2 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. cracked B. court C. assured D. stressed E. harboring F. making G. roared H. groundbreaking I. ultimate J. sensation K. check

“Queen Wen” Ready to Reign

Zheng Qinwen has become the second Chinese to ever reach a major singles final after Li Na’s pioneering triumph at the Australian Open a decade ago. So close to the championship and so disappointed! Yet, it is with so much pride that we can reflect on the journey of a Grand Slam champion in the     1    . Despite her tough final loss to defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, the tennis     2     Zheng’s amazing run at the Australian Open has served up another major boost for the sport in China.

An aggressive talent,     3     championship dreams since watching Li in 2014, Zheng was one step away from having her own name on the same trophy, as she started battle against the mighty Sabalenka on Saturday evening,     4     by an enthusiastic Chinese crowd at the Rod Laver Arena and the entire tennis community back home.

Two sets and 76 minutes later, Zheng’s first Grand Slam final ended in an alert reality     5     that, the 21-year-old still has plenty of catching up to do before reaching the very top of the game, technically and mentally, even though she     6     the world top 10. It is a must because, if one loses, there must be a reason behind it. Zheng has to try to figure out why, and then she will come back stronger and better next time.

Coming up just one step short of the     7     prize, Zheng held back tears at the award ceremony while gazing at the trophy when Sabalenka lifted it for a second time in a row. She     8     how much better she could have done during the postmatch interviews, even with media all greeting her with words of encouragement. Nothing seemed enough to satisfy the ambitious competitor, who’s already achieved many “firsts” for Chinese tennis over the past two weeks.

With Zheng leading the way, China will have seven female players ranked within the top 100. This progress owes a lot to Li’s     9     career, which helped encourage Zheng’s generation to dream bigger. Witnessing the collective rise of the next generation, Li said she can rest     10     that the game’s future is in good hands.

4 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box.Each word can only be used once.Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. average B. adapt C. consisting D. persistent E. exactly F. stuck G. failing H. extremely I. referred J. initial K. range

From roughly the 16th to 19th centuries, much of the Earth was caught by a persistent freezing cold. During this time, the Northern Hemisphere (半球) experienced long stretches of temperatures so cold that people witnessed crops     1     and rivers freezing — like the Scheldt River. Thousands of people walking and playing across the frozen River Thames; Soldiers on horseback seeing ships     2     in the ice; Natives using snowshoes to outsmart the English army…These were some of the images that define the Little Ice Age — a period of several centuries last millennium in which parts of the Northern Hemisphere struggled with a(n)     3     cold. But what caused the Little Ice Age, how long did it last, how did people     4     to the freezing cold — and what lessons can we learn as we enter our own period of climatic change?

The Little Ice Age was not a true ice age —     5    cooling was probably only in the order of 0.5 degrees Celsius, or 1 degree Fahrenheit — or was it consistently cold. Dagomar Degroot, associate professor of environmental history at Georgetown University has     6    to the era as a series of “little ice ages.”

Although some researchers argue it may have begun earlier, NASA defines the Little Ice Age as beginning around 1550 and     7     of three cold peaks-around 1650,1770 and 1850.

Scientists are still working out     8     what caused the Little Ice Age too. Theories     9     from decreased solar activity to increased volcanic eruptions, to the decline of populations in North America, which allowed forests to replace agricultural land, in the process removing about seven billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere. A 2022 study argued that the     10     trigger was actually a rise of extremely warm water flowing north from the tropics in the late 1300s,which pushed Arctic ice into the North Atlantic.

Whatever the cause, the consequences of the Little Ice Age have a lasting effect on history, although to what extent is still controversial.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A．apply       B．broadly       C．complicated       D．downside       E．hardly       F．neighbors G．overburdened       H．pills       I．re-labeling       J．turning       K．worse

Britain appears to be in a mental-health crisis. In the past decade no European country has seen a greater increase in the use of antidepressants(抗抑郁药); now only the Portuguese and Icelanders are popping more of the     1    . Around 4.5m Britons were in contact with mental-health services in 2021-22, a rise of almost l m in five years.

There are a few reasons why Britons might be unhappier than their     2    . One global poll found that teenagers in Britain were some of the loneliest in the world, with few supportive relationships and a low sense of purpose and meaning: all risk factors for poor mental health. Britain’s poorest households are also     3     off than their equivalents in France and Germany, for example, which makes them more vulnerable to conditions such as anxiety and depression. And Britain’s health system can seem more     4     than those in most other rich countries. In England alone, some 3.8 m are waiting for mental-health treatment.

Those factors might explain why more people are     5     to medication. Another reason is increased awareness. Campaigns around depression and anxiety have been particularly successful in Britain. That is     6     a good thing. A reduction in humiliation (蒙羞) has encouraged more people to seek help. Taking antidepressants – or using mental-health services — has become much more acceptable.

But there is a     7     to this, as The Economist recently reported. Surveys suggest that Britons are increasingly     8     common human emotions, such as stress and grief, as mental illnesses. “You’re going to lose any sense of what mental illness is if you start to     9     it to 30%, 50% of the population,” says Adrian Massey, author of a book called “Sick-Note Britain”.

For all the focus on anxiety and depression in campaigns, severe mental illnesses still receive too little attention. This is a problem: according to the GBD, Britain has the highest rates of severe mental illness in Europe. The causes of such conditions are unclear, but seem to involve a     10     interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Illegal drug misuse, for which Britain has among the highest rates in the region, also plays a role.

6 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A．moral	B．fortunes	C．drastically	D．extinct
E．emerged	AB．approach	AC．claims	AD．cautiously
AE．ingredients	BC．managed	BD．object

Stressed out? Get chewing: can a wellness rebrand make Americans buy gum again?

When was the last time you saw someone chewing gum? 1998, maybe? 2007? Chances are, it probably wasn’t recently. Like high heels and affordable housing, chewing gum appears to be going     1    

Gum’s popularity has been fading globally thanks to increased competition from products like breath mints and mobile phones distracting us from impulse purchases while shopping. The pandemic, moreover,     2    ·accelerated gum’s decline.

Even after people     3     from lockdown, sales didn’t recover. Gum sales worldwide in 2023 were 10% below 2018 figures. In the US, the drop has been particularly pronounced: last year 1.2 billion units of gum were sold in the US, 32% fewer than in 2018.

However, chewing gum, in various forms, is one of the oldest habits there is. Stone age teenagers were chewing birch bar k tar possibly for pleasure, medicinal purposes, or to use it as a glue. Gum has also been loaded with cultural meaning and the subject of various     4     panics. Some people believe it is a marker of the bad kids or a habit of the lower class.

Despite a certain amount of social stigma（污名） attached to gum, it has - until relatively recently -been a wildly successful product. That’s thanks to William Wrigley Jr, who was a marketing and advertising genius. Wrigley always     5     to find a way to make gum relevant and insert it into consumer culture. For example, Wrigley advertised the idea that chewing gum was a health aid that would help digestion and would relieve stress.

This year the Wrigley brand’s owner —Mars— came out with an ad campaign it hopes will revive gum’s     6     by positioning it as an almost instant stress reliever. Linking gum with wellness worked in the 1910s, but is it going to work now? Alex Hayes at the food consultancy is     7     optimistic. “The global well ness market is estimated to be worth more than $1.5 trillion, so it’s no surprise that Mars wants a piece of the pie,” Hayes says. “We’ve seen the success of categories such as tea promoting their products via functional     8       and messaging-teas for good sleep, mental clarity, stress relief, etc. So it comes as no surprise that Mars is risking the same     9     .” But he also notes, customers are increasingly worried about processed foods and are eager to move away from artificial     10    . There’s still ongoing discussion on just how effective repositioning chewable plastic as a health supplement is going to be.

7 . 阅读下面短文，选择方框中合适的单词填入空格处。每个词只能使用一次。

A. increase     B. comparing     C. outdoor     D. nature     E. chances F. health     G. environments     H. gentle     I. interaction     J. promoting     K. creative

It’s widely accepted that exposure to a little dirt can be beneficial for health. This idea is supported by many studies suggesting that those who grow up in     1     with various microbes, such as farms, often have lower rates of diseases. This is believed to originate from their regular contact with a variety of microbial life.

In the 1970s, researchers discovered a soil bacterium with features that potentially reduces stress and boosts immune (免疫) response. This finding has contributed to the     2     of interest in the human microbiome (微生物群), leading people to focus on its development and applications.

Christopher A. Lowry, a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, suggests the major microbial diversity we encounter is simply through experiencing     3     in person. This interaction is crucial not just for children but adults as well, improving both mental and physical     4    . A Finnish study further demonstrated this by     5     children in kindergarten with either a forest floor or an artificial yard. Those in contact with the natural environment showed stronger immune systems, and the effects were consistent over time.

Researchers conclude that participating in     6     activities like mountain biking, hiking, and gardening not only exposes individuals to these helpful microbes but also helps reduce symtoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Gardening, for instance, offers a healing experience,     7     real connection with the soil as you plant and care for vegetables or flowers.

Moreover, creating habitats that attract wildlife or participating in community agriculture can also motivate one’s exposure to beneficial soil microbes. Websites like U-Pick Farm Locator and PickYourOwn.org offer     8     to participate in farming, even for those without their own garden space.

Getting invovled with soil and nature in     9     ways, such as making mud pies or building fairy gardens, proves effective in mental improvement. It echoes the idea that direct     10     with the earth can be profoundly satisfying and pleasant.

8 . 请在方框中选择合适的词汇，填入答题卡的空格中（只填代码），使短文完整连贯。
注意： (1) 每个选项至多只能使用一次； (2) 方框中有一个多余词汇。

A. take up       B. suggested       C. favorite       D. career       E. responded to       F. in shape G. down        H. at a certain time       I. to have completed       J. rather than       K. setting the record for

Mathea Allansmith isn’t your typical grandmother. She’s the oldest woman in the world     1     a marathon. She was 92 years 194 days old when she crossed the finish line at the 2022 Honolulu Marathon,     2     the oldest female to finish a marathon.

Mathea, now 94, of Koloa, Hawaii, USA, stays in shape all year round by running seven days a week, no matter what the weather is. Whether there is rain or sunshine, she covers 36 miles every week, even when she’s on holiday. The retired doctor didn’t     3     running until she was 46 years old—after a friend     4     she should run two miles per day.

“The Honolulu Marathon is my     5     marathon mainly because it doesn’t close the gate     6     , which allows even the slowest runner to finish the race,” she said. “It’s one of the best races.

Mathea, who doesn’t allow her age to slow her     7     , thinks she is the happiest person when she’s on the road. She enjoys running for miles and waving and saying hello to the people she passes. To stay in shape, Mathea keeps a steady training routine (惯例) . “I train all year round but increase the mileage (里程) 18 weeks before a marathon,” she said.

Mathea said it was her     8     as a doctor that allowed her to understand how her body and mind     9     diet and exercise. “I see the direct relation between moving and health,” she said. “It is important to reduce stress     10     ignoring it without a plan on how to do so. Of course, exercise of any kind is a natural stress reducer.”

10 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can onlybe used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A.function        B.total          C.worthwhile          D.distinguishing       E.achievements F.flowing   G.acknowledge   H.promising   I.treatment     J.prescribed     K.suffered

Over the last 150 years, the field of medicine has accomplished many astonishing things. Some of these medical     1     are well-known, antibiotics, vaccines and organ transplants, for example. Here are three success stories in the world of medical science.

Surviving without a Heart

On July 2, 2008, D’Zhana Simmons from South Carolina was given a heart transplant. She     2     Kfroma condition called dilated cardiomyopathy(扩张型心肌病), which meant that her heart was weakened and her blood wasn’t being pumped efficiently. Her new heart failed to     3     properly, so doctors fitted two pumps to keep her blood     4     while they went looking for a new heart. It was almost four months later, on October 29, that another transplant was carried out successfully. In     5    , she’d lived without a heart for 118 days. This is thought to be the longest a pediatric patient has been kept alive without any heart at all.

Waking People from Comas

In1999, a patient in a persistent vegetative state(植物人状态) due to a motor accident was seen to be twitching(抽动) by one of his nurses. His doctor     6     a common sleeping pill, zolpidem, in case this twitching was caused by discomfort. The doctor crushed it on a spoon, fed it to the patient, and was shocked when just half an hour later, the comatose(昏迷的)person made a noise for the first time in five years. This simple     7     has since been tried with several other patients with marvelous results. Not all patients respond--in fact, around forty percent don’t show any improvement--but those who are successfully rescued from their comas are finally able to     8     their loved ones, and even have conversations.

Restoring Sight to the Blind

Blindness is not a single, uniform condition; it can be variously caused by problems in the eyes, the nerves and the brain. Thanks to machine implants, people who were completely blind sometimes become capable of    9     colours and describing objects.

The device works like a digital camera, creating an image and then sending signals through nerve cells to the brain. Doctors were also able to restore sight to a man who had been blind for forty-three years; they did this with the help of stem cells, one of the most     10     fields in medicine. Neither of these treatments are yet perfect, but they show what science may be capable of in the future.