Directions: After
reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and
grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank
with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that
best fits each blank.
The
Battle of Chancellorsville, one of the most famous battles of the Civil War,
took place in Virginia in the spring of 1863. For months, the two armies had
been staying on opposite banks of a narrow river. The Confederate(南方联盟) troops were led by perhaps {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (honored) military tactician(战略家) in American history, General Robert
E. Lee. The Union (北方联盟)soldiers were led by “Fighting” Joe
Hooker.
In
appearance, personality, and lifestyle, these men were nearly perfect opposites.
Lee, an older man in poor health with a gray beard, had a solemn, measured
character. Hooker was a blond, broad-shouldered young man {#blank#}2{#/blank#} pride over his appearance was but one
aspect of his self-centeredness. Whereas Lee was loyal and principled, Hooker
was known for his rollicking enjoyment of both women and whiskey.
Despite
the fact that the Confederacy {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (win) the last four major battles and
the Union soldiers were starving, {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (exhaust), and demoralized, Hooker
proclaimed, “My plans are perfect. And when I start to carry them out, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} God have mercy on Bobby Lee, for I
shall have none.” Why was Hooker so confident?
Hooker
had used spies, analysts, and even hot air balloons to compile a vast amount of
intelligence about Lee's army. He had already been aware, for example, {#blank#}6{#/blank#} Lee had only 61,000 men to Hooker's
own 134,000. Supported by his superior numbers, Hooker secretly moved 70,000 of
his men fifteen miles up and across the river, and then ordered them to sneak
back down to position themselves {#blank#}7{#/blank#} Lee's army. In effect, Hooker had cut
off the Confederate soldiers in front and behind. They were trapped. Satisfied
with his advantage, Hooker became convinced that Lee's only option was to
retreat to Richmond, thus {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (assure) a Union victory.
Yet
Lee, despite his disadvantages of both numbers and position, did not retreat.
Instead, he moved his troops into position to attack. Union soldiers who tried
to warn Hooker that Lee was on the offensive {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (dismiss) as cowards. Having become
convinced that Lee had no choice but {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (retreat), Hooker began to ignore
reality. When Lee's army attacked the Union soldiers at 5:00 p.m., they were
eating supper, completely unprepared for battle. They abandoned their rifles and
fled as Lee's troops came shrieking out of the brush, bayonets drawn. Against
all odds, Lee won the Battle of Chancellorsville, and Hooker's forces withdrew
in defeat.
