Mothsareveryuglycreatures．AtleastthatiswhatIalwaysthoughtuntilareliablesourcetoldmeotherwise．MybrotherJosephandIoncestayedovernightatourAuntLinda'shouse，ourfavoriterelative．Shespoketouslikeadults，andshe

Question

Moths are very ugly creatures．At least that is what I always thought until a reliable source told me otherwise．My brother Joseph and I once stayed overnight at our Aunt Linda's house，our favorite relative．She spoke to us like adults，and she always had the best（21）___．Joseph was only four and still afraid of the dark．Just as I dozed off to sleep，he woke me up and asked，"Jennie，what are those ugly things near the light？"He was pointing to the moths fluttering around the hall light．"They're just moths，go to sleep，"I told him．
He wasn't（22）___with that answer，so the next time my Aunt walked by the door he asked her to make the ugly moths go away．When she asked why，he said（23）___，"Because they're ugly and scary!"She laughed，rubbing his head，and asked，"Do you know why moths are brown？"Joe just shook his head．
"（24）___，moths were the most beautiful animals in the animal kingdom．They have always been helpful，kind，and（25）___creatures．One day the angels up in heaven were crying．They were sad because it was cloudy and they couldn't（26）___the people on earth．Their tears fell down to the earth as（27）___raindrops．Now that the sweet little moths（28）___to see everyone so sad，they decided to make a rainbow．The moths（29）___that if they asked their cousins，the butterflies，to help，they could all give up just a little bit of their colors and（30）___，make a beautiful rainbow．
One of the littlest moths flew to ask the queen of the butterflies for help．（31）___the butterflies were too vain and selfish to give up any of their colors for neither the people nor the angels．So，the moths decided to make the rainbow themselves．They（32）___their wings very hard and the powder on them formed little clouds．They kept giving a little more and more（33）___the rainbow stretched all the way across the sky．They had given away all their colors except brown，which didn't（34）___their beautiful rainbow．
Now the once colorful moths were（35）___and brown．At the rainbow，the angels up in heaven became joyous．They smiled and the（36）___of their smiles shone down on the earth as sunshine．It made the people on earth cheerful and they smiled，too．Now every time it rains the baby moths，who still have their colors，spread them（37）___the sky to make more rainbows．"
My brother sank into deep（38）___with that story and hasn't feared moths（39）___．The story my aunt told us had been gathering（40）___in the back corners of my brain for years．

21．A．jokes	B．editions	C．stories	D．memories
22．A．familiar	B．content	C．impressed	D．confirmed
23．A．cautiously	B．casually	C．simply	D．anxiously
24．A．By all means	B．In any circumstance	C．To be honest	D．At one time
25．A．generous	B．aggressive	C．considerate	D．faithful
26．A．hang out with	B．show concern for	C．take control of	D．look down upon
27．A．constant	B．endless	C．occasional	D．permanent
28．A．hesitated	B．declined	C．intended	D．hated
29．A．clarified	B．figured	C．recommended	D．predicted
30．A．moreover	B．therefore	C．meanwhile	D．instead
31．A．Unexpectedly	B．Obviously	C．Eventually	D．Strangely
32．A．expanded	B．struck	C．beat	D．stretched
33．A．until	B．before	C．while	D．after
34．A．adapt to	B．bring out	C．make up	D．fit into
35．A．ordinary	B．common	C．plain	D．awful
36．A．warmth	B．strength	C．truth	D．wealth
37．A．beyond	B．through	C．under	D．across
38．A．thought	B．dream	C．sleep	D．curiosity
39．A．though	B．since	C．anyway	D．later
40．A．powder	B．rainbows	C．dust	D．shadows．

Answer 1

答案：
21．C   联系上下文   根据第三至第五段Linda阿姨绘声绘色地讲述了飞蛾的故事，可知这里指的应是：她有讲不完的好故事；故选C．
22．B    考查上下文理解以及形容词   根据下文作者的弟弟 Joseph 让他们的阿姨赶走那些丑陋的令他害怕的飞蛾，可知作者的回答并没有赶走他对飞蛾的恐惧感，因此他对作者的回答应感到不满意；A．be familiar with熟悉； B．be content with 对…感到满意； C．be impressed with 对…印象深刻； D．be confirmed with确认； 故选B．
23．C    考查上下文理解以及副词    根据下一句Joseph直接说出了原因，可知此处的意思是：他坦白地说；A．cautiously小心地，谨慎地； B．casually 偶然地；   无意地； C．simply简单地，坦白地；D．anxiously 焦急地，担忧地；故选C．
24．D    考查上下文理解以及副词短语   A．By all means 尽一切办法，无论如何；B．In any circumstance 无论在什么情形下；C．To be honest 老实说，说实话；D．At one time 曾经，从前； 由于下文是Linda阿姨讲的关于飞蛾的故事，此处应是用在故事的开头，故选D．
25．A   考查上下文理解以及形容词   A．generous慷慨的，大方的；B．aggressive 好斗的，有进取心的；C．considerate体贴的，深思熟虑；  D．faithful 忠实的，忠诚的；根据下文讲到了为了做出一道美丽的彩虹，飞蛾们不惜献出了自己身上美丽的颜色，可知此处指的是：它们是慷慨的动物；故选A．
26．D    考查句意理解以及动词短语    本句的意思是：她们非常地悲伤是因为乌云遮住了天空，使她们看不到生活在地球上的人们了；A．hang out with与…出去玩，与…闲逛； B．show concern for 关心，关注；C．take control of控制； D．look down upon向下看，看不起；故选D．
27．A    考查句意理解以及形容词   A．constant不断的，持续的； B．endless无止境的，没完没了的； C．occasional 偶尔的，不经常的； D．permanent 永久（性）的，永恒的；本句的意思是：它们的眼泪就像断了线的雨珠一样洒落在地面上；故选A．
28．D    联系上下文   根据上文"They have always been helpful，kind，and（25）creatures"描述了飞蛾总是很乐于助人以及善良等，可知此处的意思应是：它们不愿意看到每一个人难过；故选D．
29．B    考查句意理解以及动词     A．clarified澄清，阐明； B．figured估计，认为；C．recommended推荐，劝告； D．predicted预言，预测； 本句的意思是：飞蛾们认为：如果它们让表兄弟们---蝴蝶来帮忙；故选B．
30．B  考查上下文理解以及副词    A．moreover 此外，而且；B．therefore 因此，所以；C．meanwhile 同时；D．instead反而，相反；承接上一句可知，此处的意思是：如果他们都能够放弃一点点的颜色，因此，就可以做出一道美丽的彩虹；故选B．
31．A   联系上下文    根据上文"if they asked their cousins，the butterflies，to help，they could all give up just a little bit of their colors"飞蛾们认为它们的表兄弟们会帮忙献出一点颜色，以及下一句表达的是令它们意想不到的结果"蝴蝶太虚荣和自私不愿意为人类以及天使献出任何的颜色"可知，此处的意思应是"出乎意料地，意外地"；故选A．
32．C  考查上下文理解以及动词   A．expanded使…变大，扩张；B．struck打击，撞击； C．beat（尤指用棍或其他硬物接连地）打，击，敲打； D．stretched 伸展，张开；根据下一句中的"the powder（ 粉末）"可知，这应是它们不断地拍打翅膀弄下来的彩色粉末；故选C．
33．A   考查句意理解以及从属连词     A．until直到；B．before在…之前； C．while当…时候；与…同时； D．after在…之后；本句的意思是：飞蛾们得不断地拍打翅膀，一点一点地奉献出自己身上的颜色，直到彩虹横贯整个天空；故选A．
34．D    考查句意理解以及动词短语    A．adapt to适应； B．bring out取出（某物）； C．make up化妆，编造；D．fit into （使）适合，符合； 本句的意思是：除了褐色之外，它们献出了身上所有的颜色，因为褐色不适合美丽的彩虹；故选D．
35．C     联系上下文    根据上文提到飞蛾献出了自己身上除了褐色之外的所有的颜色，可知它们身上已经没有了其他的颜色，即变成了纯褐色；plain素的，清晰的；故选C．
36．A      联系上下文   根据下一句中的"as sunshine"可知，此处指的应是她们笑出来的温暖像阳光一样照射在了大地上；故选A．
37．D      考查句意理解以及介词   本句的意思是：如今，每当下雨，那些幼小的色彩依旧绚丽的小蛾子们便飞越天空，搭成彩虹；此指的是横跨天空；故选D．
38．C   联系上下文    根据上文提到作者的弟弟Joseph是在晚上要睡觉的时候被飞蛾吓得睡不着，可知在他们的阿姨讲了这样一个美丽的故事后，他应该是睡着了；故选C．
39．B    联系上下文    根据上文在Joseph听了这样一个美丽的故事后，可推测出：Joseph从此之后再也不怕飞娥了；故选B．
40．C  考查句意理解     本句的意思是：阿姨给我们讲的这个故事在我的记忆中被尘封了许多年；gather dust：被搁置，被尘封；故选C．