1 . Future living: what will the home of tomorrow look like?

What will our homes be like in the future? Growing cities, shrinking living spaces, and climate change are major challenges     1    (face) urban planners and architects. We’re sharing three trends with you     2     will shape the home we live in tomorrow.

Energy efficient and carbon neutral

One of the greatest challenges for homes of the future is our increasing energy consumption, something that cannot be covered by fossil fuels going forward.     3    the impact of climate change becoming notable, it’s perfectly understandable that the buildings of the future could function as environmentally friendly power plants. Solar collectors and heat storage systems allow     4     are known as ‘plus-energy buildings’ to produce 100 percent renewable energy for emission-free operation.

The trend to downsizing

Living more efficiently not only means improving energy use and reducing one’s own carbon footprint, but also building to save space. Rooms     5    (design) to be multifunctional when there’s not a dedicated room available for every potential purpose. Modular and flexible furnishing systems that can be adapted to the individual floor space and room zones will replace     6    (fix) structures, ensuring that there’s room for everything even in a small space.   

Trends for living and working under one roof

Over the last few months, the office     7    (become) a feature in many people’s homes. For a number of years now, the home office has been evolving from a make-do desk into a comfortable long-term solution. This development means we need to ask     8     how we should construct our living spaces to allow us to concentrate and work productively.   

    9     you rent or own your own home in the future, what’s clear is that the home of tomorrow will be smarter, more flexible, and more sustainable. It will offer us space     10    (live), sleep and work both indoors and outdoors.

3 . 阅读下面短文，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 the near future, life is filled with amazing wonders.     1     the sun rises, cars soar through the sky applying anti-gravity technology, creating a breathtaking sight against the morning hues. People wear special glasses that combine virtual and real worlds, immersing themselves in a world of endless     2     (possibility).

Mornings are a delight as the delicious breakfast takes center stage. Helpful robots with advanced AI offer assistance gracefully. Transportation has become super fast with hyper loop trains that travel through tunnels     3     incredible speeds, sending passengers to their destinations in mere minutes.

As twilight sets in, streets come alive with holographic(全息的) displays     4     (show) art and ads. Homes     5     (equip) with voice controlled devices for lighting and temperature. Entertainment is immersive with virtual reality games     6     players can fight or explore other worlds, offering thrilling experiences. Deep underground, hidden laboratories are making     7     (consistent) scientific breakthroughs, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and unraveling the mysteries of the universe.

Yet among these technological wonders, the core of humanity     8     (remain) unchanged. Families gather around tables, sharing laughter and stories, cherishing the bonds that connect them.

As the day draws to     9     close, the city transforms into a breathtaking symphony(交响乐) of neon lights. Tomorrow holds infinite potentials as humanity tends     10     (push) the boundaries of scientific achievement, keeping on new frontiers of discovery with strong curiosity that knows no bounds.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词 的正确形式。

On November 15th, 2022, the world’s population reached 8 billion people, a milestone in human development. While it took the global population 12 years to grow from 7 to 8 billion, it     1     (take) approximately 15 years—until 2037—to reach 9 billion,     2     sign that the overall growth rate of the global population is slowing down.

    3     (current), China and India are the most populated countries in the world,     4     1. 4 billion people in each country. However,     5     (base) on UN projections, India will surpass

China for the first time in 2023. More than half of the predicted increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries. On November 15th, China Daily published United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s article,

    6     title was “Eight billion people, one humanity”.     7     he puts it, with our human family growing larger, our world is growing more divided, challenged by food insecurity, deepening inequalities, the climate crisis and an unequal COVID-19     8     (recover). He stresses that global gatherings in November— COP 27 and the G20—are chances     9     (bridge)divides,

Restore trust, and ensure that our 8-billion-strong world could yield enormous     10     (opportunity) for some of the poorest countries.

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct.
Hi, everyone.

Traditionally,     1     the year winds down, it’s a time for reflections—to give thanks, reconnect with loved ones, and cherish the more meaningful parts of life, removed from our usual day-to-day distractions.

Of course, the events of 2020 haven’t shown a lot of respect for our traditions. In a year of so much tragedy, it can be tough to give thanks when you’re doing your best to get by. And far too many of us will have to gather around a table with an empty chair, if we were able to gather together at all.

One thing, though, we can say about 2020 is that it forced us all to cherish what is most important, what’s most meaningful in our lives. To stop taking things for granted,     2     truly matters. To be grateful for what we have, and to be alive to the pain of those     3     (fortunate).

Throughout this challenging year, I’ve been moved, again and again, by the sacrifices so many were willing to make on behalf of others. The healthcare professionals who risked their lives to save ours. The workers who have kept our lights on and our shelves stocked, always essential to our economy, but finally     4     (recognize) for it. The protesters of every race and age who saw injustice in their streets and their institutions and demanded change. And the less heralded leaders, the quiet change-makers who saw need in their own communities and leapt to address it. They checked in on their neighbors, delivered food and PPE to seniors and those experiencing hardship, offered mental health support to those     5    (recover) from trauma.     6     holes this pandemic tore wide in our social fabric, these emerging leaders stepped forward to patch it up.

These are exactly the leaders Michelle and I started our Foundation to support. We always thought they     7     (lead) us into a bright future, if only we     8     empower them, connect them with each other, and give them a dose of inspiration when they needed it.

What we learned in 2020 is that these emerging leaders aren’t just building a brighter future, they’re safeguarding our present. In hard times, they are the ones who’ve given me solace. It’s     9     sacrifice in which I found hope. And as we begin to close the chapter on a difficult year with encouraging news on the horizon, it’s their leadership     10     will guide us today and tomorrow.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everybody.

—Quoted from Barack Obama’s Christmas speech in 2020

10 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

If you woke up 20 years from now in 2042, what would be different? Here are some ideas     1    (base) on numbers that don’t require crystal ball. About 70% of the world population is expected to live in urban areas by 2050. That means most cities are going to need more infrastructure. Roads, public transportation and waste management     2    (upgrade). And we’ll be older. We are likely to live until 82.4 years old, compared with the current life expectancy of 79.1 years. That’s a good thing     3     health care companies. But living three extra years is going to be more expensive,     4     will have implications for both working and saving.