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.

Protecting friendship

A. appreciation	B. committed	C. marking	D. determined	E. shifted	F. reference
G. coinciding	H. thrown	I. attempt	J. portraying	K. line

For the last 50 years, giant pandas from China have captured the hearts of people in the US.

A “Pandaversary Night” party was    1    on Aug 24 at the Chinese embassy (大使馆) in Washington,    2    the 50th anniversary of giant pandas’ arriving in the US capital. And the Smithsonian’s National Zoo expects the panda craze to last for several more years.

“Giant pandas are worthy ambassadors. They have much longer tenures (任期) than each of the Chinese ambassadors here, and they have many more fans than us,” Chinese Ambassador to the United States Qin Gang said at the reception. “Year by year, giant pandas have become an icon of mutual    3    and friendship between the two peoples. In particular, the arrival of Xiao Qi Ji (Little Miracle) two years ago has brought us a happy surprise.”

He was referring to the cub’s birth in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic,       4    with the deterioration of China-US bilateral relations to its lowest point in four decades.

The ambassador noted that the number of giant pandas in the wild in China has increased from several hundred 50 years ago to more than 1,800, which meant the species is no longer “endangered”, thanks to unrelenting (持续的) efforts at protection and conservation.

“But sadly, ‘panda-huggers’ are endangered. Now they need protection and conservation,” he said, in    5     to China-US relations, with hawkish (强硬的) US politicians increasingly seeking to “outcompete” China by    6    the country as a challenger or even a threat to the US.

“China’s approach to panda diplomacy has    7     to serve more of a tool to project soft power”, New York Times said in a recent article.

In addition to Xiao Qi Ji, another panda – Kung Fu Panda – was also made in the US. “I still remember a/an    8    from it: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it’s called present!” Qin declared. “At present, we get together to cherish the wonderful gift of the panda. We need more pandas, and we also need more ‘panda-huggers’.”

“I’m absolutely    9    to 50 more years of giant panda care and protection, so I look forward to working with our colleagues in China, as we are     10    about the future for our giant panda program,” said Brandie Smith, director of the National Zoo.

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. affect             B. challenge        C. controlled        D. change          E. evolved        F. extinction G. happening       H. key                 I. measure            J. minimize        K. warning

The Antarctic: Key to Planet Earth

The first people to reach the South Pole—in modern times, anyway—were Roald Amundsen and the Norwegian Antarctic expedition, in December 1911. Explorers had been trying to reach the Antarctic for over a hundred years because it represented the serious     1     : the coldest and windiest continent in the world.

Nowadays, scientists from over 27 countries work in the Antarctic all year round and there is even a small amount of tourism in the summer months. Since the 1960s, people have come to realize that the Antarctic holds the     2     to the history of our planet.

Antarctica has preserved valuable evidence of the natural history of our planet. Evidence from fossils shows how life     3     during geological time. The Antarctic has a crucial role to play in helping us understand global     4     .

The Antarctic provides valuable information about what is currently     5     to the ozone layer and about global warming. Scientists are also discovering that the ice sheet may contribute to changes in sea level. What happens in Antarctica will     6     the world’s climate and the world’s oceans. This is why the Antarctic is now one of the most     7     regions of the world, in terms of regulations concerning pollution.

Up until the 1960s, some species of whale and seal were driven almost to     8     by human activities in Antarctica. However, due to greater environmental awareness, all plants and animals in Antarctica are now protected by regulation. Commercial fishing is strictly limited and severe measures aim to     9     illegal fishing. There are also strict measures to control marine pollution.

Antarctica provides information on the past, present and future of our planet, and controls major issues in the rest of the world. In this sense, Antarctica is a(n)     10     because it tells us what we have done wrong. It is also a lesson because the regulations in force there show us what can be done and what must be done for the environment. It is up to us to listen and act, before it is too lat.

3 . 请用方框中词组的正确形式完成句子，并将答案书写在答题纸的相应位置上，每个词组只使用一次。(方框中有两个选项为多余选项)

apply for, fall apart, other than, rather than, sweep away, take control of, work out

1. The work was never finished and bit by bit the building ________.
2. How many jobs had you ________ before you were offered this one?
3. Things have been running a lot more smoothly ever since Sarah ________ the project.
4. ________ driving around all day looking for somewhere to park, why don’t you take a bus into town?
5. At least 3,500 houses ________ by flash floods in one week caused by ongoing rains in the Coast Region.

4 . 用所选词组适当形式填空，有两项为多余选项。

settle down;              anything but;              stick with;              no wonder;              in response to;              make up for fall on;                    pass down;              draw on;                    in store;                    in particular;              appeal to

1. Running was a hobby that she ________ in college, and it helped her to cope with stress in study.
2. It was some time before the door opened ________ his ring.
3. To win the battle against COVID-19 is ________ an easy job.
4. “Know thyself” is an old saying ________ through the ages, which encourages us to engage in self-exploration.
5. Later, man began to ________ in the places where food and water were plentiful.
6. There will be a big surprise ________ for him when he gets home tonight!
7. Years ago, we ________ the results of his study to conduct our further research, thus making a great breakthrough.
8. The police ________ the crowd not to panic (恐慌) and to stay where they were.
9. Since the beginning of the 19th century, America has had trouble with environmental problems, air pollution ________.
10. ________ you can’t find anybody here; they are all away at a meeting.

5 . 请用方框中的短语完成句子。

addicted to   apply for   looking forward to   in ruins   take control of

1. Mike is ______ computer games.
2. After the earthquake, the whole city was ______.
3. We are really ______ seeing you again.
4. Students are encouraged to ______ their own learning.
5. Kate is planning to go to Iceland for holiday. She will ______ a visa soon.

6 . 选词填空

admit     affair     confirm     consist     happen     humiliate     maintain     surround

1. He said he didn’t want to __________ her in front of her colleagues.
2. My aunt __________ to be out when I paid her a visit last weekend.
3. Few people nowadays are able to __________ friendships into adulthood.
4. China is playing an increasingly important role in international __________.
5. So far, no one __________ breaking the window, which annoys him very much.
6. Usually, an article __________ of 3 parts, an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
7. When I was small, I __________ by love and kindness and I felt really happy.
8. If you have booked a room in advance, please call me to __________ your reservation.

7 . Directions: Complete the following passages 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. selected        B. distinctive     C. signature       D. odds     AB. domestication       AC. decided AD. individuals   BC. tamest     BD. conflicted     CD. mixed     ABC. develop

If you see a house cat, the    1    are high that it will have white paws, a look that many owners affectionately call“socks.” But socks are rarely seen in wildcats, the elusive and undomesticated cousin of the house cat, so why do so many pet cats sport furry white feet?

As it turns out, this story started about 10,000 years ago, when humans and cats     2       life was better together.

This    3    eventually led to uber-prevalent socks on cats, as well as other well-known coat patterns, said Leslie Lyons, professor emerita and head of the Feline Genetics Laboratory at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine.

“As humans became farmers and started staying in one place, they had grain stores and waste piles” that attracted rodents, Lyons said. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement: the humans had fewer rodents to deal with and the cats got an easy meal.

The wild, undomesticated ancestor species of house cats, Felis silvestris, lives in Africa and Eurasia. These felines are tasty snacks as kittens and stealthy predators as adults, so     4     born with a coat that offers camouflage (保护色) have tended to survive and reproduce.

But not every F. silvestiis is born with a coat that blends into its habitat.

“Genetic mutations are occurring all the time.” Lyons said.

There isn’t much evidence to indicate why early cat people chose the individuals they did, but Lyons said the range of coats seen on modern domestic cats shows that our agrarian ancestors favored cats with markings that would have     5    with their camouflage.

In its native mixed forest or scrub desert environment, a cat with stark white paws would have stood out to predators and prey.

When humans started taking an interest in cats, these white paws would have stood out to them, too. “There were probably people saying, ‘I particularly like that kitten because it has white feet . Let’s make sure it survives’”, Lyons said.

Humans probably also    6    cats who were calm and comfortable around humans, Lyons said. Behavioral traits seem unrelated to coat color, but for reasons that scientists don’t fully understand, white spots tend to appear when the     7    individuals are selected and bred.

These    8    fur colors and markings emerge while a cat embryo is developing. The cells that give cat fur its color first appear as neural crest cells, which are located along what will become the back, Lyons said.

Then, those cells slowly migrate down and around the body. If those waves of cells move far enough to meet each other on the cat’s front side, the embryo will be born a solid-colored kitten, such as an all-black or all-orange cat. Felines     9    white feet, faces, chests and bellies when these cells don’t quite make it all the way.

So, the next time you see a kitty wearing white socks, you’ll know that this     10     feature is a result of genetic mutations, domestication and developmental biology. Although if you try telling the cat that, it will probably just look at you quizzically before sauntering away.

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

A. feature       B. rejections       C. indescribable        D. drawing        E. noted       F. lives G. hit            H. intentional        I. resolved          J. setting        K. band

Jack London: A Fascinating Character

When one mentions Jack London, the most common contemporary references that pop to mind are The Call of the Wild and White Fang. However, upon a closer look at the author, the true depth of how varied and interesting his life and works were can really be     1    .

London is considered America’s best author by many. Most successful and at ease writing short stories, he was also the first author to become genuinely wealthy during his lifetime from selling his work. However, this did not happen overnight: in fact, London received 600     2     before his first story was published for a spread out payment of $5.

During his 40 years, London seemed to have lived 1000     3    . By the age of 18, he had already worked as a coal miner, worked on sealing ships and can factories, and been in a(n)     4     of beggars. At 17, he went to jail in Buffalo, NY for 30 days due to the latter, an experience which proved to be one that even the productive writer himself called     5    .

When he did return to his formal education, he completed high school and then attended UC Berkley, which had been a major dream for him. However, he stopped after just one semester as he ran out of money and carried on to     6     the Klondike Gold Rush with his brother-in-law. That would later be the       7     for some of his most famous works. It was also in the Yukon that London became very ill and began writing. When he returned home, he     8     to become a commercially successful writer and began to write 1000 words daily. He wrote of adventure, politics, humanity, survival, often     9     from a large number of him personal experiences.

London died at the age of 40, from a drug overdose. It is not known whether it was     10     or not, as he made many references to suicide throughout his works.

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

A. disadvantage B. notably     C. energetic   D. insufficient   E. alternate F. evolved     G. contribution   H. periodic   I. withdrawal   J. coexist     K. adjusted

The degree to which seasonal changes affect mood, energy, sleep, appetite, food preference, or the wish to socialize with other people has been called seasonality. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a condition where depressions in fall and winter     1     with non-depression periods in spring and summer, is the most marked form of seasonality.

The typical symptoms of     2     winter depression include lowered mood, social     3    , increased appetite and weight gain. Mild or no symptoms often occur in spring and summer. It is argued that such pattern of depression occurrence forms an adaptive mechanism which enhances the likelihood of reproductive success, most     4     for females, among populations living at temperate latitudes(纬度). Women are more likely to become pregnant in the summer and thus to give birth at a time of year when their babies have a higher chance of survival. Low chance of summer depression also indicates     5     individuals and promotes healthier pregnancies, which increase the survival chances of both mothers and babies. In the modern era, it is probable that repeated winter depression is becoming a reproductive     6    .

Several lines of evidence also suggest that genetic factors play an important role in the seasonality and SAD. Millions of years of evolution had     7     human biochemical systems for survival under equatorial(赤道的) environmental conditions. Modern humans began to move out of Africa only about 150,000 years ago. Little change in our ‘equatorial’systems might have been expected over this relatively short evolutionary span. And a genetic defenselessness against seasonal changes in mood and behavior is out of     8     adaptation to the new living conditions.

Today, more studies of SAD and seasonality are receiving considerable attention. Studies on relatives of patients with SAD also suggested a familial     9     to the development of SAD. Researchers are trying to find out whether SAD and seasonality are acquired at birth as a composite entity(实体) or whether the two are separate acquired traits that happen to     10     in certain individuals.

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. justify B. trend   C. theory     D. restricted   E. diversifying F. obviously G. termed H. climate     I. suddenly     J. seeking   K. evident

The Lipstick Effect

In 2020, the world was plunged into an economic downturn as the COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread closures to businesses. Under these circumstances, millions of people     1     found themselves facing financial insecurity. During such times of economic hardship, one may naturally expect that consumer markets will see a decline in expenditure, as people everywhere feel     2     to making only “essential” purchases. However, a curious phenomenon known as the “lipstick effect” can often be observed.

The lipstick effect refers to the phenomenon of consumers spending on small luxury goods even when an economic depression occurs. This phenomenon was     3     the “lipstick effect” in 2001 by Leonard Lauder, chairman of luxury cosmetic company Estée Lauder. He had not only witnessed the phenomenon at work but also realized that it was especially     4     in the case of lipstick and other cosmetic products.

So, how exactly do consumers who are short of cash     5     making such purchases? First and perhaps most     6    , consumers may simply wish to give themselves treats now and again to provide distractions from their financial insecurity. Another     7     has to do with labour markets. Specifically, during the economic depression, job seeking tends to become more competitive. Thus, people     8     employment may perceive a need to spend money on certain products to improve their physical appearance. By using products such as lipstick, they may feel more confident during job interviews.

Whatever the causes of the lipstick effect, this phenomenon is no short-lived     9    . During the global depression of 2007-2009, sales of cosmetic in the United States increased by around 5%. Based on such data, it seems that even in the current insecure economic     10    , the luxury cosmetics industry is one that will be sticking around.