Editors of newspapers and magazines often go to extremes to provide their readers with unimportant facts and statistics. Last year a journalist had been ?????? 21 by a well-known magazine to write an article ?????? 22 the president's palace in a new African republic. When the article?????? 　23 , the editor read the first sentence and then refused to publish it. The article ??? 24: 'Hundreds of steps ?????? 25 the high wall which surrounds the president's palace'. The editor at once sent the journalist ????? 26 instructing him to find out ?????? 27 the exact number of steps and the ?????? 28 of the wall. ?????

The journalist immediately set out to obtain these ?????? 29 facts, ?????? 30 he took a long time to send them. Meanwhile, the editor was getting?????? 31 , for the magazine would ?????? 32 go to press. He sent the journalist two more faxes, but ?????? 33 no reply. He sent yet another fax informing the journalist that?????? 34 he did not reply soon he would be fired.?????? 35 the journalist again failed to reply, the editor reluctantly published the article as it had ?????? 36 been written. A week later, the editor ?????? 37 received a fax from the journalist. Not only had the poor man been ?????? 38 , but he had been sent to prison as well. However, he had at last been ?????? 39 to send a fax in which he informed the editor that the he had been arrested ?????? 40 counting the 1,084 steps leading to the fifteen-foot wall which surrounded the president's palace. 　

21. A. ordered 　　　　　 B. hoped 　　　　　 C. instructed 　　　 D. suggested

22. A. for　　 　　　　　 B. on　　 　　　　　 C. of　　　 　　　　 D. to

23. A. arrived　 　　　　　 B. received　 　　　 C. reached 　　　　 D. got

24. A. read　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. said　 　　　　　　 C. went 　　　　　　 D. began

25. A. link to 　　　　　　 B. point to 　　　　 C. lead to 　　　　　 D. connect to

26. A. a letter 　　　　　　 B. an E-mail 　　　 C. a message 　　　 D. a fax

27. A. by all means B. by no means 　C. by any means D. by means of

28. A. position　 　　　　 B. surroundings C. height　 　　　　 D. condition

29. A. important　　　 B. unimportant 　　 C. interesting　　 D. unknown

30. A. so 　　　　　　　　　 B. but 　　　　　　　　 C. otherwise 　　　 D. moreover

31.. A. impatient 　　　 B. sorry 　　　　　　 C. disappointed 　 D. sad

32. A. never 　　　　　　　　　　 B. quickly　 　　　　 C. soon 　　　　　　 D. immediately

33. A. A. received　　　　 B. accepted 　　　 C. heard from 　　 D. made

34. A. although 　　　　 B. unless 　　　　　 C. because　 　　　　　　 D. if

35. A. But　 　　　　　　　 B. So　 　　　　　　　 C. When 　　　　　 D. If

36. A. originally 　　　　 B. badly 　　　　　　 C. roughly 　　　　 D. firstly

37. A. only 　　　　　　　 B. accidently 　　 C. at last 　　　　　 D. happily

38. A. arrested 　　　　　 B. fired 　　　　　　 C. refused 　　　　 D. beaten

39. A. managed 　　　　 B. succeeded 　　 C. tried　 　　　　　 D. allowed

40. A. while 　　　　　　　 B. for 　　　　　　　 C. because 　　　　 D. because of