But the bird would not 27 the name.
答案：(C) repeat
訓練鸚鵡通常是要牠「覆誦」說出的字，repeat（重複）符合鸚鵡學話的情境；tell（告訴）、talk（不及物動詞，不能直接接受詞）、converse（交談，不及物動詞）都不符合。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
四個選項都與「說」有關，中文是「告訴、談話、重複、交談」，如果只比意思會覺得好幾個都行。這一格有一個形態上的硬線索：空格後面直接就是受詞。
四個選項都是動詞，先看空格後面接什麼：the name，是一個名詞、中間沒有任何介系詞。所以問題變成「哪一個動詞可以直接接受詞」。talk 與 converse 先出局：這兩個都是不及物動詞，要接東西得加介系詞（talk about the name、converse with someone）。剩下 tell 與 repeat：tell 的常見用法是 tell somebody something（告訴某人某事），受詞通常先接人；直接說 tell the name 不自然。repeat 則正好——它的意思是「重複說一遍」，而訓練鸚鵡本來就是要牠把聽到的字覆誦出來，語意與情境完全吻合。這一招與 88 年第 37 題是同一個判準：那一題是看哪個動詞能直接接人（assure me），本題是看哪個動詞能直接接物（repeat the name）。空格後面沒有介系詞，就先問「這個動詞是不是及物」，常常一步刷掉一半。
talk：不及物，要用 talk about。converse（交談）：不及物，要用 converse with；語意上也不對，鸚鵡是要覆誦一個字，不是與人對談。tell：後面通常先接人，tell the name 不是自然的說法。
repeat sth（重複、覆誦）、repeat after sb（跟著某人唸）、talk about（談論）、converse with（與……交談）、tell sb sth（告訴某人某事）、give up（放棄）。
There was once a man in Puerto Rico who had a wonderful parrot. The parrot was 21, there was no other bird like him in the whole world. He could learn to say any word-- 22 one. He could not say the name of his native town, Catano.
The man 23 everything he could to teach the parrot to say "Catano," but he never 24. At first he was very gentle with the bird, but gradually he lost his 25. "You stupid bird! 26 can't you learn to say that one word? Say 'Catano' or I'll kill you!" But the parrot would not say it. Many times the man screamed, "Say 'Catano' or I'll kill you!" But the bird would not 27 the name. Finally the man gave up. He picked up the parrot and threw the bird into the chicken house.
In the chicken house, there were four old chickens, waiting to be killed 28 Sunday's dinner. "You are even more stupid than the chickens," the man said as he was leaving. The next morning, the man went out to the chicken house. When he opened the door, he was 29 by what he saw. He could not believe his eyes and ears! On the floor 30 three dead chickens. The parrot was screaming at the fourth, "Say 'Catano' or I'll kill you!"