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.

Remote Work Slows Senior Housing Market Recovery

With the rise of remote work, the market for senior housing has met with problems in its recovery. Only a few old people choose to live in senior-living communities     1     the growing senior population and the cancelation of COVID-19 restrictions once making family visits difficult.     2     this trend suggests is that people’s shift to remote work contributes to the slow rebound of the senior housing market. That is, remote work is keeping many older Americans from moving into senior-living communities once warmly     3     (welcome).

When more adults began working remotely during the pandemic (流行病), they were able to check in on aging parents easily — they     4     take care of their parents’ issues on short notice.

Experts have been analyzing the phenomenon in different ways. Some found that the greater flexibility to care for parents     5     (mean) people’s delay in sending aged parents to expensive senior-housing accommodations. Therefore, markets with high levels of people working from home usually have lower senior-housing occupancy rates. Others said remote work might have some effect but also pointed to different factors. For instance, many seniors think that their family wallets are getting thinner, making some of them reluctant     6     (send) to senior-living communities.

The age at which people enter senior housing is also increasing,     7     serves as another sign that shows people are choosing to delay transitioning. The rising cost of senior living weighs heavily on that decision. The CPI (consumer-price index) for nursing homes and adult day services rose 4.5% last May compared with     8     in May, 2022.

Still, many senior-housing operators are optimistic. When     9     (illustrate) their point, they showed an increase in the number of people turning 80 years old over the following years and the actual wealth they have collected. Moreover, they find remote work arrangements are decreasing in some parts of the country,     10     employees there have seen their lowered productivity while working from home.

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.

App-solutely amazing!

Nick D’Aloisio got his first laptop when he was nine. He started designing apps when he was 12 and at 15, he launched an iPhone app     1     (call) ‘Summly’. It was an app     2     summarized stories in the news, and it was downloaded by nearly a million people. Last month, an Internet giant     3     (buy) his app for $30 million.

“The moment when I’m proudest for     4     has been seeing these tweets coming through from teenagers, saying ‘You’ve inspired me.’ I’m so excited about that,” says Nick. His mother says she was never worried about the amount of time he was spending on the computer, “because he would always show us what he was doing. I remember him     5     (create) 3D models on his computer as a 10-year-old.”

Nick isn’t a stereotypical computer nerd.     6     is he arrogant or self-centred, which you might expect of a boy who     7     (describe) as a ‘genius’ since 12 years old. He is polite, likeable, enthusiastic and self-aware. He enjoys the humanities, cricket and rugby. He doesn’t want to work in computer programming. He’s more interested in product design.

What is he going to do with the money from his app? One thing he’d like to do is     8     (invest ) in small companies. “That’s what is exciting, and if you are lucky to have a bit of money, you can take those risks. That’s what I would do if I was going to spend it.”

When asked     9     Summly can do, he says that, “It helps publishers reach out to a younger audience.” He feels that young people are interested in the news, but they don’t want to spend time reading long stories if they’re not relevant to their lives.     10     Summly, one can quickly find out whether a story might be interesting.

4 . 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。

How to Water Plants

All plants need water. The watering of plants plays a major role in helping plants grow healthily. It seems simple but actually requires many considerations.

Let’s take a close look at the water plants need first. Plants     1     grow in places with low rainfall require more water. And plants     2     ability to adjust themselves to dry conditions is strong can live with less watering.

When it comes to tools, a garden pipe (管子) long enough to reach the furthest part of the garden     3     (prefer). This ensures enough water is provided for the plants and helps to make watering much     4     (easy).

An inexperienced gardener may water a little each time but several times a day. This is undesirable     5     it does not help roots to grow deep. Besides, we’d better avoid watering in full sun     6     the leaves won’t lose water quickly from the surface.

5 . 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.

Buy Now, Pay Later Spending

Buy now, pay later(BNPL) spending is expected to rise to record levels this holiday season. With so many young “buy now, pay later” shoppers already in debt from this short-term financing tool not requiring interest, questions emerge: Why do these shoppers use such a tool? And what risks does it pose to their budgets in the months     1     (come)?

The many Generation Z and millennials (typically around 40 years and younger) tend to use this short-term financing,     2     allows them to buy items and pay for them over time. Offered mostly by financial technologies, BNPL allows these customers to pay back their purchases     3     interest and with the first payment usually made at checkout. The most common “buy now, pay later” plan is     4     customers make four equal payments and pay off the debt in six weeks. It’s been a lifeline for some people, such as a university student     5     weekly income is not big enough. “BNPL provides consumers with flexible payment options so they     6     manage spending,” said Vivek Pandya, lead analyst at Adobe Digital Insights. That is of great importance for many consumers, especially     7     with a tendency to purchase higher-cost items.

However, since BNPL     8     (appear), warnings from experts have come into our view. They have been indicating that it’s financially unhealthy to form such a spending habit. According to New York Federal Reserve economists, BNPL may encourage debt to increase over time,     9     (influence) a consumer’s ability to meet non-BNPL commitments, or users to over extend themselves. Users should also note that     10     interest is not charged on the loan, they’ll be hit with late fees for missed payments, which can add up quickly, says the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

7 . 语法填空

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly     1     (know) as ‘Mahatma’ (meaning ‘Great Soul’) was born in Porbandar, Gujarat, in North West India, on 2nd October 1869, into a Hindu Modh family. His mother, Putlibai, hadn’t received much education but she knew a lot about social affairs and matters of court, and could participate     2     (intelligent) in the talks that took place among the ladies of the royal court.

She used to visit a temple regularly. Gandhi used to accompany her to the temple.     3    , he admitted he was not attracted by the pomp there. But     4     left a lasting mark on his mind was the genuine piety of his mother and her determination to adhere to even the hardest vows     5     the pursuit of her beliefs. To cite an instance, in the rainy seasons, she would vow not to take her meals     6     she saw the sun, and would often have to go without food by the time her children who spotted the sun shouted to her, and she came out to see the sun     7    .

Both Gandhi and his mother were deeply religious although they were not scholars. Many religious visited their house and     8     (engage) in religious discussions. These discussions and     9     atmosphere of the piety in the house must have sown the seeds of faith and tolerance in the mind of young Gandhi. In     10     (late) years, they became the foundation of Gandhi’s firm belief that all religions deserve equal respect.

8 . 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.

A Short Stretch Before Bed

Many people may struggle to sleep. I have found one small change that all of us could make and truly works: a short stretch before bed.

Studies have shown that low-level physical activities     1     use gentle stretching, like yoga or tai chi, help with sleep quality. And     2     it is good to stretch anytime of day, a gentle and quiet routine before bed works best to help send a signal to the brain that it is now time for sleep.

Most importantly, stretching doesn’t require money. There     3     (be) plenty of exercise apps for you to buy or subscribe to, and they all have guiding routines. I have found that the subscription-based app Sweat and Centr has good, short routines and clear instructions     4     (improve) your form. There are countless personal trainers and yoga instructors on the Internet who have been giving free classes to people     5     (stick) at home. Yoga from Adriene is the best known,     6     a huge library of videos available. If you’d rather perfect your technique in person, you     7     also find free yoga and tai chi lessons in your local community and take those lessons home.

And of course,     8     works for you will depend on your current physical state. I’ve seen women in     9     80s who could do a cartwheel (侧手翻) over my poor, suffering body. So clearly I am no expert, but I     10     (stretch) right before bed since last year and have found that I always sleep better on the nights that I do it.

9 . 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.

Closer to Equality

Left. Right. Left. Right again.

Getting lost in the rhythm of my turns was one of my favorite parts of skiing. Whenever I feel the soft, powdery snow beneath my skis, I feel like I’m capable of     1    .

I started skiing when I was just three years old. While the other children in my group     2     (mess) around, I was busy rolling down the small slopes. Although there were many difficulties, I soon mastered the basic concepts     3     (underlie) the art of turning.

I decided to take my skiing     4     the next level and joined a team when I was seven. Riding the chairlift with my mother, I saw free skiers spinning through the air. I immediately knew which team I wanted to join: free skiing, an event heavily     5     (dominate) by boys.

As soon as I joined the team, I was placed at its       6     (low) level. However, I never stopped climbing the rankings     7     I was placed into the highest group. At that point, I was the only girl on my team. I was put down at first; nobody wanted to ride the chairlift with me. But as time passed, I slowly became more accepted. And this entire process took three years.

In the past, having been forced to assume the roles of stay-at-home and motherly figures, women couldn’t imagine       8     they wanted to be. Even today, in some countries, there are still so many cases     9     people are not yet accepting the idea that women can make their own choices or pave their own paths. But if we are to fully accept these views, we will be able to move closer to equality.

Being a girl in such a sport can be difficult, but I’m actually thankful that my experiences have taught me to face whatever setbacks I meet with in life. I encourage you, all the girls,     10     (step) out of your comfort zone to show the boys that girls are just as powerful as they are.

10 . 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.

When I was a very young man, just beginning to make my way, I was invited to dine at the home of a famous New York philanthropist (慈善家). It was after dinner     1     hostess led us to a large sitting room,     2     other guests were pouring, and my eyes observed two nervous sights: servants were arranging small chairs in long and neat rows; and up front, leaning against the wall, were musical instruments. Apparently I was in for an evening of chamber music.

I use the phrase “in for” because music means     3     to me. I am almost tone deaf — only with great effort     4     I carry the simplest tune, and serious music is to me no more than an arrangement of noises. So I did what I always did when     5    (trap): I sat down, and when the music started, I fixed my face in     6     I hoped was an expression of intelligent appreciation, closed my ears from the inside, and     7    (bury) myself in my own completely irrelevant thoughts.

After a while,     8    (become) aware that the people around me were applauding, I concluded it was safe     9    (unplug) my ears. At once I heard a gentle but surprisingly penetrating voice on my right, “You are fond of Bach?”

I knew as much about Bach as I knew about nuclear fission. But I did know one of the most famous faces in the world,     10     the famous shock of untidy white hair and the ever-present pipe between the teeth. I was sitting next to Albert Einstein.