「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(30)

　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。
　いままでにここのブログで連載した「オズの魔法使い」から学ぶ頻出語彙と読解、ドリトル先生アフリカゆきで学ぶ語彙・読解は並べ替えて冒頭から通読できるようにしましたので、ご利用頂ければ幸いです。ペーパーバックを一冊読み終える効用は非常に大きいです。おおむねの目安としては実用英検準２級一次でコンスタントに九割以上得点できるようであれば、やさしいペーパーバックは読めます。高校二年の夏休みあたりにペーパーバックを読んでおけば入試英語でも有利になるでしょう。やさしくても天然英語を大量インプットすれば強いです。合格ラインが５～６割といった入試問題に早くから手を出すのは得策ではありません。
　ドリトル先生航海記で学ぶ語彙・読解も連載終了後には冒頭から通読できるように並べ替える予定です。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になっています。

※(29)の解答①(saw)②(on)③(I swear it is)④(terrific)⑤(help)⑥(evidence)⑦(against)⑦(are at liberty to)⑧(prove his evidence untrue)⑨(what)⑩(sank)⑪(be helped out of)⑫(up their minds whether)⑬(talk it over in)⑭(breath)⑮(verdict)⑯(standing on top of)⑰(glad they were that)⑱(sudden shriek rang out)⑲(missed)⑳(congratulated)

(30)
"Come along, Stubbins," said the Doctor, taking me by the arm, "let's get out of this while we can."

"But aren't you going to speak to Luke?" I said—"to ask him if he'll come on the voyage?"

"It wouldn't be a bit of use," said the Doctor. "His wife's come for him. No man ①(chance / stands / of / any) going on a voyage when his wife hasn't seen him in fifteen years. Come along. Let's get home to tea. We didn't have any lunch, remember. And we've earned something to eat. We'll have one of those mixed meals, lunch and tea combined—with watercress and ham. Nice change. Come along."

Just as we were going to step out at a side door I heard the crowd shouting,

"The Doctor! The Doctor! Where's the Doctor? The Hermit would have hanged if it hadn't been ②(from : by : to : for) the Doctor. Speech! Speech!—The Doctor!"

And a man came running up to us and said,

"The people are calling for you, Sir."

"I'm very sorry," said the Doctor, "but I'm in a hurry."

"The ③(be / crowd / denied / won't), Sir," said the man. "They want you to make a speech in the marketplace."

"Beg them to excuse me," said the Doctor—"with my compliments. I have an ④*(insight : origin : enthusiasm : appointment) at my house—a very important one which I may not break. Tell Luke to make a speech. Come along, Stubbins, this way."

"Oh Lord!" he ⑤**(boasted : muttered : assented : negotiated) as we got out into the open air and found another crowd waiting for him at the side door. "Let's go up that alleyway—to the left. Quick!—Run!"

We took to our heels, darted through a couple of side streets and just ⑥(away / managed / get / to) from the crowd.

It was not till we had gained the Oxenthorpe Road that we ⑦(slow / down / dared / to) to a walk and take our breath. And even when we reached the Doctor's gate and turned to look backwards towards the town, the faint murmur of many voices still reached us on the evening wind.

"They're still ⑧***(provoking : clamoring : mourning : enhancing) for you," I said. "Listen!"

The murmur suddenly swelled up into a low distant roar; and ⑨(because : when : although : so) it was a mile and half away you could distinctly hear the words,

"Three cheers for Luke the Hermit: Hooray!—Three cheers for his dog: Hooray!—Three cheers for his wife: Hooray!—Three cheers for the Doctor: Hooray! Hooray! HOO-R-A-Y!"

THE NINTH CHAPTER. THE PURPLE BIRD-OF-PARADISE
POLYNESIA was waiting for us in the front porch. She looked full of some important news.

"Doctor," said she, "the Purple Bird-of-Paradise has arrived!"

"At last!" said the Doctor. "I ⑩(begun / fear / had / to ) some accident had befallen her. And how is Miranda?"

From the ⑪(in / excited / which / way) the Doctor fumbled his key into the lock I guessed that we were not going to get our tea right away, even now.

"Oh, she seemed all right when she arrived," said Polynesia—"tired from her long journey of course but otherwise all right. But what DO you think? That mischief-making sparrow, Cheapside, ⑫**(consulted : insulted : apired : signified) her as soon as she came into the garden. When I arrived on the scene she was in tears and was all for turning round and going straight back to Brazil to-night. I had the hardest work ⑬(wait / to / her / persuading) till you came. She's in the study. I shut Cheapside in one of your book-cases and told him I'd tell you exactly what had happened the moment you got home."

The Doctor ⑭**(confronted : frowned : bloomed : guaranteed), then walked silently and quickly to the study.

Here we found the candles lit; for the daylight was nearly gone. Dab-Dab was standing on the floor mounting guard over one of the glass-fronted book-cases in which Cheapside had been imprisoned. The noisy little sparrow was still fluttering angrily behind the glass when we came in.

In the centre of the big table, perched on the ink-stand, stood the most beautiful bird I have ever seen. She had a deep violet-colored breast, scarlet wings and a long, long sweeping tail of gold. She was unimaginably ⑮(but / beautiful / dreadfully / looked) tired. Already she had her head under her wing; and she swayed gently from side to side on top of the ink-stand like a bird that has flown long and far.

"Sh!" said Dab-Dab. "Miranda is asleep. I've got this little imp Cheapside in here. Listen, Doctor: for Heaven's sake send that sparrow away before he does any more mischief. He's nothing but a vulgar little ⑯***(controversy : nuisance : advocate : revenue). We've had a perfectly awful time trying to ⑰(to / get / stay / Miranda). Shall I serve your tea in here, or will you come into the kitchen when you're ready?"

"We'll come into the kitchen, Dab-Dab," said the Doctor. "Let Cheapside out before you go, please."

Dab-Dab opened the bookcase-door and Cheapside strutted out trying hard ⑱(guilty / not / look / to).

"Cheapside," said the Doctor sternly, "what did you say to Miranda when she arrived?"

"I didn't say nothing, Doc, straight I didn't. That is, nothing much. I was picking up crumbs off the gravel path when she comes swanking into the garden, turning up her nose in all directions, as though she owned the earth—just because she's got a lot of colored plumage. A London sparrow's as good as her any day. I don't hold by these gawdy bedizened foreigners nohow. Why don't they stay in their own country?"

"But what did you say to her that got her so ⑲**(obliged : refrained : offended : yielded)?"

"All I said was, 'You don't belong in an English garden; you ought to be in a milliner's window. That's all."

"You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Cheapside. Don't you realize that this bird has come thousands of miles to see me—only to be insulted by your impertinent tongue as soon as she reaches my garden? What do you mean by it?—If she had gone away again before I got back to-night I would never have ⑳*(regretted : disappointed : amazed : forgiven) you—Leave the room."

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