23.
(A) strait
(B) straight
(C) stride
(D) studious

(前文省略) Each day, hundreds of thousands 22 on nothing more than weak tea and handouts of bread. This woebegone nation is enduring its 21st 23 year of war, unable to escape the malign shadow that geopolitics has cast on its history. Since it 24 as a force five years ago, the Taliban militia has conquered 80 to 90 percent of the country. (後文省略) 

handout 施捨物；救濟款；講義，印刷品

woebegone 憂傷的；悲傷的 

malign 惡意的；邪惡的；有害的；誹謗，污蔑，中傷

geopolitics 地緣政治

militia 民兵組織；預備役部隊；國民衛隊

conquer 佔領；攻取；征服；擊敗

(A) strait 海峽；（尤指財務問題導致的）窘境，困境
(B) straight 連續的，不間斷的；整齊的，整潔的；井井有條的；簡單明瞭的
(C) stride 進展，進步；大步，闊步

(D) studious 好學的；勤奮的，用功的；審慎的；刻意的，有意的；精心安排的