Every year in China, a day is set aside to honour, and show respect for, the elders and senior citizens in the entire nation. As China has more than 297 million people     1    (age) 60 and over, according to the latest statistics, this day     2    (grow) in popularity over the years.

In the early 1980s, the Chinese government declared that the Chongyang Festival would be the day on which     3    (celebrate) the lives of China’s elder citizens. Of course, showing respect and admiration to     4     old is a Chinese tradition dating back to ancient times,     5     therefore the people easily and readily support this day. On this day, the government and local communities hold various activities for the elders,     6     free hair-cuts, cultural performances and health-care consultations.

However, respect for the elders should be kept in mind firmly and showing     7    (we) for them is not restricted to one special day only. According to historical records, elders over 70 years old enjoyed special treatment and anyone not showing respect to them     8    (punish), which proves that respecting the elders was set in law back then.

Apparently, respect for the elders is the     9    (found) of the Chinese moral system. Today, throughout China, we find many examples of young people     10    (carry) on this tradition of respect.

Walk in the halls of an academic earth science department, and you’ll likely find     1    (show) on a wall somewhere a strikingly beautiful map of the world’s ocean floor.     2     map was completed in 1977, being the first complete world map of the ocean floor and     3    (represent) the highest point of Marie Tharp’s career. It gives scientists and the public alike their first sight of     4    the sea floor looks like.

In the middle of the 20th century, when continental drift (大陆漂移) met with strong     5     (oppose) from many American scientists, Tharp’s groundbreaking maps made it possible     6    the theory of plate tectonics (板块构造学) to appear.

Tharp began her career at a time when few women     7     (become) scientists, but she was able to take advantage of doors opened by historical circumstances, becoming     8     (unique) qualified to make significant contributions to both science and cartography (地图绘制).

In 1997, the Library of Congress named her as one of the four     9     (great) cartographers of the 20th century. She died in 2006, but countless women scientists     10     (motivate) by her spirit since then.

3 . 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.

The Mystery is No Mystery

The area of ocean between Florida, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda, known as the Bermuda Triangle, is the source of much mystery. Over the centuries, reports of ships and planes disappearing     1     a trace have seized the public attention, leading the zone     2     (nickname) “The Devil’s Triangle.” Suggested causes for these mysterious disappearances range front supernatural powers to underwater alien bases. However, there is a more basic question to ask: Do more craft really disappear in the Bermuda Triangle than in any similarly trafficked area? The answer,     3     it turns out, is no.

The Bermuda Triangle covers a vast 700,000 square-kilometer swathe of ocean. Close to the equator(赤道)and near the United States, it is a particularly busy patch of sea with heavy traffic. According to Lloyd’s of London and the U. S. Coast Guard,     4     you were to compare the number of disappearances to the large quantity of ships and planes that have passed through the Bermuda Triangle, you would find that there     5     (be) nothing out of the ordinary about the area.

These days, new theories are being put forward, with a bit of scientific truth to them. Some have attributed Bermuda Triangle disappearances to explosive releases of methane (甲烷) gas,     6     (trap) as methane hydrate inside water molecules beneath the cold seabed of the deep ocean. Such blowouts could potentially release a giant amount of gas that could cause the sea to bubble like it was boiling, which could possibly sink ships because the resulting bubbles would be much     7     (thick) than the water on which large ships normally float. The gas could also rise into the sky,     8     (produce) a mixture of five to 15 percent methane which could explode on contact with the engine exhaust of a hot airplane.

The only problem with this theory is that scientists won’t be able to tell with much certainty if this is a factor       9     the ocean floor is mapped in greater detail. It remains to be seen     10     they will succeed in their attempt to clear up the Bermuda Triangle “mystery” this time around.

Visitors have flocked from far and wide     1     (visit) the world’s largest ice and snow festival dubbed (称为) “Disneyland on ice” recently. This is China’s Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival — a family friendly, fun-filled dream land     2     (fill) with intricately designed ice sculptures. Although visitors are treated     3     masses of ice sculptures throughout Harbin City, Sun Island and Ice and Snow World, are the two main areas. Ice and Snow World area is largely open at night, and     4     (feature) illuminated ice skyscrapers. This year, they’ve also added such a towering snowflake Ferris wheel     5     visitors can take in the     6     (complete) of this impressive winter wonderland from the air. The festival has established     7     (it)as one of the best winter celebrations worldwide, and has been pulling in an estimated 28.7 billion yuan per year.

One travel guide said: “I’ve always had     8     difficult time with winter, or at least the idea of it. I’ve associated winter with misery, irrespective of how I     9     (physical) react to the cold, and have gone to great     10     (length) to deny its very existence. But exploring China’s Harbin Ice and Snow Festival brought me indescribable joy.”

8 . 阅读下边短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的适当形式。

2024 is “The Year of the Dragon” on the Chinese lunar calendar. But     1     that’s the proper translation of the iconic mythical symbol of China or not has aroused     2    (heat)debate.

The Western concept of dragon is not consistent with     3     of the Chinese dragon. Influenced by Greek mythology, the dragon is often the keeper of treasure. For Europeans, dragon is usually a monster     4     (keep) distances away from people. With four legs and two huge black wings, they can spit fire or even poison gas out of their mouth. Contrary     5     the evil image of European dragons, Chinese dragons symbolize     6    (strong) and goodluck. In Chinese legends, dragons were appointed head of the four seas, rulers of weather and water. Those born in the year of the Loong are believed     7    (be)interested in the world and willing to give a helping hand.

The differences in perception of the mythical creatures in China and the West     8    (root)in their different cultural values. What is important is that as we enter     9     new lunar year, people     10    (global)appreciate the cultural values embodied in such Chinese symbols as Loong.

The Wuhan silk flower is a famous specialty of Hubei. It has been produced and sold for many years and enjoys a high reputation.

Over the past hundred years, Wuhan silk flower     1     (adopt) the traditional silk flower making techniques from the royal courts. It draws spirit from the folk silk flower making techniques throughout China, while perfecting     2     (it) on the basis of the traditional flower skills that have been known far and wide due to its fine workmanship.

Silk flowers are the flowers     3     (typical) made with silk, satin and other high-grade fabrics. The flowers look vivid and are unique skills. Whether due to its long history or the strong     4     (decorate) effect, silk flowers were common accessories of the ancient women.

Among Chinese traditional skills, making flowers     5     fabrics emerged more than 1,700 years ago. In the Tang Dynasty, it was recorded     6     women wore flowers made with silk.

The silk flower     7     (artist) in Wuhan have handed down and carried forward silk flower workmanship from generation to generation, making silk flower     8     art craft specialty with local characteristics. The varieties of the flowers     9     (make) with silk include peony, rose, Chinese rose, and other flowers in total of more than 400 varieties. The finished flowers are classified into inserted flowers, hat flowers and more,     10     (enjoy) great popularity among consumers.

A blogger from Sichuan, nicknamed “AI Crazy House,”     1     (release) an AI-generated animated short film of “Journey to the West”     2     the Internet. The film shocked netizens with its visual effects and opened up new     3     (possibility) for presenting classic works in film and television.

Through deep learning and innovative techniques, AI reinterpreted this Chinese literary masterpiece,     4     (deliver) breathtaking visual effects and emotional experiences.

The blogger, Mr. Feng, has 15 years of art experience. He stated that the video,     5     would have taken at least six months to produce manually, was completed in a week with the help of AI.

He also explained the steps     6     (generate) videos with AI. Taking the first episode of “Journey to the West” as     7     example, from the beginning of chaos to the birth of the stone monkey to the learning of art, he emphasized the need to determine the required number of pictures and storyboards.

He mentioned using ChatGPT to analyze the original text, complete storyboard planning, use AI painting software for drawing,     8     then employ “picture-to-video” software to animate the images.

These processes     9     (general) produce a large number of preliminary drafts. “At present, it is difficult for AI     10     (understand) my meaning.” Mr. Feng said.