四、语法填空(真题·绍兴柯桥)
阅读下面短文,在空白处填入一个适当的词,或填入括号中所给单词的正确形式。
From 1 to 51
Cal Clifford was interested in octopuses(章鱼) when he was three. Every year 35 his birthday, he would say, "All I want is an octopus."
As it was interesting for children 36 (keep) pets, last October, Cal's father finally agreed. He 37 (order) an octopus as a pet for his son. When it was his 38 (nine) birthday, he finally got it and named it Terrance.
Every morning when Cal woke up, he would either watch it 39 talk to it. Every evening when he finished school, he would run back home 40 (quick) to see his pet. When someone came to his house, he would show it to the 41 (visit) excitedly.
A few weeks later, the family got 42 big surprise: Terrance had laid(孵蛋) 50 eggs! Cal's father talked about 43 on social media(社交媒体). "This kind of octopus can lay up to 800 eggs," someone wrote. "But you're also 44 (luck) to have 50!"

35. on 36. to keep 37. ordered 38. ninth 39. or 40. quickly 41. visitors 42. a 43. it 44. lucky

【分析】
做语法填空需结合语境、固定搭配、语法规则逐一分析每个空：
1. 35空：具体某一天（生日）前用介词on；
2. 36空：考查固定句型“It is + adj + for sb to do sth”，it作形式主语，真正主语是不定式，故用to keep；
3. 37空：时间状语last October表过去，谓语动词用一般过去式；
4. 38空：表示“第九个生日”，需用序数词；
5. 39空：考查固定并列结构either...or...；
6. 40空：修饰动词run需用副词；
7. 41空：此处指拜访者，结合语境用名词复数；
8. 42空：考查固定短语get a surprise，表泛指用不定冠词；
9. 43空：指代前文孵蛋这件事，用代词it；
10. 44空：系动词后需用形容词作表语。
【解析】
根据上述语法规则与搭配，逐一确定答案：
35. 具体日期前用介词on，故填on；
36. 固定句型It is + adj + for sb to do sth，不定式作真正主语，故填to keep；
37. 由last October可知用一般过去时，order的过去式为ordered，故填ordered；
38. 表示顺序“第九个”，用序数词ninth，故填ninth；
39. either...or...是固定并列结构，故填or；
40. 修饰动词run用副词quickly，故填quickly；
41. 此处指拜访者，用复数名词visitors，故填visitors；
42. get a surprise是固定短语，表“一个惊喜”，故填a；
43. 指代前文孵蛋事件，用代词it，故填it；
44. 系动词are后接形容词lucky作表语，故填lucky。
【答案】35. on 36. to keep 37. ordered 38. ninth 39. or 40. quickly 41. visitors 42. a 43. it 44. lucky
【知识点】固定搭配、一般过去时、非谓语动词
【点评】本题为初中英语基础语法填空真题，考查核心语法点全面，多为常见固定搭配与基础规则，贴近学生生活语境，难度适中，能有效检验学生对基础语法的掌握程度。
【难度系数】0.7