I had not thought I would have to go down into the pit with snakes in order to catch them, so I was wearing the   36   sort of clothes. I explained this to my friends, yet they very kindly lent me these trousers and shoes, which were quite   37   and strong. So, as I could think of    38    excuses, they tied the rope round my waist and started to   39   me into the pit. Just before I landed on the bottom, I   40   up and told them to stop lowering me. I wanted to   41   the ground that I was going to land on, to make sure there were no snakes in the way. The area being   42  , I shouted to them to lower away, and at that moment   43   things happened.
    Firstly, the   44   went out; secondly, one of the shoes which I had   45   from my friends and which were too   46   for me, came off. So there I was, standing at the   47   of  the ten-foot-deep pit, with no light and no shoe on one foot,   48    by seven or eight deadly Baboon snakes. I had never been more   49  . I had to wait in the dark, without daring to move while my friends   50   the lamp out, lit it again and lowered it into the pit again.
    With plenty of light and both shoes on, I felt much   51   and began with the task of catching snakes. This was really easy enough. I had a   52   stick in my hand, and with this I came near each snake, pinned it down with the fork and then picked it up by the back of the neck, and put it into my snake bag. What I had to   53   out for was that while I was busy catching one snake, another might move round   54   me and I might step back on it. However, it all passed without   55  . And by the end of half an hour I had caught eight of the Baboon snakes.

　　 Now I had not thought that I would have to go down into the pit with the snakes in order to 　　1    them, so I was wearing the wrong sort of clothes. I 　　2   this to my friend, and he very

3   lent me his trousers and shoes, which were quite thick and strong. So, as I could think of no more excuses, they tied the    4   round my waist and started to　　 5   me into the pit.

Just before I landed at the bottom I 　　6   up and told my friends to stop lowering me: I wanted to　　 7  the ground that I was going to land on, to make sure there were mo snakes on the    8   . The area being clear, I shouted to them to lower away,　　 9   at that moment two things happened.

First, the light went out; secondly, one of the shoes which I had 　　10   from my friend and which were too large for me, came off. So there was I standing at the    11 of a ten-foot-deep pit, with no light and one shoe on one foot, surrounded by seven or eight deadly Gaboon snakes. I had never been more    12   . I had to wait in the dark, without daring to move,　　 13 my friend pulled the lamp out, relit it and lowered it into the pit again.

With plenty of    14   and both shoes on, I felt much    15   ,and set about the task of catching the snakes. This was really    16   enough.

I had a forked stick in my hand, and with this I came near each reptile, pinned it down with the fork and then    17   it up by the bank of the neck, and put it into my snake bag, what I was busy catching one snake, another might move round    19   me and I might step back on it. However, It all passed off without　　 20   , and at the end of half an hour I had caught eight of the Gaboon snakes.

1．A. watch　　   B. kill　　   C. catch　　    D. research

2．A. expressed　　 B. explained　　   C .said　　   D. showed

3．A. quickly　　   B. eagerly　　　　  C. kindly　　　　  D. easily

4．A. lamp　　　　 B. fork　　　　　　 C. trousers　　　　 D. rope

5．A. sent　　　　   B. drop　　　　　　 C. lower　　　　   D. put

6．A. looked　　　　 B. gave　　　　   C. took　　　　   D. made

7．A. examine　　    B. check　　　　    C. find　　　　    D. search

8．A. pit　　　　    B. water　　　　　　  C. earth　　　　　　    D. way

9．A. yet　　　　    B. and　　　　    C. however　　　　  D. therefore

10．A. lent　　　　  B. borrowed  　　   C. received　　　　   D. bought

11．A. edge　　　　  B. bottom　　　　   C. side　　　　　　 D. middle

12．A. excited　　    B. encouraged　　    C. frightened　　    D. surprised

13．A. when　　　　  B. till　　　　    C. so　　　　　　  D. while

14．A. strength　　　　 B. help　　　　   C. rest　　　　    D. light

15．A. braver　　    B. prouder　　　　  C. brighter　　　　  D. stronger

16．A. safe　　　　  B. funny　　　　  C. simple　　　　  D. difficult

17．A. brought　　   B. picked　　　　  C. set   　　　　   D. took

18．A. watch　　　　 B. read　　　　    C. turn　　　　    D. take

19．A. at　　　　    B. near　　　　   C. before　　　　    D. behind

20．A. accident　　   B. effort　　　　   C. care　　　　　　  D. problem

3   lent me his trousers and shoes, which were quite thick and strong. So, as I could think of no more excuses, they tied the    4   round my waist and started to　　 5   me into the pit.

Just before I landed at the bottom I 　　6   up and told my friends to stop lowering me: I wanted to　　 7  the ground that I was going to land on, to make sure there were mo snakes on the    8   . The area being clear, I shouted to them to lower away,　　 9   at that moment two things happened.

First, the light went out; secondly, one of the shoes which I had 　　10   from my friend and which were too large for me, came off. So there was I standing at the    11 of a ten-foot-deep pit, with no light and one shoe on one foot, surrounded by seven or eight deadly Gaboon snakes. I had never been more    12   . I had to wait in the dark, without daring to move,　　 13 my friend pulled the lamp out, relit it and lowered it into the pit again.

With plenty of    14   and both shoes on, I felt much    15   ,and set about the task of catching the snakes. This was really    16   enough.

I had a forked stick in my hand, and with this I came near each reptile, pinned it down with the fork and then    17   it up by the bank of the neck, and put it into my snake bag, what I was busy catching one snake, another might move round    19   me and I might step back on it. However, It all passed off without　　 20   , and at the end of half an hour I had caught eight of the Gaboon snakes.

1．A. watch　　   B. kill　　   C. catch　　    D. research

2．A. expressed　　 B. explained　　   C .said　　   D. showed

3．A. quickly　　   B. eagerly　　　　  C. kindly　　　　  D. easily

4．A. lamp　　　　 B. fork　　　　　　 C. trousers　　　　 D. rope

5．A. sent　　　　   B. drop　　　　　　 C. lower　　　　   D. put

6．A. looked　　　　 B. gave　　　　   C. took　　　　   D. made

7．A. examine　　    B. check　　　　    C. find　　　　    D. search

8．A. pit　　　　    B. water　　　　　　  C. earth　　　　　　    D. way

9．A. yet　　　　    B. and　　　　    C. however　　　　  D. therefore

10．A. lent　　　　  B. borrowed  　　   C. received
?

　　　　   D. bought

11．A. edge　　　　  B. bottom　　　　   C. side　　　　　　 D. middle

12．A. excited　　    B. encouraged　　    C. frightened　　    D. surprised

13．A. when　　　　  B. till　　　　    C. so　　　　　　  D. while

14．A. strength　　　　 B. help　　　　   C. rest　　　　    D. light

15．A. braver　　    B. prouder　　　　  C. brighter　　　　  D. stronger

16．A. safe　　　　  B. funny　　　　  C. simple　　　　  D. difficult

17．A. brought　　   B. picked　　　　  C. set   　　　　   D. took

18．A. watch　　　　 B. read　　　　    C. turn　　　　    D. take

19．A. at　　　　    B. near　　　　   C. before　　　　    D. behind

20．A. accident　　   B. effort　　　　   C. care　　　　　　  D. problem