1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages 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.

Lovely Team Members

I fell in love with rhinos when I worked in a zoo in the 80s, and spent much of the next 20 years as the keeper of the largest captive (圈养的) group of rare black rhinos.

Being aggressive and stupid is     1     impresses urban residents about rhinos, but I discovered a group of sensitive, affectionate animals.     2     (weigh) over a ton, black rhinos are unexpectedly alert and have an unpredictable nature. However,     3     care and reassurance (安慰), they can be very trusting.

In the past few years, the number of rhinos has dropped dramatically, during     4     time I have helped look after rhinos being moved to reserves. Last year, I helped on a project to fly five black rhinos to the Serengeti National Park, where they had to be kept captive for a few weeks before     5     (release) into the wild. They lived in “bomas” wooden enclosures with “bedrooms”.

A couple of weeks before their planned release, the sky was filled with smoke and the flames were blowing over it.     6     (make) sure everything was fine, we rushed toward the bomas. I was terrified that the rhinos     7     (catch) fire, so my initial response was to release them. But I couldn’t, because they     8     (not fit) with transmitters (发射器). If I let them out, we would have great difficulty tracking them down. So I dashed back to the bomas and called the rhinos to their “bedrooms”. To my surprise, they moved without hesitation and were     9     (panicky) than I had thought. After half an hour, the wind changed direction and the fire began to die down.

That we and the rhinos had escaped unscathed (未受伤的) was a miracle. The relationship we had built with those lovely animals proved crucial.     10     it, all our work would have been for nothing. The teamwork of everybody there played a large part too and the rhinos were very much part of that team.

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.

It’s OK Not to Be OK

Every now and then, you are probably told not to give up when things get difficult. But at what point can we feel that it’s OK to give up? Sometimes, giving up can be a thoughtful and brave decision. If you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and it is holding     1     down, find a way to take a break.    2     (remember) that you can always give up when you hit your limit and start over when you feel ready again.

Simone Biles, with a     3     (combine) total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, got a case of the “twisties” at the Olympics in Tokyo last year. This means that when doing flips (空翻) or twists, the world’s greatest gymnast had a hard time figuring out     4     the ground was. So, she told the world she wasn’t going to compete     5     she knew her limits. If she had pushed herself at all costs, she might have ended up with a lifelong injury. Instead, she knew when     6     (tell) people she wasn’t OK.

As a four-time Grand Slam winner at the age of 23, the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka     7     (drop) out of the 2021 French Open. She announced that she needed a break     8     the spotlight to work on her mental health. In a TIME magazine interview before the Olympics, she said, “I do hope that people     9     relate and understand it’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to talk about it. There are people     10     experiences are inspiring, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.”

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.

What is Prosopagnosia?

Imagine living in a world where everyone looks vaguely familiar, but you never know for certain exactly who anyone is. Your old classmates, your coworkers, your friends, and even your family members can appear     1     first glance to be friendly strangers who seem to know you. That’s     2     life is like for people with prosopagnosia, or face blindness.

Prosopagnosia is a neurological (神经性的) disorder that causes someone to have trouble recognizing people they know, or distinguishing between different people’s faces.     3     difficulties in face recognition were noted over a hundred years ago, understanding of prosopagnosia is still unfolding. The condition has received a significant share of the public’s attention after American author Jean Gilbert penned down her struggles with prosopagnosia in her book, The Picasso Mirror.     4    , such as well-known British anthropologist Dr Jane Goodall and Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, have also revealed that they have face blindness.

A study from Harvard and University College London found that prosopagnosia may affect up to 2% of the population,     5     (mean) there may be millions of face-blind people. For many people just realising that their difficulties are the result of a recognised neurological condition and that they are “not alone”     6     (make) a huge difference.

For typical observers face recognition is based on the whole face, but for prosopagnostics is it the opposite — they are more focused on     7     (isolate) features. They often have to rely on clues other than someone’s facial features, such as hairstyle, clothing, or voice,     8     (identify) the people they know. It     9     be very disturbing for the person who has face blindness, as they do not know how to relate with people. This would hold especially true if the person isn’t aware that they might have prosopagnosia. They could become socially withdrawn,     10     could lead to depression, panic attacks, social isolation or social anxiety.

4 . 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.

Laziness and Lack of Sleep Can Shorten Your Life, Especially When Combined

You already know that smoking is bad for you and that drinking too much alcohol may shorten your life. Now a new study says that spending too much time in a chair and not having enough sleep should join a short list of behaviors     1     (know) to increase your risk of premature death.

Sitting for a long time and lack of sleep were damaging in their own way, but when combined with more traditional risk factors,     2     had a multiplier effect that made an early death far more likely.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, make clear that “some risk behaviors tend to come together and     3     the joint risk could be much higher than the sum of the individual risks”.

For instance, smoking was     4     (dangerous) single risk factor among the six studied. The small number of people for     5     smoking was their only bad habit were 90 percent more likely to die during the course of the study than people who were with practical clean living in every aspect. People who reported high alcohol consumption as their only risk factor did not seem     6     (put) their lives in danger. But for those who combined heavy drinking with smoking, the risk of premature death was doubled. And when lack of sleep     7     (add) to the mix, the likelihood of an early death was nearly five times greater     8     lack of sleep by itself had only a light effect on death.

These numbers are based on the lives of 231,048 Australians.

    9     (consider) factors such as age, gender, education and other factors, the researchers saw a clear pattern. It was a person’s bad lifestyle     10     contributed to his or her risk of premature death.

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.

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.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages 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.

How Reading Saved Me

During my first decade in prison, I busied myself with exercising and hanging out in the big yard. I hardly grew as     1     person. It wasn’t until I began college in prison in my 30s that I started to realize my full potential.

Through my journey in college, I became engaged in reading and writing, striving to escape prison life by expanding my mind beyond the environments I     2     (trap) in. I became good at using concepts and terms in conversations that were previously far over my head. More importantly, I eventually better understood     3     I had used violence to solve my problems.

Throughout the country, prison officials have rejected or tried every means     4     (ban) books about biology, sketching, dragons and even the moon.     5     (claim) such bans are necessary for the safety and security of prisons seems stupid. Practically every author I have encountered while in prison     6     (play) a role in my efforts to grow and become a better person — someone who can live in society by adding to it, as opposed     7    taking from it.

Without college and without access to books and materials     8     expanded my mind beyond the towering concrete walls, I might still be wasting my time on the yard. My worldview would still be shaped by violence and harm. That’s not who I want to be     9     I leave this prison. It’s not who I want to see     10     (send) back into society.

7 . 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。

With about half of the vast country covered in wilderness, China is the world’s third most species-rich country. Therefore, China’s     1    (achieve) in biodiversity conservation and wilderness protection are important to the future of global biodiversity conservation.

The vital biodiversity,     2    (combine) with a large population, has led the government to reconsider its protected area system and transform some wilderness areas such as the rainforest in Hainan     3    formal national parks. The new national park system will make it more practical     4    (preserve) habitats and species. The aim is to preserve biodiversity and ensure a     5    (harmony) relation between humans and nature.

The national parks cross China’s vast ecosystems, from the Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park in the south     6    the Hainan gibbon—a critically endangered species lives, the Giant Panda National Park, the Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park, the Wuyi Mountain National Park to the Sanjiangyuan National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Platau—    7    source of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Lancang River. The diversity of species and habitats under protection     8    (reflect) in these parks’ names.

The national parks are open to all. Visitors can make reservations online in advance     9    book on the spot. They should acquire a little local knowledge to get     10     (they) ready for the amazing trip and maximize their enjoyment.

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Lake Powell, the second largest human-made reservoir (水库) in the US, has lost nearly 7% of its potential storage capacity since it     1     (build) in 1963.

In addition to water     2     (lose) due to years of drought, the US Geological Survey found, Lake Powell     3     (face) an average annual loss in storage capacity of about 33,270 acre-feet per year between 1963 and 2018. That’s enough water     4     (fill) the Reflecting Pool on the National Mall about 1,600 times.

The capacity of the reservoir is becoming smaller because of sediments (沉淀物)     5     (flow) in from the Colorado and San Juan rivers. Those sediments settle at the bottom of the reservoir     6     decrease the total amount of water that the reservoir can hold. It’s bad news for a region     7     has already faced water shortages and extreme wildfires due to the drought.

Lake Powell is     8     important reservoir in the Colorado River Basin. Both Lake Powell and nearby Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, are drying up     9     an alarming rate. In August, the government declared a water shortage on the Colorado River for the first time after Lake Mead’s water level decreased to a record low, leading to cuts in water consumption for the     10     (state) in the Southwest that began in January.

9 . 阅读短文内容，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

When it comes to ancient civilizations, most people think of the Greeks and Romans. It’s understandable as both     1     (shape) modern society in some way so far, whether it be their social, cultural, or political influences. However, dozens of civilizations had been around long     2     the Greeks and Romans, the lesser-known Jiahu people     3     (include).

The Jiahu settlement is located in the central plain of ancient China,     4     area known today as the Henan Province. The people created the country’s oldest recognized civilization. The area is rich in artifacts,     5     (make) it an archaeologist’s dream. Apart from the usual finds, people have uncovered records of the earliest examples of Chinese writing and proof     6     they were producers of the world’s oldest wine. Another remarkable discoveries was the oldest working bone flutes (长笛).     7     (typical) carved from the wing bone of a crane, they were most likely used in special ceremonies. Rough weaving tools and bone needles also     8     (unearth) from the site, indicating that Jiahu residents may have possessed basic weaving and sewing skills 8,500 years ago.

The settlement’s end came around 5700 BCE when the nearby rivers overflowed and flooded the area. It is assumed that the Jiahu people left their home     9     (settle) elsewhere, even though there is no indication as to     10     that might have been.

10 . 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 September 17, 2019, the Organizing Committee of the Winter Olympic Games officially announced the mascot (吉祥物)    1    (design) by Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts as the mascot of the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. After many discussions by     2     (expert) and scholars, the mascot got a new name-“Bing Dwen Dwen”. In the end, Bing Dwen Dwen, based on a panda,    3     (select) from nearly 6,000 entries from 35 countries.

Bing Dwen Dwen is a panda with a high sense of science and technology. It attracts attention with its full-body “shell” made out of ice. Cao Xue, the lead designer, said the    4     (inspire) actually came from traditional Chinese snack “ice-sugar gourd”, also known as tanghulu,    5     is candied hawthorns (山楂) on a stick, while the shell also resembles a space suit-a nod to accepting new technologies for a future of infinite possibilities.

Well received     6     the tanghulu idea was, it wasn’t enough to represent the image (形象) of a big country. So the team tried again and again,    7    (change) the image in the ice shell into tiger, rabbit...Various ideas have been suggested and overturned, but eventually     8     was decided that China’s national treasure panda is the most beloved by people all over the world. In order to make the panda look more    9    (attract), Cao and his team members once    10    (fly) to China Wolong Daxiongmao Museum in Sichuan Province for field observation. “I hope it will become a classic, impressive memory in Olympic history,” said Cao.