I’ve always
loved pigeons(鸽子).
Some years ago I managed to persuade my wife to let me buy a few and start 21 them myself. They cost a lot of money and so it spoilt(破坏)our 22 a bit, but my wife never actually stopped me so I 23 carried on. I learnt so much about them that I could 24 a good racer
anywhere and I bought some beauties. My pigeons won some top races, and I even
began to make a bit of 25 .
You
see, people are prepared to pay big prices if they get to know that your
pigeons are 26 big prizes.
My
wife had been changing her 27 to the pigeons over the last year or two anyway. She was quite 28 of all the prizes we’d won. Then there was the traveling, which she
liked. You see someone has to take the pigeons a 29 way off and release them. Some of the 30 were really nice. I
never traveled. I used to like to wait at home and see them come in. They’ve got
this wonderful sense of 31 , which can bring them back home so quickly. They’d flown
hundreds of miles sometimes 32 storms or
against strong winds. And there they’d come, tiny white birds against the great 33 . Then I’d watch them 34 round and come down onto the landing shelf. I’d look at
my watch and think, “My goodness, that’s a good 35 .” And I’d take off
the little leg ring and push it through the machine to 36 what time he’d arrived. Then my
wife would 37 up and say, “Has he arrived yet?” Then we
would work out if we’d won 38 .
Then
last year we had a 39 ! One of them got
some sort of flu(流行病)and
died, then they all 40 . It was terrible, I had to burn them all. We lost a fortune, of
course.
21.
A. racing B.
feeding C.
tending D.
flying
22.
A. dream B. work C.
marriage D.
hobby
23.
A. just B. even C.
almost D.
hardly
24.
A. notice B. learn C.
imagine D.
recognize
25.
A. living B. fun C.
money D. change
26.
A. losing B. winning C.
giving D. making
27.
A. subject B. decision C.
relation D.
attitude
28.
A. proud B. fond C.
careful D.
sure
29.
A. different B. long C. short D. far
30.
A. distances B. activities C.
trips D. movements
31.
A. direction B. sight C.
hearing D.
touch
32.
A. over B. across C.
with D.
through
33.
A. heaven B. mountain C. cloud D.
sky
34.
A. turn B. dance C.
circle D.
whistle
35.
A. fly B. time C. day D. look
36.
A. write B. record C. count D.
memorize
37.
A. come B. show C. phone D. cheer
38.
A. again B. finally C.
only D.
accidentally
39.
A. disadvantage B. chance C. problem D.
disaster
40.
A. flew down B. went down C. let out D. gave out