单选题 On his fifty-fifth birthday the president decided to (1) some prisoners of the (2) age as a gesture of good will Not too many, but one, say, from each of the twenty of thirty (3) prisons in the small state. They would have to be carefully selected (4) not to give trouble once they were out. Men perhaps had been so (5) in prison that they had ceased to have and real contact with the outside world. None of them was to be told a (6) of his (7) liberty. Marlo was therefore (8) when he was called to the Governor's office one morning and told he was to be set (9) next day. He had spent almost three quarters of. his life in (10) working out a life sentence (11) stabbing a policeman to death. He was a dull-witted man with no relations (12) and no friends except his prison mates.
The following morning was clear and bright. Marlo (13) no opportunity to say goodbye to (14) but a guard (15) him to the prison gates and wished him g6dspeed. Alone, he set off up the long white road leading to the town. The traffic, the incessant noise, the absence (16) the secure prison walls terrified him. Presently he 'sat down by the side of the road to think (17) . After he had thought for a long time, for his brain worked slowly, he (18) a decision. He remained he was, waiting patiently until at last he saw a police car (19) When it was near enough, he darted out into the road, obliging it to stop with a squeal of brakes. He had with him a little knife. When the young police officer got out of the car demanding (20) what was wrong, Marlo stabbed him very neatly just behind the right ear.

单选题 A. reload B. release C. relax D. relate
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】release prisoner为习惯用法，意为“释放罪犯”。例如，Four prisoners were released．四名犯人被释放了。
单选题 A. as B. like C. same D. similar
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】ofthe same age“同一年龄”。例如，We are of the Same age．我们一样大。
单选题 A. overgrown B. override C. overflow D. overcrowded
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该句意为，人不太多，在这个小州的30个拥挤的监狱中的20个各挑出一个。overcrowded“拥挤的”。
单选题 A. so as B. so that C. in order that D. for the purpose
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】so as to“如此……以至于”，后面接表示目的的动词不定式。
单选题 A. large B. long 　 C. wide 　　　 D. big
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】该句意为，他们在监狱待了很长时间。表示长时间应用“long”
单选题 A. in the rear B. in front C. in advance 　D. on the head
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】该句意为，没有人被事前告知他即将获得自由。in advance“事前”，符合题意。
单选题 A. implanting B. impelling C. improving 　　 D. impending
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】impending"迫近，即将发生的”，符合题意。(A)implanting“灌输”；(B)impelling“迫使的”(C)improving"改善的”。
单选题 A. astonished B. feared C. beaten D. tortured
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】该句意为，当有一天Mario惊讶地被叫到办公室，并被告知他将第二天被释放。
单选题 A. flee B. free C. fresh D. fresco
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】setfree"释放”，为固定搭配。
单选题 A. goal B. goat C. gaol D. gale
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】该句意为，他在监狱中渡过了几乎三分之一的生命，以刺死一个警察为由被判终身监禁。 (A)goal“球门”；(B)goat“山羊”；(C)gaol“监狱”；(D)gale“大风”。ingaol“在监狱中”。
单选题 A. of B. because C. for D. at
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】表示原因用“for”。可以表示原因又可以用于提出说明，语气比because轻得多。
单选题 A. stayed B. staying C. lived D. living
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该句意为，他是个反应迟钝的人，没有健在的亲戚，除了狱友，没有其他朋友。living“活着的，健在的”。
单选题 A. was given B. was provided C. was ordered D. was offered
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】该句意为，Mario没有机会向任何人告别，而警卫护送他到监狱大门，祝他平安。give opportunity to somebody“给某人以机会”。
单选题 A. somebody B. anyone C. someone D. the officers
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】否定句中用anyone。
单选题 A. guarded B. protected C. escorted D. watched
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】escort“护送”。
单选题 A. with B. for C. away D. of
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】absence of“缺乏，没有”，这里意为“来往的交通、不停的噪音、看不到监狱牢固的围墙，这些使他感到惧”。
单选题 A. a little B. a few C. some D. anyway
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】Sink a little"稍作思考”。表示抽象意义用“little”。
单选题 A. arrived B. came to C. reasoned D. reduced
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】come to a decision为固定短语，意为“作出一个决定”。
单选题 A. approximating B. appreciating C. approaching D. apprehending
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】see something approaching“看见某物靠近”。该句意为，最后他看见一辆警车靠近。
单选题 A. to find B. know C. see D. to know
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该句意为，当一个年轻的警官从警车出来，想知道有什么问题，Marl敏捷地从他的右耳下方将他刺死。