题目内容：

III. Cloze test 完形填空 1’ * 20 = 20’

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从26－45各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项。

People from Great Britain brought the English language to North America in the 16th and 17th centuries. And in the  36  300 years, there were  37  many changes in  38  places that now people can  39  tell an English person  40  an American in the way he or she talks.

Many old words  41  in England but were kept in America. For example, 300 years ago people in Great Britain got their water from something they called either a

“faucet”, a “spigot”, or a “tap”. All these words are  42  heard in different parts of America, but only “tap” is still common in  43 . Americans often made up new words or changed old  44 . “Corn” is one kind of plant in America and  45  in England.

Also, over the last three centuries the English language  46  thousands of new words for things that weren’t known  47 . And often, American and English people used two  48  names for them. A tin can (洋铁罐头) is called “tin” for short in England, but a “can” in America. The word “radio” is  49  all over the world, including America. But many English people call it a “wireless”. And almost anything having something to do  50  cars, railroads, etc.  51  different names in British and American English．

But now American and British English may be growing closer together. One  52  is the large amount (数量) of American speech that British people hear daily in movies, on television, or  53  travelers.  54  this, Americans seem to be influencing (影响) the British more and more. So some day, English may even be  55  on both sides of the Atlantic (大西洋).  

36．A. following     B. recent       C. oldest        D. last

37．A. such              B. too                C. so                 D. great

38．A. either            B. both               C. neither          D. two

39．A. hardly            B. difficulty        C. clearly          D. easily

40．A. with              B. from                C. to               D. and

41．A. disappeared   B. were disappeared   C. spoke   D. were spoken

42．A. not                B. hardly              C. yet             D. still

43．A. America         B. the two countries   C. England     D. British

44．A. word              B. forms              C. ones             D. ways

45．A. another           B. also planted     C. a plant        D. a kind of food

46．A. added          B. has added            C. discovered     D. has discovered

47．A. anywhere    B. in some countries  C. before     D. for centuries

48．A. new              B. short                 C. different      D. surprising

49．A. produced       B. made                 C. developed      D. used

50．A. to                B. away                 C. with             D. from

51．A. has              B. have                 C. has given       D. was given

52．A. thing           B. cause                C. reason           D. expression

53．A. from            B. through             C. on                D. by

54．A. For              B. Because             C. Besides         D. Because of

55．A. different         B. more different   C. the same         D. more useful