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

A. natural       B. substituting       C. stable       D. disappear       E. piece       F. transforming G. returned       H. regrowth       I. habitats       J. flat       K. pulled

Fire That Was Started 92,000 Years Ago

Human are actively changing landscapes across the globe, but shaping ecosystems is not just a modern activity.

An analysis of the northern shores of East Africa's Lake Malawi reveals ancient inhabitants used fire 92,000 years ago to prevent forest     1    . These Stone Age humans burned forest to make room for a growing population.

The Yale-led study discovered settlements in the area, along with charcoal deposits in the core of the lake, allowing researchers to     2    the story together.

Jessica Thompson, the paper's lead author, said: "This is the earliest evidence I have seen of humans     3    their ecosystem with fire. It suggests that by the Late Pleistocene（晚更新世）, humans were learning to use fire in truly new ways.

The work began in 2018. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University examined fossils, pollen（花粉）and minerals     4    from the bottom of the lake. The analysis showed environment changes that could not be explained with     5    factors.

Normally forest along the lake shore     6    during dry periods and recover when the lake reaches normal levels. But here researchers discovered that when wetter periods     7     and water levels became normal, forests along the shore did not recover, and the species richness went     8    .

Sarah Ivory from Pennsylvania State University said: "The pollen that we see in this most recent period of     9    climate is very different than before. Specifically, trees are no longer common and are replaced by pollen from plants that deal well with frequent fire."

It's not clear why people were burning the landscape. It's possible that they were experimenting with controlled burns to produce     10    . It could be that their fires burned out of control, or that there were simple a lot of people burning fuel in their environment that provided for warmth, cooking, or socialization.

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

A. capped；B. eventually；C. fleeing；D. commitment；E. accompanied F. unfolded；G. expanding；H. interest；I. dissimilar；J. processing；K. urgently

It was 1975. Washington largely opened America's doors, letting in some 300,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia over the next four years. Joseph R. Biden Jr., then a young senator from Delaware, co-sponsored landmark legislation that won approval in the Senate and was signed into law in 1980, generally     1     the number allowed into the country each year.

As similar scenes of chaos and desperation     2     in Kabul（喀布尔）with the conclusion of America's 20-year war in Afghanistan, most analysts said there was little chance the country would repeat the extensive refugee resettlement effort that     3     the end of the war in Vietnam. Concerns over terrorism and the coronavirus pandemic almost eliminated the possibility of a similar mass mobilization.

The refugee law that Mr. Biden co-sponsored calls for the president to determine the number of refugee admissions for a given year based on humanitarian concerns or what is otherwise in the national     4    , giving the White House wide freedom.

When the program began in 1980, the U. S.     5     the number of refugees at 234,000. But that limit has trended generally downward since the presidency of Donald J. Trump, whose hostility to all kinds of immigration was a cornerstone of his administration.

Mr. Biden ran on a(n)     6     to adopt a more humane policy and rebuild the resettlement program, but the country may admit the lowest number of refugees in the history of the program partly because the pandemic delayed the     7     of applications.

Faith-based groups across Afghanistan are volunteering to help sponsor Afghan families. But with large numbers of people     8     violence and poverty in Central America and other countries pushing recently across the border with Mexico, some conservatives are calling for a hard line against large numbers of Afghan refugees. They cautioned that thousands of Afghans could be transported to Fort McCoy in his state without appropriate screening, thus     9     resulting in "millions" of Afghan immigrants invading America.

Some Americans said they would rather accept ordinary immigrants coming to look for better lives than refugees getting away from war and violence because "Refugees start to look more foreign or     10     to people in the U. S. Therefore, instead of being seen as people courageously escaping persecution（迫害）, they are seen as people who will be an economic burden."

3 . Directions: Complete the following passages by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. destructive   B. transfers   C. equaled   D. justify   AB. bonds   AC. scholarly AD. pastime   BC. amounted   BD. analyze   CD. firing   ABC. fundamentally

Do you take part in office gossip? I don’t like to think of myself as a gossip, but I have to admit I often do it. In my turbulent industry, I     1     my behavior perhaps wrongly— by reasoning that gossip helps me get information and figure out what is going on.

Amid a rise in office gossip, researchers are disagreeing over whether it is     2     good or bad. Some defend it as a way of building     3     among people and sharing essential information. But others hold that office gossip can be savage and     4    , as the New York Times reports. At one company, PrintingForLess.com, which has a strict no-gossip policy, gossiping about colleagues can become a/an,     5     offense.

In one case analyzed in a/ an     6     journal, middle school teachers’ gossip about their principal became so poisonous that the principal retaliated, many teachers fled the school and students’ test scores declined. In this case, gossip     7     to “a form of warfare that brought everyone down.”

On the other hand, less malignant gossip that stops short of repeating lies or breaching confidences can serve as a source of understanding. “Gossip helps us     8     the motivations of other people, and enables those low on the food chain, in particular, to understand how power is used in their organizations.” says this New York Times article. It is relaxing, it brings people together, and as a/an     9     it beats gambling, drinking or doing drugs, this reasoning holds.

I have seen gossip help co-workers in some places where I have worked, giving rise to compassion or offers of support when someone is going through hard times. On the other hand, I have .also seen gossip— over an office romance, for example— distract people from their work and even force unwanted     10    .

Whatever side you take, gossip is here to stay. It is a universal human practice and it is too complex to say it is either good or bad, a University of Colorado researcher says.

4 . Direction: 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. sign     B. expands     C. sustainability     D. investigate     E. flexible     F. admitted       G. costly     H. passed       I. extends     J. submit     K. revelations

The Japan that can’t keep up

The spotlight has cost losses of Kobe Steel, Japan’s largest steelmaker, whose customers include Ford Motor and Boeing. Its market of $ 2.7 billion is about $ 1.7 billion less than before it admitted to the fake data. As the criticism over Kobe’s behavior     1    , Japan’s reputation for excellence may be the biggest loser.

Japanese manufactures were once held in awe (敬畏) for their mastery of     2     manufacturing and continuous improvement, which revolutionized business practices the world over. But an increasing number of companies in China, South Korea, and elsewhere are now capable of competing with — and often beating — Japan’s long-established enterprises, forcing them to scramble (争抢).

The latest     3     of just how desperate many Japanese companies have become to stay ahead of foreign rivals: Kobe Steel Ltd.     4     this month that for years it had faked data on the quality of its aluminum, copper, and steel products. Now Kobe Chief Executive Officer Hiroya Kawasaki is leading an internal committee to     5     quality issues. And the U.S. Department of Justice has requested Kobe Steel     6     documents related to the data, the company said, adding that it will cooperate.

Unfortunately for Japan Inc.’s reputation as a trusted supplier, such     7     have repeatedly commanded headlines. Japan obviously doesn’t have a monopoly on corporate shenanigans (诡计), but fraud is particularly     8     for the nation because its flagship manufactures have banked for years on a reputation for quality. “Japanese manufactures are very aware that their brand, their reputation, the     9     of their business rest on quality,” an expert says.

Two major factors seem to be pushing the nation’s manufactures to cross the line. First, Japanese companies face enormous pressure from upstart Chinese rivals. Secondly, a whistle blower protection law     10     in Japan in 2006 has increased the chance of wrongdoing coming to light — and the digitization of records and internal conversations has made it easier for incriminating data to be passed along to regulations or authorities.

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. association     B. banned        C. linked        D. outlets       E. packaging     F. potentially G. purchased H. uncovered     I. recognized     J. regularly       K. risks

Eating out increases levels of phthalates(酞酸盐)in the body, study finds US research    1    35% increase in levels of chemical linked to disease in those who dined at restaurants the previous day.

Burgers and sandwiches were    2     to higher phthalate levels in the research, but only if     3    at a restaurant or cafe.

Eating at restaurants and fast food chains may increase exposure to    4     harmful chemicals used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastic, a study has found.

Researchers investigating levels of phthalates in the human body, which have been related to breast cancer, asthma, type2 diabetes(哮喘，二型糖尿病)and fertility issues in the past few years, were found to be nearly 35% higher in participants who had eaten out the previous day compared with those who stayed at home. The     5    was especially strong for teenagers, researchers found. Adolescents who frequently ate at fast-food    6    while out with their friends had 55% higher levels of the chemicals than young people eating at home.

Pathalates are building agents frequently used in food    7    as well as a number of other products including flooring, soaps and shampoos, and some forms of the chemical, have been     8    from children's products in the US.

Pathalates are everywhere, and the health     9    are worrying. The feelings suggest that dining out may be an important, and previously under    10    source of exposure to phthalates for the US population.

6 . 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. uncomfortable；B. critically；C. balance；D. nonsense；E. temptation F. responding；G. effectively；H. practice；I. demands；J. reasoning；K. delivering

Embrace the rule of awkward silence

The rule of awkward silence is simple: When faced with a challenging question, instead of answering, pause and think deeply about how you want to answer. This is no short pause; rather, it involves taking several seconds (10, 20 or longer) to think things through before     1    .

At Apple, Tim Cook has engaged in the     2     for years. Back in 2008, a Fortune article said that in meetings, Cook was “known for long,     3     pauses, when all you hear is the sound of his tearing the wrapper of the energy bars he constantly eats.”

Cook isn’t alone in embracing the rule of awkward silence. Steve Jobs once took almost 20 seconds to respond to a personal attack,     4     a perfect response.

The rule of awkward silence has always been valuable as a tool of emotional intelligence because it allows you to     5     thought and emotion instead of simply reacting based on feeling.

Why the rule of awkward silence is more valuable than ever.

We live in a world that     6     instant satisfaction. Emails should be answered on the same day. Text messages should be answered right now. But there’s a major problem with all of this immediate communication: It doesn’t leave time to think.

As in, think     7    .

Critical thinking calls for deep and careful consideration of a subject. It involves weighing and analyzing facts, and careful     8    . And it results in making insightful connections.

None of this is possible without time.

And time has become the biggest luxury on the planet.

But when you embrace the rule of awkward silence, you steal back time. Time that used to be wasted on     9     answers.

So, the next time someone asks you a challenging question, or even what seems on the surface to be a simple one, resist the     10     to respond with the first thing that comes to mind.

Instead, embrace the rule of awkward silence, and think before you speak.

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

A. damaged B. influence C. settlers D. tracing E. pulled F. square G. overlooking H. nightlife I. marvelous J. ruins K. luck

Macao, a tiny place with a total land area of 23.8     1     kilometers including a peninsular (半岛), and two islands, is a strange mixture of tranquility and motion.

Historical sites fill the region and make it a “sleepy land.” The Monte Fort lies in the center of the Macao peninsula,     2     Macao and witnessing its development. it was built by the first Portuguese     3    , marking the region as the oldest European settlement in Asia.

A short distance down from the fort is the     4     of St Paul’s Cathedral. Some people say it is “the greatest Christian monument in the East although only a facade (外观模式) and stone steps remain.” The     5     carvings of significant Christian events on the facade inspire veneration (崇拜) and awe (敬畏). The cathedral was     6     in a fire in 1835 and was never reconstructed. This foreign-style architecture comes from the     7     of centuries of rule by the Portuguese in Macao.

Macao is known for its     8    . Gambling is the most exciting part of Macao. Thousands of visitors flow there every day to try their     9    . The Lisboa Casino next to Lisboa Hotel is the largest and liveliest casino.

During the racing seasons, horse racing and dog racing thrill the spectators. Its horse racing has a long history,     10     back to the 18th century. The biggest event of the year is the Macao Grand Prix.

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

A. loved   B. cause   C. honored   D. spreading   E. partially   F. cheer G. properly   H. reflect     I. symbol   J. gathering   K. touching

(Since 1952, the Queen’s Christmas message has been televised in some form. The following is the one given by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II on December 25th, 2015. )

At this time of year, few sights arouse more feelings of     1     and goodwill than the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree.

The popularity of a tree at Christmas is     2     due to my great-great grandparents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. After this     3     picture was published, many families wanted a Christmas tree of their own, and the custom soon spread.

In 1949, I spent Christmas in Malta as a newly-married naval wife. We have returned to that island over the years, including last month for a meeting of Commonwealth leaders; and this year I met another group of leaders: The Queen’s Young Leaders, an inspirational group, each of them a     4     of hope in their own Commonwealth communities.

Actually,     5     round the tree gives us a chance to think about the year ahead. It also allows us to     6     on the year that has passed, as we think of those who are far away or no longer with us. Many people say the first Christmas after losing a(n)     7     one is particularly hard. But it’s also a time to remember all that we have to be thankful for. We should be thankful for the people who bring love and happiness into our own lives, and look for ways of     8     that love to others, whenever and wherever we can.

One     9     for thankfulness this summer was marking seventy years since the end of the Second World War. On VJ Day, we     10     the remaining veterans (老兵) of that terrible conflict in the Far East, as well as remembered the thousands who never returned. ...

I wish you a very happy Christmas.

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

A. hairdressing B. hairstyle   C. smooth   D. soap E. concerned        F. products G. fashionable H. thinking   I. shampoo   J. conditioner K. brushes

In the 1970s, most Chinese people used to wash their hair with     1    . It was not until the early 1980s that     2     became popular in China. But ever since then, things have developed at great speed. A wide variety of     3     related to hair have made their way into every single family, such as shampoo, conditioner, hair cream, hair oil, brilliant hair decorations, hair     4    , hair driers and so on.

Cleanliness is not the final purpose. People become more     5     with the quality of the hair. They lay more stresses on how to make their hair     6    , shiny and healthy. In order to make their hair and themselves look the best, many people buy hair products in high quality and choose the right shampoo and     7     suitable for their own hair. More and more people pay regular visits to full-service salons to nurse their hair.

Apart from pursuing the best quality of the hair, people also pay more attention to     8     fashion. As we know, the fashions in clothes are constantly changing, and so are hairdressing fashions. In the 1980s, most women had their hair permed (烫发); in the 1990s     9     ladies poured into the hairdressing salons to have the hair colored. But nowadays, shiny black is again the most attractive color of hair for the easterners, and fashion followers would like to spend a lot to make their hair extremely straight.

Some sensible people prefer to choose the     10     fit for the shapes of their faces, their jobs or even for their personalities rather than blindly copy that of the other people.

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

A. cultivate       B. apparently       C. essential       D. significance       E. pick       F. differently        G. suitable       H. actually       I. relationship        J. ends   K. care

Berlin: At nine most mornings the same scene is repeated in office buildings around the world. An employee walks into the elevator with his boss and apart from a mumbled “good morning” the junior is lost for other words. That’s an opportunity missed, says experts, who believe that such an     1     dull 30-second conversation can be invaluable for those who want to climb the career ladder.

“Small talk can help establish a     2    upon which you can build,” says Dusseldorf communication advisor Thorsten Knobble, whose company customize curriculum vitas and job references.

As a matter of fact, the     3     of small talk goes far beyond the relationship to one’s boss. People who fail the art of speaking a lot without     4     saying anything find it harder to     5     relationships in the workplace, believes Ulrich Goldschmidt, director of the senior management association VDF Essen“Small talk is an     6     part of networking,” he says.

Virtually every conversation begins and     7     with small talk, according to Wolf Lasko, who has written a book on the topic and its bearing on career prospects.

Not everyone is good at small talk. It takes skill to     8     the right moment and the right topic with which to start a conversation. There are plenty of topics although some are not     9     for informal chat. “Anything to do with sex is taboo,” cautions Knobble. “    10     is needed with politics, religion, money and health.” Safe topics include the holidays, the movies, or sports.