四、完形填空。(2025·江苏连云港经济技术开发区一模)
In fact, you cannot live without it. It's usually white 1 it has a strong taste. Every cell in your body has it.
It was once used by the Romans to 2 their soldiers. In parts of Africa, it was used to pay for things instead of money. The oceans are 3 with it. You can get it from the earth as well. Put it on 4, and you can keep the food from going bad for a very long time.
5 is it? It's salt. Since the beginning of time, it has been a(n) 6 part of people's lives. Wars have been fought over it. Kings could rule the country 7 it. The French Revolution (革命) was started in part because the king put a high tax (税) on salt. The farmers did not like this and rose to 8 with the king.
Today, salt is used in making nearly 15,000 products. The jeans you wear have 9 in them. In cold countries that are covered with snow and ice in 10, people 11 salt on the roads to melt (融化) the ice. Driving would be much more 12 if not for salt.
Where does salt come from? It may come from shallow holes in the earth. In some places, it sits on top of the earth, and people 13 cut and carry it away. But the oceans are where most of the salt lies. Ocean water is salty and not good to drink. The sun evaporates (使蒸发) sea water, leaving only salt.
Many 14 in English refer to salt. Sometimes, it is said that a worker is “worth his salt”. This means that the person works very hard and is 15. Remember that the Romans paid soldiers in salt. This is probably where the expression comes from.
()1. A. and
B. if
C. or
D. so
()2. A. feed
B. invite
C. pay
D. cheat
()3. A. faced
B. filled
C. covered
D. satisfied
()4. A. food
B. hand
C. jeans
D. earth
()5. A. Why
B. When
C. What
D. Where
()6. A. easy
B. important
C. interesting
D. typical
()7. A. according to
B. instead of
C. ahead of
D. because of
()8. A. live
B. play
C. share
D. fight
()9. A. salt
B. ice
C. snow
D. money
()10. A. spring
B. autumn
C. summer
D. winter
()11. A. mix
B. sell
C. spread
D. produce
()12. A. careful
B. dangerous
C. interesting
D. successful
()13. A. simply
B. clearly
C. probably
D. completely
()14. A. songs
B. movies
C. stories
D. expressions
()15. A. available
B. painful
C. valuable
D. common

四、1. A 【点拨】and 并且；if 如果；or 或者；so 所以。根据句意可知，前后句是并列关系。故选 A。
2. C 【点拨】feed 饲养；invite 邀请；pay 支付；cheat 欺骗。根据“In parts of Africa, it was used to pay for things instead of money.”可知，它曾被罗马人用来支付他们的士兵。故选 C。
3. B 【点拨】face 面对；fill 充满；cover 覆盖；satisfy 使满意。根据句意并结合下文可知，此处表示海洋里充满了盐。故选 B。
4. A 【点拨】food 食物；hand 手；jeans 牛仔裤；earth 地面。根据“you can keep the food from going bad”可知，是指食物。故选 A。
5. C 【点拨】why 为什么；when 什么时候；what 什么；where 在哪里。根据“It's salt.”可知，是在问它是什么。故选 C。
6. B 【点拨】easy 简单的；important 重要的；interesting 有趣的；typical 典型的。根据“Wars have been fought over it.”可知，盐很重要。故选 B。
7. D 【点拨】according to 按照；instead of 代替；ahead of 早于；because of 因为。根据句意可知，国王通过盐来统治国家。故选 D。
8. D 【点拨】live 生活；play 玩耍；share 分享；fight 与……作战。根据“The French Revolution(革命) was started in part because the king put a high tax(税) on salt.”可知，是指农民和国王战斗。故选 D。
9. A 【点拨】salt 盐；ice 冰；snow 雪；money 金钱。根据“Today, salt is used in making nearly 15,000 products.”可知是指盐。故选 A。
10. D 【点拨】spring 春天；autumn 秋天；summer 夏天；winter 冬天。根据“In cold countries that are covered with snow and ice”可知，是指冬天。故选 D。
11. C 【点拨】mix 混合；sell 卖；spread 撒，播撒；produce 生产。根据句意可知，是把盐撒在路上。故选 C。
12. B 【点拨】careful 仔细的；dangerous 危险的；interesting 有趣的；successful 成功的。结合常识可知，如果不撒盐，地面结冰路会很滑，开车会很危险。故选 B。
13. A 【点拨】simply 简单地；clearly 清楚地；probably 很可能；completely 完全地。根据“In some places, it sits on top of the earth”可知，有一些地方，盐直接在地面上，人们很容易切割和搬运。故选 A。
14. D 【点拨】song 歌曲；movie 电影；story 故事；expression 表达。故选 D。
15. C 【点拨】available 可获得的；painful 痛苦的；valuable 有价值的；common 普通的。根据“a worker is ‘worth his salt’”可知，一个人艰苦地劳动是很有价值的。故选 C。