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. competing     B. incredibly     C. issued     D. influential     E. barely F. hosting     G. highlight       H. stage     I. diagnosis     J. related K. commitment

Shanghai Is Full Speed Ahead

After decades of experience in the field, Shanghai is strengthening its reputation as a global leader in     1     top-level, professional sports events.

Last month’s Shanghai Sailing Open, held from March 26—31 on Dishui Lake, was a typical example of the city’s world-famous excellence, attracting over 300 competitors, including a six—time world champion of Poland, a gold medalist at the Hangzhou Asian Games, and China’s former Olympic champion Xu Lijia;     2     in sailboats and yachts, sailors sang praise on the competition environment and overall atmosphere of the event.

Shanghai’s     3     to developing its sports scene has been key to this success. In 2015, the Shanghai government     4     a plan to speed up the development of its sports industry, including a proposal to develop the city into a world-renowned sports hub within 10 years.

According to the “2023 Shanghai sports event influence     5     report”, Shanghai held 118 major sports events last year, with 36 of those international-level events, including the ATP 1000 Shanghai Masters, the Shanghai Marathon, and the Shanghai Half Marathon, which were rated as the city’s most     6     sports events last year.

This year, besides the recent Shanghai Sailing Open and various district-organized half marathon events, the city will continue to     7     sports competitions such as the Shanghai Half Marathon, the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, and the Olympic Qualifier Series.

The success of sports development in Shanghai is closely     8     to a policy of top-level construction. In addition to top—level international competitions, top—tier home teams, and professional leagues, brand events are staged year-round to     9     the city’s characteristics. Linking sports with culture, commerce, tourism, and exhibitions is another feature of the city’s sports environment, helping to     10     maximize the economic benefits. Spectators can expect to be treated to the very best in urban sports and that organizers will strive to provide a warm atmosphere of sports, art, music, and culture.

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. emerge          B. absorbing            C. subject          D. defining          E. movement F. originally       G. course            H. universally        I. happens        J. constant       K. corresponds

How Long Is a Second?

The length of a second depends on how you’re measuring it. There are 24 hours in a day, 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute — so surely a second is 1/86400, of a day, right? Well, it turns out that     1     time isn’t that simple.

“The second was     2     based on the length of the day,” Peter Whibberley, a senior scientist at the National Physical Laboratory in the U.K., told Live Science. “People observed the sun passing overhead and started measuring its     3     using sundials (日晷). However, sundials have a few disadvantages. Aside from the obvious problem of not being able to read a sundial when the sun isn’t visible, relying on Earth’s daily turning is surprisingly inaccurate. “The turning is not precisely     4    ,” Whibberley said. “The Earth speeds up and slows down over time.” So how can we precisely measure time if using the length of a day is so unreliable?

In the 16^th century, people turned to technological solutions to this problem, and the first recognizable mechanical clocks began to     5    . The earliest mechanical clocks, which were designed to click at a specific frequency, averaged over the     6     of a year.

By around 1940, quartz crystal clocks (石英钟) had become the new gold standard. However, problems arose, and this was where atomic clocks came in. “Atoms exist only in particular energy states and can only change from one state to another by     7     or giving out a fixed amount of energy,” Whibberley explained. “That energy     8     to a precise frequency, so you can use that frequency as a reference for time keeping.” The astronomical second continued to vary. Every few years, scientists must add a second to allow Earth’s slowing turning to keep up with atomic time.

In fact, scientists are discussing whether it’s time to redefine the second again. But while several important questions still need to be answered before this     9    , it’s clear that the strictly correct definition of a second is     10     to change.

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. houses   B. approaching   C. appear   D. talent   E. exclusively F. lowered   G. hiding   H. limits   I. dramatically   J. natural   K. sensitive

Dolphin Senses

New research involving trained dolphins seems to further prove that these animals can sense electricity. The     1     may allow them to better lock onto hidden fish hunted and direct the path.

The ability to sense electric fields is known as electroreception(电感受). All animals produce a weak electric field, but electroreception has almost     2     been found in water creatures. About a decade ago, scientists published research suggesting that some dolphins have passive electroreception. And in 2021, researchers in Germany released their own study finding that dolphins likely have it, too.

This new research is a follow-up to that latter study by the same team—one intended to better describe the     3     of electroreception in bottlenose dolphins. The researchers teamed up with scientists from the Nuremberg Zoo, which currently     4     six dolphins. They specifically worked with two bottlenose dolphins named Donna and Dolly. They first trained them to rest their jaws on a metal bar in the water, and then to respond to an electric field     5     them by swimming away within five seconds. They then gradually     6     the strength of this field to test the dolphins’ sensitivity.

The findings further prove that bottlenose dolphins can indeed sense electricity, but suggest that some dolphins are better at it than others. Donna, for instance, was a bit more     7     and able to respond correctly to a weaker field than Dolly.

The electroreception found in dolphins doesn’t     8     to be as strong as it is in the typical shark, but it’s probably still useful enough for them to find fish     9     underneath sand, stones or mud within a few centimeters away. Other studies have suggested that dolphins also possess a sense that acts as a sort of     10     GPS for them. So these dolphins’ electroreception might provide an explanation for that ability as well, Huttner said.

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. carved          B. unknowingly            C. ecosystem          D. artificial          E. elemental F. changing       G. practically        H. wrinkled        I. unmoving          J. species       K. inspection

Magical Creatures: AN APPRECIATION OF AUTUMN MOTH (蛾)

Moths seem to have a bit of a bad reputation: to some they are ill indications or something scary, to others they are dull in comparison to our well-loved butterflies. But moths are an essential part of a(n)     1    , and important food sources for species like birds and bats. And for me, moths are far from dull.

My first meeting with an Angle Shades moth was nearly a non-encounter. I almost passed by without noticing it, thinking it was a fallen leaf on a fence post. But there was something about it that stopped me in my tracks. Its angular shape perhaps? Or the way it sat,     2    , despite the breeze. Closer     3     revealed cream and buff shell-shaped wings, painted with triangles of light pink and brown. Suddenly, it transformed from a(n)     4     leaf into a living thing before my eyes. I’ve been fascinated ever since.

The Canary-shouldered Thorn, with its hairy buttercup-coloured body and yellow and orange wings, reminds me of a fallen silver birch (白桦树) leaf. A night-flyer, it favours gardens and woodlands, and is often drawn to     5     light, meaning that your torch beam may be attracting moths as well as lighting your way in the dark. It’s also worth double-checking any leaves in farm houses, as these sheltered spots are a favourite hiding place of another overwintering     6    : the Herald moth. This elegant creature’s beautiful wings look as though they’ve been     7     by hand and painted with bronze.

There’s more to these imitators than fallen leaves. The Green-spotted Crescent, which     8     disappears on rough branches, has metallic green spots integrating with the moss (苔藓). Maybe I’ve already     9     crossed paths with one, though. As we dig out our big coats and slip on boots for walks beneath branches, how many moths are we missing? These clever creatures aren’t bad indications, but     10     parts of nature, with a gift for fancy-dress.

5 . 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.Regularly     B.factors   C.smooth       D.inner          E.wrists       F.hurtful G.prevention   H.affect   I.effectively     J.maintained        K.determined

This is the best bedtime to avoid heart disease

The time you go to bed may have something to do with your risk for heart disease. In fact, researchers say, there is a heart health sweet spot for falling asleep: from 10 to 11 p.m.

The body has a 24-hour    1    clock that helps regulate physical and mental functioning. “Our study suggests that early or late bedtimes may be more likely to disturb the body clock, with    2    consequences for cardiovascular (心血管的) health,“ said Plans, who is a senior lecturer in the University of Exeter in the U. K.

To explore how different bedtimes might     3     heart health, Plans and colleagues at Huma, turned to UK Biobank, a biomedical database (数据库). UK Biobank    4     information about more than 500, 000 volunteers and provided information about their personal information, lifestyles and health. Their physical health records were also evaluated.

The researchers focused on 88,926 adults, average age 61, who wore devices that record data when a person moves on their    5     for seven days. With the devices data, the researchers     6    the times of sleep start and waking.

During an average follow-up period of 5.7 years, 3,172 of the people on the list (3.6 percent) experienced cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or heart failure-happening was highest among people with sleep times at midnight or later and lowest among those who fell asleep from 10 to10: 59 p.m.

Even when a number of    7     were taken into account —including age, gender,   sleep duration, being an early bird or night owl, smoking status, blood pressure—falling asleep    8    at midnight or later was still linked to the highest increased risk of heart disease.

“The new study really strengthens what we know from a cardiovascular risk    9    opinion—sleep is a risk factor,” said Dr. Francoise Marvel, an assistant professor and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Digital Health Lab at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore. “But there is a huge important gap to recognize: There is no evidence to suggest at this point that improving sleep will    10    reduce cardiovascular events, like heart attack.”

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

A. captained   B. break   C. matters   D. represented   E. launch    F. battle   G. risk   H. mercy     I. crime   J. strike   K. waves

Pirates had existed for as long as man had sailed the seas. In the 1600s, the sight of the Jolly Roger would     1     fear into the hearts of even the bravest seamen, and it was at this time that they truly began to rule the     2    .

The colonisation of the New World and the birth of the slave trade meant that the oceans were crowded with richly loaded merchant (商人) ships, and many men and women turned to a life of     3     on the high seas. And what a life it was! A bottle of rum (朗姆酒) at breakfast, and a day spent stalking ships and trading spoils in pirate havens.

These hives (聚居地) of villainy, hidden away on islands in the Caribbean and Indian Oceans, served as     4     sites for attacks on enemy outposts and merchant ships. Here, pirates could repair their ships away from the watchful eye of the Navy, while taverns and gambling halls provided welcome     5     for pirates who had spent months at sea.

Over the years, pirates’ lives became easier and even more lucrative. Sailors knew these bandits were skilled, well-armed, and willing to     6     it all— the chance of winning a battle with them was slim. Ships that did put up a fight were shown no     7    , so their best option was to raise the white flag and surrender.

However, as the problem of piracy grew, merchant communities began to take     8     into their own hands, arming and equipping ships at their own expense to protect commerce. These ships,     9     by ‘privateers’, were licensed by the crown and could attack any enemy ship. Over time, the line between privateer and pirate became unclear.

In a world where native populations were being wiped out or bound in chains, pirate life     10     freedom and democracy. It’s easy to see why many found it hard to resist the spoils of the Golden Age of Piracy.

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. motivate       B. accidentally       C. highlighting       D. plantations       E. engaging F. apparent       G. purpose H. sensitive       I. increasingly       J. decent       K. treat

Ball- Rolling Bumble Bees Just Wanna Have Fun

Playtime isn’ t just for children. Lab- kept bumble bees roll small wooden balls around for no

    1     purpose other than fun, a new study reveals. It supports evidence that bees experience pleasure,    2     the importance of protecting them in the wild and treating them well in their natural habitats.

“It is super cool,” says Elizabeth Tibbetts, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Michigan. “We usually think about insects as being so different that they lack complex behaviors.” But not everyone is convinced the behavior is in fact play.

Lars Chittka, a behavioral ecologist at Queen Mary University of London, and his colleagues    3     came across the new evidence. The team was studying how bumble bees learn complex behaviors from their comrades by training the insects to move wooden balls to specific locations. If a bee moved a ball to the right place, it got a sugary     4    . The researchers noticed that some bees moved the balls even when no reward was offered. They just seemed to like going back to them and playing around with them and rolling them all over the place. The careful design of the experiments has convinced him the bees are indeed     5     in play.

Because play implies a capacity to experience emotions, documenting it in insects could have    6     implications. Insects are     7     being raised for animal feed, and there are no regulations governing their welfare. Honey bees are also known to become stressed and more     8     to disease and bee communities collapse when industrialized beekeepers transport them long distances on trucks to     9     and vast fields without diverse flowers nearby, Chittka says. The researchers hope their findings might also     10     greater fellow feeling for — and protection of — wild insects.

9 . 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. nutritional   B. objected   C. sustainable   D. comparison   E. motivational   F. projected G. necessarily   H. popularity     I. unsweetened       J. previously   K. source

Plant-based Milk

There are nutritional differences between types of milk, from oat to soy to cow’s. Plant-based milks have been growing in     1     for years, but the nutritional content of different milks and milk alternatives vary, with disagreements between brands too. The global dairy alternatives market is     2     to grow from $22.25 billion in 2021 to $53.97 billion in 2028, according to a report by Fortune Business Insights. In February 2022, the world’s first potato milk launched in the UK, which bills itself as “the most     3     plant-based dairy alternative on the market.”

While some people choose dairy alternatives, cow’s milk is an excellent     4     of calcium, protein, and vitamin D. It’s also working better than water when people feel thirsty, according to a small study by St Andrews University in Scotland. However, some people stay away from dairy because of intolerance of the mouthfeel or environmental concerns, and for some, the     5     factor is health. Nutritional reports of milks vary, with some offering more fiber, fat, protein, carbs, sugar, and calories than others.

Dietitians recommend choosing fortified plant-based milks. Plant-based milks are not     6     “healthier” than dairy, and when following a plant-based diet, dietitians recommend ensuring your dairy-free milk alternatives are fortified with essential vitamins and minerals. “Fortified means that they are added by the manufacturer and so will be on the ingredients list, or advertised on the front,” dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine     7     told Insider.

“Choose milk alternatives that are fortified with vitamins such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D, in addition to the minerals calcium and iodine,” she said. The     8     content of milk varies in terms of protein, carbs, and fiber. Cow’s milk, for example, contains lots of calcium and vitamin D, as well as protein. Soy milk is often fortified with calcium, and is also high in protein. For the purpose of this     9    , Insider selected popular brands of each milk, selecting     10     options wherever possible, per cup. Here’s some nutritional information on our website to bear in mind when choosing which milk to have in your coffee, on your cereal, or alongside a cookie.

10 . 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. inclusion     B. significant     C. exclude   D. implement   E. saving   F. house G. confirmed   H. interconnected     I. desirability       J. ambitious   K. concentrating

Plans revealed for high-tech “10-minute city” in Seoul

The idea of a “15-minute city”, in which residents can all reach work and leisure facilities within a quarter-hour walk — or cycle — of their homes, has gained     1     attention among urban planners during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Now, a group of architects is planning an even more     2     neighborhood in South Korea’s capital, Seoul: a 10-minute city.

Named “Project H1”, the development is set to transform an old industrial site into a(n)     3     “smart” city. Combining eight residential buildings with co-working offices and study spaces, the 125-acre district is also set to     4     entertainment sites, fitness centers, swimming pools and even urban farms.

Designed by Dutch architecture firm UNStudio and backed by a real estate firm, the neighborhood will also be completely car-free. A press release for the project claimed that “all the conveniences of the city” will be within a 10-minute walk of people’s homes.

In a statement, UNStudio co-founder Ben van Berkel said that residents’ “daily life experience” is the project’s “top priority”.

“We do this through the     5     of a rich density of uplifting, on-site experiences that provide an extensive range of options for how they can spend their living, working and leisure time, thereby also     6     them the time needed to travel elsewhere in the city,” he is quoted as saying.

A spokesperson for UNStudio     7     that project has been green-lit but did not reveal when it is likely to break ground.

The architects also said that clean energy will be produced on site, while systems to capture and store rain are being designed to reduce water use.

Critics have suggested that the concept could cause urban renewal by further     8     wealth in the most accessible and convenient districts. The     9     of “15-minute” neighborhoods may, in turn, result in home prices that     10     low-income and marginalized communities. But the Covid-19 pandemic has seen growing interest in the concept.