On the floor 30 three dead chickens.
答案：(A) lay
這是地方副詞倒裝句：正常語序是「Three dead chickens lay on the floor」，因為地方副詞片語 On the floor 放在句首，主詞和動詞倒裝，動詞用 lay（lie的過去式，表示「躺著、位於」，不及物動詞），時態配合整篇故事的過去式敘事；laid（lay的過去式，是及物動詞「放置」，這裡不需要受詞，用法不合）、lied（lie的過去式，意思是「說謊」，語意不合）、lying（現在分詞，不是限定動詞，不能單獨作倒裝句的主要動詞）都不合。
本題大考中心未公布逐題答對率，以下不談數據，只談觀念。
lay、laid、lied、lying 這四個字是英文裡最容易混的一組，因為它們其實來自兩個不同的動詞，中文又都能翻成「躺、放、說謊」。再加上這一句的語序不太一樣，很容易愣住。
先把語序看清楚：On the floor ___ three dead chickens.句首是表地方的介系詞片語 On the floor，主詞 three dead chickens 跑到動詞後面去了——這是倒裝。正常語序是 Three dead chickens ___ on the floor.（三隻死雞……在地板上。）還原之後就好判斷了。接著把兩個 lie 和一個 lay 分清楚，這是關鍵：第一組 lie－lay－lain 是「躺著、位於」，不及物，後面不接受詞；第二組 lay－laid－laid 是「放置、下（蛋）」，及物，後面一定要有受詞（lay the book on the table 把書放在桌上）；第三組 lie－lied－lied 是「說謊」，也是不及物。本句的空格後面沒有受詞（three dead chickens 是主詞不是受詞），所以及物的 laid 先出局；語意是雞躺在地上，不是雞在說謊，所以 lied 也出局；lying 是分詞，不能單獨當一個句子的主要動詞。剩下 lay——它是 lie（躺）的過去式，正好符合這個故事的過去時態。順便對照兩個同型的倒裝句：89 年第 40 題的 there inside were two children、88 年第 19 題的 There should be four more，都是把表地方或表存在的部分擺到前面、主詞挪到動詞後面。
laid：lay（放置）的過去式，及物，需要受詞，本句沒有。lied：lie（說謊）的過去式，語意完全不對。lying：現在分詞，可以當修飾語（the chickens lying on the floor 躺在地上的雞），但不能單獨當主要動詞，那樣整句就沒有動詞了。
lie－lay－lain（躺、位於，不及物）、lay－laid－laid（放置、下蛋，及物）、lie－lied－lied（說謊）、lay eggs（下蛋）、lie on the floor（躺在地板上）、On the floor lay …（地板上躺著……，倒裝）。
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!"