1 . I had a highly successful career, eventually rising to the position of department head. However, one afternoon last May, I was called into the office and _______ that my services were no longer required. I sat there in _______, overwhelmed by a sense of failure. Despite being _______ in my field, I suddenly felt worthless.

For the subsequent six weeks, I felt lost. I wandered around my house aimlessly, lacking the _______ to do anything. The once-promising future now seemed _______ with doubt and insecurity.

Then, towards the end of June, my youngest son’s soccer team _______ it to the city cup final. Two years ago, I _______ to fulfill my commitment to participate in the competition due to work-related reasons. This time, however, his face _______ with joy when I assured him I would be there. Not only did they win the championship, but witnessing the happiness on my son’s face as I _______ him on brought unspoken joy to my own heart.

From then on, I spent the summer attending game after game, supported my older son at his band performances, and ________ traveled to another city to watch him play. These moments held profound ________ for me. Having dedicated the entirety of my life to my ________, I am profoundly ________ that my sons warmly welcomed me into their world.

Surprisingly, being ________ granted me a newfound sense of purpose—I am someone’s mother! I regained a feeling of being ________. It was a feeling that I had not experienced in along time. Now I feel more positive about my professional experience in my new job and I’m getting on better with my family than I ever have.

1.

A．informed

B．reported

C．introduced

D．reminded

2.

A．awkwardness

B．disbelief

C．trouble

D．regret

3.

A．abandoned

B．touched

C．denied

D．respected

4.

A．control

B．ability

C．drive

D．determination

5.

A．forced

B．clouded

C．sheltered

D．thrown

6.

A．arrived

B．expanded

C．made

D．adjusted

7.

A．promised

B．matched

C．failed

D．attempted

8.

A．lit up

B．took up

C．put up

D．blew up

9.

A．rode

B．pressed

C．urged

D．cheered

10.

A．even

B．still

C．rather

D．eventually

11.

A．feeling

B．meaning

C．consideration

D．improvement

12.

A．patients

B．clients

C．family

D．career

13.

A．guilty

B．concerned

C．grateful

D．positive

14.

A．dismissed

B．dissolved

C．disposed

D．distracted

15.

A．realized

B．valued

C．judged

D．understood

2 . Background noise—like the chatter in a coffee shop or the drone of passing traffic—might slow our reading speed, but according to a study of Russian readers, it doesn’t _________ how our brain understands written text.

_________, if you’re wondering whether you should be listening to podcasts or music while working, the study has some interesting points to make. In particular, it examined how we might change our reading style to compensate for auditory noise and visual distractions such as typos or poor formatting.

“Overall, previous studies reported a harmful effect of both auditory and visual noise on reading fluency and _________, though their results varied,” write linguistics researcher Nina Zdorova and colleagues. “So far, none of the studies exploring the influence of noise _________ it in the framework of the language processing theories.”

One of the language processing theories examined was the noisy channel model, which proposes that our brain deals with noise by looking at the meaning of _________ words more and at entire sentences less. We then use a bit of smart guesswork to _________ the overall meaning and relationships between words.

The second theory is the good enough model; that’s when our brains aren’t analyzing every single detail of a text but instead only grabbing enough words for a ‘good enough’ understanding. By focusing less on the precise words, our brains can _________ some cognitive resources to deal with noise.

To see how reading was affected by noise _________ these models, the researchers ran two experiments: one on auditory noise (71 participants) and one on visual noise (70 participants). When it came to the auditory noise test, background chatter from overlapping podcasts caused people to spend longer looking at the key section of sentences before completing their reading. This extra time could _________ the noise, meaning sentence comprehension isn’t affected by it. In the visual noise test, comprehension remained the same while reading speed __________. That’s a bit __________ considering previous studies, but the researchers think people just wanted to finish the task, with the visual noise an uncomfortable distraction.

“In both experiments, we observed that longer total reading time was __________ with an accuracy increase for incorrect sentences,” write the researchers.

There’s a lot going on in this study, but overall it’s a bigger win for the good-enough language processing theory and an indication that auditory and visual noise doesn’t make us __________ any more or less on any particular comprehension method while we’re reading.

With so many variables to measure in terms of what’s being read and what the __________ noise is, further study is required to learn more. __________ potential distractions may not interrupt your reading as much as you think.

1.

A．reinforce

B．estimate

C．affect

D．interpret

2.

A．First of all

B．For example

C．Above all

D．To start with

3.

A．context

B．efficiency

C．comprehension

D．device

4.

A．evaluated

B．identified

C．established

D．employed

5.

A．individual

B．different

C．new

D．unfamiliar

6.

A．confirm

B．imply

C．refer

D．infer

7.

A．exploit

B．spare

C．commit

D．consume

8.

A．on account of

B．regardless of

C．in regard to

D．in contrast to

9.

A．make up for

B．live up to

C．catch up with

D．put up with

10.

A．declined

B．shrank

C．expanded

D．increased

11.

A．embarrassing

B．depressing

C．puzzling

D．annoying

12.

A．associated

B．compared

C．replaced

D．mixed

13.

A．take

B．set

C．rely

D．base

14.

A．accompanying

B．strange

C．deafening

D．distant

15.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Instead

D．Otherwise

3 . Scientific discovery is popularly believed to result from the sheer genius of such intellectual stars as naturalist Charles Darwin and theoretical physicist Albert Einstein. Our view of such unique contributions to science often _________ the person’s prior experience and the efforts of their lesser-known predecessors (前任者).

_________ such greats as Darwin and Einstein—whose remarkable contributions are duly celebrated — we suggest that innovation is more a process of trial and error, where two steps forward may sometimes come with one step back, as well as one or more steps to the right or left. This evolutionary view of human innovation weakens the idea of _________ genius and recognizes the accumulative nature of scientific progress.

Consider one _________ scientist: John Nicholson, a mathematical physicist working in the 1910s who assumed the existence of ‘proto-elements’ in outer space. By combining different numbers of weights of these proto-elements’ atoms, Nicholson could recover the weights of all the elements in the then-known periodic table. These successes are all the more noteworthy given the fact that Nicholson was _________ about the presence of proto-elements: they do not actually exist. Yet, amid his often fanciful theories and wild guesses, Nicholson also _________ a new theory about the structure of atoms. Niels Bohr, the Nobel prize-winning father of modern atomic theory, _________ this interesting idea to come up with his now-famous model of the atom.

What are we to make of this story? We propose that science is constantly _________, much as species of animals do. In biological systems, organisms may display new characteristics that _________ random genetic mutations (变异). In the same way, random or accidental mutations of ideas may help pave the way for __________ in science. __________ mutations prove beneficial, the animal or the scientific theory will continue to thrive and perhaps reproduce.

__________ for this evolutionary view of behavioral innovation comes from many domains. Consider one example of an influential innovation in US horseracing. The so-called ‘acey-deucy’ stirrup (马镫) placement, in which the rider’s foot in his left stirrup is placed as much as 25 centimeters lower than the right, is believed to give important speed advantages when turning on egg-shaped tracks. It was developed by a relatively unknown jockey named Jackie Westrope. Had he __________ the speed advantage that would be provided by riding acey-deucy? No. He suffered a leg injury, which left him unable to fully bend his left knee. His __________ just happened to coincide with enhanced left-hand turning performance.

Plenty of other stories show that fresh advances can arise from error, misadventure, and also pure serendipity — a happy __________. The time seems right for abandoning the naive notions of intelligent design and genius, and for scientifically exploring the true origins of creative behavior.

1.

A．overlooks

B．enriches

C．questions

D．reflects

2.

A．Aiming at

B．Longing for

C．Holding back

D．Setting aside

3.

A．native

B．creative

C．subjective

D．sensitive

4.

A．stressed

B．unrecognized

C．celebrated

D．respected

5.

A．suspicious

B．concerned

C．wrong

D．guilty

6.

A．tested

B．rejected

C．accepted

D．proposed

7.

A．got rid of

B．made room for

C．jumped off from

D．put up with

8.

A．struggling

B．reversing

C．evolving

D．shrinking

9.

A．result from

B．contribute to

C．depart from

D．relate to

10.

A．priorities

B．trials

C．advances

D．obstacles

11.

A．If

B．Until

C．While

D．Unless

12.

A．Responsibility

B．Prejudice

C．Dislike

D．Support

13.

A．doubted

B．neglected

C．foreseen

D．exceeded

14.

A．motivation

B．modification

C．dedication

D．publication

15.

A．occasion

B．life

C．accident

D．ending

4 . During the initial stages of instructed L2 (the second language) acquisition students learn a couple thousand, mainly high frequency words. Functional language proficiency, however, _______mastery of a considerably large number of words. It is therefore _______ at the intermediate and advanced stages of language acquisition to learn a large vocabulary in a short period of time. There is not enough time to _______the natural (largely incidental) L1 (the first language) word acquisition process. Incidental acquisition of the words is only possible up to a point, _______, on account of their low frequency, they do not _______often enough in the L2 learning material.

Acquisition of new words from authentic L2 reading texts by means of strategies such as contextual deduction (演绎) is also not a _______for a number of reasons. There appears to be no _______to intentional learning of a great many new words in a relatively short period of time. The words to be learned may be _______in isolation or in context. Presentation in bilingual (双语的) word lists seems an _______shortcut because it takes less time than contextual presentation and yields excellent short term results. Long term memory, ________, is often disappointing so contextual presentation seems advisable.

Any suggestions on how to use this in educational contexts should be based on a systematic ________ of the two most important aspects of the L2 word learning problem, this is to say,   selecting the relevant vocabulary (which and how many words) and creating the best conditions for the acquisition process. This article sets out to ________a computer assisted word acquisition programme (CAVOCA) which tries to do exactly this: the programme operationalises current theoretical thinking about word acquisition, and its ________ are based on a systematic list of the vocabulary relevant for the target group. To ________its frequency, the programme was ________ in a number of experimental settings with a paired associated method of learning new words. The experimental results suggest that an approach combining the two methods is most advisable.

1.

A．inquires

B．requires

C．receives

D．inspires

2.

A．difficult

B．easy

C．possible

D．necessary

3.

A．copy

B．focus

C．find

D．clean

4.

A．however

B．moreover

C．because

D．nevertheless

5.

A．disturb

B．seem

C．occur

D．disappear

6.

A．solution

B．approach

C．problem

D．wonder

7.

A．official

B．annual

C．objective

D．alternative

8.

A．predicted

B．presented

C．postponed

D．preferred

9.

A．available

B．outstanding

C．attractive

D．evident

10.

A．by means of

B．moreover

C．in spite of

D．however

11.

A．focus

B．analysis

C．object

D．target

12.

A．describe

B．grasp

C．link

D．force

13.

A．conclusions

B．appointments

C．aspects

D．contents

14.

A．react

B．establish

C．memorize

D．leave

15.

A．enhanced

B．invented

C．contrasted

D．behaved

5 . My classmate Pratik was always painting on paper in spare time. I really wanted to ______what he was doing, but he ______ kept it secret.

One day, during a ______, only Pratik and I were in classroom. One of our classmates came to tell him that our teacher wanted to see him. He ______ the classroom and forgot to put his paper away. Out of curiosity (好奇) I quickly came to his place and had a look. What I saw had ______me. On the paper was painted a waterfall which looked so real that I thought it was going to make me ______. As I was picking up the last paper, the bell rang. Pratikre turned and I put them back quickly and went back to my ______

After school, I tried bravely to______to Pratik. I praised his paintings and he was______ .He said he wanted to become a famous painter and I shared my dream of becoming a(n)______. He wanted to paint the cover for my ______and I agreed. I always shared with him my______and he always showed me his ideas.

Many______passed and Pratik has really become a ______artist but I’m still an unknown writer. I keep in touch with him all the time and I hope our ______will last forever

1.

A．report

B．know

C．show

D．explain

2.

A．only

B．hardly

C．still

D．always

3.

A．break

B．game

C．class

D．play

4.

A．passed

B．entered

C．checked

D．left

5.

A．frightened

B．shocked

C．encouraged

D．concerned

6.

A．happy

B．relaxed

C．wet

D．cool

7.

A．office

B．room

C．seat

D．home

8.

A．agree

B．speak

C．shout

D．wave

9.

A．pleased

B．moved

C．nervous

D．worried

10.

A．artist

B．lawyer

C．teacher

D．writer

11.

A．magazines

B．notes

C．books

D．papers

12.

A．stories

B．secrets

C．discoveries

D．suggestions

13.

A．days

B．weeks

C．months

D．years

14.

A．common

B．strange

C．famous

D．special

15.

A．friendship

B．experience

C．guidance

D．achievement

6 . I’d love to have been a journalist, but I wasn’t _________ enough. I was always able to write a good letter — I just couldn’t stare at a blank sheet of paper and _________ a story. But I went into advertising after university and _________ fell in love with it.

I always had the _________ of speech. I was schooled at the dinner table. My father used to _________ arguments, saying we needed to learn how to make our case. It could get pretty _________. At school I ended up being captain of lots of things, not because I was the best player but because I could _________ people to do things. I learnt that you don’t have to be the most academically _________, or even the most original thinker — _________ is a big part of the battle. No wonder I felt at home in advertising.

People ____________ to stay in one company almost for life; I was always looking for the next ____________ to learn. I got into the advertising industry at Ogilvy, then went to Grey to ____________ experience on the Procter & Gamble account, and to Y&R to get creative experience. It ____________ me new-business director. Later I started my own business, HHCL, which was an amazing ____________.

My next move will be to ____________ all my skills in pioneering work. I know there is no end to learning. I will live and learn.

1.

A．brave

B．serious

C．creative

D．humble

2.

A．listen to

B．refer to

C．put up with

D．come up with

3.

A．blindly

B．merely

C．immediately

D．hardly

4.

A．gift

B．habit

C．secret

D．style

5.

A．start

B．avoid

C．evaluate

D．support

6.

A．funny

B．heated

C．simple

D．boring

7.

A．get

B．beg

C．force

D．allow

8.

A．strict

B．dependent

C．precise

D．bright

9.

A．ambition

B．responsibility

C．honesty

D．communication

10.

A．failed

B．tended

C．learned

D．refused

11.

A．turn

B．reason

C．method

D．chance

12.

A．gain

B．share

C．present

D．exchange

13.

A．showed

B．made

C．offered

D．brought

14.

A．solution

B．discovery

C．success

D．schedule

15.

A．quit

B．reflect

C．employ

D．change

7 . I live in a town near Prague(布拉格), the capital of the Czech Republic. Besides cars, bikes are the most important _________ of transportation(运输). As it _________ you to go almost anywhere you want, cycling is a big _________ for Czech people. On weekends, you can see cyclists _________ through the towns wearing helmets (头盔) and cycling clothes.

Some people _________ that living in a town is inconvenient (不便利的), including me. _________, I find life in towns much more _________ than that in big cities after living here for a while. I was _________ given a bicycle by my host family. _________ it is only an ordinary bike, I was still __________ and couldn’t wait to take a cycling trip alone.

One sunny Sunday afternoon, I took my first cycling trip to a village nearby. I cycled for a while, alongside a river. But then, something happened: One of my tires __________. There was no choice but to __________ my bike back home, which took an hour.

I didn’t give up though: One week later, I __________ again. This time, however, there was__________ wrong with my tires. It was a very beautiful town, with a typical Czech castle and a park full of peacocks. People were taking part in a marathon that day. There were also stands selling __________ Czech foods and drinks, such as potato pancakes and beer.

It was already sunset when I __________ to head home, and I saw almost no one on the way back. As the warm breeze softly stroked (轻抚) my face. I felt very __________ and happy.

I believe many of us need a(n) __________ like this to take a break from our __________ life sometimes. So, I really do encourage all of you to take a cycling trip alone, even just to a nearby village. Just look around you, and you’re sure to __________ some hidden beauty.

1.

A．duty

B．notice

C．idea

D．means

2.

A．asks

B．tells

C．orders

D．allows

3.

A．hobby

B．surprise

C．deal

D．break

4.

A．wandering

B．flying

C．passing

D．jumping

5.

A．forget

B．think

C．regret

D．remember

6.

A．However

B．Besides

C．Therefore

D．Otherwise

7.

A．different

B．difficult

C．interesting

D．important

8.

A．frequently

B．recently

C．usually

D．rarely

9.

A．Even though

B．Now that

C．In case

D．As long as

10.

A．frightened

B．puzzled

C．worried

D．excited

11.

A．turned up

B．stayed up

C．went up

D．blew up

12.

A．arrange

B．support

C．walk

D．repair

13.

A．showed up

B．set off

C．watched out

D．called up

14.

A．nothing

B．something

C．everything

D．anything

15.

A．unpopular

B．strange

C．traditional

D．expensive

16.

A．hesitated

B．tried

C．decided

D．refused

17.

A．proud

B．peaceful

C．nervous

D．confident

18.

A．spirit

B．opportunity

C．ability

D．result

19.

A．poor

B．rich

C．free

D．busy

20.

A．study

B．surround

C．discover

D．create

8 . A scary new virus swept over the globe and the virus knocked on my door a few weeks ago when I was _______at the clinic where I work. Five days later, I got the first call from Public Health _______me know I was thought “low risk,” luckily, I could self-monitor and carry on as usual. What a _______!

But then I got the second call.…It came from Public Health revising my category to “exclusion”— a _______technical way of saying self-isolation, I felt that my _______ had been turned upside down. Everything took a _______- my family, the clinic and its patients, my income. Did Public Health _______make the right decision? After _______ the news to my family, I was greeted with love and encouragement. It was then that I lifted the weight _______my soul.

So I picked out __________ clothes from my closet, grabbed essential items and moved to the basement. I pieced together a desk to work on and I would only see my family when I went __________ to eat meals. __________meals, I sat at the far end of the dining table, at least two meters away. And my own family was __________at home as much as possible. In the basement, I used the isolation as a rare opportunity to __________many projects that I hadn’t had time for.

I had no doubt that this crisis will end, as all the crises happened before. And it was our choice on __________ it brought out good or bad results.

1.

A．exposed

B．operated

C．moved

D．stayed

2.

A．allowing

B．informing

C．letting

D．telling

3.

A．relief

B．joy

C．confusion

D．coincidence

4.

A．little

B．less

C．few

D．more

5.

A．work

B．clinic

C．family

D．life

6.

A．shot

B．hit

C．chance

D．form

7.

A．partly

B．slowly

C．really

D．fortunately

8.

A．having

B．breaking

C．sharing

D．hearing

9.

A．in

B．above

C．off

D．on

10.

A．formal

B．expensive

C．wonderful

D．spare

11.

A．downstairs

B．upstairs

C．outwards

D．inwards

12.

A．Over

B．On

C．After

D．Before

13.

A．sleeping

B．meeting

C．working

D．staying

14.

A．work on

B．depend on

C．live on

D．put on

15.

A．what

B．whether

C．how

D．why