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. avoided     B. processed     C. suited     D. equal     E. steer    F. interfere G. understandably     H. concentration     I. thirst     J. cabin    K. unsettle

Eating on a plane used to be common practice. But in the age of COVID-19, many passengers are     1     less inclined to remove their masks to take a mid-flight bite ― or to even have a snack at the airport.

As a result, it’s more common to eat at home before embarking on a flight. Those with longer travel journeys may even eat a large meal to carry them through the day. Still, not all preflight eats are created     2    .

Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, a registered dietitian based in New York City, said it’s worth considering your overall health as you prep for travel, including what you eat and drink. “It’s important to eat foods that will keep your immune system strong, keep you hydrated and are easily digested before flying,” Beckerman said.

So, which foods are best     3     on a day when you’re traveling by plane?

“It’s super common for dehydration to set in when flying, thanks to the lack of humidity and dry air in the     4    ,” Beckerman said. “That’s why it’s not the smartest to have a meal high in sodium (钠) the day before or morning of your flight.” Beckerman also advised going easy on the salt shaker, opting for snacks without added salt to avoid dehydration-related headaches.

Alcohol consumption tends to cause dehydration and has a different effect on the body than if you were to have a drink at ground level due to the low pressure in the cabin and the low oxygen     5     in blood. Therefore you are more likely to get drunk faster and urinate frequently.

A cup of coffee can leave you dehydrated in an already dry environment and coffee also has a mild diuretic effect, which can lead to more frequent trips to the bathroom.

Beyond the dehydrating effects, caffeine can also keep you awake during a flight, which is often an opportunity to catch up on sleep. The need for more frequent bathroom visits can also     6     with your ability to doze during your travels.

If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to     7     clear of foods that can mess with your digestion. That includes highly     8     snacks like candy and fast food, which often contain ingredients that could     9     your digestive system.

A balanced meal that satisfies your     10     with water and hydrating fruits contains moderate amounts of complex carbohydrates and lean protein, and is low in added sugars and sodium is ideal.

2 . 从方框中选择正确的词或词组（3个多余），用其正确的形式完成句子。

determine     strong       equal       history       when       fly       healthy       attack     destroy     establish impress       sweep away       other than       more than       be responsible for       focus on     remind of     in shock

1. I’m not outgoing so I’m a little anxious right now. I want to make a good first ________.
2. I know I’ll have to study harder as a senior high school student and get used to________a lot more.
3. But spending too much time online is unhealthy and makes it very difficult________other things in life
4. Inca builders cut stones to exact sizes so that nothing was needed to hold walls together________ the perfect fit of the stones.
5. It’s amazing that there are _________8000 statues, and no one in modern times knew about them until the 1970s
6. When the Chinese team was preparing for the 2015 World Cup, her_________was tested
7. Jordan’s skills were impressive, but the mental________that he showed made him unique.
8. By being positive about myself and my body, I became both happier and________.
9. People were ________—and then, later that afternoon, another big quake shook Tangshan again.
10. Fishermen, tourists, hotels, homes, and cars________by huge waves caused by the strong earthquake that reached a magnitude of 9.0
11. When our relationship is close and we’re________, I only need a few words to bridge the gap between us.
12. A short________ from Cusco takes you from the Andes into the Amazon rainforest.
13. After that, a committee________to limit damage to the Egyptian buildings and prevent the loss of the cultural relics.
14. They also hope to further educate people about the importance of safeguarding________and cultural relics for future generations to understand and appreciate.
15. Zhaxi and other volunteers watched over the antelopes day and night to keep them safe from________.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. concern              B. beneficial              C. original              D. striking       E. deliver        F. positive              G. initial                    H. converted              I. master              J. ties              K. put

AMERICAN SINGER-SONGWRITER Lauv has released a new Korean version of his single “Love U Like That,” created with the help of AI voice technology. He enlisted the help of the Korean singer Kevin Woo, who aided with the translation of the song and recorded vocals.

Kevin’s voice singing the translation was recorded first. It was then arranged to match the sound     1    . AI voice technology was then used to match Lauv’s voice, and Kevin’s Korean version was     2     into Lauv’s voice.

“To help them build the model of my voice, I sent over a bunch of raw vocals that were just me singing in different registers (声区),” Lauv said. “It was very interesting to hear my voice like that. I gave a couple of notes-very minor things-after hearing the     3     version. And then they went back and made some modifications (修改).”

Lauv is the first major Western artist to jump on the AI translation bandwagon (加入潮流). He wants the new translated version of “Love U Like That” to be a way of showing his love to his Korean fan base. Although large numbers of fans around the world listen to English music musicians have noticed that some international audiences are increasingly turning their interest back to music in their local language - a trend they have nicknamed “Glocalization.” As a result, some AI voice synthesis (合成) companies are working to     4     translation. English-speaking artists can now join this growing movement and establish closer     5     with international fans.

It is an important moment for the music business. A series of deepfake (深度伪造) songs that mimic the vocals of real stars have caused a stir. The most     6     example is the one claimed to be sung by two major artists, Drake and The Weekend. At the same time, it is also becoming very clear that not all uses of AI in music are a cause for     7    . An artist’s “voiceprint” can also be used in a/an     8     way. Earlier this month, we saw The Beatles release their final song “Now and Then” (an instant No.1 chart hit, unsurprisingly), an AI-assisted salvage (抢救) of the voice from a 40-year-old cassette recording. AI tech can indeed enhance musicians’ work and     9     a positive contribution to the future of music.

In an interview, Lauv also touched on his openness about the use of AI in music. “I truly believe that the only way forward is to embrace what is possible now, no matter what. I think being able to embrace a tool like this is     10    . And being able to get artists paid is great,” he said.

4 . Directions: Fill in the 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. dramatic   B. concerns   C. frequently   D. threats   E. revealed F. emerge   G. previously   H. keep   I. deepened   J. native   K. exist

The reason for the mysterious deaths of hundreds of elephants

When hundreds of African savanna elephants dropped dead in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2020, conservationists were alarmed. As the death toll rose — from dozens in March to more than 350 animals by July — their     1     increased, especially because nobody knew what was happening. A short time later, the mystery     2     when 34 more individuals of the endangered species died across the border in northwestern Zimbabwe in a three-week period, with one more found in November. “It was very quick,” says Chris Foggin, a vet who examined the elephant carcasses (尸体) in Zimbabwe. “That was so     3    .”

African savanna elephants     4     to this area represent the majority of what’s left of that species. Around 350,000 African savanna elephants remain, and given the already significant     5     to their survival, a new disease could be what tips that last domino towards extinction.

Now, new research published recently in Nature Communications points to a bacterium not     6     found in elephants of any species, called Bisgaard taxon 45, that causes a massive systemic blood infection called septicemia. “It’s a disease we know can kill a reasonable number of elephants in a short space of time,” says Foggin, co-leader of the study. And “it has the potential to kill a lot more given the right circumstances.” What those are, however, remains unknown — yet it’s pressing to find out. Aerial population surveys in KAZA in 2022 found a high number of new elephant carcasses. The examination     7     the elephants had enlarged livers and spleens, as well as internal bleeding in multiple organs — signs of septicemia (败血症).

However, scientists still don’t know how widespread Bisgaard taxon 45 is, or if the bacteria     8     as a normal group of bacteria within elephants and other animals. “We’re assuming it’s probably present more     9     than we’ve known, without causing disease, but we don’t have proof of that,” Foggin says. It’s possible environmental stressors, such as heat and lack of food and water, may have led Bisgaard taxon 45 to multiply and cause the septicemia in the Zimbabwe elephants. With much of Africa predicted to get hotter and drier, the bacterium “could cause much worse mortalities down the line,” says Foggin. That’s why, he says, “it is important to     10     monitoring elephant deaths and see if it’s responsible.”

6 . 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 awareness       B. clear       C. encourage       D. ignore E. immediate       F. limiting       G. redesigning       H. significantly I. team       J. theme       K. unlikely

Go Recycling

No one looking at the state of Earth in 2023 can be in any doubt that we are facing three serious environmental problems: climate problem, loss of biodiversity (生物多样性) and pollution of air, soil and water. To solve the problems, we increase the use of electric cars,     1     greener eating and reduce plastic use. However, sometimes these solutions can be opposite to the expected goals. For instance, creating space for biofuel crops to give off fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases can, in fact,     2     increase the cutting down of trees. That means in most cases solutions aiming at one problem each time are     3     to be effective. And, what is perhaps lacking is a(n)     4     of how interlinked these problems are.

We should realize that a key     5     linking all the three problems is waste. The root cause of global warming is CO₂, a waste gas. The seas are polluted by plastic and other waste products. We     6     forests, among other things, to grow more food — much of which goes to waste.

A shocking figure lies at the heart of our special report on our world — of the more than 100 billion tons of things that humans use each year, hardly 10% is recycled. That makes it obvious a full-range war on waste should be paid     7     attention. The situation requires our speedy moving away from the way of thinking — “take, make, throw” — towards a more recyclable one, which means we should begin     8     the products and when they reach the end of their useful lives, they can be recycled.

Solving the three problems calls for a huge transition with joint efforts. Governments must take the lead by introducing laws with the purpose of rewarding green practices, such as the     9     of waste. Industries can reduce, re-use and recycle wherever possible, and     10     themselves with suppliers and the like-minded to realize recyclable business models.

7 . 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. voyaged     B. barely     C. renowned     D. abnormality     E. discipline     F. navigable G. unprecedented     H. eyed     I. Fortunately     J. accessible     K. degradation

For voyager and green promoter Zhai Mo, the 504-day non-stop voyage to the Arctic Ocean has stimulated his concern about the climate and awareness of his responsibilities.

Navigating more than 28,000 nautical miles (51,856 kilometers) in harsh conditions, Zhai, a (n)     1     Chinese explorer, returned to Shanghai on his aluminum sailboat on Nov 17, along with two crew members, becoming the first man to successfully circle, both ways, the Arctic Ocean without stop. “This non-stop Arctic Ocean circle route can be said to be     2    . We     3     both the northeast and northwest routes while previous explorers only chose one route. This is a self-challenge and transcendence in the history of human navigation,” the 54-year-old says.

Zhai undertook this task as an ambassador of the Chinese navigation science and marine public welfare, and also the ForNature Campaign of the United Nations Development Program. He set sail on June 30 last year to raise public awareness of global warming, climate change and land     4    . During the trip, he crossed the East China Sea, the Western Pacific, the Bering Strait, the Chukchi Sea, the East Siberian Sea and the Beaufort Sea. He saw dolphins, whales, walruses, sea lions and seals, as well as shoals of cod and wolf fishes.

“When we passed through the Northwest Pacific Ocean on our way back, we encountered three typhoons within a week, which     5     happened in the past,” Zhai recalls.

Zhai didn’t see any floating ice during his one-week voyage in the Kara Sea while the previous meteorological data showed ice there.

“My own experience tells me that climate     6     is obvious now,” Zhai says.

The voyage, to enter the Arctic Ocean from the Bering Strait before making a round trip returning to Shanghai, was planned to take four months, but the return schedule was delayed for more than a year. “As soon as we entered the Bering Strait, we encountered a polar cyclone. A large number of ice floes and icebergs were blown to the coast. However, the Arctic Ocean can only be     7     near land, so we had been carefully crossing between ice floes and icebergs for a long time and the speed was only 1 to 3 knots,” Zhai says. But for Zhai, the most difficult part of the whole voyage was around 75 degrees north. The Arctic Ocean is known as the “dead channel”, Zhai says, adding that the location where the Titanic went down was on his route and dotted with countless icebergs. After entering the iceberg region, Zhai navigated the sailboat while the two crew members went on watch to report on the menacing ice. Despite the precaution, the boat hit an iceberg near Greenland, causing water seepage below the waterline that had to be dealt with. Meanwhile, compasses and electronic goods on the boat failed because of the magnetic field. “I had never encountered this situation in sailing before,” says Zhai.     8    , he took a fiber optic compass specially used for high latitude navigation, and managed to leave this area with visual aids. In addition to ice floes and icebergs, Zhai and his team also faced severe tests such as heavy fog, strong winds and huge waves. When sailing through the Chukchi Sea, the boat navigated around a large area of ice floes and heavy fog resulting in visibility of no more than 10 meters. They spent nearly 11 hours to get just 50 nautical miles. “We tried to leave as soon as possible during our voyage in the Arctic Ocean,” he says, adding that there was a constant danger of being trapped by the ice.

Zhai was attracted by sailing when holding an art exhibition abroad in 2000. In 2007, he got a second-hand sailboat with simple supplies, such as instant noodles, pancakes and potatoes, and started his voyage trip around the world.

After that 35,000-nautical-mile voyage, Zhai     9     an Arctic Ocean journey. “Navigation is a comprehensive     10    . You should know not only astronomy but also geography. You also need to be a carpenter, fitter, hammerer and painter, and should be able to survive in a harsh, outdoor environment,” Zhai says.

He adds that he hopes more young people would participate in navigation, to promote and publicize the ocean awareness and navigation spirit. He is preparing for the third voyage trip around the world next year or the year after that. “Antarctica is also a very big challenge. I hope to explore more unknowns, and I also want to launch a transoceanic sailing competition.”

8 . 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. invaluable   B. roughly            C. satisfying       D. distraction     E. simply     F. advantage G. reasonable   H. performed        I. schedule        J. planned          K. excellence

People tend to think that productivity involves doing several things at once, but according to Cal Newport, the secret to success is the opposite of multitasking. Newport is the author of Deep Work, a book that describes the benefits of focusing on one thing and doing it with     1    .

Newport defines deep work as “the ability to focus without     2     on a cognitively (认知地) demanding task.” It’s the opposite of shallow work, which is made up of simple tasks that are usually     3     while distracted.

According to Newport, deep work is a(n)     4     skill in today’s economy. It allows you to learn difficult things quickly and produce at a high level. Most people are distracted when they work, so you learn to work without distraction, that gives you     5    . Deep work enables you to produce to the best of your ability and acquire new skills quickly. Developing excellence in one’s craft can be a deeply     6     try. But deep work itself is also a skill, which means the more time you spend at it, the easier it gets. Moreover, if you only work at a shallow level, your ability to do deep work decreases.

So how do you conduct deep work into your work life or your studies? It’s essentially important to     7     deep work into your day. Otherwise, it’s easy to let your time fill up with shallow work. Newport recommends doing deep work as your first task of the day. That way you get it done before distractions build up. Shallow work does need to get done, but if you save it for later in the day, you can get your deep work done, too.

Scheduling deep work sessions for the same time every day can turn them into a habit. This makes it easier to spend time on them.

Because deep work is by definition cognitively demanding, you won’t be able to do it all day. Beginners can usually only focus on deep work for     8     an hour, and even experts have trouble going more than four hours. So set     9     goals for yourself. If you really focus, you’ll be surprised at how much you accomplish in a few hours.

By focusing on     10     sessions of deep work, you can get more done in less time and feel more satisfied.

9 . 阅读下面句子，根据句意，从方框中选择恰当的词或词组并用其正确形式填空。

Have an impact on                      reliable               submit                    reveal                 be responsible for Make up one’s mind                 barrier                 figure out            end up               competitive

1. You need a degree to be ________ in today’s job market.
2. We need more ________ information before we can take action.
3. The mountains acted as a natural ________ to the spread of the disease.
4. The movie we wanted to see was sold out so we ________ seeing a different one.
5. If you ________ something, it is your duty to deal with it and make decisions relating to it.
6. Those interested in the position should ________ their applications to the Student Union.
7. A survey of the British diet ________ that a growing number of people are overweight.
8. We had a very productive meeting because I felt we ________ a lot of problems.
9. Technological innovation ________ the country’s economy quite considerably.
10. Summer vacation is coming, but I can’t ________ where to take my vacation.

10 . Directions: Fill in the blanks with the words in the box and change the form where necessary. Note that there is one word more than you need.

coordinate   glaring   materialize   proportions   utilize   abuse   susceptible   collective   contend   novel   speculate

Nine out of every ten humans are right-handed, an imbalance that researchers for decades have attempted to explain, without definitive success.

One of the ideas considered is the fighting hypothesis, which suggests that left-handedness provides an advantage in combat, albeit with an overall hit to physical health that keeps lefties rare in the population. Indeed, males — who historically have competed most strongly for resources and mates — are left-handed at slightly higher rates than females. Moreover, studies suggest that lefties tend to outperform right-handed people in fighting sports as well as in sports that require hand-eye     1     like tennis, baseball, and volleyball. This is likely because players are unaccustomed to competing against lefties as they are rarer.

However, a big problem with the fighting hypothesis is that its predicted health disadvantage hasn’t     2     in large studies. On the whole, left-handed people don’t seem to suffer from more health problems than right-handed people, nor do they live shorter lives.

Left vs. Right

Noticing this     3     issue, a trio of scientists based out of Lund University in Sweden and Chester University in the United Kingdom proposed an update to the fighting hypothesis that comports better with current data. In an article published in the journal Symmetry, Matz Larsson, Astrid Schepman, and Paul Rodway     4     that right-handed humans actually had a greater fighting advantage over much of our species’ history, which is why they’ve become far more numerous.

“When left-handers became rarer, they gained a surprise advantage and the     5     of left- and right-handers in a population stabilized,” they further explained.

So why do right-handed humans have a fighting advantage? According to the researchers, it has to do with the position of the heart and the notion that humans did most of their fighting with handheld, pointy weapons like wooden spears for much of our species’ existence.

About three-quarters of the heart is situated in the left hemithorax, making the left side of the chest a(n)     6     target for a mortal blow. The researchers note that when humans battle with stabbing weapons, the hand     7     to hold the weapon determines which area of the chest is exposed to an opponent. A left-handed grip will rotate the left side of the chest, and thus most of the heart, toward an enemy, while a right-handed grip will rotate it away. Moreover, a free left arm could be used to deflect spear strikes in combat.     8    , this means that right-handed humans might be more protected from a deadly strike.

Based on this     9     version of the fighting hypothesis, a key prediction can be made. Since there is no health disadvantage from being left-handed and fighting with pointy weapons is no longer an evolutionary pressure, we should see the proportion of left-handed people stay the same in modern societies or broadly rise. Some studies suggest that left-handedness has increased in the 20th century, but it is uncertain if this is due to genetic or cultural reasons.

It should be noted that this new explanation for the preponderance of right-handed people is still very much a hypothesis, based on     10     from physiological facts and behavioral anecdotes, with further support from large, albeit observational, data sets. The modified fighting hypothesis is cogent, but as yet unproven.