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. conclusive     B. indiscriminate     C. awe     D. favourable     E. uninhabitable     F. address G. advocating     H. agenda     I. attain     J. conventional     K. odds

The world has warmed more than one degree Celsius since the Industrial Revolution. The Paris climate agreement hoped to restrict warming to two degrees. The     1     of succeeding, according to a recent study based on current emissions trends, are one in 20. If by some miracle we are able to limit warming to two degrees, we will only have to negotiate the extinction of the world’s tropical reefs,     2     the sea-level rise of several meters and abandon the Persian Gulf. The climate scientist James Hansen has called two-degree warming “long-term disaster”, which is now the best-case scenario. Four-degree warming will mean “short-term disaster”: Europe in permanent drought; vast areas of China, India and Bangladesh claimed by desert; the American Southwest largely     3    .

In the decade that ran from 1979 to 1989, we had an excellent opportunity to solve the climate crisis. The world’s major powers came within several signatures of     4     a global framework to reduce carbon emissions — far closer than we’ve come since. During those years, the conditions for success could not have been more     5    . The obstacles we blame for our current inaction had yet to emerge. Almost nothing stood in our way — nothing except ourselves.

Nearly everything we understand now about global warming was understood in 1979. Human beings have altered Earth’s atmosphere through the     6     burning of fossil fuels. At the start of the 1980s, scientists within the federal government predicted that     7     evidence of warming would appear on the global temperature record by the end of the decade, at which point it would be too late to avoid disaster. A report prepared by the National Academy of Sciences advised that “the carbon-dioxide issue should appear on the international     8     in a context that will maximize cooperation and minimize political controversy and division.” If the world had adopted the proposal widely supported at the end of the ‘80s, warming could have been held to less than 1.5degrees.

But they failed, even though the world’s leading oceanographer Henry Stommel and the Harvard planetary physicist Richard Goody, whose mere presence could inspire     9    , tried to warn humanity of what was coming. They risked their careers in a painful campaign to solve the problem, first in scientific reports, later through     10     avenues of political persuasion and finally with a strategy of public shaming. Their efforts were passionate and they failed. Now it is our turn.

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. appointed            B. sturdy                 C. skyrocket             D. tough             E. flock to F. at random            G. spark                  H. encounter             I. attach importance to J. critically             K. immerse

In the city of Shanghai, where the skyline reflects a blend of tradition and modernity, students face the     1     task of passing an English high school exam known for its challenging vocabulary and difficult comprehension. This examination not only tests linguistic skills but also demands a deep understanding of words in the English language.

As students dig deep into the examination, they come across a pool of words that demand both precision and creativity. The English language, known for its practical nature, challenges candidates to remove confusion or ambiguity (歧义) and present ideas with clarity. The ability to express thoughts with vivid imagery becomes a key skill when students     2     themselves in crafting essays.

The exam is not designed     3     ; instead, it follows a structure that needs students to     4     carefully. So it requires a cautious approach with great attention to details.

The students, armed with a large vocabulary and grammatical finesse read through comprehension passages that     5     intellectual curiosity. The     6     time for the test becomes a crucial factor, as candidates strive to show their linguistic techniques within the limited test time.

Science and finance become the common themes in the exam’s reading comprehension section. Students may     7    passages that require adequate knowledge of science or finance, challenging them to interpret the professional ideas in the text.

The exam’s difficulties     8     when it requires great language skills. In a globalized world, where communication crosses borders, the ability to carry one’s language proficiency (熟练度) like a portable tool becomes essential. Students are tested not only on their academic knowledge but also on their real-world language application.

Due to the linguistic challenges, students     9     preparation classes, seeking guidance from experienced educators who specialize in decoding the complexities of the exam of high risks. In many parent’s mind, these educational opportunities become invaluable as students absorb strategies to cope with the English language examination.

In conclusion, the Shanghai English high school exam is a proof of the city’s pursuit for academic excellence. In the future, these students carry with them the     10     foundation laid during their preparations for the challenging examination, and also a lifelong love for the English language.

3 . 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. authorities   B. conflicts   C. increasingly   D. infected E. invisibly F. oddly G. outbreaks   H. present   I. subjected   J. suspected   K. unexpected

Deadly virus approaches tigers

India’s most important tiger conservation body is to investigate growing concern that Asia’s wild tigers are     1     to a deadly new disease.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority is to fun d a study of Canine Distemper Virus(CDV) in six of the most important areas for the species, which could confirm a problem that a few experts have     2    for a number of years.

There have been     3    of CDV in wild tigers in other areas. According to Dr Dale Miquelle of the Wildlife Conservation Society, quite a few tigers were either killed or seriously affected by a disease that was probably CDV in 2010. And the Sikhote-Alin Biosphere Reserve has also reported a(n)     4     decline in tiger numbers.

CDV may also exist in the tiger population in Sumatra, where animals have been reported to be behaving     5    and losing their fear of humans.

Dr John Lewis of the British charity Wildlife Vets International is helping the Sumatran    6    to fight the risk by training local vets in what he calls “the world’s first tiger- disease monitoring program”.

Lewis also believes that the way CDV changes tigers’ behavior could be a factor where tiger- human     7    are an issue. This could be true of the Sundarbans, a large area shared by India and Bangladesh where man-eating is spreading.

Perhaps we should not be surprised that tigers are     8    with CDV. In 2004, it killed 1,000 lions in the Serengeti in Tanzania, and as wildlife reserves are    9    surrounded by people with dogs, the problem is only likely to get worse.

But as Miquelle told BBC Wildlife, “Very few people were aware of the potential threat, let alone looking for it, even if it is     10    in the system. But at least now they are.”

4 . 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. adulthood     B. betting     C. alternative     D. direct     E. drown     F. opting G. place     H. tearing     I. engage     J. sense     K. state

The post millennial generation best known as Gen Z — individuals now in their teens and early 20s — looked on as their parents lost jobs during the Great Recession. They’ve seen older millennial siblings     1     in student debt. Since they could eat solid food, they’ve watched on promising techonology displace another, and, along with older generations, have questioned everything from the gig economy to the     2     of democracy. Now they’re entering     3     with a willingness to experiment.

“The old systems we used to rely on aren’t working anymore, but new systems haven’t necessarily been put in     4    ,” says Melissa Lavigne-Delville, founder of the trends and research firm Culture Co-op, which specializes in generational attitudes. “Parents aren’t even sure about how to     5     their children, because too much is up in the air.”

According to a survey by her firm, 78% of Gen Z-ers say getting a four-year degree no longer makes economic     6    , and hundreds of programs, from apprenticeships to boot camps, have cropped up to offer a(n)     7     path. New types of work are possible too. Research has found that teenagers are getting their driver’s licenses later and doing less traditional work-for-pay than previous generations. But while they might not be     8     tickets at the local cineplex, they may be starting a popular YouTube channel from their bedroom. Culture Co-op found that nearly 60% of Gen Z-ers, ages 13 to 22, say they are doing some form of freelancing. Dew, for one, didn’t have a job in high school but did teach himself to code and is building websites on the side while he attends MissionU.

Jumping into the freelance economy means taking an uncertain path, as is     9     one’s future earnings on an educational program no one has tried before. Almost $2 billion has been invested in “last mile training” efforts like MissionU, but many young people are still     10     for college.

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. express       B. concerns        C. accompaniment        D. rise        E. approaching        F. specific G. portions       H. remain       I. growing       J. obviously        K. particularly

Exploring the growth of plant-based dairy

Plant-based milk is the largest plant-based group in North America. It grew five per cent last year, with sales of plant-based dairy products     1    $2billion.

There are many reasons for the popularity of plant-based milks. As well as a(n)    2    in the number of vegans (素食主义者) and plant-based diets due to health and moral grounds, environmental     3    are also driving uptake with supporters claiming that plant milk has a lower greenhouse gas footprint than dairy production-although the overall picture is highly complex and the figures are questioned by the dairy industry. An apparent increase in the level of lactose intolerance (乳糖不耐受) in developed countries is also helping to increase demand.

The range of plant-based milks also allows for consumers to     4    their tastes and identities as cafés and restaurants open up after lockdown. As one industry analyst said earlier this year, “To choose your     5    type of plant-based milk in Starbucks seems to be a way of identifying yourself.”

While dairy milk has long been seen as a drink or a meal     6    -for example, being used as the material to make food or with cereal (谷物)-here are increasing signs thatplant-based drinks     7    those with a thicker, more yogurt-like texture (质地) or those sold in individual     8    -are being seen as a healthy snack. Research by the Brisan Group suggests that up to a third of these products are viewed as a snack, and 61 per cent are viewed as “a treat.”

Globally soy milk products     9    the most popular and they accounted for 29.5 per cent of income globally in 2019. Coconut-based drinks are one of the fastest     10    parts, predicted to increase 8.6 per cent between 2020 and 2027. Across all types of plant milk, plain flavours have the highest sales, accounting for 71.1 per cent of the total value.

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. disapproved        B. negative        C. national        D. appreciation        E. socially F. tendency        G. approach        H. fitted        I. enhanced        J. unpopular K. namely

What are the things that first come to your mind when you think of the UK? Are they nonstop rain, polite manners, boring food and tea drinking?

Some of the UK’s     1     stereotypes are true, a new survey has found. For example, British people do have a (n)     2     to drink lots of tea.

The research polled 1, 402 foreigners living in the UK on their opinions about the British way of life. Unsurprisingly, the majority of them, almost 70 percent, said they enjoyed living in the country—good manners, especially UK people’s extraordinary ability to queue, are the main reasons for foreigners’     3    . More than one-third said they liked British people’s restrained     4     to emotion.

However, there are aspects of British culture that are     5     of. The heavy alcohol drinking culture ranked as the least favorite trait, followed by the British sense of humor and the country’s bad weather.

It may not be too hard to understand why heavy drinking and bad weather are     6    , but what’s wrong with the British sense of humor?

British humor is known for being dry and satirical (讽刺的), so it is generally more     7    . When it comes to making the British laugh, there is nothing more effective than a     8     inappropriate joke, noted the BBC. “Britons are more comfortable with life’s losers,” wrote English actor Ricky Gervais in an article published in Time magazine.

“The majority of nationalities have stereotypes     9     around them and Britons don’t escape this,” said Liam Clifford, the founder of Global Visas, the website that conducted the research. “People probably come here with a stereotype-based preconception of what to expect. It’s good to see from our survey, though, that, in the majority of cases, this reputation is actually     10     upon living here.”

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 word more than you need.

A. brush        B. draw        C. state        D. cautionary       E. report       F. run G. packed        H. shot        I. introduced        J. phenomenon        K. exceptional

Rongjiang county, tucked away in the rainy hills of south-west China, has little going for it at first glance. The grey tiles covering houses in the county sea give it a rather drab feel. Locals often have to find work elsewhere, travelling to distant factories and construction sites.

Yet this summer it was Chinese from far-off cities who flocked to Rongjiang. They came to watch an amateur football league involving 20 of the county’s villages. It started in May and quickly became a       1    . Weekend matches between teams made up of butchers and farmers drew crowds of nearly 50, 000, straining the local stadium. Millions more watched on Weibo, a Twitter-like platform, and Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

There are many reasons behind the popularity of the Rongjiang league, which is men only. Start with the     2     of professional football. Despite decades of investment, the country’s players are not very good. The men’s national team, made up of players from China’s top league, ranks 78th in the world (the women rank 14th). It has only qualified for the World Cup once, in 2002, when it failed to score a single goal.

The Rongjiang league, by contrast, has an authentic, even wholesome feel. Football in the county dates back to the 1940s, when it was     3     by university students who were fleeing China’s cities during the invasion by Japan. Today the games are free to watch and feel enjoyably low pressure. Players     4     off their missed shots with smiles. After a penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals, fans swarmed the pitch waving China’s national flag. The winners of this year’s tournament, from a village in Chejiang township, walked away with a cow. The two runners-up won three pigs and three goats, respectively.

The league’s cultural diversity is another     5    . The players come from several minority ethnic groups, of which the biggest are the Dong and the Miao. During breaks in the matches, villagers in traditional silver headdresses often dance for the crowd.

To the delight of officials at all levels, the league appears to have stimulated the local economy. During the Dragon Boat festival in June tourism spending     6     up, much of it coming from football fans. Vendors at the hundreds of stalls set up by the local government outside the stadium     7     a brisk trade. A man hawking barbecue skewers says he has doubled his income.

But there are concerns that the success of Rongjiang may be fleeting. Attracting crowds to this part of China is not easy. The city of Zibo, in the northern province of Shandong, provides a     8     tale. It became a social-media phenomenon when word of its delicious kebabs began making the rounds earlier this year. Tourists flocked to the city, where officials turned arenas into makeshift dining halls. But after a few months of this barbecue craze, interest in Zibo slumped.

Still, officials think they have found a winning strategy for the countryside. A new football league began this month and will     9     until October. It involves nearly 300 amateur teams from all around China. Each is named after a food. On August 13th a team called the Sour Soups from the nearby city of Kaili beat the Bamboo Shoots from the southern province of Guangdong. The stadium in Rongjiang was still     10    .

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. assigned             B. attractive             C. bridge             D. cooperating          E. exposed     F. possessions G. requests             H. screen                  I. socializing        J. unappealing          K. virtual

The office used to be a place people went because they had to. Meetings happened in conference rooms and in person. Desks took up most of the space. The kingdom of Dilbert and of David Brent is now under threat. The pandemic has     1     the office to competition from remote working, and brought up questions about how it should be designed in the future.

Start with what the office is for. In the past it was a place for employees to get their work done, whatever form that took. Now other conceptions of its role strive for attention. Some think of the office as the new offsite (异地活动) . Its purpose is to get people together in person so they can do the things that remote working makes harder: establishing deeper relationships or     2     in real time on specific projects. Others talk of the office as a destination, a place that has to make the idea of getting out of bed earlier, in order to socialize with people who may have covid-19, seem       3     .

In other words, a layout that is largely devoted to people working at desks alongside the same colleagues each day all feels very 2019. With fewer people coming in and more emphasis on cooperation, fewer desks will be       4     to individuals. Instead, there will be more shared areas, where people in a team can work together flexible. More hot-desking (轮用办公桌) will also necessitate storage space for personal     5     : lockers may soon be back in your life.

To     6     gaps between teams, one strategy is to set aside more of the office to present the work of each department. Another option is to provide everyone with drink. Expect more space to be set aside for     7     and events. Bars in offices are apparently going to be a thing. Robin Avia of Gensler, an architecture firm, says she is seeing lots of       8     for places, like large auditoriums, where a company's clients can have “experiences”.

Designs for the post-covid office must also allow for hybrid work. Meetings have to work for       9     participants as well as for in-person contributors; cameras, screens and microphones will multiply. Gensler's New York offices feature mini-meeting rooms that have a monitor and a half-table sticking out from the wall below it, with seating for 4 or 5 people arranged to face the       10    , not each other.

9 . Directions: Fill in the blanks to make the sentences coherent and grammatically correct. Use the proper form of the phrases given in the box. Each phrase can only be used once and there is one phrase more than you need.

bring … to life     be capable of       run out of       apart from adapt … from     be likely to     suffer from       on occasion

1. Once a black hole has formed, it can absorb additional matter like nearby gas and dust, or __________ they can even consume entire stars and solar systems.
2. Let’s explore some of the technologies from science fiction that _________ through the joint efforts of extraordinary scientists so far.
3. The film is based on a 1920 stage play that __________ the Bram Stoker novel.
4. The mouse of the computer sometimes works, but sometimes doesn’t. That’s probably because it __________ batteries.
5. Wolves were once the most widely distributed land mammal (哺乳动物) __________ humans.
6. America __________ a nationwide teacher shortage now due to stresses from pandemic and culture war.
7. I feel like I have to prove myself __________ being a Manchester United player.

10 . 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. address       B. challenges       C. imaging       D. monitor       E. navigate       F. operations       G. respond H. setting        I. short               J. successive     K. worth

Satellites Can Help Us Fight Climate Change

At the beginning of 2021, President Joe Biden exclaimed that “science is back” as we continued our efforts to     1     the COVID emergency. That phrase continues to ring true across the federal government. Science and its applications are being used at every agency to deal with public health     2    , build new transportation infrastructure, inform policy decisions and tackle the climate crisis.

Recently the Interior Department’s U.S. Geological Survey assumed     3     of Landsat 9 from NASA, which built and launched it in 2021.This satellite is designed to     4     Earth’s land, water and other natural resources. Landsat missions support environmental sustainability and climate resilience. The Landsat program, which launched in July 1972, has helped us understand our planet and the changes that are occurring on it. That partnership has propelled research and observation forward through the launch of     5     Landsat satellites, each replacing its predecessors and working in tandem with new capabilities and strengths.

I attended the historic launch of Landsat 9 in California. It was nothing     6     of amazing. I toured the mission control center and met a young scientist from the Navajo Nation living far away from home. She uses Landsat     7     to see her home from many miles away, and with such data, she enables her community to manage water resources in the face of a changing climate. This is the power and beauty of science at work.

All around the globe, scientists are using Landsat and other imagery to interpret what is happening on Earth today and to compare it with the 50 years’     8     of data the Landsat program has collected.

This science-based program and those like it across federal agencies are powerful tools in our efforts to responsibly manage our resources. Their prioritization helps to demonstrate the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to lead with science. So, too, the resources provided through the president’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act will be key to the development of longer-term sustainability measures as we     9     to climate change, including building more resilient communities and protecting our natural environment.

Landsat NEXT is the upcoming mission we will develop with NASA to power better science and decision-making for the next 50 years. Science is indeed     10     us on a path to a brighter future.