⑫( )sed to give the Doctor sixpence for a bottle of medicine.

Sixpence a year wasn't ⑬(to / enough / on / live )—even in those days, long ago; and if the Doctor hadn't had some money ⑭( )aved up in his money-box, no one knows what would have happened.

And he kept on getting still more pets; and of course it cost a lot to ⑮fee( ) them. And the money he had saved up grew littler and littler.

Then he sold his piano, and let the mice live in a bureau-drawer. But the money he got for that too began to go, so he sold the brown ⑯(on / wore / he / suit ) Sundays and went on becoming poorer and poorer.

And now, when he walked down the street in his high hat, people would say to one another, "There goes John Dolittle, M.D.! There was a time when he was the best known doctor in the West Country—Look at him now—He hasn't any money and his stockings are full of holes!"

But the dogs and the cats and the children still ran up and followed him through the town—the same as ⑰(had / they / when / done ) he was rich.

THE SECOND CHAPTER
ANIMAL LANGUAGE
IT happened one day that the Doctor was sitting in his kitchen talking with the Cat's-meat-Man who had come to see him with a stomach-ache.

"Why don't you ⑱( )ive up being a people's doctor, and be an animal-doctor?" asked the Cat's-meat-Man.

The parrot, Polynesia, was sitting in the window looking out at the rain and singing a sailor-song to herself. She stopped singing and started to listen.

"You see, Doctor," the Cat's-meat-Man went on, "you know all about animals—much more than what these here vets do. That book you wrote—about cats, why, it's wonderful! I can't read or write myself—or maybe I'D write some books. But my wife, Theodosia, she's a ⑲schol( )( ), she is. And she read your book to me. Well, it's wonderful—that's all can be said—wonderful. You might have been a cat yourself. You know the way they think. And listen: you can make a lot of money ⑳( )octoring animals. Do you know that? You see, I'd send all the old women who had sick cats or dogs to you. And if they didn't get sick fast enough, I could put something in the meat I sell 'em to make 'em sick, see?"

※(1)の解答①proper②sight③nod④looked⑤favorite⑥grumble⑦untidy⑧(all the way to)⑨(can you expect sick)⑩(no matter how sick)⑪ridiculous⑪mind⑫used⑬(enough to live on)⑭saved⑮feed⑯(suit he wore on) ⑰(they had done when)⑱give⑲scholar⑳doctoring

「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(2)

　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。
　他言語習得には時間と手間がかかります。中高六年間の英語学習成果としては英語圏の小学生レベルの英文が読めて英英辞典が使える程度に達していれば十分でしょう。日本人英語学習者が伸び悩む大きな要因は基礎を固めずに応用に走ることにあります。

(2)
"Oh, no," said the Doctor quickly. "You mustn't do that. That wouldn't be right."

"Oh, I didn't mean real sick," answered the Cat's-meat-Man. "Just a little something to make them droopy-like was what I had reference to. But as you say, maybe it ain't quite ①( )air on the animals. But they'll get sick anyway, because the old women always give 'em too much to eat. And look, all the farmers 'round about who had lame horses and weak lambs—they'd come. Be an animal-doctor."

When the Cat's-meat-Man had gone the parrot flew off the window on to the Doctor's table and said,

"That man's got ②( )ense. That's what you ought to do. Be an animal-doctor. Give the ③( )illy people up—if they haven't brains enough to see you're the best doctor in the world. Take care of animals ④( )( )stead—THEY'll soon find it out. Be an animal-doctor."

"Oh, there are plenty of animal-doctors," said John Dolittle, putting the flower-pots outside on the window-sill to get the rain.

"Yes, there ARE plenty," said Polynesia. "But none of them are any good at all. Now listen, Doctor, and I'll tell you something. Did you know that animals can talk?"

"I knew that parrots can talk," said the Doctor.

"Oh, we ⑤(in / parrots / talk / can ) two languages—people's language and bird-language," said Polynesia proudly. "If I say, 'Polly wants a cracker,' you understand me. But hear this: Ka-ka oi-ee, fee-fee?"

"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. "What does that mean?"

"That means, 'Is the porridge hot yet?'—in bird-language."

"My! You don't say so!" said the Doctor. "You never talked that way to me before."

"What would have been the good?" said Polynesia, dusting some cracker-crumbs off her left wing. "You wouldn't ⑥(understood / have / if / me ) I had."

"Tell me some more," said the Doctor, all ⑦( )xcited; and he ⑧( )ushed over to the dresser-drawer and came back with the butcher's book and a pencil. "Now don't go too fast—and I'll write it down. This is interesting—very interesting—something quite new. Give me the Birds' A.B.C. first—slowly now."

So that was the way the Doctor came to know that animals had a ⑨(own / their / of / language ) and could talk to one another. And all that afternoon, while it was raining, Polynesia sat on the kitchen table giving him bird words ⑩(put / to / in / down) the book.

At tea-time, when the dog, Jip, came in, the parrot said to the Doctor, "See, HE'S talking to you."

"Looks to me as though he were ⑪( )cratching his ear," said the Doctor.

"But animals don't always speak with their mouths," said the parrot in a high voice, ⑫( )aising her eyebrows. "They talk with their ears, with their feet, with their tails—with everything. Sometimes they don't WANT to make a ⑬( )oise. Do you see now the way he's twitching up one side of his nose?"

"What's that mean?" asked the Doctor.

"That means, 'Can't ⑭(that / you / it / see ) has stopped raining?'" Polynesia answered. "He is asking you a question. Dogs nearly always use their noses for asking questions."

After a while, with the parrot's help, the Doctor got to learn the language of the animals so well that he could talk to them himself and understand everything they said. Then he gave up being a people's doctor altogether.

As soon as the Cat's-meat-Man had told every one that John Dolittle was going to become an animal-doctor, old ladies began to bring him their pet pugs and poodles who had eaten too much cake; and farmers came many miles to show him sick cows and sheep.

One day a plow-horse was brought to him; and the poor thing was ⑮( )( )rribly glad to find a man who could talk in horse-language.

"You know, Doctor," said the horse, "that vet over the hill knows nothing at all. He has been ⑯( )reating me six weeks now—for spavins. What I need is SPECTACLES. I am going blind in one eye. There's no reason why horses shouldn't wear glasses, the same as people. But that stupid man over the hill never even looked at my eyes. He kept on giving me big pills. I tried to tell him; but he couldn't understand a word of horse-language. What ⑰(need / I / spectacles / is )."

"Of course—of course," said the Doctor. "I'll get you some at once."

"I would like a pair like yours," said the horse—"only green. They'll keep the sun out of my eyes while I'm plowing the Fifty-Acre Field."

"Certainly," said the Doctor. "Green ones you shall have."

"You know, the ⑱( )( )ouble is, Sir," said the plow-horse as the Doctor opened the front door to let him out—"the trouble is that ANYBODY thinks he can doctor animals—just because the animals don't ⑲( )omplain. As a matter of fact it takes a much cleverer man to be a really good animal-doctor than it does to be a good people's doctor. My farmer's boy thinks he knows all about horses. I wish you could see him—his face is so fat he ⑳(he / looks / though / as) had no eyes—and he has got as much brain as a potato-bug. He tried to put a mustard-plaster on me last week."

※(2)の解答①fair②sense③silly ④instead⑤(parrots can talk in) ⑥(have understood me if )⑦excited⑧rushed⑨(language of their own)⑩(to put down in)⑪scratching⑫raising⑬noise⑭(you see that it)⑮terribly⑯treating⑰(I need is spectacles)⑱trouble⑲complain ⑳(looks as though he)

「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(3)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。

(3)
"Where did he put it?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh, he didn't put it anywhere—on me," said the horse. "He only tried to. I kicked him into the duck-pond."

"Well, well!" said the Doctor.

"I'm a pretty quiet creature as a ①( )ule," said the horse—"very ②( )atient with people—don't make much fuss. But it was bad enough to have that vet giving me the wrong ③( )( )dicine. And when that red-faced booby started to monkey with me, I just couldn't ④bea( ) it any more."

"Did you hurt the boy much?" asked the Doctor.

"Oh, no," said the horse. "I kicked him in the right place. The vet's ⑤( )ooking after him now. When will my glasses be ready?"

"I'll ⑥(for / have / you / them ) next week," said the Doctor. "Come in again Tuesday—Good morning!"

Then John Dolittle got a fine, big pair of green spectacles; and the plow-horse stopped going blind in one eye and could see as well as ever.

And soon it became a ⑦( )( )mmon sight to see farm-animals wearing glasses in the country round Puddleby; and a blind horse was a thing unknown.

And so it was with all the other animals that were brought to him. As soon as they found that he could talk their language, they told him where the pain was and how they felt, and of course it was easy for him to ⑧( )ure them.

Now all these animals went back and told their brothers and friends that there was a doctor in the little house with the big garden who really WAS a doctor. And whenever any ⑨( )reatures got sick—not only horses and cows and dogs—but all the little things of the fields, like harvest-mice and water-voles, badgers and bats, they came at once to his house on the edge of the town, so that his big garden was nearly always ⑩( )rowded with animals trying to get in to see him.

There were so many that came that he had to have special doors made for the different kinds. He wrote "HORSES" over the front door, "COWS" over the side door, and "SHEEP" on the kitchen door. Each kind of animal had a separate door—even the mice had a tiny tunnel ⑪(for / made / into / them ) the cellar, where they waited patiently in ⑫( )ows for the Doctor to come round to them.

And so, in a few years' time, every living thing for miles and miles got to know about John Dolittle, M.D. And the birds who flew to other countries in the winter told the animals in foreign lands of the wonderful doctor of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, who could understand their talk and ⑬(their / help / in / them) troubles. In this way he became famous among the animals—all over the world—better known even than he had been among the ⑭( )olks of the West Country. And he was happy and liked his life very much.

One afternoon when the Doctor was busy writing in a book, Polynesia sat in the window—as she nearly always did—looking out at the leaves blowing about in the garden. Presently she laughed aloud.

"What is it, Polynesia?" asked the Doctor, looking up from his book.

"I was just thinking," said the parrot; and she went on looking at the leaves.

"What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking about people," said Polynesia. "People make me sick. They think they're so wonderful. The world has been going on now for thousands of years, hasn't it? And the only thing in animal-language that PEOPLE have learned to understand is that when a dog wags his tail he means 'I'm glad!'—It's funny, isn't it? You are the very first man to talk like us. Oh, sometimes people ⑮ann( )( ) me dreadfully—such airs they put on—talking about 'the dumb animals.' DUMB!—Huh! Why I knew a macaw once who could say 'Good morning!' in seven different ways without once opening his mouth. He could talk every language—and Greek. An old professor with a gray beard bought him. But he didn't stay. He said the old man didn't talk Greek right, and he couldn't stand listening to him teach the language wrong. I often ⑯( )onder what's become of him. That bird knew more geography than people will ever know.—PEOPLE, Golly! I ⑰suppo( )( ) if people ever learn to fly—like any common hedge-sparrow—we shall never hear the end of it!"

"You're a wise old bird," said the Doctor. "How old are you really? I know that parrots and elephants sometimes live to be very, very old."

"I can never be quite sure of my age," said Polynesia. "It's either a hundred and eighty-three or a hundred and eighty-two. But I know that when I first came here from Africa, King Charles was still hiding in the oak-tree—because I saw him. He looked ⑱( )cared to death."

THE THIRD CHAPTER
MORE MONEY TROUBLES
AND soon now the Doctor began to make money again; and his sister, Sarah, bought a new dress and was happy. Some of the animals who came to see him were so sick that they had to stay at the Doctor's house for a week. And when they were getting better they used to sit in chairs on the lawn.

And often even after they got well, they did not want to go away—they liked the Doctor and his house so much. And he never had the heart to ⑲( )efuse them when they asked if they could stay with him. So in this way ⑳(on / he / getting / went) more and more pets.

※(3)の解答①rule②patient③medicine④bear⑤looking⑥(have them for you)⑦common⑧cure⑨creatures⑩crowded⑪(made for them into)⑫rows⑬(help them in their)⑭folks⑮annoy⑯wonder ⑰suppose⑱scared to death ⑲refuse⑳(he went on getting)

「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(4)

　シェイクスピアを読んで英語ができるようになった人はあまりいません。しかし童話のようなやさしいものから入れば英語上達はずっと容易になります。
　そこで、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みました。楽しみながら英語力を伸ばしていただければ幸いです。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
　著作権の関係でお示しすることはできないとはいえ、英検１級レベルの長文(TIME,NEWSWEEKのやさしめの記事程度)から作成した四語選択問題と四語整序問題がすらすら解けるようになれば英検１級・TOEIC900点レベル到達は十分可能です。

(4)
Once when he was sitting on his garden wall, smoking a pipe in the evening, an Italian organ-grinder came round with a monkey on a string. The Doctor saw at once that the monkey's collar was too tight and that he was dirty and unhappy. So he took the monkey away from the Italian, gave the man a shilling and told him to go. The organ-grinder got awfully angry and said that he wanted to keep the monkey. But the Doctor told him that if he didn't go away he would punch him on the nose. John Dolittle was a strong man, though he wasn't very tall. So the Italian ①(rude / saying / away / went) things and the monkey stayed with Doctor Dolittle and had a good home. The other animals in the house called him "Chee-Chee"—which is a common word in monkey-language, meaning "ginger."

And another time, when the circus came to Puddleby, the crocodile who had a bad tooth-ache ②( )scaped at night and came into the Doctor's garden. The Doctor talked to him in crocodile-language and took him into the house and made his tooth better. But when the crocodile saw what a ③(was / nice / it / house )—with all the different places for the different kinds of animals—he too wanted to live with the Doctor. He asked couldn't he sleep in the fish-pond at the bottom of the garden, if he promised not to eat the fish. When the circus-men came to take him back he got so wild and ④( )avage that he ⑤( )rightened them away. But to every one in the house he was always as ⑥( )entle as a kitten.

But now the old ladies ⑦( )rew afraid to send their lap-dogs to Doctor Dolittle because of the crocodile; and the farmers wouldn't believe that he would not eat the lambs and sick calves ⑧(to / they / be / brought ) cured. So the Doctor went to the crocodile and told him he must go back to his circus. But he ⑨( )ept such big tears, and ⑩( )egged so hard to be allowed to stay, that the Doctor hadn't the heart to ⑪( )urn him out.

So then the Doctor's sister came to him and said, "John, you must send that creature away. Now the farmers and the old ladies are afraid to send their animals to you—just as we were beginning ⑫(be / to / off / well )again. Now we shall be ⑬( )uined entirely. This is the last straw. I will no ⑭( )onger be housekeeper for you if you don't send away that alligator."

"It isn't an alligator," said the Doctor—"it's a crocodile."

"I don't ⑮( )are what you call it," said his sister. "It's a nasty thing to find under the bed. I won't have it in the house."

"But he has promised me," the Doctor answered, "that he will not bite any one. He doesn't like the circus; and I haven't the money to send him back to Africa where he comes from. He ⑮( )inds his own business and on the whole is very well ⑯( )ehaved. Don't be so fussy."

"I tell you I WILL NOT have him around," said Sarah. "He eats the linoleum. If you don't send him away this minute I'll—I'll go and get married!"

"All right," said the Doctor, "go and get married. It can't be ⑰( )elped." And he took down his hat and went out into the garden.

So Sarah Dolittle ⑱( )acked up her things and went off; and the Doctor was left all alone with his animal family.

And very soon he was poorer than he had ever been before. With all these mouths to ⑳( )ill, and the house to look after, and no one to do the mending, and no money coming in to pay the butcher's bill, things began to look very difficult. But the Doctor didn't worry at all.

※(4)の解答①(went away saying rude)②escaped③(nice house it was)④savage⑤frightened⑥gentle⑦grew⑧(they brought to be) ⑨wept⑩begged⑪turn⑫(to be well off)⑬ruined⑭longer⑮care ⑯minds⑰behaved⑱helped⑲packed⑳fill

「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)

「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(6)

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みました。楽しみながら英語力を伸ばしていただければ幸いです。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
(6)
"Did I?" said the Doctor—"dear me, dear me! What a nuisance money is, to be sure! Well, never mind. Perhaps if I go down to the seaside I shall be able to ①( )( )rrow a boat that will take us to Africa. I knew a seaman once who brought his baby to me with measles. Maybe he'll lend us his boat—the baby got well."

So early the next morning the Doctor went down to the ②( )eashore. And when he came back he told the animals it was all right—the sailor was going to lend them the boat.

Then the crocodile and the monkey and the parrot were very glad and began to sing, because they were going back to Africa, their real home. And the Doctor said,

"I shall only be able to take you three—with Jip the dog, Dab-Dab the duck, Gub-Gub the pig and the owl, Too-Too. The rest of the animals, like the dormice and the water-voles and the bats, they will have to go back and live in the fields where they were born till we come home again. But as most of them sleep through the Winter, they won't mind that—and besides, it wouldn't be good for them to go to Africa."

So then the parrot, who had been on long sea-voyages before, began telling the Doctor all the things he would have to ③(with / take / on / him ) the ship.

"You must have plenty of pilot-bread," she said—"'hard tack' they call it. And you must have beef in cans—and an anchor."

"I ④( )xpect the ship will have its own anchor," said the Doctor.

"Well, make sure," said Polynesia. "Because it's very important. You can't stop if you haven't got an anchor. And you'll need a bell."

"What's that for?" asked the Doctor.

"To tell the time by," said the parrot. "You go and ring it every half-hour and then you know what time it is. And bring a whole lot of rope—it always comes in ⑤hand( ) on voyages."

Then they ⑥(where / began / wonder / to) they were going to get the money from to buy all the things they needed.

"Oh, bother it! Money again," cried the Doctor. "Goodness! I shall be glad to get to Africa where we don't have to have any! I'll go and ask the grocer if he will wait for his money till I get back—No, I'll ⑦sen( ) the sailor to ask him."

So the sailor went to see the grocer. And presently he ⑧(back / came / all / with ) the things they wanted.

Then the animals packed up; and after they had turned off the water so the pipes wouldn't ⑨free( )( ), and put up the shutters, they closed the house and gave the key to the old horse who lived in the stable. And when they had seen that there was plenty of hay in the loft to last the horse through the Winter, they carried all their ⑩( )uggage down to the seashore and got on to the boat.

The Cat's-meat-Man was there ⑪(off / them / see / to ); and he brought a large suet-pudding as a present for the Doctor because, he said he had been told, you couldn't get suet-puddings in foreign parts.

As soon as they were on the ship, Gub-Gub, the pig, asked where the beds were, for it was four o'clock in the afternoon and he wanted his nap. So Polynesia ⑫(downstairs / took / into / him) the inside of the ship and showed him the beds, set all on top of one another like book-shelves against a wall.

"Why, that isn't a bed!" cried Gub-Gub. "That's a shelf!"

"Beds are always ⑬(ships / like / on / that)," said the parrot. "It isn't a shelf. Climb up into it and go to sleep. That's what you call 'a bunk.'"

"I don't think I'll go to bed yet," said Gub-Gub. "I'm too excited. I want to go upstairs again and see them start."

"Well, this is your first trip," said Polynesia. "You will get used to the life after a while." And she went back up the stairs of the ship, humming ⑭(to / this / herself / song),

I've seen the Black Sea and the Red Sea;
I rounded the Isle of Wight;
I discovered the Yellow River,
And the Orange too by night.
Now Greenland drops behind again,
And I sail the ocean Blue.
I'm tired of all these colors, Jane,
So I'm coming back to you.

They were just going to start on their journey, when the Doctor said he would have to go back and ask the sailor the way to Africa.

But the swallow said she had been to that country many times and would show them how to get there.

So the Doctor told Chee-Chee to ⑮( )ull up the anchor and the voyage began.

THE FIFTH CHAPTER
THE GREAT JOURNEY
NOW for six whole weeks they went sailing on and on, over the rolling sea, ⑯( )( )llowing the swallow who flew before the ship to show them the way. At night she carried a tiny lantern, so they should not ⑰( )iss her in the dark; and the people on the other ships that passed said that the light must be a shooting star.

As they sailed further and further into the South, it got warmer and warmer. Polynesia, Chee-Chee and the crocodile enjoyed the hot sun no end. They ran about laughing and looking over the side of the ship to see ⑯(see / if / could / they) Africa yet.

But the pig and the dog and the owl, Too-Too, could do nothing in such ⑱( )eather, but sat at the end of the ship in the shade of a big barrel, with their tongues hanging out, drinking lemonade.

Dab-Dab, the duck, used to keep herself cool by jumping into the sea and swimming behind the ship. And every once in a while, when the top of her head got too hot, she would ⑲div( ) under the ship and come up on the other side. In this way, too, she used to catch herrings on Tuesdays and Fridays—when everybody on the boat ⑳(fish / ate / make / to ) the beef last longer.

※(6)の解答①borrow②seashore③(take with him on)④expect⑤handy⑥(began to wonder where)⑦send⑧(came back with all)⑨freeze⑩luggage⑪(to see them off)⑫(took him downstairs into)⑬(like that on ships) ⑭(this song to herself )⑮pull⑯following⑰miss ⑯(if they could see) ⑱weather⑲dive⑳(ate fish to make)←to make the beef last longerは「牛肉を長持ちさせるために」という意味になる。lastは「長持ちさせる」という動詞でもよく使われる。

「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(7)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
(7)
When they got near to the Equator they saw some flying-fishes coming towards them. And the fishes asked the parrot if this was Doctor Dolittle's ship. When she told them it was, they said they were glad, because the monkeys in Africa were getting worried that he would never come. Polynesia asked them how many miles they had yet to go; and the flying-fishes said it was only fifty-five miles now to the ①( )oast of Africa.

And another time a whole school of porpoises came dancing through the waves; and they too asked ②(was / Polynesia / this / if) the ship of the famous doctor. And when they heard that it was, they asked the parrot if the Doctor wanted anything for his journey.

And Polynesia said, "Yes. We have run ③sho( )( ) of onions."

"There is an island not far from here," said the porpoises, "where the wild onions grow tall and strong. Keep straight on—we will get some and ④( )atch up to you."

So the porpoises dashed away through the sea. And very soon the parrot saw them again, coming up behind, ⑤( )ragging the onions through the waves in big nets made of seaweed.

The next evening, as the sun was going down the Doctor said,

"Get me the ⑥( )( )lescope, Chee-Chee. Our journey is nearly ended. Very soon we should be able to see the shores of Africa."

And about half an hour later, sure enough, they thought they could see something in front that might be land. But it began to get darker and darker and they couldn't be sure. Then a great storm came up, with thunder and lightning. The wind howled; the rain came down in torrents; and the waves got so high ⑦(splashed / they / over / right ) the boat.

Presently there was a big BANG! The ship stopped and rolled over on its side.

"What's happened?" asked the Doctor, coming up from downstairs.

"I'm not ⑧( )ure," said the parrot; "but I think we're ship-wrecked. Tell the duck to get out and see."

So Dab-Dab dived right down under the waves. And when she came up she said they had ⑨( )truck a rock; there was a big hole in the bottom of the ship; the water was coming in; and they were ⑩( )inking fast.

"We must have run into Africa," said the Doctor. "Dear me, dear me!—Well—we must all swim to land."

But Chee-Chee and Gub-Gub did not know how to swim.

"Get the rope!" said Polynesia. "I told you it would come in handy. Where's that duck? Come here, Dab-Dab. Take this end of the rope, fly to the ⑪sho( )( ) and tie it on to a palm-tree; and we'll hold the other end on the ship here. Then those that can't swim must ⑫( )limb along the rope till they reach the land. That's what you call a 'life-line.'"

So they all got safely to the shore—some swimming, some flying; and those that climbed along the rope brought the Doctor's trunk and handbag with them.

But the ship was no good any more—with the big hole in the bottom; and presently the rough sea ⑬bea( ) it to pieces on the rocks and the timbers floated away.

Then they all took ⑭( )helter in a nice dry cave they found, high up in the cliffs, till the storm was over.

When the sun came out next morning they went down to the sandy beach to ⑮( )ry themselves.

"Dear old Africa!" sighed Polynesia. "It's ⑯(back / good / get / to ). Just think—it'll be a hundred and sixty-nine years to-morrow since I was here! And it hasn't changed a bit! Same old palm-trees; same old red earth; same old black ants! There's no place like home!"

And the others ⑰( )oticed she had tears in her eyes—she was so ⑱( )leased to see her country once again.

Then the Doctor ⑲( )issed his high hat; for it had been blown into the sea during the storm. So Dab-Dab went out to look for it. And presently she saw it, a long way off, floating on the water like a toy-boat.

When she flew down to get it, she found one of the white mice, very ⑳( )rightened, sitting inside it.

※(7)の解答①coast②(Polynesia if this was)③short④catch⑤dragging⑥telelescope⑦(they splashed right over)⑧sure⑨struck⑩sinking⑪shore⑫climb⑬beat⑭shelter⑮dry⑯(good to get back)⑰noticed⑱pleased⑲missed⑳frightened

「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(8)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
(8)
"What are you doing here?" asked the duck. "You were told to stay ①( )ehind in Puddleby."

"I didn't want to be left behind," said the mouse. "I wanted to see what Africa was like—I have ②( )elatives there. So I hid in the baggage and was brought on to the ship with the hard-tack. When the ship sank I was terribly frightened—because I cannot swim far. I swam as long as I could, but I soon got all ③( )xhausted and thought I was going to sink. And then, just at that moment, the old man's hat came ④( )loating by; and I got into it because I did not want to be ⑤( )rowned."

So the duck took up the hat with the mouse in it and brought it to the Doctor on the shore. And they all ⑥( )athered round to have a look.

"That's what you call a 'stowaway,'" said the parrot.

Presently, when they were looking for a place in the trunk where the white ⑦(could / mouse / comfortably / travel ), the monkey, Chee-Chee, suddenly said,

"Sh! I hear footsteps in the jungle!"

They all stopped talking and listened. And soon a black man came down out of the woods and ⑧(what / asked / they / them) were doing there.

"My name is John Dolittle—M. D.," said the Doctor. "I have been asked to come to Africa to ⑨cu( )( ) the monkeys who are sick."

"You must all come before the King," said the black man.

"What king?" asked the Doctor, who didn't want to ⑩( )aste any time.

"The King of the Jolliginki," the man answered. "All these lands ⑪( )elong to him; and all strangers must ⑫(him / before / brought / be). Follow me."

So they gathered up their baggage and went off, following the man through the jungle.

THE SIXTH CHAPTER
POLYNESIA AND THE KING
WHEN they had gone a little way through the ⑬( )hick forest they came to a wide, clear space; and they saw the King's palace which was made of mud.

This was where the King lived with his Queen, Ermintrude, and their son, Prince Bumpo. The Prince ⑭(fishing / was / for / away) salmon in the river. But the King and Queen were sitting under an umbrella before the palace door. And Queen Ermintrude was asleep.

When the Doctor had come up to the palace the King asked him his business; and the Doctor ⑮(him / told / he / why) had come to Africa.

"You may not travel through my lands," said the King. "Many years ago a white man came to these shores; and I was very kind to him. But after he had ⑯( )ug holes in the ground to get the gold, and killed all the elephants to get their ivory tusks, he went away ⑰( )ecretly in his ship—without ⑱(as / so / saying / much) 'Thank you.' Never again shall a white man travel through the lands of Jolliginki."

Then the King ⑲( )urned to some of the black men who were standing near and said, "Take away this medicine-man—with all his animals, and lock them up in my strongest ⑳( )rison."

※(8)の解答①behind②relatives③exhausted④floating⑤drowned⑥gathered⑦(mouse could travel comfortably)⑧(asked them what they)⑨cure⑩waste⑪belong⑫(be brought before him)⑬thick ⑭(was away for fishing)⑮(told him why he)⑯dug⑰secretly⑱(so much as saying)⑲turned⑳prison

「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(9)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。
(9)
So six of the black men led the Doctor and all his pets away and ①(in / shut / up / them) a stone dungeon. The dungeon had only one little window, high up in the wall, with bars in it; and the door was strong and ②thic( ).

Then they all ③( )rew very sad; and Gub-Gub, the pig, began to cry. But Chee-Chee said he ④(spank / would / if / him ) he didn't stop that horrible noise; and he kept quiet.

"Are we all here?" asked the Doctor, after he ⑤(to / used / got / had) the dim light.

"Yes, I think so," said the duck and started to ⑥coun( ) them.

"Where's Polynesia?" asked the crocodile. "She isn't here."

"Are you sure?" said the Doctor. "Look again. Polynesia! Polynesia! Where are you?"

"I suppose she escaped," ⑦( )rumbled the crocodile. "Well, that's just like her!—Sneaked off into the jungle as soon as her friends got into trouble."

"I'm not that kind of a bird," said the parrot, climbing out of the pocket in the tail of the Doctor's coat. "You see, I'm small ⑧(get / enough / through / to) the bars of that window; and I was ⑨( )fraid they would put me in a cage instead. So while the King was busy talking, I hid in the Doctor's pocket—and here I am! That's what you call a 'ruse,'" she said, smoothing down her feathers with her beak.

"Good Gracious!" cried the Doctor. "You're lucky I didn't sit on you."

"Now listen," said Polynesia, "to-night, as soon as it gets dark, I am going to ⑩cree( ) through the bars of that window and fly over to the ⑪pala( )( ). And then—you'll see—I'll soon find a way to make the King let us all out of prison."

"Oh, what can YOU do?" said Gub-Gub, ⑫(nose / turning / his / up ) and beginning to cry again. "You're only a bird!"

"Quite true," said the parrot. "But do not forget that although I am only a bird, I CAN TALK LIKE A MAN—and I know these people."

So that night, when the moon was ⑬( )hining through the palm-trees and all the King's men were asleep, the parrot slipped out through the bars of the prison and ⑭( )lew across to the palace. The pantry window had been broken by a tennis ball the week before; and Polynesia popped in through the hole in the glass.

She heard Prince Bumpo snoring in his bed-room at the back of the palace. Then she tip-toed up the ⑮(till / stairs / came / she ) to the King's bedroom. She opened the door gently and peeped in.

The Queen was away at a dance that night at her cousin's; but the King was in bed ⑯fas( ) asleep.

Polynesia crept in, very softly, and got under the bed.

Then she coughed—just the way Doctor Dolittle used to cough. Polynesia could ⑰mimi( ) any one.

The King opened his eyes and said sleepily: "Is that you, Ermintrude?" (He thought it was the Queen come back from the dance.)

Then the parrot coughed again—loud, like a man. And the King sat up, wide ⑱awa( )( ), and said, "Who's that?"

"I am Doctor Dolittle," said the parrot—just the way the Doctor ⑲(said / would / it / have).

"What are you doing in my bedroom?" cried the King. "How ⑳( )are you get out of prison! Where are you?—I don't see you."

※(9)の解答①(shut them up in)②thick③grew④(would spank him if )⑤(had got used to) ⑥count⑦grumbled⑧(enough to get through)⑨afraid⑩creep⑪palace⑫(turning up his nose)⑬shining ⑭flew⑮(stairs till she came)⑯fast⑰mimic⑱awake⑲(would have said it)⑳dare

「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(10)

　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。( )には文脈にあったアルファベットを補充してください。スラッシュで区切られているのが四語整序問題になっています。

(10)
But the parrot just laughed—a long, deep jolly laugh, like the Doctor's.

"Stop laughing and come here at ①onc( ), so I can see you," said the King.

"Foolish King!" answered Polynesia. "Have you forgotten that you are talking to John Dolittle, M.D.—the most wonderful man on earth? Of course you cannot see me. I have made myself ②( )( )visible. There is nothing I cannot do. Now listen: I have come here to-night to ③war( ) you. If you don't let me and my ④(travel / animals / your / through ) kingdom, I will make you and all your people sick like the monkeys. For I can make people well: and I can make people ill—just by ⑤( )aising my little finger. Send your ⑥( )oldiers at once to open the dungeon door, or you shall have mumps before the morning sun has risen on the hills of Jolliginki."

Then the King began to ⑦tremb( )( ) and was very much afraid.

"Doctor," he cried, "it shall ⑧(say / be / you / as). Do not raise your little finger, please!" And he jumped out of bed and ran to tell the soldiers to open the prison door.

As soon as he was gone, Polynesia crept downstairs and left the palace by the pantry window.

But the Queen, who was just letting herself in at the backdoor with a latch-key, saw the ⑨(out / parrot / through / getting) the broken glass. And when the King came back to bed she told him ⑩(seen / what / had / she).

Then the King understood that he had been ⑪( )ricked, and he was dreadfully angry. He hurried back to the prison at once

But he was too late. The door stood open. The dungeon was ⑫( )mpty. The Doctor and all his animals were gone.

THE SEVENTH CHAPTER
THE BRIDGE OF APES
QUEEN ERMINTRUDE had never in her life seen her husband so ⑬terrib( )( ) as he got that night. He gnashed his teeth with ⑭rag( ). He called everybody a fool. He threw his tooth-brush at the palace cat. He rushed round in his night-shirt and woke up all his army and sent them into the jungle to catch the Doctor. Then he made all his servants go too—his cooks and his gardeners and his barber and Prince Bumpo's tutor—even the Queen, who was ⑮(from / tired / in / dancing ) a pair of tight shoes, was packed off to help the soldiers in their ⑯sear( )( ).

All this time the Doctor and his animals were running through the forest towards the Land of the Monkeys as fast as they could go.

Gub-Gub, with his short legs, soon got tired; and the Doctor had to carry him—which made ⑰(when / hard / pretty / it ) they had the trunk and the hand-bag with them as well.

The King of the Jolliginki thought it would ⑱(easy / be / his / for ) army to find them, because the Doctor was in a strange land and would not know his way. But he was ⑲( )rong; because the monkey, Chee-Chee, knew all the paths through the jungle—better even than the King's men did. And he led the Doctor and his pets to the very thickest part of the forest—a place where no man had ever been before—and ⑳(all / hid / in / them) a big hollow tree between high rocks.

※(10)の解答①once②invisible③warn④(animals travel through your)⑤raising⑥soldiers⑦tremble⑧(be as you say)⑨(parrot getting out through)⑩(what she had seen)⑪tricked⑫empty⑬terrible ⑭rage⑮(tired from dancing in)⑯search⑰(it pretty hard when)⑱(be easy for his)⑲wrong⑳(hid them all in)