4 . 阅读下列材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In modern times, the government uses Westminster Hall for large public ceremonies. It is also the place where a king     1     queen who has died will “lie in state”,     2    (provide) a last chance for people to pay their respects. In the year 2002, Queen Elizabeth’s mother “lay in state” at Westminster Hall. Thousands of people walked     3    (quiet) past the Queen Mother’s body     4     order to show their respect for her and for the royal family.

The Hall is very important for political events too. Probably the most important event     5     ever happened in Westminster Hall was the meeting of     6     first English parliament. In the year 1265, King Henry Ⅲ called a meeting to discuss his policies. He met with some important     7    (man) of the time. But King Henry also requested some ordinary people be present. He asked each town     8    (send) two soldiers and two businessmen to Westminster Hall. This group represented the common citizens of the nation. They were not rich people, neither were the members of the ruling families. These citizens met with the king and the other important men. Their ideas     9    (listen) to, and the king treated them     10     equals. It was the first time that the common citizens of England had a chance to be heard. This was the start of the first real parliament.

8 . Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of being a model. But back then, girls were meant to be at home and if they wanted to work, it had to be a “_________ job”. So I started sneaking (偷摸) around to participate in plays. I’d try to _________ famous actress Zeenat Aman. I even got a (n) _________ for a movie—I was so _________, but my father didn’t allow me to do that.

I went about _________ my graduation and then got a job as an officer. Soon I got married. I quit my job and got involved in family affairs. I was so devoted _________ being a good wife and a good mother that my life centered around them. I lost my _________.

After 20 years of marriage, I _________ a job as a teacher. Again, it was difficult because I was 45 and they _________ young teachers. But I __________ everyone wrong by winning the “most active teacher” award!

Once, while surfing on the Internet, I __________ a beauty pageant (选美比赛) ad that said, “__________ is no barrier.” That was my moment—I applied __________. That evening, I told my family that I wanted to give this a __________—they were so supportive!

I __________ myself for the pageant and won second prize. And I took part in more pageants and won again and again! And at 50, I became a model.

9 . Marriages in Egypt are somewhat different from those in the West. They will discourage dating if single men and women aren’t related. Among the middle and upper classes, the man and woman know each other from schools or universities, where young people gather in groups like in the West.     1     Sometimes families negotiate a marriage for an unmarried son or daughter.

However, the steps toward marriage are the same as those in the West.     2     The discussion usually covers such topics as the dowry (嫁妆) and wedding expense, etc. The two families then arrange a meeting between the potential bride and groom.     3    

The wedding usually takes place quickly, unless the groom-to-be is going abroad to work or study, in which case the marriage may be postponed. The marriage may be very simple, consisting only of the mosque priest (清真寺牧师) to declare the marriage contract between the groom and the bride’s father, who speaks on behalf of his daughter.

    4     According to Egyptian law, both men and women have the right to ask for a divorce. Upon divorce the father is granted custody (监护人) of any children. Any dowry paid by the groom to the bride’s family must be returned.

Egypt is trying to bridge the difference between traditional interpretations (方式) and modern models. At one time, Egypt gave women the right to ask for a divorce only in certain circumstances, such as her husband’s being mentally ill.     5     Now in Egypt and other countries, traditional interpretations are being challenged.

10 . Pluto(冥王星) is a cold world far from us in the outer part of our solar system. But researchers believe Pluto may have been born as a much warmer place. They say it may even have sheltered(隐藏) a subsurface or underground ocean—one that still exists today.

A report on Pluto appeared in the scientific journal Nature Geosciences. The lead author was Carver Bierson, a planetary scientist at the University of California, Santa Cruz. In the report, researchers pointed to evidence for a “hot start” situation at Pluto’s beginning, some 4.5 billion years ago.

Their study was based on images of the dwarf(矮小的) planet’s surface as well as computer models of the subsurface. “When Pluto was forming, new material would have been coming in and impacting its surface,” Bierson said. “Each impact is like an explosion that would warm the nearby area.” Bierson explained that if Pluto had formed slowly, the surface would have cooled between each impact and generally stayed very cold. But if Pluto had formed quickly, the surface may not have had time to cool down.

“If Pluto formed in less than 30,000 years, the heat from these impacts could have been sufficient to lead to an early ocean. Pluto may have an icy outer shell hundreds of kilometers thick on the top of an ocean of water, possibly mixed with salts and ammonia(氨). A solid rocky core could lie below,” Bierson said.

The researchers believe that parts of the ocean would gradually freeze over time. Water expands as it freezes, and cracks on Pluto’s surface may be evidence of this. At present, Pluto’s surface temperature is about minus 230 degrees Celsius.

A subsurface ocean could make Pluto a possible, although unlikely, candidate for having living organisms. Bierson said it was possible that contact between water and the rocky core could have created certain chemical elements. “Are those the right elements for life? We don’t know. We need to learn more about how life forms, or how life could form, to find these answers,” Bierson said.