9.A.long, boring　　 B. long, interesting 　C. short, uninteresting 　D. short, exciting

8.A.question　　　　 B. service　　　　 C. reply　　　　　　 　D. permission

7.A.no less　　　　 B. no more　　　　 C. no good　　　　　 　D. no one

6.A.free　　　　　 B. slave　　　　　 C. proper　　　　　 　D. main

5.A.proved　　　　 B. balanced　　　　 C. treated　　　　　 　D. ruled

4.A.way　　　　　 B. decision　　　　 C. suggestion　 　　　　D. conclusion

3.A.supported　　　 B. oppressed　　　 C. liberated　　　　 　　D. rejected

2.A.wealth　　　　 B. progress　　　　 C. slavery　　　　 　　　D. poverty

1.A.began　　　 　　B. started　　　　 C. reduced　　　　　 　D. organized

20.A.happy　　　　 B. active　　　　　 C. alive　　　　　 D. safe

(8)

　　 In the year 1818 the people of the Missouri asked the Congress(国会) of the United States that Missouri be admitted as a state to the Union.

　　 This 　1　 　a discussion in Congress. The Northern states did not want 　2　

extended to another state. The Southern states 　3　 　the slaveholders who were

already in Missouri. After long discussion a 　4　 　was finally made. Congress agreed to admit Missouri as a slave state, 　5　 　by the admission of Maine as a 　6　 　state. As part of the agreement, 　7　 　slave states were to be admitted north of the southern border of Kansas, Calorado and Utah.

　　 Before a vote could be taken in the House, Representative(代表) Felix Walker, from Buncombe County, North Carolina, rose and asked 　8　 　to speak.

　　 Representative Walker gave a 　9　 　speech. It had nothing to do with the

question, and it seemed to 　10　 　nothing to do with anything else.

　　 At first the other Representatives were 　11　 . But as the speech went

　 12　 , the tired audience kept crying for him to stop. Walker paid no attention. He went on calmly 　13　 　he had finished his speech and then, pleased with himself, sat down.

　　 Later Walker was asked 　14　 　he had made a speech that had nothing to do with the discussion. Walker smiled. The 　15　 　at home, he said, expected him to make a speech of some 　16　 . Since it was expected, he had carefully 　17　 　a speech. He was not speaking so much for 　18　 ---he “was only talking for the people back home in Buncombe."

　　 The word “buncombe” was 　19　 　by the press. Frequently it was misspelled

“bunkum”, and later shortened to “bunk”. It meant any kind of 　20　 　talk, or any untrue statement.