Sometimes, when you  47_____ rain, you do not get any. Other times, you get rain when you don’t need it. 48___ a baseball game for example. A sudden rainstorm can stop an exciting game, forcing the players and the 20,000 persons watching the game to run for 49______.

    If the game cannot continue, people who bought the tickets are given “rain checks”. These are special tickets that will let them see a  50_______ game for free.

   “Rain Check” now means a second chance at something. Often, a rain check has 51_____ to do with rain.

    Stores may offer “rain checks” when they sell   52  all of a product--- a television set, for example, at a special low price. After all the TV sets are gone, the store gives rain checks to those who wanted to buy one. The rain check allows a person to buy the TV set later at the same   low price after the store receives some  53   from the factory.

    “Rain Check” is also used in social situations. It’s a way of   54   an invitation, but for a later time.

     You may ask for a “Rain Check” if you are invited to a friend’s house for dinner, but can’t be there now. You say, “I would love to 55_____ you for dinner, but I’m busy. Could I have a rain check?” You are asking, in other words, if you could join your friend for dinner at another time.

46. A. what                  B. where              C. why                 D. when

47. A. need                  B. control              C. get                  D. like

48. A. Bring                  B. Take                 C. Give                 D. Carry

49. A. cover                  B. umbrella            C. building               D. home

50. A. better                  B. larger              C. later                 D. earlier

51. A. something              B. anything             C. nothing               D. everything

52. A. by                     B. out                C. in                   D. on

53. A. much                  B. better              C. more                D. less

54. A. refusing                B. printing             C. sending             D. accepting

55. A. agree                  B. thank              C. join                  D. satisfy

习语：rain chech的用法：

就拿美国人喜欢的垒球赛来做例子吧。正当三万名球迷观看一场紧张的球赛时，突然下起暴雨来了。球员和观众一个个地四处乱跑去找地方躲雨。可是，那些出了五元或十元美金买一张票的球迷却不会空手回家的。

在美国，只要在球赛开始以后下雨，每个人在离开体育场的时候都可以得到一张特别的票子。你可以用这张票子下回免费看一场球。这种特别的票子就叫rain check。Rain check的意思就是，你买了票，但是因为下雨而没有看成球。为了补偿你的损失，就给你一张下次可以用的免费票。可是，rain check这个词已经不局限在体育球赛方面了。它已经应用于生活的各个方面。它的意思是：给予第二次机会。

比如说，一个百货公司减价出售电视机一个星期。可是，不到一个星期，所有减价的电视机都已经卖完了。在这种情况下，店员就对顾客说：

Say, I'm sorry but we just sold the last TV set we had on sale. But I'll give you a rain check so you can still get the special price when we get in a fresh stock a couple weeks from now. 对不起，我们刚刚把最后一架减价的电视机卖掉了。但是，我会给你一张rain check，这样过两个星期我们进了货以后，你仍然可以按减价的价钱买电视机。

Rain check这个词也可以用在社交场合。假如一个男学生要请一个女孩子去吃晚饭，可是这女孩当天已经有了约会。不过她很喜欢这个人，很想跟他出去玩。这时候，她就说：

I'd love to go out with you, Ben. I'm sorry I'm busy tonight, but I'd like a rain check. 本，我很愿意和你出去玩。但是，非常抱歉的是我今晚很忙。我们下回去玩好吗？