“My aunt will come down soon， Mr Nuttel.” said a very calm young lady of fifteen years old.

Framton Nuttel was 1 to be going through a cure for his disease， but now he 2 whether this visit to the village would help.

“Do you know many of the people round here？” asked the 3 when she thought they had sat long enough in 4 . “Hardly one，” said Framton. “Then you know 5 about my aunt？” continued the lady， “Out through that 6 ， exactly three years ago， her husband and two brothers went off for their days shooting. In 7 the country， they were all there 8 in a bog （沼澤）.” Here the childs voice 9 its calm and became almost human （as she was always good at making up stories）. “Aunt always 10 they will some day walk in at that window just as they used to do. Sometimes on 11 evenings like this， I almost get a strange 12 that they will all…”

She stopped when the aunt came 13 into the room. “Bera has been 14 you？ Shes always making up stories，” she said.

“She is very interesting，” said Framton.

“I hope you dont mind the open window. My husband and brothers will be home soon from shooting， and they always come in this way.”

She talked on 15 about the shooting and the hopes of shooting in the winter. To Framton it was all quite 16 in the increasing darkness. He made a great 17 ， which was only partly successful， to turn the talk on to a cheerful subject. His hostess was giving him only a part of her 18 ， and her eyes were frequently 19 him to the window. It wasnt certainly 20 that he had paid his visit on this sorrowful day.

1. A. ready B. supposed C. sure D. likely

2. A. doubted B. realized C. argued D. discovered

3. A. aunt B. doctor C. patient D. niece

4. A. sunshine B. silence C. vain D. dark

5. A. nothing B. something C. all D. anything

6. A. window B. woods C. road D. door

7. A. escaping B. crossing C. entering D. marching

8. A. sunk B. hidden C. swallowed D. struck

9. A. kept B. returned C. got D. lost

10. A. determines B. insists C. thinks D. suggests

11. A. lonely B. magic C. quiet D. mysterious

12. A. dream B. idea C. feeling D. thought

13. A. angrily B. worriedly C. eagerly D. busily

14. A. troubling B. amusing C. examining D. complaining

15. A. anxiously B. sadly C. cheerfully D. calmly

16. A. pleasant B. terrible C. attractive D. difficult

17. A. effort B. suggestion C. decision D. fortune

18. A. interest B. sorrow C. attention D. opinion

19. A. glaring at B. fixed upon C. kept on D. looking past

20. A. comfortable B. successful C. easy D. fortunate