「オズの魔法使い」から学ぶ大学入試・英検・TOEIC頻出語彙と読解(20)

　著作権の切れた童話「オズの魔法使い」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。( )にアルファベットの一文字を入れて文脈に合う単語を完成してください
(20)
"I'm sorry," said the Scarecrow. "The Lion was a very good ①comra( )( ) for one so cowardly. But let us go on."

They carried the sleeping girl to a pretty spot beside the river, far enough from the poppy field to ②prev( )( )( ) her breathing any more of the poison of the flowers, and here they laid her gently on the soft grass and waited for the fresh breeze to waken her.

9. The Queen of the Field Mice
"We cannot be far from the road of yellow brick, now," remarked the Scarecrow, as he stood beside the girl, "for we have come nearly as far as the river carried us away."

The Tin Woodman was about to reply when he heard a low growl, and turning his head (which worked beautifully on hinges) he saw a strange beast come bounding over the grass toward them. It was, indeed, a great yellow Wildcat, and the Woodman thought it must be chasing something, for its ears were lying close to its head and its mouth was wide open, showing two rows of ③( )gly teeth, while its red eyes ④( )lowed like balls of fire. As it came nearer the Tin Woodman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field mouse, and although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless ⑤creatu( )( ).

So the Woodman raised his axe, and as the Wildcat ran by he gave it a quick ⑥blo( ) that cut the beast's head clean off from its body, and it rolled over at his feet in two pieces.

The field mouse, now that it was ⑦( )reed from its enemy, stopped short; and coming slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice:

"Oh, thank you! Thank you ever so much for saving my life."

"Don't speak of it, I beg of you," replied the Woodman. "I have no heart, you know, so I am ⑧( )( )reful to help all those who may need a friend, even if it happens to be only a mouse."

"Only a mouse!" cried the little animal, ⑨( )( )dignantly. "Why, I am a Queen--the Queen of all the Field Mice!"

"Oh, indeed," said the Woodman, making a bow.

"Therefore you have done a great ⑩dee( ), as well as a ⑪brav( ) one, in saving my life," added the Queen.

At that moment several mice were seen running up as fast as their little legs could carry them, and when they saw their Queen they ⑬( )xclaimed:

"Oh, your Majesty, we thought you would be killed! How did you ⑭mana( )( ) to escape the great Wildcat?" They all bowed so low to the little Queen that they almost stood upon their heads.

"This funny tin man," she answered, "killed the Wildcat and saved my life. So hereafter you must all ⑮( )erve him, and ⑯( )bey his slightest wish."

"We will!" cried all the mice, in a shrill chorus. And then they scampered in all ⑰( )irections, for Toto had awakened from his sleep, and seeing all these mice around him he gave one bark of delight and jumped right into the middle of the group. Toto had always loved to chase mice when he lived in Kansas, and he saw no harm in it.

But the Tin Woodman caught the dog in his arms and held him ⑱tigh( ), while he called to the mice, "Come back! Come back! Toto shall not hurt you."

At this the Queen of the Mice ⑲stuc( ) her head out from underneath a clump of grass and asked, in a ⑳timi( ) voice, "Are you sure he will not bite us?"

※(20)の解答①comrade②prevent③ugly④glowed ⑤creature⑥blow⑦freed⑧careful⑨indignantly⑩deed⑪brave⑬exclaimed⑭manage⑮serve⑯obey⑰directions⑱tight⑲stuck⑳timid