完形填空 Few other nations are so much interested in horseracing as the English．The

完形填空

Few other nations are so much interested in horseracing as the English．The famous races Ascot are held every year and followed by sports fans all over England．The king or the queen also attends 1 and presents the winner with a gold cup．To 2 this gold cup is the dream of every owner of a race horse．All newspapers, great and small, are full of detailed description of the 3, and the name of the 4 winner of the Ascot cup is pronounced by everyone 5 of a great hero．

It happened once, however, some seventy years ago, that the gold cup was stolen a few days before the race! The police 6 for it all over the country but could not find it．

Just at the time, Mark Twain, the witty American writer, 7 England．He was 8 by an England Literary Society to be 9 at a dinner given in his honor．After dinner the president of the society rose to 10 a toast to Mark Twain's health and praise 11 the talent of the famous American．Mark Twain 12 started his speech with the following words：

“Gentlemen, I thank you for the great honor you 13 me, 14 I very much doubt whether all your countrymen join you in your warm welcome．When I arrived at Dover yesterday, and 15 my foot in ‘Merry Old England', the first thing I saw was a newspaper poster and on it, 16 my great surprise, I read two 17 printed in big red letters：

MARK TWAIN ARRIVES！

ASCOT CUP STOLEN！

These two announcements stood so closely together that it 18 seemed, gentlemen, as if some people in this country 19 sure that my arrival had something to do with the disappearance of the gold cup!”This witty② speech of the famous American author 20 a shout of laughter．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

(17)

(18)

(19)

(20)