四、语法填空(真题·丽水莲都、缙云)
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。
Once upon a time, there was a man who got a full basket of coconuts(椰子). He wanted 36 (sell) them in the market. He put the basket on his horse. On the way, he met 37 old man and asked how long it would take to get to the market. "If you go 38 (quick), it will take you all day," said the old man, looking at the fruit on the horse. "39 if you go slowly," he went on saying, "it will only take you three 40 (hour)."
Although the old man looked 41 (friend), the man didn't believe his words. He hurried his horse, the coconuts fell down and he had to stop to pick 42 (they) up. Then he hurried his horse all the way to make up(弥补) for the lost time, but the coconuts fell down again. Many times he did this, and it 43 (be) late and he felt very tired. When he arrived, he found there were already no people 44 the market. Now he came to know what the old man said was right.
A good story always 45 (tell) us a truth. That is we should find a good way to do everything.

36. to sell 37. an 38. quickly 39. But 40. hours
41. friendly 42. them 43. was 44. in 45. tells

【分析】
这是英语语法填空题，需结合短文语境、语法规则、固定搭配及词性变化完成填空。解题思路：先通读全文理解大意，再针对每个空格，分析其在句中的成分、所需词性，结合括号内提示词或上下文逻辑关系确定答案，比如判断固定搭配、冠词用法、副词修饰动词等。
【解析】
36. 考查固定搭配want to do sth，意为“想要做某事”，故填to sell；
37. 此处泛指“一位老人”，old以元音音素开头，不定冠词用an，故填an；
38. 此处修饰动词go，需用副词形式，quick的副词是quickly，故填quickly；
39. 前文提到走快要花整天，后文说走慢只花三小时，是转折关系，用连词But，故填But；
40. 数词three后接可数名词复数，hour的复数是hours，故填hours；
41. look在此处是系动词，后接形容词作表语，friend的形容词是friendly，故填friendly；
42. pick是动词，后接人称代词宾格，they的宾格是them，故填them；
43. 全文时态为一般过去时，主语是it，be动词用was，故填was；
44. 表示“在市场里”，用介词in，故填in；
45. 主语a good story是第三人称单数，一般现在时谓语动词用第三人称单数形式，tell的三单是tells，故填tells。
【答案】
36. to sell 37. an 38. quickly 39. But 40. hours 41. friendly 42. them 43. was 44. in 45. tells
【知识点】
非谓语动词、冠词用法、形容词副词转换
【点评】
本题为英语语法填空真题，聚焦初中核心基础语法，结合语境与固定搭配考查，难度适中，能有效检验学生对基础语法的掌握情况。
【难度系数】
0.7