1 . Directions: Complete the passage with the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Most people get sweaty palms just staring at EI Capitan, a breathtaking rock formation i Yosemite National Park, California. Alex Honnold’s stayed dry. And this June, he managed to climb the 900-meter vertical wall, pulling on edges barely big enough for     1    .

Honnold could not     2     any slips. That’s because he carried nothing other than a bag of gymnasts’ chalk, to keep his fingers free of moisture. There was no rope to     3    him if he fell. After a four-hour     4     of power and precision, the 31-year-old safely challenged himself.

EI Capitan had been climbed     5     before, including by Honnold, but never in the way he has. In 2011, an American TV show about his earlier “free solos” drew seventeen million viewers. In climbing, “free” means using nothing but rocks for support.   “ Solo” means free of protection. It is the sport at its       6    . In Yosemite, the birthplace of American climbing, Hannold has reached its peak. Praise from fellow climbers was     7     only by relief at his safe return.

The achievement marks the latest in a series of milestones for sport climbing (竞技攀岩). In 2015, two other American Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson, established a route up the Dawn Wall, EI Capitan’s     8    part, after years of attempts. They made the front page of the New York Times and got congratulations from Barack Obama for the achievement. Last year, sport climbing was       9     accepted into the Olympic program for Tokyo 2020.

These have strengthened climbing’s position in the sporting circle in America and elsewhere. Google has invited Jorgeson to give a motivational talk to its employees. Climbing gyms have appeared around the globe over the past decade, making the event safer and more     10    to ordinary people. The gyms have been popular among youngsters, who pay more attentions to exercises than to belongings.

2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. intentions 　　B. feature 　　C. inviting 　　D. conservation 　　E. entertaining F. matched 　　G. confused 　　H. fascination 　　I. survive 　　J. defining 　　K. evaluate

The odds are high that you’ve seen a beauty pageant (选美比赛) or two in your life. They are among the most attended and viewed events in the world. Despite numerous different opinions, beauty pageants continue to not only     1     but also become more popular.

Miss World, Miss Universe, Miss International and Miss Earth are known as the Big Four beauty pageants, and all of them continue to this day. These competitions     2     young women on their physical attractiveness, of course, but they also are judged on their personality, intelligence, talent, and responses to interview-based questions. The eventual winners receive prizes including cash, scholarships, clothes, beauty queen crowns, and of course, the title of the event for one year.

All these awards do not come cheap for the young ladies. They have duties to fulfill while holding their titles. Beauty queens often appear at functions to raise social awareness about environmental and social issues such as nature     3    , racial or gender discrimination, and disease prevention. By projecting the image of a well-educated, respectable character     4     with a successful personality, every beauty pageant winner is seen as a role model, and not just for young girls alone.

Some beauty contests     5     men rather than women. Similar to their feminine counterparts, men enter Mister Global, Mister International, and Mister World for their looks, style, and talent. These contests should not be     6     with the Mister Universe contest, which is an annual bodybuilding competition.

There are other strange and     7     pageants all over the world that celebrate everything from being old to being pregnant.

Beauty contests, whether organized with noble     8     or just for fun, have attracted criticism since they were first held. Some critics object to the focus on physical beauty, especially emphasis on a certain stature and body shape. Further, they point out that some participants will actually harm themselves through dieting or plastic surgery to achieve the perfect appearance. Despite these complaints, beauty may be only skin deep, but     9     it and competing for the glory of being the fairest of them all holds a timeless and universal     10    .