【推荐1】It was raining. I went into a café and asked for a coffee. _________ I was waiting for my drink, I realized that there were other people in the place, but I sensed _______. I saw their bodies, but I couldn’t feel their souls _________ their souls belonged to the _________.

I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man _________ in front of it. “I’m Steve”, he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m _________”, he said. He was chatting online with somebody—probably someone he didn’t know—and, _________ , he was playing a computer game—a war game. I was_________.

Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried _________ to speak to that computer geek (怪人), ________ not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction. I was __________. I put my hand in front of the monitor, and he started to shout, “ __________!” I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people in the café were looking at me. I __________, and saw nobody showed any interest.

________ , I realized that the people there were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people. They were more __________ having a relationship with the __________, particularly Steve. I wouldn’t want to __________ the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines ____________ with people.

I was worried and I sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even ________ that the coffee was bad, __________ Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.

1.

A．Before

B．Since

C．Although

D．While

2.

A．pain

B．loneliness

C．sadness

D．fear

3.

A．because

B．when

C．until

D．unless

4.

A．home

B．world

C．net

D．café

5.

A．sleeping

B．laughing

C．sitting

D．learning

6.

A．busy

B．thirsty

C．tired

D．sick

7.

A．first of all

B．just then

C．at the same time

D．by that time

8.

A．surprised

B．delighted

C．moved

D．frightened

9.

A．once

B．again

C．first

D．even

10.

A．but

B．so

C．if

D．or

11.

A．excited

B．respected

C．afraid

D．unhappy

12.

A．Shut up

B．Enjoy yourself

C．Leave me alone

D．Help me out

13.

A．walked about

B．walked out

C．raised my hand

D．raised my head

14.

A．From then on

B．At that moment

C．In all

D．Above all

15.

A．interested in

B．tired of

C．careful about

D．troubled by

16.

A．computer

B．soul

C．shop

D．geek

17.

A．tell

B．plan

C．imagine

D．design

18.

A．other than

B．instead of

C．except for

D．as well as

19.

A．pretend

B．understand

C．insist

D．realize

20.

A．as if

B．just as

C．just after

D．even though

【推荐2】It has been one of the deadliest climbing seasons on Everest, with at least 10 deaths. And at least some seem to have been _________.

The problem hasn’t been avalanches(雪崩）, blizzards or high winds. Experienced climbers and industry leaders _________ too many people on the mountain, in general, and too many inexperienced climbers, in particular.

Fly-by-night adventure companies are taking up untrained climbers who pose a risk to everyone on the mountain. And the Nepalese government, _________ for every climbing dollar it can get, has issued more permits than Everest can safely _________, some experienced mountaineers say.

Add to that Everest’s unmatched _________ to a growing body of thrill-seekers the world over. And the fact that Nepal, one of Asians poorest nations and the site of most Everest climbs, has a long record of bad regulations and mismanagement.

To reach the peak, climbers _________ every pound of equipment they can and take with them just enough cans of compressed oxygen to make it to the top and back down. It is hard to think straight at that altitude（海拔）.

According to the climbers, some of the deaths this year were caused by people getting held up in the long lines on the last 1,000 feet or so of the climb, unable to get up and down fast enough to _________ their oxygen supply. Others were simply not fit enough to be on the mountain _________.

Nepal has no _________ rules about who can climb Everest, and experienced climbers say that is a direct reason for _________. “You have to reach certain standards to do the Ironman,” said Alan Arnett, a remarkable Everest climber. “But you don’t have to _________ to climb the highest mountain in the world? What’s wrong with this picture?”

The last time 10 or more people died on Everest was in 2015, during an avalanche. By some measures, the Everest machine has only gotten more out of _________. Last year, experienced climbers, insurance companies and news organizations _________ a far-reaching scheme by guides, helicopter companies and hospitals to trick millions of dollars from insurance companies byevacuating(疏散) climbers with _________ signs of altitude sickness.

Despite all the problems, this year the Nepali government issued a record number of permits, 381, as part of a bigger _________ to commercialize the mountain. Climbers say the permit numbers have been going up steadily each year and that this year the traffic jams were heavier than ever.

1.

A．recognizable

B．sustainable

C．avoidable

D．feasible

2.

A．burden

B．blame

C．border

D．balance

3.

A．hungry

B．critical

C．jealousy

D．hesitant

4.

A．favor

B．extend

C．grant

D．handle

5.

A．appeal

B．adjustment

C．adaption

D．agreement

6.

A．catch sight of

B．make use of

C．get rid of

D．take hold of

7.

A．remove

B．refill

C．recycle

D．release

8.

A．for the first time

B．at long last

C．from time to time

D．in the first place

9.

A．strict

B．social

C．scientific

D．creative

10.

A．discomfort

B．decay

C．disadvantage

D．disaster

11.

A．manage

B．qualify

C．promise

D．schedule

12.

A．contact

B．touch

C．control

D．power

13.

A．activated

B．exposed

C．introduced

D．dismissed

14.

A．inferior

B．minor

C．superior

D．major

15.

A．push

B．prospect

C．pattern

D．patent

【推荐1】Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.

The sights, sounds, and smells of the modern marketplace are rarely accidental. More likely, they are tools of an evolving strategy of psychological marketing called “sensory marketing” to create an emotional association to a(n) ______ product or brand.

By relating to people in a far more ______way through everyone’s own senses,   sensory marketing is able to affect people in a way that traditional mass marketing cannot.

Traditional marketing believes that consumers will systematically consider______ product factors like price, features, and utility. Sensory marketing, by contrast, seeks to resort to the consumer's life experiences and feelings. Sensory marketing believes that people, as consumers, will act according to their emotional urge more than to their ______ reasoning. In this way, an effective sensory marketing effort can result in consumers choosing to buy a lovely but expensive product, rather than a plain but cheap ______.

In the past, communications with customers were mainly monologues — companies just ‘talked at’ consumers. Then they evolved into dialogues, with customers providing ______. Now they’re becoming multidimensional conversations, with products finding their own voices and consumers responding ______ to them.

Based on the implied messages received through five senses, consumers, without noticing it, tend to apply human-like personalities to brands, leading to intimate relationship and, hopefully for the brands, persistent ______. And that’s the very thing brands are dying to foster in customers rather than instant trend or profits.   Most brands are considered to have either "sincere" or "exciting" personalities.

"Sincere" brands like IBM and Boeing tend to be regarded as conservative and reliable while "exciting" brands like Apple, and Ferrari are as imaginative and ______. In general, consumers tend to form ______ relationships with sincere brands than with exciting ones. This explains the relatively enduring history of the “Sincere Brands”

Certainly, with the eyes containing two-thirds of all the ______cells in a person's body, sight is considered the most important of all human senses. Sensory marketing uses sight to create a memorable "sight experience" of the product for consumers which extends to packaging, store interiors, and printed advertising to form a(n) ___ image for the brand.

In other words, no aspect of a product design is left to ______ anymore, especially color. Brand acceptance is linked closely with the appropriateness of the colors on the brand—does the color ______ the product at all?   If not, customers, though not realizing it themselves, will _____ the brands in all possible ways sales, reputation, etc.   Therefore, brands, isn’t it time now to study the new field of marketing?

1.

A．specific

B．qualified

C．average

D．adequate

2.

A．economic

B．personal

C．artificial

D．mechanic

3.

A．obvious

B．potential

C．accessible

D．concrete

4.

A．imaginable

B．objective

C．psychological

D．gradual

5.

A．alternative

B．reward

C．sample

D．exhibit

6.

A．compliment

B．fund

C．prospect

D．feedback

7.

A．temporarily

B．subconsciously

C．occasionally

D．attentively

8.

A．loyalty

B．philosophy

C．endurance

D．regulation

9.

A．mild

B．daring

C．steady

D．classic

10.

A．far-fetched

B．hard-won

C．long-lasting

D．easy-going

11.

A．individual

B．sensory

C．present

D．general

12.

A．overall

B．ambitious

C．dramatic

D．additional

13.

A．chance

B．maintenance

C．progress

D．leadership

14.

A．accept

B．overlook

C．fit

D．treat

15.

A．shape

B．punish

C．signify

D．exploit

【推荐3】Everyone knows that taxation is necessary in a modern state: without it , it would not be possible to pay the soldiers and policemen who protect us; _____ the workers in government offices who   _____ our health, our food, our water, and all the other things that we cannot do for ourselves. _____ taxation, we pay for things that we need just as much as we need somewhere to live and something to eat.

_______ everyone knows that taxation is necessary, different people have different ideas about ________ taxation should be arranged.

In most countries, a direct tax on _____, which is called income tax, exists. It is arranged in such a ______ that the poorest people pay nothing, and the percentage of tax grows ______ as the taxpayer’s income grows. In some countries, for example, the tax on the richest people goes up as high as ninety-five per cent!

And countries with taxation nearly ____ have indirect taxation too. Many things imported into the country have to pay taxes or “duties” Of course, it is the men and women who buy these imported things in the shops _____. really have to pay the duties, in the ______ of higher prices. In some countries, ______, there is a tax on things sold in the shops. If the most necessary things are taxed, a lot of money is ______ but the poor people suffer most. If unnecessary things ______ jewels and fur coats are taxed, less money is obtained but the tax is _______ as the rich pay it.

Probably this last kind of indirect tax, together with a direct tax on incomes which is low for the poor and high for the rich, is the best arrangement.

1.

A．nor

B．neither

C．never

D．not

2.

A．look into

B．look over

C．look after

D．look through

3.

A．In accordance with

B．By means of

C．With reference to

D．On account of

4.

A．If

B．When

C．Though

D．As

5.

A．when

B．how

C．why

D．which

6.

A．persons

B．sectors

C．communities

D．classes

7.

A．form

B．way

C．measure

D．method

8.

A．quicker

B．speedier

C．more

D．larger

9.

A．periodically

B．almost

C．often

D．always

10.

A．which

B．who

C．what

D．whom

11.

A．manner

B．form

C．means

D．way

12.

A．either

B．also

C．too

D．often

13.

A．lent

B．saved

C．borrowed

D．collected

14.

A．alike

B．like

C．as

D．for

15.

A．heavier

B．fairer

C．finer

D．better

【推荐2】Having a clear picture in mind of what their future will look like can motivate students to keep going despite the challenges of college life. This ______ seems to be particularly effective for female students from relatively low socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds says, Mesmin Destin of Northwestern University in the US. College is a time of great opportunity for some, but can be ______ for others. It is often the first time that many students are away from the regular and familiar support of their family and friends. Weak students from lower SES backgrounds often encounter greater financial and psychological challenges than others, and this can lead to ______ and even withdrawal from difficult situations, such as when interacting with their lecturers or taking tests and exams.

Destin and his colleagues wanted to understand if students' ______ to academic challenges improve when they look forward to the future. This idea is built around the theory of identity-based motivation. It holds that people can take positive action during times of unfavorable conditions when they______ a successful future for themselves.

"The theory of identity-based motivation proposes that stimulating a focus on a successful future identity may be especially ______ in motivating students who are weak during challenging academic situations to develop a sense of action readiness," explains Destin. "This involves feeling ready and able to take appropriate action when ______ difficulty.

In two almost identical laboratory experiments -- one involving 93 female students, the other 185 students (including 101 women) -- participants were first asked either to write about their past or their future ______. After their deep thoughts, the participants were filmed during an imitated interview with a so-called lecturer, and then had to ______ a difficult academic test. The research team noted whether participants' body language was bold and confident, and measured the amount of effort participants' ______ the academic test.

The results were in agreement with the theory of identity-based motivation. Destin and his team found that having a successful future identity can prevent especially female students from lower SES backgrounds from ______ during challenging academic situations. Specifically, lower SES women who wrote about their future identities displayed greater action ______ compared to those who considered their past. They showed more confident body language. It helped them to make more effort to tackle the test, and had an indirect effect on their ______.

"Stimulating imagined successful future identities appears to provide a ______ pathway to enable weak students to effectively navigate everyday stressors," says Destin. "The findings ______ suggest that certain students may benefit from strategies that remind them to image their successful futures before any difficult and important task that they might otherwise be likely to avoid."

1.

A．instruction

B．strategy

C．challenge

D．psychology

2.

A．disgraceful

B．shameful

C．harmful

D．stressful

3.

A．hesitation

B．intention

C．depression

D．decision

4.

A．willingness

B．options

C．responses

D．applications

5.

A．destroy

B．imagine

C．abandon

D．substitute

6.

A．powerful

B．upright

C．unique

D．ambitious

7.

A．avoiding

B．overcoming

C．surrendering

D．encountering

8.

A．experience

B．suffering

C．success

D．failure

9.

A．design

B．complete

C．comment

D．revise

10.

A．put away

B．put on

C．put out

D．put into

11.

A．withdrawing

B．transforming

C．advancing

D．engaging

12.

A．quantity

B．dullness

C．readiness

D．inability

13.

A．fascination

B．ignorance

C．dilemma

D．performance

14.

A．tolerable

B．potential

C．straight

D．academic

15.

A．therefore

B．however

C．otherwise

D．meanwhile

【推荐3】The question of whether our government should promote science and technology or the liberal arts in higher education isn't an either/or proposition(命题) , although the current _________ preparing young Americans for STEM(science, technology, engineering, math)-related fields can make it seem that way.

The latest congressional report acknowledges the critical importance of _________ training, but also maintains that the study of the humanities and social sciences must remain central components of America's _________ system at all levels. Both are critical to producing citizens who can participate effectively in our democratic society, become innovative leaders, and _________ the spiritual enrichment that the reflection on the great ideas of mankind over time provides.

Parents and students who have invested heavily in higher education _________ about graduates' job prospects as technological advances and changes in domestic and global markets transform professions in ways that reduce wages and cut jobs. Under these circumstances, it’s _________ to look for what may appear to be the most “practical”way out. Major in a subject designed to get you a/an _________ seems the obvious answer to some, though this ignores the fact that many disciplines in the humanities characterized as “soft” often, in fact, lead to employment and success _________. Indeed, according to surveys, employers have expressed a preference for students who have received a _________ education that has taught them to write well, think critically, research creatively, and communicate easily.

__________, students should be prepared not just for their first job, but for their 4th and 5th jobs, as there's little reason to doubt that people entering the workforce today will be called upon to play many different roles over the course of their careers. The ones who will do the best in this new environment will be those whose educations have prepared them to be __________. The ability to draw upon every available tool and insight -- __________ from science, arts, and technology -- to solve the problems of the future, and take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves, will be helpful to them and the United States.

In May 1780, John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail expressing his hopes for the progress of the American experiment. “I must study Politics and War so that my sons may have __________ to study Mathematics and Philosophy. My Sons ought to study Mathematics and Philosophy, Geography, Architecture, Commerce and Agriculture, in order to give their Children a right to study Painting, Poetry and Music.” What Adams was really expressing was that a country must have a sufficient level of __________, stability and security before large numbers of its citizens can engage in pursuits __________ than the basic struggle for survival. Despite our economic difficulties, the U.S. is a wealthy nation. We have the capacity to create and maintain an educational system that trains students in science, math, history, art and other disciplines, at the very highest level.

1.

A．drain on

B．objection to

C．advantage over

D．emphasis on

2.

A．extensive

B．intensive

C．literate

D．technical

3.

A．education

B．workforce

C．economic

D．political

4.

A．compete with

B．benefit from

C．equal to

D．delight in

5.

A．think

B．talk

C．worry

D．inquire

6.

A．natural

B．ridiculous

C．amazing

D．disturbing

7.

A．skill

B．job

C．title

D．advantage

8.

A．in the long run

B．in the right position

C．in practical terms

D．in great need

9.

A．hard-won

B．broadly-based

C．science-oriented

D．well-chosen

10.

A．Rather

B．Still

C．Therefore

D．Moreover

11.

A．active

B．precise

C．flexible

D．critical

12.

A．picked up

B．referred to

C．put up

D．passed on

13.

A．liberty

B．qualification

C．vision

D．vigor

14.

A．knowledge

B．insight

C．wealth

D．commitment

15.

A．more logical

B．less instrumental

C．broader

D．easier