「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(43)

　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になっています。
　わからない単語が四語選択問題の中にあれば辞書で調べて、どの単語が文脈に合うか考えるだけでも英語力がつきます。英英辞典を使えれば効果倍増です。
ネイティブの発想でわかりやすく書かれた英英辞典は英語の万能細胞と言っても過言ではなく、英英辞典を「使わず」にTOEIC900点、英検１級レベルに到達することはあっても、英英辞典を「使えず」に到達することはまずないと思われます。
　英英辞典が使えるかどうかは
英英実力判定テストでお調べください。点数が思わしくなければ
english x englishをお試しください。英英辞典を使うのが楽になり、徐々に英語を英語のまま和訳せずに理解できるようになります。

※(42)の解答①(what we were doing)←間接疑問文 ②(merely)③(tongue)④(made our way into)⑤(sight)⑥(item)⑦(roar)⑧(alert)⑨(rushed)⑩(nimbly)⑪(in real danger from)⑫(upon himself by waving) ⑬(clumsy)⑭(strolled)⑮(their seats with laughter)⑯(rush at him from)⑱(calmly)⑲(curious)⑳(tucking his tail between)his legs, ←分詞構文

(43)
The crowd gasped. The Doctor ran after him. Round and round the ring they went, both of them puffing and blowing like grampuses. Excited ①(break / whispers / to / began) out among the people. This was something new in bullfighting, to have the bull running away from the man, instead of the man away from the bull. At last in the tenth lap, with a ②(burst / speed / final / of), Juan Hagapoco, the English matador, caught the poor bull by the tail.

Then leading the now ③**(neat : timid : blank : intimate) creature into the middle of the ring, the Doctor ④(him / made / all / do) manner of tricks: standing on the hind legs, standing on the front legs, dancing, hopping, rolling over. He finished up by making the bull kneel down; then he got on to his back and did handsprings and other acrobatics on the beast's horns.

Pepito and his assistant had their noses sadly out of joint. The crowd had forgotten them ⑤**(moderately : entirely : scarcely : awkwardly). They were standing together by the ⑥(from / far / not / fence) where I sat, muttering to one another and slowly growing green with jealousy.

Finally the Doctor turned towards Don Enrique's seat and bowing said in a loud voice, "This bull is no good any more. He's ⑦*(offended : scolded : complicated : terrified) and out of breath. Take him away, please."

"Does the caballero wish for a fresh bull?" asked Don Enrique.

"No," said the Doctor, "I want five fresh bulls. And I would like them all in the ring at once, please."

At this a cry of ⑧**(hardship : treasure : horror : bill) burst from the people. They had been ⑨(to / used / matadors / seeing ) escaping from one bull at a time. But FIVE!—That must mean certain death.

Pepito sprang forward and called to Don Enrique not to allow it, ⑩(it / against / saying / was) all the rules of bullfighting. ("Ha!" Polynesia chuckled into my ear. "It's like the Doctor's navigation: he breaks all the rules; but he gets there. If they'll only let him, he'll give them the best show for their money they ever saw.") A great ⑪*(argument : commerce : track : courage) began. Half the people seemed to be on Pepito's side and half on the Doctor's side. At last the Doctor turned to Pepito and made another very grand bow which burst the last button off his waistcoat.

"Well, of course if the caballero is afraid—" he began with a bland smile.

"Afraid!" ⑫*(observed : scattered : endured : screamed) Pepito. "I am afraid ⑬(on / of / earth / nothing). I am the greatest matador in Spain. With this right hand I have killed nine hundred and fifty-seven bulls."

"All right then," said the Doctor, "let ⑭(see / you / us / if ) can kill five more. Let the bulls in!" he shouted. "Pepito de Malaga is not afraid."

A ⑮*(partial : dreadful : flexible : violent) silence hung over the great theatre as the heavy door into the bull pen was rolled back. Then with a roar the five big bulls bounded into the ring.

"Look fierce," I heard the Doctor call to ⑯(language / in / them / cattle). "Don't scatter. Keep close. Get ready for a rush. Take Pepito, the one in purple, first. But for Heaven's sake don't kill him. Just ⑰(of / out / him / chase) the ring—Now then, all together, go for him!"

The bulls put down their heads and all in line, like a squadron of cavalry, charged across the ring straight for poor Pepito.

For one moment the Spaniard tried his hardest to look ⑱*(silly : brave : urgent : physical). But the sight of the five pairs of ⑲(at / coming / him / horns) at full gallop was too much. He turned white to the lips, ran for the fence, vaulted it and disappeared.

"Now the other one," the Doctor hissed. And in two seconds the gallant assistant was nowhere to be seen. Juan Hagapoco, the fat matador, was left alone in the ring with five ⑳***(withering : underlying : rampaging :reinforcing) bulls.
解答は次回発表。ご意見、ご要望等はsuzuyasu@wmail.plala.or.jpでも承っております。