（2018·江苏省中考真题）
阅读短文，根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
You may think that English dictionaries have been used for many, many centuries. The spelling of English has always been a problem, but it was more of a problem in the days before a dictionary. In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting. But it made reading English much more difficult. So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same. In fact, an English dictionary like the kind you use today wasn't made until the time of the Qing Dynasty.
The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short. The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty-two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.
Murray had not been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank. Later he became a great teacher. After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work. Part of it was one metre underground. In winter he had to wear a heavy coat and put his feet in a box to keep warm. Every morning, Murray got out of bed at five o'clock and worked several hours before breakfast. Often he would work by candle light into the evening.
Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years. But after five years, he was still adding words for the letter A! Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty-four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it. It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books. And you thought your English dictionary was big!
英语词典到20世纪的时候才出现，在此之前，人们的拼写方式都是不一样的，这就给阅读造成了很大的困难。后来牛津大学让James Murray编写一本字典，Murray花费了很长的时间，在其他的人的帮助下，最终在1928年牛津词典终于完成了。
1．bank【解析】根据短文第三段中Murray had not been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank.可知，Murray14岁的时候离开了学校，去一家银行工作。由此可知这里填bank，银行。
2．1879【解析】根据短文第二段中The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty-two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.可知，在1857年，英国的一次重要会议上产生了一个想法编写一部牛津字典，22年之后，Murray成为了这部字典的主编，也就是1879年。故填1879.
3．conditions/environments/situations【解析】根据文意和表格中下面的内容可知，这里介绍的是Murray艰苦的生活条件，故这里应填conditions条件；或者situations状况，情境；或者environments环境。
4．behind【解析】根据短文第三段中After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work.可知，Murray在他房子后面的花园里就建了一个地方来工作。由此可知这里填behind。
5．longer/more【解析】根据短文最后一段中Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years…. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty-four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it.可知，Murray原本希望十年后能够完成这本字典，但是没有，他一直工作到很老，而且是在44年之后，另外一些编辑才把它完成的。由此可知这里应填longer更长的；或者more更多的（时间）。
6．joined/helped/supported【解析】根据短文最后一段中Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them.可知，在Murray编写词典的过程中，其他人也和他一起工作，包括他的两个女儿。由此可知这里可以填joined，加入；或者helped帮助；或者supported支持。
7．words【解析】根据短文最后一段中It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books.可知，这本词典在12本书里有超过15,000个单词。由此可知这里填words。
8．largest/biggest【解析】根据短文第二段中The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short.可知，牛津词典是世界上最大的词典。故这里填largest或者biggest。
9．spell【解析】根据短文第一段中In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting. But it made reading English much more difficult. So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same.可知，有了字典，人们的拼写方式就都一样了。由此可知这里应填spell，拼写。
10．job/task/duty【解析】根据文意After Oxford gave him the job, Murray可知，牛津大学让Murray编写一本字典，这是给他的一个工作。但对于Murray来说，这不仅是一个工作，也是一段精彩的旅程。因此这里应填job或者task或duty。
阅读短文，根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
You may think that English dictionaries have been used for many, many centuries. The spelling of English has always been a problem, but it was more of a problem in the days before a dictionary. In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting. But it made reading English much more difficult. So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same. In fact, an English dictionary like the kind you use today wasn't made until the time of the Qing Dynasty.
The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short. The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty-two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.
Murray had not been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank. Later he became a great teacher. After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work. Part of it was one metre underground. In winter he had to wear a heavy coat and put his feet in a box to keep warm. Every morning, Murray got out of bed at five o'clock and worked several hours before breakfast. Often he would work by candle light into the evening.
Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years. But after five years, he was still adding words for the letter A! Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty-four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it. It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books. And you thought your English dictionary was big!
| Notes on James Murray's life | |
| Murray's early life | Born in Scotland. He left school at 14 and became a 1． worker, later a great teacher. |
| Murray's work on OED | He became the editor of OED in the year 2．. His working 3． were bad: —he worked in a part-underground place in the garden 4． his house —in winter it was terribly cold there —he often worked by candle light into the evening The time he spent on OED was much 5． than expected. Later others and his two daughters 6． him. |
| Other information . | OED was finished in the year 1928. It had over 15,000 7．in twelve books. It is the 8．dictionary in the world. Thanks to it, people can 9． in the same way. For Murray, working on a dictionary wasn't only a 10． ; it was a wonderful journey. |
1．bank【解析】根据短文第三段中Murray had not been to college. At the age of fourteen, he left his village school in Scotland and taught himself while working in a bank.可知，Murray14岁的时候离开了学校，去一家银行工作。由此可知这里填bank，银行。
2．1879【解析】根据短文第二段中The idea for this dictionary came from an important meeting in Britain in 1857. Twenty-two years later, Oxford University asked James Murray to be the editor of its new dictionary.可知，在1857年，英国的一次重要会议上产生了一个想法编写一部牛津字典，22年之后，Murray成为了这部字典的主编，也就是1879年。故填1879.
3．conditions/environments/situations【解析】根据文意和表格中下面的内容可知，这里介绍的是Murray艰苦的生活条件，故这里应填conditions条件；或者situations状况，情境；或者environments环境。
4．behind【解析】根据短文第三段中After Oxford gave him the job, Murray had a place built in the garden behind his house to do his work.可知，Murray在他房子后面的花园里就建了一个地方来工作。由此可知这里填behind。
5．longer/more【解析】根据短文最后一段中Murray hoped to finish the new dictionary in ten years…. He worked on the dictionary until he was very old. Forty-four years later, in 1928, other editors finished it.可知，Murray原本希望十年后能够完成这本字典，但是没有，他一直工作到很老，而且是在44年之后，另外一些编辑才把它完成的。由此可知这里应填longer更长的；或者more更多的（时间）。
6．joined/helped/supported【解析】根据短文最后一段中Then others went to work with Murray, and his two daughters were among them.可知，在Murray编写词典的过程中，其他人也和他一起工作，包括他的两个女儿。由此可知这里可以填joined，加入；或者helped帮助；或者supported支持。
7．words【解析】根据短文最后一段中It had more than 15,000 words in twelve books.可知，这本词典在12本书里有超过15,000个单词。由此可知这里填words。
8．largest/biggest【解析】根据短文第二段中The largest dictionary in the world is the Oxford English Dictionary, or OED for short.可知，牛津词典是世界上最大的词典。故这里填largest或者biggest。
9．spell【解析】根据短文第一段中In those days people spelt words in different ways which you might find interesting. But it made reading English much more difficult. So dictionaries were invented to encourage everybody to spell the same.可知，有了字典，人们的拼写方式就都一样了。由此可知这里应填spell，拼写。
10．job/task/duty【解析】根据文意After Oxford gave him the job, Murray可知，牛津大学让Murray编写一本字典，这是给他的一个工作。但对于Murray来说，这不仅是一个工作，也是一段精彩的旅程。因此这里应填job或者task或duty。
