1 . 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. threat     B. originally     C. defense     D. reduced     E. potential     F. destructive G. unintentionally     H. enormous     I. released     J. astronomical     K. adapted

Our Unwelcome Guests

If you picnic in a Texas park, chances are that you'll encounter fire ants -- a troublesome pest renowned for their painful and irritating stings. This invasive (入侵的) species, like many others, is not only annoying but also expensive and       1    . From the vast landscapes of Texas to the exotic shores in China, non-native animals, plants, bacteria and viruses are damaging economies and ecosystems.

An invasive species is any kind of living thing that is foreign to a particular ecosystem and causes harm. Sometimes non-native species are imported       2    , like in the 1930s when cargo ships from South America accidentally took fire ants to North America. Other times non-native species are purposely brought in. For instance, certain Asian fish species,     3     imported from China to clean fish farms in the U. S., escaped and entered local rivers. Similarly, green iguanas were brought to China as pets, but some irresponsible owners     4     them into the wild. The same thing occurred in Florida with Burmese pythons.

The worldwide economic impact of introduced species is       5    . According to U. S. government estimates, invasive species cost the American economy over $120 billion annually. The economic impact of fire ants alone totals in the billions. Various U. S. agencies spend hundreds of millions fighting introduced species such as Asian carp, Africanized bees and Burmese pythons. In southern China, green iguanas are damaging irrigation systems, harming agricultural production and posing a       6     to the native reptile (爬行动物) populations.

Invasive species have the       7     to destroy their new habitats by upsetting the local ecosystems. They often lack natural predators (掠食者) in their new environment and out-compete native species for food and other resources. They may even prey on local species. In Florida, for instance, pythons have       8     some regional mammal populations by 90 percent. Additionally, Invasive species can also carry diseases against which local species have no natural       9    , resulting in the extinction of an entire native species.

Alarmingly, the National Wildlife Federation in the U. S. reports that, “Invasive species are among the primary dangers to native wildlife. Roughly 42 percent of endangered species are at risk due to invasive species.” Unless people take serious action, the economic and environmental costs connected to invasive species will become     10    .

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 purposeless   B. reminding   C. focus   D. aware   E. identify   F. managing G. attention   H. unrealistic   I. appeal   J. control   K. intelligent

When did the voice inside your head start talking? I became       1     of mine at about the age of 15. At night, I sometimes found it difficult to get to sleep because there was so much “mind chatter” inside my head.

In fact, mind chatter is quite common for human beings. Usually, whenever our       2     isn’t occupied, a stream of mental associations flows through our muds— thoughts about the future or the past, daydreams about alternative realities, or friends or celebrities. We often call this mental activity “thinking”, but this isn’t really accurate.

Real thinking suggests something active over which we have conscious(有意识的)     3    . It happens when we consciously use powers of reason and logic to make decisions and plans, organize our lives, solve problems and so on. But mind chatter isn’t like this. It’s random(随机的)and     4    , running through our head regardless of our desires and distracting us.

For example, imagine you’re thinking about what elective course to take for the next school year. As you are considering them, thoughts about your favorite subjects flood in,     5     you of a project that you really like. This makes you remember chatting with friends about some documentaries that       6     to young people. Suddenly, you remember the upcoming science fair and you worry about       7     your time. All these thoughts leave you struggling to       8    , and you end up seeking advice from classmates.

However, it’s       9     to expect to silence our mind chatter altogether. It’s such a natural part of our minds that it won’t disappear. We should accept it and treat I t as a kind of physiological process that takes place inside us but is not part of our identity. We don’t get our sense of identity from our digestion or blood circulation, so why should we       10     with the voice inside our head?

3 . 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.wrestling   B. approaches   C. preoccupied D. experimenting   E. dynamically F. bound   G. moderate   H. applies   I. inadequate   J. unitedly     K. integrity

Dare to be Dull

A big part of why spontaneous (即兴的) speaking feels so challenging is the desire to always say the right thing in the right way at the right time. But that leads to unnecessary self-evaluation and criticism, consuming precious mental energy and preventing you from     1     engaging in the moment. I often advise people to follow a spontaneous comedy saying: “Dare to be dull.” That is, don’t feel you are       2     to give an exceptional performance. Recognize that there is no single “correct” way to answer a question, give feedback or welcome a colleague —only better or worse       3    .

Another popular saying also       4     here: “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” Listeners are more likely to trust you when you speak like a man of       5     rather than an actor or a robot. For example, research shows that the most effective speech includes     6     use of fillers such as “um” and “ah.” So when you need to speak spontaneously, refocus your attention on your listeners instead of       7     with your inner critic. Attempting to serve their needs will take your mental spotlight off yourself, relieving the pressure you feel. Tell yourself that     8    , making mistakes, and learning during spontaneous interactions are normal.

Micah, a student of mine, was fearful that his class contributions would be seen as     9    . To avoid embarrassment, he planned and rehearsed the points he wanted to make. But because he was always working to remember them and find the right time to use them, he was     10     and failed to get the most out of discussions. With my help he focused on silencing his inner critic. He began offering more ideas, sometimes imperfectly formed, and in just a few weeks he became less anxious and more confident.

4 . 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. replacing     B. tolerate       C. extremes        D. experiencing          E. average F. estimates       G. impact       H. reserved   I. assess       J. cover       K. continued

Urban Trees Are Threatened by Climate Change

By 2050, about three-quarters of the species will be at risk as a result of climate change, a study has found. Cities around the world may need to start planting different types of trees and shrubs that can     1     warmer and drier conditions.

“By ‘at risk’, we mean these species might be     2     stressful climatic conditions,” says Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez at Western Sydney University in Australia. “Those trees are likely to die.”

City trees have many benefits, from making urban spaces look beautiful and providing a refuge for wildlife to keeping places up to 12°C cooler than they would otherwise be in summer. Losing tree     3     would lead to cities becoming even hotter as the planet heats up.

To     4     the threat, Esperon Rodriguez and his colleagues used database called the Global Urban Tree Inventory to work out the conditions required by 3100 tree and shrub species currently grown in 164 cities worldwide. The researchers then looked at how these conditions would be affected by climate change under medium-emissions scenario known as RCP 6.0.

By 2050, 76 per cent of these species will be at risk from rising     5     temperatures and 70 percent from decreasing rainfall, the team concludes.

The study doesn’t take account of       6     urban growth, which could warm cities even faster. Nor does it take account of greater weather     7     caused by climate change, or the effects of pests and diseases. Warmer conditions are allowing more pests, such as bark beetles, to survive winters as well as to reproduce faster in summer, greatly increasing their     8    .

“Our     9     have scientific basis,” says Esperon-Rodriguez. There are some things that can be done to help trees survive. The best strategy is to choose tough species when     10     trees or planting new ones, the team concludes.

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.normally     B. boost     C. sustain     D. gains   E. assessing   F. substantially G. efforts        H. mixed       I. surprising       J. anticipate            K. assigned

Your Social-Media Detoxes (脱瘾治疗) Probably Aren’t Helping You

We’ve all heard the supposed benefits of unplugging from digital devices, even for 24 hours. Such breaks are said to     1     self-confidence, reduce social competitiveness and fears of missing out, and make room for more-enriching, in-person interactions. Yet studies exploring those effects have produced     2     results. So a global research team set out to systematically test the idea that social media detoxing delivers meaningful psychological     3    .

The researchers recruited 600 undergraduate students in three places: the United States, the United Kingdom, and Hong Kong. All participants were randomly     4     to keep away from social media on either the first or the second day of a two-day experiment. On the other day, they were to interact with digital platforms as they     5     would. Each evening they answered survey questions aimed at    6     various aspects of well-being. Contrary to the researchers’ expectations, the one-day detox made no noticeable impact on positive or negative emotions, self-confidence, or daily satisfaction. When it did have an effect, it decreased daily satisfaction and social relatedness, although the changes were not significant once the analysis was adjusted to control for gender. Just as     7    , people didn’t use the time freed up from looking at screens for other forms of socializing. In fact, they reported     8     lower levels of face-to-face, phone, and email interactions on their detoxing days.

Even short social-media breaks can be hard to     9     — indeed, only half the participants in the experiment did what was required and these results suggest that they may not be worth the     10    . “We did not find any evidence that social media detoxing for one day had significant positive impacts on psychological well-being,” the researchers write.

6 . Direction: 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. addressing       B. adoption       C. attend       D. budgeting       E. cautions F. correspond       G. extended       H. hesitancy       I. packages       J. regardless K. rigid

Top work-life balance benefits for 2023

“Flexibility is the gold standard of work-life balance benefits,” says Jonathan Pas, health care leader at consulting firm Mercer.

It’s no surprise then that two years after the pandemic forced most office workers to perform their jobs remotely. 78% of employers say they’ll allow employees to continue doing so regularly in 2023, according to a Mercer survey. But there’s still some     1    : only 9% say they will allow employees to work remotely daily.

    2    , flexibility around when employees work is just as important as where. In the survey, 66% of employers said they would offer flexible work schedules over the course of a typical work day, such as specific times during the week to     3     to personal matters and four-day work weeks. Employees no longer want to organize their personal life around a(n)     4     work schedule but instead want the two interwoven, so they can decide what to prioritize and when.

Pas     5     against making hollow promises about a company’s commitment to work-life balance. “If employees feel a disconnection between programs that are rolled out and what senior leaders really expect, credibility is questioned, and the goodwill created through the program is denied.” He cites paid time off to volunteer, which almost half (45%) of companies say they will add to their benefits     6     next year.

Other benefits requiring a broader organizational buy-in are sabbaticals(公休假) and unlimited vacation days. Both benefits encourage employees to pursue interests outside of work with     7     periods off. Still, if they feel a dishonour associated with taking advantage of them, they’ll be hesitant to do so. The relatively low     8     rates for 2023, though—only 12% for sabbaticals and 15% for unlimited vacation—indicate that employers are still against paying employees not to work.

Instead, they prefer to find new ways to give employees more money, with the rise of employer-funded lifestyle accounts, which are often reserved for big-ticket items that might otherwise require some     9    . Nevertheless, only 12% of employers said they would add lifestyle accounts in 2023, and 70% said they are considering them, which could indicate a trend on the horizon.

But perhaps the most telling statistic about the importance of     10     work-life balance is the number of companies that said they don’t plan to offer any additional benefits to support work-life balance: a mere 5%.

8 . 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. live B. adapted C. perspective D. maximize E. costumes F. inject G. credited H. directorial I. publicity J. prospect K. integrated

Young Chinese opera director broadens traditional art form

“Chinese opera art is like a huge sponge, constantly absorbing, transforming, merging and flourishing,” says traditional Chinese opera director Li Zhuoqun, who is     1    with creating a market for traditional opera shows in small theaters across China.

Performed in 2013, Li Zhuoqun’s first     2    work “Death Do Us Part” is a story     3    from the 14th-century Chinese classic novel “Water Margin”. Li, a graduate of the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, says that performing this classic piece for today’s audience is an experiment and a challenge.

“We decided to shorten the divorce scene that lasted four or five days in order to     4     the effect of our vocals and dramatic performances. We also invited modern dancers to work with us. We     5    the performance methods of traditional opera with the rhythm of modern dance.”

Li defines her team as “small, deep, refined and broad”. She explained, “‘Small’ in its size, volume and     6    . ‘Deep’ refers to our performance and the depth of the script. ‘Refined’ refers to the production of the     7     makeup, props, sound and light. ‘Broad’ refers to its     8     and operation.”

“We target all ages and a wider audience.” To Li, traditional opera is “the art of regret” due to the unique charm of     9     performances. She aims to allow the audience to enjoy every minute of the show and draw more people to the theater. Li said, “We hope to find a possibility for small theater opera to make a breakthrough in terms of the market and target audience. With the development of aesthetics (审美) and society, our generation needs to     10    a wider and more varied artistic vocabulary into traditional opera. Yet it should still develop on the basis of maintaining the characteristics of traditional opera.”

9 . Choose the suitable word or phrase from A--O to fill in the blanks to make the passage grammatically and coherently correct.

A. down       B. across       C. make       D. pull       E. set out F. terrible       G. explorer       H. strategies       I. carried       J. ran out of K. determined       L. expedition       M. achievement       N. disappointed       O. a pair of

The race to the South Pole is a famous story. Captain Scott and a Norwegian     1     called Ronald Amundsen both wanted to get there first. They both prepared for many months, but in the end their    2     for reaching the pole were very different：Amundsen used dogs to    3     his sleds and Scott used motorized sleds and horses. Amundsen had good weather during his     4    , but Scott had bad weather. When Scott’s team     5     from the hut on 1 November 1911, there were     6     snowstorms and the sleds broke     7    . After a few weeks, the horse died and most of his team turned back. In the end, only five men     8    on to the South Pole: Scott, Oates, Evans, Bowers and Wilson.

On 17 January 1912, Scott’s team reached the Pole and came     9     the Norwegian flag——Amundsen’s team were there before them and were already racing back to tell the world. Tired and     10    , Scott’s team made their way back home, but they     11     food and got lost in snowstorms; they did not     12     it.

In Scott’s Hut, there is still    13     old explorer’s boots. Scott wore these boots for years and they are dirty and broken, but they’re very special too. They tell us Scott’s story--that he was hard-working, ambitious and     14    , and that he pushed himself to the limit. Although the attempt was unsuccessful, Scott never gave up, and that’s an amazing     15    .

10 . Choose the suitable word from A--O to fill in the blanks to make the sentences grammatically and coherently correct.

A.pressure       B.effect        C.fear D.blame             E.reliable F.extreme       G.ambitious       H.factors       I.vividly             J.converted K.solution       L.canyon       M.theme       N.independent       O.located

1. Why do I always get the ___________ for her mistakes?
2. Love is the common___________ of many of Shakespeare’s sonnets (十四行诗).
3. We need to take into consideration all the___________ in an issue before making a decision.
4. Living in a modern competitive society, we need to learn to handle ___________in our daily life.
5. They are trying every means to find a/an ___________ to this problem.
6. Some strategies can be used to develop___________ thinking.
7. In making a presentation, it is important to use data from a/an___________ source.
8. I have a/an___________ of water because I was nearly drowned when swimming in a pool.
9. This movie shows Scott’s expedition___________ as if we were there with them.
10. Queenstown is a beautiful city___________ at Lake Wakatipu in the south of New Zealand.
11. Captain Robert Scott’s amazing achievement encouraged people to be hard-working, ___________. courageous and persistent.
12. This farm has been___________ into a school for one class of difficult students.
13. I really enjoyed this show because the teacher had such a positive___________ on the students.
14. Why do you think people enjoy doing___________ sports such as bungee jumping or rock-climbing?
15. The Shotover River is at the bottom of a deep___________ with high rocks on each side.