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.

Laziness and Lack of Sleep Can Shorten Your Life, Especially When Combined

You already know that smoking is bad for you and that drinking too much alcohol may shorten your life. Now a new study says that spending too much time in a chair and not having enough sleep should join a short list of behaviors     1     (know) to increase your risk of premature death.

Sitting for a long time and lack of sleep were damaging in their own way, but when combined with more traditional risk factors,     2     had a multiplier effect that made an early death far more likely.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, make clear that “some risk behaviors tend to come together and     3     the joint risk could be much higher than the sum of the individual risks”.

For instance, smoking was     4     (dangerous) single risk factor among the six studied. The small number of people for     5     smoking was their only bad habit were 90 percent more likely to die during the course of the study than people who were with practical clean living in every aspect. People who reported high alcohol consumption as their only risk factor did not seem     6     (put) their lives in danger. But for those who combined heavy drinking with smoking, the risk of premature death was doubled. And when lack of sleep     7     (add) to the mix, the likelihood of an early death was nearly five times greater     8     lack of sleep by itself had only a light effect on death.

These numbers are based on the lives of 231,048 Australians.

    9     (consider) factors such as age, gender, education and other factors, the researchers saw a clear pattern. It was a person’s bad lifestyle     10     contributed to his or her risk of premature death.

2 . 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.

To Shake or Not To Shake Hands

As we emerge from the pandemic (大流行病), we’re starting to see the return of an age-old custom: the handshake. Many of us went     1     shaking someone else’s hands for about two years. But as vaccination (接种疫苗) rates go up and social distancing restrictions fall, we’re starting to press the flesh again.

Not everyone is happy that the handshake is making its way back.     2     it’s a deep-rooted way of expressing friendship and respect, some medical experts wish it were gone for good.

“It’s never been safe,” said Dr. Gregory Poland, a Mayo Clinic physician and professor. “Handshaking carries the risk of transmitting a host of undesirable conditions,” Poland said. Handshaking     3     have started as an ancient custom to demonstrate to a stranger that you had no weapon in your hand. But “you are, in fact, bearing at some level, a bioweapon” on your unwashed hand, Poland said.

“It’s unfortunate that we needed a pandemic to shake some sense into people on how disease is transmitted,” said Dr. Mark Sklansky, who’s worried that the opportunity     4     (kill) the handshake is slipping through our fingers.

Shaking hands as a symbol of friendship and trust     5     (practice) by Babylonian kings and ancient Romans and promoted by 18th-century Quakers. So far, it     6     (become) an international custom of agreement, respect and congratulations in modern business, politics and sports. But right now, we are in a socially awkward time of handshake uncertainty,     7     some people are comfortable shaking hands and some are not. If we are not comfortable accepting a(n)     8     (offer) handshake, we can be ready to respond in a polite manner. Instead of refusing directly, we can keep our hands to our side, maintain eye contact, smile, nod or slightly bow while     9     (say) something gracious like, “I’m currently not shaking hands, but it’s so very nice to meet you.”

Sklansky is convinced that even long-held cultural customs can change over time if we realize     10     unhealthy they are.

3 . Directions: Read the following passage. Fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word. For the other blanks, fill in each blank with one proper word. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.

Final exams are coming up and term papers are due soon, and you begin feeling the pressure. You have to work extremely hard, especially in the week     1     the finals, trying to ace (得满分), or pass the exams and meet the deadlines. In the United States, there is a slang term for that week — the dead week.

During the dead week, American students prepare for the exams and try to finish the papers by     2     (pull) all-nighters, often with the aid of stimulants     3       coffee and energy drinks. At the same time, they use different ways     4     (handle) the stress.

At Stanford University, students have developed a “primal scream” tradition in     5     they open their dormitory windows and scream at midnight every night of the dead week. The tradition     6     (help) students release their stress and anxiety. Similar traditions can     7     (find) at other colleges and universities, including Harvard University, Columbia University, the United States Naval Academy, and so on.

Students at West Virginia University (WVU) take breaks from studying for finals at WELL WVU’s “chill WELL” days, with WELL WVU     8     (be) the students’ health center. Bracelet making, coloring, finger painting, hula-hooping, board games and acupuncture (针灸) are among the choices of relaxing, stress-free activities students could participate in. Kati Seelbach,     9     undergraduate student, said the chill WELL days are an opportunity for students to take part in something fun     10     doesn’t take a lot of time or effort.