I’ve always loved pigeons(鸽子). Some years ago I managed to persuade my wife to let me buy a few and start 1 them myself. They cost a lot of money and so it spoilt(破坏)our 　2 a bit, but my wife never actually stopped me so I 3 carried on. I learnt so much about them that I could 4 a good racer anywhere and I bought some beauties. My pigeons won some top races, and I even began to make a bit of 5 . 　　You see, people are prepared to pay big prices if they get to know that your pigeons are 6 big prizes. 　　My wife had been changing her 7 to the pigeons over the last year or two anyway. She was quite 8 of all the prizes we’d won. Then there was the travelling, which she liked. You see someone has to take the pigeons a 9 way off and release them. Some of the 10 were really nice. I never travelled. I used to like to wait at home and see them come in. They’ve got this wonderful sense of 11 , which can bring them back home so quickly. They’d flown hundreds of miles sometimes 12 storms or against strong winds. And there they’d come, tiny white birds against the great 13 . Then I’d watch them 14 round and come down onto the landing shelf. I’d look at my watch and think, “My goodness, that’s a good 15 .” And I’d take off the little leg ring and push it through the machine to 16 what time he’d arrived. Then my wife would 17 up and say, “Has he arrived yet?” Then we would work out if we’d won 18 . 　　Then last year we had a 19 ! One of them got some sort of flu(流行病)and died, then they all 20 . It was terrible, I had to burn them all. We lost a fortune, of course. 　　1. A. racing 　　　　　B. feeding　　　C. tending 　　　D. flying 　　2. A. dream 　　 　　　B. work　　　　 C. marriage 　　 D. hobby 　　3. A. just 　　　　　　B. even 　　　　C. almost 　　　 D. hardly 　　4. A. notice 　　　　　B. learn 　　　 C. imagine 　　　D. recognize 　　5. A. living 　　　　　B. fun 　　 　　C. money 　　　　D. change 　　6. A. losing 　　　　　B. winning 　　 C. giving 　　 　D. making 　　7. A. subject 　　 　　B. decision 　　C. relation 　　 D. attitude 　　8. A. proud 　　　 　　B. fond 　　　　C. careful 　　　D. sure 　　9. A. different 　　　 B. long 　　　　C. short 　　　　D. far 　　10. A. distances 　　　B. activities　 C. trips 　　　　D. movements 　　11. A. direction 　　　B. sight 　　 　C. hearing 　　　D. touch 　　12. A. over 　　　　　 B. across 　　　C. with 　　　　 D. through 　　13. A. heaven 　　　　 B. mountain 　　C. cloud 　　　　D. sky 　　14. A. turn 　　　　　 B. dance 　　　 C. circle 　　　 D. whistle 　　15. A. fly 　　　　　　B. time 　　　　C. day 　　　　　D. look 　　16. A. write 　　　　　B. record 　　　C. count 　　　　D. memorize 　　17. A. come 　　　　　 B. show 　　　　C. phone 　　　　D. cheer 　　18. A. again 　　　　　B. finally 　　 C. only 　　　　 D. accidentally 　　19. A. disadvantage 　 B. chance 　　　C. problem 　　　D. disaster 　　20. A. flew down 　　　B. went down 　 C. let out 　　　D. gave out 答案：1.A　2.C　3.A 　4.D 　5.C 　6.B 　7.D 　8.A 　9.B 　10.C 　11.A 　12.D 　13.D 　14.C　15.B 　16.B　17.C　18.A　19.D　20.B 文章来源:江苏名师教育网