【推荐1】Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. defined                 B. aiding                 C. trends                 D. dominate          E. typical        F. loss G. necessities               H. featured            I. mark                  J. survive             K. appliances

American Decoration in the Middle of the 20th Century

Home decorating has come a long way over the decades. Certain elements that began as     1    for survival—like fireplaces—have transformed into decorative elements in the modern age. Some styles are still massively popular, inspiring copycat furniture that sells for thousands. Other     2    are ignored or even ridiculed.

No one knows what home decoration of the future will look like. But if we look back through history, we can guess which design elements will come back—and which will disappear forever.

The Great Depression affected every aspect of American life—including decoration.   People were just trying to     3    during the 1930s, which didn’t leave a lot of room for non-essentials. But that doesn’t mean everyone gave up on making their homes look beautiful. A     4    living room would have a few throw rugs in interesting patterns, too. There was no one type of furniture that     5    the 1930s—curved and straight line furniture still     6    as the Art Deco style from the previous era was still popular. Plastic chairs and wingback chairs all had a place in the 1930s home. People were also likely to use what they had and not care so much about matching a certain taste.

It’s impossible to describe the 1940s without mentioning World War II. During the first half of the decade, home design took a backseat to     7    the war effort. The second half was much different. Returning soldiers had something new to look forward to: new kitchens with     8    such as refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Traditional wood furniture in dark or blonde tones graced every room of the home.

Post-war America was a lot happier and shinier than recent decades. With a prospering middle class and a healthy economy, people had more time and money to devote to new pursuits—like decorating their houses.

The unfussy furniture made popular by Charles Eames started to     9    the American household. Everything was simple and uncomplicated. Wall to wall carpeting became the most desirable type of flooring, especially in unique colours.

The 60s brought about many changes to American culture and home design was no exception. People wanted to show off their unique sense of style more than ever before. Homes weren’t just seen as a     10    of how successful you were—they were also a chance to let your personality shine through home decoration.

【推荐2】Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need

A. enhancing       B. signified        C. dimmed        D. reliance E. delicate       F. appeal        G. worth        H. radiant I. reinforced       J. diverse        K. intensifying

For centuries, beauty has been the currency of womanhood, transcending class, culture, and time. More valuable than intelligence, athleticism, confidence, or kindness, physical beauty has always been a woman's most precious commodity.

In the Middle Ages, women would bleed themselves to achieve a pale complexion. A paleface     1     wealth. and nobility. Lead poisoning as a result of skin and hair powdering was equally common throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Complexion     2     edible wafers made of arsenic, known to cause cancer, promised to transform the most sallow (yellowish and unhealthy) skin into     3     health; remove pimples; and clear the face of freckles and tan.

Women's bodies were equally under criticism or attack. Corsets(紧身衣), at the height of their     4     in the 19lh century, prompted women to remove ribs and endure skeletal deformities and organ damage, in addition to the inconvenient and frequent fainting spells that they caused.

The list of dangerous, violent, and harmful practices imposed on women's bodies is endless, and the pathological obsession with female beauty has hardly     5     in recent years. Rather, with globalization and mass production, the 20th century brought unprecedented exposure to the beauty industry and saw the     6     of unrealistic beauty standards. Today, beauty is a $488 billion industry. where the Asia—Pacific now accounts for one third of the industry's global value and is one of the world's fastest—growing markets.

It is uncomfortable to acknowledge that, despite significant progress in women's rights, beauty continues to endure and be     7     as the dominant currency for women. Female beauty, no matter how expanded and     8     the definition, will continue to be an oppressive restriction on women unless we challenge the system that advocates the notion that beauty is a woman's primary currency. This notion harms women, occupies a majority of their time, and distracts society from the diversity of talents that we have to offer.

The answer to this problem is not the creation of more space for beauty content and conversation. Instead, let's lift and celebrate the diversity of other areas of female     9     including their contribution to sport, history, academia, science, politics, and business This does not mean that we ignore beauty entirely. Instead, we must admit that there is a toxic preoccupation with female beauty that is driven by a     10     on women's shame and insecurity.

【推荐3】阅读下面小短文, 根据上下文语境, 选择合适的单词或短语, 将它的适当形式填入空白处, 每个单词或短语只使用一次, 每个方框里有一个是多余的。

amaze     office     power       architect       path       be unique to     be made up of     be made of   take control of

Peru, a country in South America, used to be the centre of the     1     ancient Inca Empire. Later Spain    2     it in the 16th century, so Spanish is its main    3     language. As a visitor, there are many package tours for you to choose from. In the Amazon Rainforest Tour you’ll live in the middle of the forest and enjoy the plants and animals    4     the rainforest. The Machu Picchu Tour will take you on amazing    5     to Machu Picchu. After reaching your destination, you will     6     by this ancient city, especially its dry stone method of building. The Cusco Tour will help you enjoy the Spanish culture with its    7     while the Lake Titicaca Tour will provide you with a chance to stay with a local Uros family whose home    8     water plants.