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.

You know that the business of business is making money. What you may not realize is     1    simple that business is. You need two fundamental ingredients — a good product that customers want to own, and bright, charismatic people who will     2    sell it and, if necessary, defend it. And of the two —    3    (desire) product and competent people — good people are, in the long run, more important than good products.

You can’t expect to produce one popular product after another. You can, however, cover your bets by staffing your enterprise with superb employees who will continue to reflect the company’s strengths     4    the products are weak. It is your responsibility to keep those employees     5    (perform) as well as they can. They won’t remain superb     6    reliable leadership and, infact, there is a perfect time to address this issue. Most successful companies have a defining moment     7    profits are skyrocketing, and business     8    not be better. That is precisely the time to look closely at your customer service. That you are earning more money than ever before     9    (indicate) your product is terrific, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the same about your customer service. It is the ideal time to examine your reputation and expand the success you are earning from your product to include customer service.

Every business wants to be known for its customer service. Although even a slow but steady giant such as Radio Shack Corporation will often come up with a hot product, it is its customer service     10    keeps it in business year after year.

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.

When scientists accidentally killed     1    turned out to be the world’s oldest living creature, it was bad enough. Now, their mistake has been worsened after further research found it was even older – at 507 years.

The ocean quahog, a type of deep-sea clam, was dredged (捕捞) alive from the bottom of the North Atlantic near Iceland in 2006 by researchers. They then put it in a fridge-freezer,     2    is normal practice, unaware of     3    age. It was only when it was taken to a laboratory     4    scientists from Bangor University studied it and concluded it was 400 years old.

The discovery made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. However, by this time, it was too late for Ming the Mollusc(软体动物),     5    (name) after the Chinese dynasty     6    its life began. Unfortunately, researchers who calculated Ming’s age killed it instantly by opening its shell.

The researchers opened the ancient clam up to judge its age by counting growth rings inside. But the rings were so close together     7    scientists ended up having to count the rings on the outside to be accurate,     8    (lead) CBS journalists to point out that if scientists had just started there, Ming could have lived on. Now, after examining the quahog     9    (closely), and     10    (use) more advanced methods, the researchers have found the animal was actually 100 years older than they first thought.

Dr Paul Butler, from the University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said: “We got it wrong the first time and maybe we were a bit hasty publishing our findings back then. But we are absolutely certain that we’ve got the right age now.” The mollusc was born in 1499 – just seven years after Columbus discovered America and before Henry VIII had even married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon in 1509.

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.

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.

4 . 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.

Shawnea Rosser earned upwards of $29 an hour when she worked for General Motors in Dayton, Ohio. But in 2008 the factory closed. Years later the building was bought by Fuyao Group, a Chinese multinational company     1     makes glass. The new American managers promised that the “historic” project would “give people jobs, and give a future to your kids and my kids.” Sounds great.     2     Ms Rosser’s new job paid just $12.84.

The plight of Ms Rosser and her co-workers     3     (capture) in “American Factory”, a documentary released on August 21st by Netflix that explores the tensions that arise from the factory’s foreign ownership. There is discontent among American workers, but the source is unclear. Could it simply reflect the post-crisis reality of American manufacturing work? Or are the different Chinese employment practices     4     (blame)?

A new study offers part of an answer,     5     asking who benefits when foreign investors open up shop. On average, foreign companies in fact pay workers around 25% more than American     6    . But that could be     7     they employ relatively skilled workers. Bradley Setzler and Felix Tintelnot of the University of Chicago match anonymised employee and company tax records to estimate the true wage premium.

The economists look to see     8     happens when American workers move between companies. They find that when someone hops     9     two American-owned companies, their wages barely budge. But when they skip from a domestically     10     (own) one to a foreign one, their wages go up by around 7%. And when they jump from a foreign-owned firm to a domestic one, their wages drop.

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.

The trick that makes you overspend

When you buy a cup of coffee, you might have noticed that of the three size choices — small, medium and large — the medium-sized serving often costs almost as much as the large.     1     (get) a good buy, have you ever chosen the biggest and most expensive? If so, you have been tricked by the “decoy effect”, in which the deliberate presentation of an additional, slightly     2     (attractive) choice-in this case, the relatively expensive medium-sized coffee pushes you to pay out more money than you would have sensibly chosen.

The decoy effect shows us just     3     easily our judgement is influenced by the context     4     the facts are presented with additional irrelevant information.

However,     5     you have learned about the decoy effect, you may become less influenced unconsciously. You may even discover ways to put it to your own use     6     a tool for persuasion. If you     7     (discuss) travel plans with friends, for instance, and haven't decided yet where to go, you might present two choices (可供选择的安排) at your city, but one with a slightly more expensive hotel.     8     your friends might have otherwise selected a different location, the comparison might just lead them to choose the one you like.

Just don’t be a victim of decoy effect yourself. whether you are buying headphones or deciding on a retirement plan, ask     9     whether you are buying the one you really need or whether you are distracted by a seemingly attractive selling point. Like an expert sniper (狙击手) trained to avoid being targeted, you     10     find that your judgement suddenly becomes a lot more sensible.

6 . Directions: After reading the excerpt from Three Days to See 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.

I lived, up to the time of the illness that deprived me of my sight and hearing, in a tiny house     1     (consist) of a large square room and a small one where the servant slept. It is a custom in the South to build a small house near the farmhouse to be used occasionally. Such a house my father built after the Civil War, and when he married my mother they went to live in it. It was completely covered with vines, climbing roses and honeysuckles. From the garden it looked like an arbor. The little porch     2       (hide) from view by a screen of yellow roses and Southern smilax. It was the favorite place of humming-birds and bees.

The Keller farmhouse,    3    the family lived, was a few steps from our little rose-bower. It was called “Ivy Green”    4    the house and the surrounding trees and fences were covered with beautiful English ivy. Its old fashioned garden was the paradise of my childhood.

Even in the days before my teacher came, I used to feel along the square stiff boxwood hedges, and,    5    (guide) by the sense of smell, would find the first violets and lilies. There, too, alter a fit of temper, I went to find comfort and to hide my hot face in the cool leaves and grass.

What joy it was to lose myself in that garden of flowers, to wander happily from spot to spot,    6    coming suddenly upon a beautiful vine, I recognized it by its leaves and blossoms, and knew it was the vine which covered the tumble-down summer-house at the farther end of the garden! Here, also were trailing clematis, drooping jasmine, and some rare sweet flowers called butterfly lilies, because their fragile petals resemble butterflies wings. But the roses—they were     7     (lovely) of all. Never have I found in the greenhouses of the North such heart-satisfying roses as the climbing roses of my southern home. They used to hang in long festoons from our porch, filling the whole air with their fragrance; and in the early morning, washed in the dew they felt so soft, so pure, I     8    not help wondering if they did not resemble the asphodels of God’s garden.

7 . 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.

From baking pumpkin pie to celebrating the moon, here’s how autumn is celebrated across the globe.

Here in the U.K, we’re familiar with Harvest Festival, which celebrates a successful harvest and     1     (date) back to pagan(异教徒) times. The festivities typically involve seasonal decorations, singing, and more, but there are different versions around the world.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is one of     2     (big) and most widely celebrated harvest festivals in the world. People from many Asian countries including China, Malaysia, and the Philippines, amongst others,     3     (mark) the day with festive celebrations. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month in the Chinese lunar calendar,     4     typically lands in September. The festival is celebrated as a public holiday, with schools and offices     5     (close) their doors so that families can gather and give thanks for the harvest and full moon. In China, food is used as another means     6     (celebrate) the moon. Mooncakes, Chinese pastries traditionally     7     (fill) with seed paste and egg yolk, are a key part of China’s Mid-Autumn Festival.

Oktoberfest(慕尼黑啤酒节)，    8     (originate) in Germany, is another major autumn celebration. It begins in September and runs for about two weeks, featuring traditional Bavarian food, music, clothing, and most importantly, lots of beer!

There are also several cultural and religious events that occur throughout October and November.     9     (experience) multicultural autumn, try celebrating Dia de Los Muertos(亡灵节) on November 1 and 2—a Mexican celebration that honors the lives of    10     who have passed away with the food, drinks and activities that those loved ones enjoyed when they were alive.

8 . Directions: Read the following passage. 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.

Barry Jenkins: ‘When you climb the ladder, you send it back down’

“So, you saw the film?” Barry Jenkins is eager to ask the minute we are introduced. He gives good eye contact through those stylish thick-rimmed glasses – not the big-time, Oscar-winning writer-director speaking, but a nervous artist, anxious     1     the new work he is starting to screen. I love it, I tell him. If Beale Street Could Talk may be only Jenkins’ third feature-length film,     2     it has already been nominated for three Oscars (best adapted screenplay, best supporting actress, best score), just two years     3     his Moonlight walked away with the Academy Award for best film. A passionate film about race and love, it’s an     4     (add) pleasure to see black characters of such complexity on the big screen.

Adapted from James Baldwin’s 1974 novel, Beale Street tells the story in which the personal experiences of a young black couple     5     (interweave) with the big picture in 1970s Harlem. When Tish (KiKi Layne) becomes pregnant, they plan to marry – until her fiancé Fonny (Stephan James) is set up by a racist police officer for a rape he did not commit. The film explores the different reactions of their siblings (兄弟姐妹) and parents, led by Regina King in a standout performance as Tish’s mother, as they fight for Fonny’s freedom.

Baldwin has been dead for 30 years, but his depiction of the fight against a country’s powerful prejudice is a sad reminder     6     not enough has changed. Yet Jenkins turns a bleak story into a fascinating romance, as the young lovers strive     7     (regard) as human beings. With its lingering, saturated-colour photography – the director has cited Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood For Love as an influence – Beale Street is one of     8     (visually-arresting) films I’ve seen.

Beale Street     9     (film) on location in New York and the Dominican Republic – filling in for Puerto Rico, still devastated by 2017’s Hurricane Maria. It was shot on an Arri Alexa 65 camera. Throughout the film, as he did in Moonlight, the director lingers over often wordless scenes between his characters,     10     (present) them as a series of moving photographs.

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

Imagine     1    (live) in a huge house, a house so big that you don't know how many rooms it has! Lady Carnarvon, owner of Highclere Castle, is not sure about the number of rooms, but she does know that Highclere is one of the biggest houses in England. From the outside, the castle looks like the Houses of Parliament in London. In fact, the same person, Sir Charles Barry,     2    (build) both places. When Barry finished building Highclere in 1842, the castle had more than 50 rooms, including one room with a 15-meter-high ceiling! But this room was only used     3    special occasions.

Nowadays, Highclere is one of the most well-known homes in Britain, but it's not because of its interesting past. It is because Highclere is the star of a British TV show called Downton Abbey. The show is all about the life of     4     upper-class family in the 1910s, and most of the story takes place inside Highclere. The castle is such a marvelous place     5    is in the show. Fans love coming to Highclere and many hope to see their favourite actors too!

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.

Going to the theater instead of the gym might sound like you’re lazy. However, a new study said that a night in the theater can have the same effect on your heart     1     half an hour of exercise. Research by University College London (UCL) and the University of Lancaster found that     2     (enjoy) a live theater performance is good for your cardiovascular (心血管的) system. The benefits     3     be as much as those of 28 minutes of healthy aerobic exercise (有氧运动).

At the theater, the researchers monitored the heart rate of 12 individuals     4     (watch) Dreamgirls. They    5     (find) that their heartbeat was at the range of 50 to 70 percent of their maximum heart rate during the performance. According to the British Heart Foundation, this is     6     ideal heart rate to promote cardio fitness. Dr. Joseph Devlin at UCL said this clearly proved that “attending a live performance promotes cardiovascular activity.”

This study is coupled with research     7     (do) for Encore Tickets. It is a ticket company for London theaters and attractions. Thirty-three percent of theater-goers surveyed said the feeling the live experience gave them was     8     (enjoyable) part of going to the theater.

According to Devlin, this is due to the fact     9     being part of a live audience increases the emotional intensity (强度) of the experience. The highs and lows of the theater performance allow for mood swings (情绪波动), thus stimulating the heart and causing heart rate activity.

But it’s not yet time     10     (say) that you shouldn’t also be going to the gym. These theatrical highs only act as a supplement (补充) to exercise. They can’t replace your entire fitness plan.