【推荐1】Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

I’m Alone but Not Lonely

Our hatred for being alone can be quite intense: A quarter of the women and two-thirds of the men in a study chose to experience an electric shock     1     do nothing and spend time alone with their thoughts.

“Up till now, solitude (独处)     2     (consider) a bad thing” because it is sometimes used as a form of punishment, said Robert Coplan, a professor of psychology at Carleton University.

The problem is that we forget solitude can also be a choice — and it does not have to be full time. Because there is so much research     3     (demonstrate) that humans are social creatures who benefit from communicating with others. “People will try to dismiss that it’s also important to spend time alone,” said Coplan. “It’s hard for them to imagine that you can have     4    .”

People often feel tense from enjoying activities alone, especially     5     they think others are watching them. Overestimating how much other people are paying attention to us, and worrying that we are being judged, can stop us from doing things that would otherwise bring us joy.

Loneliness does hurt, but the mere act of being alone with oneself does not have to be bad. An online survey showed that the majority of activities     6     (define) as most relaxing are things that are done solo.     7     the social anxiety about spending time alone, it is actually something our bodies long for. We might not know that time alone is     8     we need to make ourselves feel better.

Cultivating this sense of being alone and making the choice to be alone can help you develop your sense of self. Knowing oneself makes it easier to find other people who share your passions, and can improve your empathy. It can also help you re-evaluate “filler” friendships: relationships you maintain because you would rather do anything on a Friday night than     9     (stay) at home by yourself, even at the cost of spending time with people     10     company you do not enjoy.

Don’t confuse loneliness with time by yourself. The latter can improve your creativity and confidence, and help you regulate your emotions so that you can better deal with critical situations.

【推荐2】阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Mr. Johnson lived in the woods with his wife and children. He owned     1     farm, which looked almost abandoned.

    2     (lucky), he also had a cow which produced milk every day. He sold or exchanged some of the milk in the towns nearby for other food and made cheese and butter for the family with what       3     (leave). The cow was their only means of support, in fact. One day, the cow was eating grass     4     it began to rain heavily. While     5     (make) great efforts to run away, she fell over the hill and died. Then the Johnson tried to make a living       6     the cow. In order to support his family, Mr.

Johnson       7     (begin) to plant herbs and vegetables. Since the plants took a while to grow, he started cutting down trees       8     (sell) the wood. Thinking about his children’s clothes, he started growing cotton, too. When harvest came around, he was already selling herbs, vegetables and cotton in the market       9     people from the town met regularly. Now it occurred to     10     (he) that his farm had much potential and that the death of the cow was a bit of luck.

【推荐1】阅读下面短文在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Some people think that Oxford is the most     1     (attract) city in England. Whether this is true or not, it is certainly worth     2     visit. It is also ideal for a day trip from London, as there are regular trains and buses     3     can take you to Oxford in about an hour.

You should allow plenty of time to visit Oxford’s unique and varied range of historic places. What     4    (probable) appeals to visitors most is the famous University with     5     (it) different colleges.

You can look around several of these historic buildings in a day, as the majority of them     6     (be) within walking distance of one another.     7     (locate) in the city center, most of the colleges are open to visitors in the afternoon. It is a good idea     8     (check) before visiting, however, as opening days and times may vary.

The Thames and the Cherwell rivers, which flow through the city, are another major attraction for tourists. A stroll (散步) along their     9     (bank) or a boat ride is the perfect way for sightseeing.

Different kinds of boats are available for hire at several central locations from April     10     September.