英语专业四级考试最新预测试题11

CLOZE　 [15 MIN.]

Decide which of the choices given below would best complete the passage if inserted in the corresponding blanks. Mark the best choice for each blank on your answer sheet.
 We all know that a magician does not really depend on “magic” to perform his tricks， 　31　 on his ability to act at great speed. 　32　， this does not prevent us from enjoying watching a magician 　33　 rabbits from a hat. 　34　 the greatest magician of all time was Harry Houdini who died in 1926. Houdini mastered the art of 　35　. He could free himself from the tightest knots or the most complicated locks in seconds. 　36　 no one really knows 　37　 he did this， there is no doubt 　38　 he had made a close study of every type of lock ever 　39　. He liked to carry a small steel needle-like tool strapped to his leg and he used this in 　40　 of a key. Houdini once asked the Chicago police to lock him in prison. They 　41　 him in chains and locked him up， but he freed himself 　42　 an instant. The police 　43　 him of having used a tool and locked him up again. This time he wore no clothes and there were chains round his neck， waist， wrists， and legs； but he again escaped in a few minutes. Houdini had probably hidden his “needle” in a wax-like 　44　 and dropped it on the floor in the passage. 　45　 he went past， he stepped on it so that it stuck to the bottom of his foot. His most famous escape， however， was 　46　 astonishing. He was heavily chained 　47　 and enclosed in an empty wooden chest， the lid of 　48　 was nailed down. The 　49　 was dropped into the sea in New York harbor. In one minute Houdini had swum to the surface. When the chest was 　50　， it was opened and the chains were found inside.