六、短文填空。
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或填入括号内单词的正确形式。
Brandon is a 37-year-old man. He comes from Canada. When Brandon was young, he was 1. (interest) in Chinese poems. He spends 2. (near) ten hours a day translating Chinese poems into English. He has translated more than 1,000 Chinese poems 3. six years ago.
After translating a Chinese poem into 4. English one, Brandon always writes it down on a piece of paper with a brush pen. He also draws a picture beside the poem 5. (help) show the meaning of the Chinese poem. So his readers can have a much 6. (good) understanding of Chinese poems, even Chinese history and culture. His 7. (work) are regarded(被视为) as a bridge between Chinese and Western cultures.
Brandon wants to learn another foreign language if his Chinese is good enough, 8. that day hasn't arrived yet. He has found there's always new knowledge to learn in Chinese.
“Ancient Chinese poems are really beautiful. They are part of the Chinese language and make the Chinese language worth 9. (learn),” he said. “Many of my friends in Canada like Chinese poems after reading my translations. They can enjoy the beauty of Chinese culture by 10. (them).”
His works have caught people's attention in many countries. Brandon hopes that his works can help Western people know more about China than before.

1. interested 2. nearly 3. since 4. an 5. to help 6. better 7. works 8. but 9. learning 10. themselves
6. better 【解析】句意：这样他的读者就可以更好地了解中国诗歌，甚至中国的历史和文化。根据设空处前的 much 可知，它常用来修饰形容词或副词的比较级，good 的比较级为 better。故填 better。
8. but 【解析】句意：如果 Brandon 的中文足够好的话，他想学另一门外语，但那一天还没有到来。根据设空处前后关系可知，设空处表示转折。故填 but。

【分析】首先通读短文，理解文章大意：加拿大男子Brandon热爱中国诗歌，多年坚持翻译中国诗歌为英文，还配画辅助读者理解，其作品成为中西文化桥梁。解题时需结合语境、语法规则、固定搭配逐一分析空白处：1. 考查固定搭配be interested in；2. 需用副词修饰数词；3. 结合现在完成时结构选介词；4. 泛指单数名词需用不定冠词；5. 表目的用非谓语形式；6. much修饰形容词比较级；7. 谓语为复数时主语需用复数；8. 分析前后句逻辑关系选连词；9. 考查固定搭配be worth doing；10. 考查反身代词固定搭配。
【解析】1. 固定搭配be interested in表示“对……感兴趣”，故填interested；2. 此处需副词修饰数词ten hours，near的副词形式是nearly，意为“几乎”，故填nearly；3. 句子用现在完成时（has translated），six years ago是时间点，需用since引导，故填since；4. 泛指“一首英文诗”，English以元音音素开头，用不定冠词an，故填an；5. 此处表目的，用不定式to help作目的状语，故填to help；6. much常修饰形容词比较级，good的比较级为better，故填better；7. 谓语动词是are，主语需用复数，work表“作品”时复数为works，故填works；8. 前半句说想学另一门外语，后半句说那一天未到，是转折关系，用but，故填but；9. 固定搭配be worth doing表示“值得做某事”，故填learning；10. 固定搭配by oneself表示“独自地”，对应主语they的反身代词是themselves，故填themselves。
【答案】1. interested 2. nearly 3. since 4. an 5. to help 6. better 7. works 8. but 9. learning 10. themselves
【知识点】固定搭配、形容词比较级、非谓语动词
【点评】本题为短文填空题型，考查学生对词汇、语法及语境的综合运用能力，涵盖核心基础知识点，需结合上下文逻辑和语法规则解题，难度适中。
【难度系数】0.6