A Life with Birds
For nearly 17 years David Cope has worked as one of the Tower of Londons yeoman warders， __1__ known to tourists as beefeaters. David， 64， lives in a three-bedroomed flat right at the __2__ of the Byward Tower， one of the gatehouses. "__3__ our bedroom we have a marvellous view of Tower Bridge and the Thames， " says David.
The Tower of London is famous __4__ its ravens， the large black birds which have lived there for over three centuries. David was immediately fascinated by the birds and when he was __5__ the post of Raven Master eight years ago he had no __6__ in accepting it. "The birds have now become my life and Im always __7__ of the fact that I am __8__ a tradition. The legend says that if the ravens leave the Tower， England will fall to enemies， and its my job to __9__ sure this doesnt happen！"
David_10_about four hours a day to the care of the ravens. He has grown to love them and the _11__ that he lives right next to them is ideal. "I can _12__ a close eye on them all the time， and not just when Im working." __13__， Davids wife Mo was not __14__ on the idea of life in the Tower， but she too will be sad to leave when he retires next year. "When we look out of our windows， we see history __15__ around us， and we are taking it in and storing it up for our future memories."
詞匯：
marvellous /mɑ:vil?s/a.奇妙的，不可思議的 fascinate / fæsmeIt / v. 著迷，吸引
raven /reiv?n/ n. 烏鴉，黑色的鳥 legend / led3；lnd / n. 傳奇，傳說
注釋：
1. ...from our bedroom we have a marvellous view of ... :從我們的臥室看去，有一個奇妙的角度。。。
2. ... keen on the idea of life in the Tower..: 熱衷于塔里的生活
練習：
1. A. more B. better C. sooner D. very
2. A. height B. summit C. peak D. top
3. A. Since B. Out C. From D. Through
4. A. for B. because C. of D. by
5. A. award B. applied C. presented D. offered
6. A. regret B. delay C. hesitation D. choice
7. A. aware B. knowing C. pleased D. delighted
8. A. holding B. maintaining C. surviving D. lasting
9. A. take B. make C. have D. keep
10. A. devotes B. spends C. passes D. provides
11. A. reason B. chance C. opportunity D. fact
12. A. hold B. have C. keep D. put
13. A. Firstly B. First of all C. At first D. First
14. A. interested B. keen C. fond D. happy
15. A. every B. all C. much D. so
答案與題解：
1. B 根據上下文，這里應選擇比較級，所以排除D，再根據句意，為“更為人所熟知”，因而better是正確答案。
2. D根據句意，詞組搭配 at the top of ，表示在……頂部最為合適。Height 意為“高度“，summit 意為“最高點”，peak 意為“頂峰“，所以選 D.
3. C 根據句意，從臥室的角度看去，from 最為恰當。
4. A 固定搭配 be famous for 意為“以……而著名”，文中要表達的是倫敦塔以烏鴉而著名，因而 for 為正確答案。
5. D 根據句意，David 是被提供了這樣一個職位，所以 offered 最為恰當award 表示“授予”，applied 表示“應用” ，presented 表示“給予，呈現“，均不符合句意。
6. C 根據上下文，很容易理解 David 是這么迷戀這種黑鳥，因而毫不猶豫地接受了這個職位，所以 hesitation 為正確答案。
7. A be aware of 表示“意識到”，有這樣一命警覺。其他三項均不符合句意。
8. B 固定搭配 maintain a tradition ，保持一個傳統，maintain 最為恰當。hold 表示“抓住”，survive 表示“存活，幸存”，last 表示“維持”。
9. B 固定搭配 make sure，意為“確保”，在文中表達的是“確保這種狀況不會發生“，因而選 B.
10. A 根據句意，David 每天大約用四個小時來護理烏鴉，表達出對烏鴉的愛護之情，devote “獻身于……，專用于……”最為恰當。spend 后需加動詞 ing 形式。pass 表示“經過”， provide 表示“提供”，均不符合句意。
11. D 這是一個定語從句，根據句意，David 已經愛上了它們，而他正居住在它們旁邊(這樣一個事實)是理想的，所以 fact 是正確答案。
12. C keep an eye on 為固定搭配，意為“注意，關注”，所以選 C.
13. C 根據句意，作者要表達的意思是起初，David 的妻子 Mo 并不感興趣，因為只有詞組 at first 表示“起初，開始時”符合句意。
14. B be keen on 為固定搭配，表示“對……感興趣，對……熱衷”，interest 后面配介詞 in ，fond后應配介詞 of ，因此正確答案是 B.
15. B 根據句意，作者表達的感情非常強烈，過去的那些都環繞在身邊，所以 all 為最佳答案。