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.

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.

2 . 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 to Start a New Business

An entrepreneur is a person who creates , launches, and begins a new business, typically in response to a market demand that has not been met. Entrepreneurs are often imaginative, self-motivated individuals who develop full-time, successful, and sustainable businesses. Successful entrepreneurs frequently have relevant insights, expertise, and advice they may offer aspiring on their respective paths. Interviewing entrepreneurs to aid     1     might provide insight into the steps they took     2     (achieve) success. Here is the interview of entrepreneur-related questions , and you will find more preparations for it.

Question: How would you describe an entrepreneur?

Answer: An individual who establishes and expands their own company through innovative strategies     3     (know) as an entrepreneur. During the expansion of their companies, entrepreneurs are responsible for several important tasks in addition to cash generation. An entrepreneur perceives a commercial need in their society,     4     (develop) an idea for a business, and then takes the initiative to start their firm. Suppose a business idea does not center on producing a product that fills a gap in the     5     (exist) market. In that case, it most often centers on applying technical advancements to simplify the process of obtaining a product or service.

Question: How do entrepreneurs identify business prospects?

Answer: Entrepreneurs routinely seek chances to expand or increase their company’s revenues. They determine which product to include and which market to enter. An entrepreneur should listen to prospective customers and look for chances to build items that meet their demands. An entrepreneur can determine     6     other businesses in the area are doing and how they succeed by conducting a competitive analysis. This technique may involve conducting a physical survey or reading industry-specific materials. Conversations with consumers also facilitate the identification of their frustrations and negative experiences,     7     they may use to enhance a firm..

Question: What makes an entrepreneur successful?

Answer:     8     an entrepreneur, you are both your manager and the manager of others. To achieve success, you must possess a wide range of abilities. An entrepreneur must be able to manage people, a budget, operations, and in certain cases , investors. It necessitates a work style     9     (characterize) by multitasking and planning for the firm’s short- and long-term goals.     10     successful entrepreneur must be able to spend his time wisely, regularly analyzing and prioritizing projects based on their relevance and significance. It includes engaging in short- and long-term planning, economic forecasts, and market research.

3 . Directions: After reading the passages 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.

As a liberal arts teacher, it is my more often average to find myself obligated(不得不) to speak to my students about books that I haven’t read,     1     in the strict sense (having never opened them) or the attenuated(宽松的) sense (having only skimmed them or almost forgotten them). I am not sure whether I have dealt with this sort of situations better than my colleagues. But I have often attempted     2     (reassure) myself with the thought that those who are listening to me are no doubt on similar ground and are probably     3     (confident) about it than I am. Of course, there is always a risk that my class will be disrupted and I will find myself humiliated, if even one of my students has read the text I’m discussing.

As a result of such all-too-familiar situations, I believe I am well positioned, if not to offer any real lesson on     4     to talk with others about unread books, at least to convey a deeper understanding of the non-reader’s experience.

Admit it or not, we still live in a society, on the decline though it may be,     5     reading remains the object of a kind of worship. This worship     6     (apply) particularly to a number of books —the list may vary based on the circles one moves in —which it is practically forbidden not to have read if one wants to be taken seriously.

To speak without shame about books we haven’t read, we would thus need to free ourselves of the oppressive image of cultural literacy     7     (impose) by school and society, for we can strive toward this image for a lifetime     8     ever managing to coincide with it. Truth destined for others is less important than truthfulness to ourselves, something attainable only by those who free themselves from the obligation to seem cultivated, which tyrannizes(欺压) us from within and prevents us from being ourselves.