【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。

Undoubtedly, Britain is a nation of hat wearers. From taking off hats    1    launching mortar boards (学位帽) in the air, hats have long been associated with ceremonies and practices. Even the history of the country can    2    (tell) through hats.

Dating back to medieval England, the flat cap    3    (become) a symbol of working class culture in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Edwardian era was    4    golden age of hats, when the decorations became even more delicate, ranging from flowers, birds to fruits. The pork pie hat,    5    started in the mid-19th century, was the choice for many well-dressed Victorian citizens. Decades later it    6    (gradual) became a key feature of London street style.    7    by the 1960s, hats faded out of people’s sight because of the rise of private cars. It was the Royal Wedding held in 2011    8    contributed to the return of hat wearing. For example, Hat Works Museum—the only museum in Stockport featured in hats and hat making—is    9    (popular) than ever, with a great increase among its visitors.

What marks Britain out on the world stage is the large number of hats of different shapes and colors. The    10    (various) of hats in Britain reflects its multicultural background and rich cultural heritage.

【推荐2】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。

The Chinese painting is one of the oldest artistic traditions in the world. The painting in the traditional style is known today in Chinese as guohua,     1     (mean) the “national” or “native” painting. It is different from Western styles of art     2     became popular in China in the 20th century.

One technique of the traditional Chinese painting is ink and wash painting and in Chinese it     3     (call) shuimo. In fact this was an art form     4     (practise) by gentlemen from the Song Dynasty. This style is also referred to as xieyi or the freehand style.

    5     (traditional), the Chinese painting is done on rice paper or thin silk. There are broadly three     6     (subject) for traditional Chinese paintings——portraits, landscapes,     7     flowers and birds——of which the landscape is the most familiar to people. Therefore the Chinese painting is often known as the landscape painting, or shanshui painting.

The landscape painting was regarded as     8     highest form of the Chinese painting, and generally still is. In the north, artists such as Jing Hao     9     (paint) pictures of towering mountains and in the south, Dong Yuan, Juran, and other artists painted the rolling hills and rivers     10     their native countryside in peaceful scenes.

【推荐3】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。

The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England — many people     1     (confuse) by what these different names mean. Getting to know a little bit about British history will     2     (certain) help you solve the puzzle.

From the 16^th century to the 19^th century, Wales, Scotland and the Kingdom of Ireland joined one by one     3     (create) the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. In the     4     (twenty) century, the southern part of Ireland broke away     5     the UK, resulting in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The four     6     (country) that belong to the UK work together in some areas. However, they also have some differences. The United Kingdom has     7     interesting and long history to explore. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by evidence of four different groups of people       8     took over at different times throughout history.

In addition to the above, there is still something     9     (much) to learn about the interesting history and culture of the United Kingdom. Studying the history of the country will make     10     (you) visit much more enjoyable.

【推荐2】Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages 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.

Can Indoor Plants Really Purify (净化) the Air?

Plants are very important to human life. Through photosynthesis (光合作用), they transform carbon dioxide into fresh oxygen. They     1     (believe) to remove toxins (毒素) from the air we breathe — but is this true?

One famous NASA experiment     2     (publish) in 1989 has found indoor plants can clean the air by removing pollutants     3     cause cancer. Later research has found soil micro-organisms in the potted plant also     4     (play) a part in cleaning indoor air.

Based on this research, some scientists say house plants are effective natural air purifiers, and the bigger and leafier the plant, the better.     5    , however, say the evidence that plants can effectively accomplish this feat (功绩) is far from conclusive.

“There are no definitive studies to show that     6     (have) indoor plants can significantly increase the air quality in your home,” According to Luz Claudio, a professor of environmental medicine and public health. “There’s no question that plants are capable of removing volatile (易挥发的) chemical toxins from the air under laboratory conditions,” says Claudio. But in your home or office space, the idea that putting a few plants together     7     purify your air doesn’t have much hard science to support it.

Most research efforts so far, including the NASA study, placed indoor plants in small, sealed environments to assess how much air-purifying power they have. “But those studies aren’t really applicable to what happens in house,     8     in many cases, the air in your home completely turns over — that is, exchanges places with outdoor air — once every hour. In most instances, air exchange with the outside has a     9     (great) effect on indoor air quality than plants.” says Stanley Kays, a professor of horticulture (园艺学).

Disappointed as many people may be by what Kays said, the professor also believes     10     house plants are beneficial. Studies have shown plants can knock out stress and make people feel happier. More research shows spending time around nature has a positive effect on a person’s mood and energy levels.

【推荐3】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。

The Amazon rainforest is home to a great     1     (various) of plant life; however, its soil is    2    (surprising) poor in nutrients. In fact, the soil in the region cannot support agriculture for more than a few years. If a scientist is shown a report     3    (list) the nutrients of that soil, he or she will probably think that only desert plants can survive in it! Then why is the soil so poor in nutrients? For one thing, the rainy season has     4     impact on the soil. In this season, the water level can rise to more than 12 meters.     5     the watergoes away, it takes away the nutrients in the soil. For another thing, due to the Amazon’s hot climate, it is difficult for the soil     6    (build) enough nutrients. Dead plants and animals     7    (break) down more quickly. The nutrients are soon taken in by the roots of the plants deep beneath the ground.     8     a result, most of the forest’s nutrients are locked up in the plants     9    (them), thus allowing them to grow at a(n)    10    (believable) speed.