Question

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。（每空只填 1 个单词）

Many people think a telephone is a necessity (必需品). But I think it is a pest (有害的事物) and a time waste. Very often you find it impossible to escape from it. If you have a telephone in your own house, you will admit that it always rings when you don’t want it to ring; when you are asleep, or in the middle of a meal or a conversation, or when you are just going out, or when you are taking your bath. Are you strong-minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself, “Ah, well, it will all be the same in a hundred years’ time” You are not. You think there may be some important news or messages for you. I can assure you that if a message is really important it will reach you sooner or later. Have you ever rushedfrom the bathroom, only to be told that you are a wrong number?

But you will say, you need not have your name printed in the telephone directory, and you can have a telephone which is only usable for outgoing calls. Besides, you will say, isn’t it important to have a telephone in case of sudden emergency—illness, accident, or fire? Of course, you are right, but here in a country with a large population like England one is seldom far from a telephone in case of emergency.

I think perhaps I had better try to prove that what I like is good. I admit that in different cases—if I were a wealthy and powerful business person, for instance, or badly ill and had to lie in bed, I might find a telephone a necessity. But then if I were a taxi-driver I should find a car necessity. Let me put it another way: there are two things for which the English seem to show particular talent; one is mechanical (机器的) invention, the other is literature. My own business happens to be with the use of words but I see I must now stop using them. For I have just been handed a piece of paper to say that somebody is waiting to speak to me on the telephone. I think I had better answer it. After all, one never knows, it may be something important.

Title: The Telephone
Different1.about it	Many people	It is2. when one wants to make a call, especially in time of emergency.
The author	It may3. time and even be harmful
Not everyone, except a business person or a sick person who has to stay in bed, needs it.
I don’t need it because my job is writing.
Problems with it	It always seems to 4. when one is doing something else or doesn’t want it to ring.
Almost  5. can ignore it even if they want to.
One rushes to answer it only to find that he is misdialed.

Answer

1.opinions

2.necessary

3.waste

4.ring

5.nobody

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。文章论述了电话在我们的生活中到底是有必要的还是没有必要的？

1.

根据第一段中句子“Many people think a telephone is a necessity (必需品). But I think it is a pest (有害的事物) and a time waste.”可知，许多人认为电话是一个必需品，但我认为它是一个有害的事物，而且浪费时间。在结合后文内容可知，这篇文章主要讲述的是人们对于电话的不同的看法。“opinion”意为“看法”，为可数名词，表示不同的看法，要用复数形式“opinions”。故填opinions。

2.

根据第二段中句子“Besides, you will say, isn’t it important to have a telephone in case of sudden emergency—illness, accident, or fire?”可知，许多人认为以防突发的紧急状况，有电话是很重要的。再结合空格所在句子可推断出，当一个人想打电话，特别是在紧急情况下，电话是必要的。空格处为形容词作表语，“necessary”意为“必要的”，符合句意。故填necessary。

3.

根据第一段中句子“But I think it is a pest (有害的事物) and a time waste.”可知，作者认为电话是一个有害的事物，而且浪费时间。再结合空格所在句子可推断出，电话可能会浪费时间，并且是有害的。空格处应填动词作谓语，“waste”意为“浪费”，符合句意。情态动词后用动词原形，故填waste。

4.

根据第一段中句子“If you have a telephone in your own house, you will admit that it always rings when you don’t want it to ring.”可知，如果你家里有电话的话，你会承认当你不想让它响起的时候，它总会响起来。再结合空格所在句子可推断出，当一个人在做别的事情或者不想让电话响起的时候，它总会响起。It seems to do该句型是固定句型，“ring”意为“响起铃声”，符合句意。故填ring。

5.

根据第一段中句子“Are you strong-minded enough to ignore it, to say to yourself, “Ah, well, it will all be the same in a hundred years’ time” You are not. You think there may be some important news or messages for you.”可知，当电话响起的时候，人们没有足够的意志去忽视它，人们总是认为会有一些重要的消息或信息传达给他们。再结合空格所在句子可推断出，几乎没有人能够忽视响起铃声的电话，即使他们想这么做。“nobody”意为“没有人”，符合句意。故填nobody。