The umbrella is now a very ordinary 19 .
答案：(B) object
雨傘是具體的「物品」，object 指具體物品，符合語意。subject（主題/科目）、matter（事務）、element（元素）都不適合形容一個具體物品。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
四個選項都是很常見的名詞，中文是「主題、物品、事情、元素」，如果沒把整句讀完，會覺得 matter 或 element 好像也能用。
四個選項都是名詞，可見這一格考的是語意。整句是 The umbrella is now a very ordinary ___.（雨傘現在是一件非常普通的……。）下一句是 Everybody uses it today.（今天每個人都在用它。）——講的是一件人人都會拿在手上的具體物品，所以填 object（物品、物體）。順便把這四個字分清楚：object 是具體的物品、物體（a strange object 一個奇怪的物體）；subject 是主題、科目（my favorite subject 我最喜歡的科目）；matter 是事情、事務，或指物質（a serious matter 一件嚴重的事）；element 是元素、要素（a key element 一個關鍵要素）。
subject（主題、科目）、matter（事情）、element（要素）：三個講的都是抽象的東西，而雨傘是拿得到、摸得著的實物。
an object（物品、物體）、a subject（主題、科目）、a matter（事情、事務）、an element（要素、元素）、fold up（摺疊起來）、keep the rain off（擋住雨）。
The umbrella is not a new invention. The Chinese 11 umbrellas in the eleventh century B.C. 12 China they traveled to India, Persia, and Egypt. But in Greece and Rome, men 13 use them. They believed umbrellas were 14 for women. When the Spanish explorers went to Mexico, they saw the Aztec kings 15 umbrellas. English explorers found out that Indian princes also carried umbrellas on the east coast of North America. It 16 that people in different parts of the world invented umbrellas at different times.
England was probably the first country in Europe 17 ordinary people used umbrellas 18 the rain. England has a rainy climate, and umbrellas are very useful there. The umbrella is now a very ordinary 19 . Everybody uses it today. It keeps the rain and the sun off people. Some umbrellas fold up, 20 it is easy to carry them.