Question

【题目】Fill in the blanks with proper words（在短文的空格内填入适当的词，使其通顺。每空格限填一词，首字母已给）

There are so many things around us that make life more convenient. What might life be like without them? We asked our readers what they thought were the most u 【1】inventions from the past. Here are their top four.

It all starts here. If you haven't got wheels, you can't go anywhere or get anything! We need them for every type of vehicle. They take us to p【2】we have never been to and bring things fast. They’re used for operating many kinds of machines. Wheels were used as f【3】back as 3000 BC.

Imagine it’s extremely cold or extremely hot. If you want some water, you've got to go to the well or a pump（抽水机）． Or even worse， your toilet is o【4】 the house. Before indoor plumbing, people had to do this. Try to think about all the times you turn on the water in your home every day. The ancient Greeks c【5】 it nearly 4,000 years ago. Unfortunately, there are still some countries where they haven't got it.

Until 1879, candles or oil lamps were used for lighting. But then Thomas Edison developed the bulb. Walk around your home and count how many light bulbs you see. They're e【6】-even inside your fridge!

You might use one of these to do your homework, organize your schedule or read a magazine. But computers are also used for running things that you use every day. There are

t【7】computers inside cars, microwave ovens, TV sets and DVD players. Charles Babbage invented the first computing machine in 1822 but it has changed a lot since then

These are the readers' top four. What do you think is the fifth?

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】useful

【2】places

【3】far

【4】outside

【5】created

【6】everywhere

【7】tiny

【解析】

很多新的发明改变了我们的生活，使我们的生活更加方便，这篇短文介绍了读者们所认为的最有用的四项发明，如轮子、室内管道、灯泡和电脑。

【1】句意：我们问读者，他们认为过去最有用的发明是什么。

根据文意和单词的首字母可知，短文介绍的是人们认为最有用的发明，故这里填useful，“有用的”，是一个形容词，修饰后面的名词invention。

【2】句意：他们带我们去我们从来没有去过的地方，把东西很快带来。

根据空后we have never been to可知，这里指“我们从来没去过的地方”，故应填places，注意用复数形式。

【3】句意：早在公元前3,000年，人们就开始使用轮子了。

根据句意可知，这里表示“远在……时候”，考查短语as far back to…as….，故这里填far。

【4】句意：甚至更糟糕的是，你的厕所在放在的外面。

根据下句话Before indoor plumbing, people had to do this可知，在有室内抽水机之前，人们不得不这样，由此可知厕所以前是在外面的，故这里填outside。

【5】句意：古希腊人在将近4,000年前创造了它。

根据文意可知，短文介绍的是最有用的发明，结合首字母可知，应用create“创造”。句中有4,000 years ago，故填过去式created。

【6】句意：他们到处都是——甚至在你的冰箱里。

根据上下文Walk around your home and count how many light bulbs you see….even inside your fridge 可知，灯泡在我们的家里到处都是，故这里填everywhere。

【7】句意：在汽车、微波炉、电视剧、DVD播放机里有微型电脑。

根据句意和单词的首字母可知，这里考查tiny，意为“微小的”，是一个形容词，修饰空后的computers。