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

A. documenting     B. resigned   C. viral     D. sensation     E. rooted   F. rarely G. appeal       H. reassured   I. fixed   J. waking     K. marvelously

A Chinese "Auntie" Went on a Solo Road Trip. Now, She's a Feminist Icon

SuMin, a 56-year-old retiree from Henan province in central China, has never been happier. "I've been a wife, a mother and a grandmother," Su said. "I came out this time to find myself."

After fulfilling her family's expectations of dutiful Chinese womanhood, Su is embracing a new identity: fearless road-tripper and internet     1    . For six months, she has been on a solo drive across China,     2     her journey for more than 1.35 million followers across several social media platforms.

Her main     3     is not the scenic vistas she captures, although those are plentiful. It is the intimate revelations she mixes in with them, about her abusive marriage, dissatisfaction with domestic life and newfound freedom. Her blunt but vulnerable demeanor has made Su— a former factory worker with a high school education — an accidental feminist icon of a sort     4     seen in China.

Her unexpected popularity speaks to the collision of two major forces in Chinese society: the rapid spread of the internet and a flourishing awareness of gender equality in a country where traditional gender roles are still deeply     5    , especially among older generations.

Still, Su said, she never considered a divorce, worried about a social stigma that is still pervasive in much of China. She     6     herself to her life at home. Then, in late 2019, she came across a video online of someone introducing their camping gear while on a solo road trip. She remembered her childhood dream of driving — the freedom and comfort it had represented. Soon, she made up her mind to embark on a trip of her own. Her family was resistant. Su     7     her daughter that she would be safe. She ignored her husband, who she said mocked her.

On September 24, she     8     her tent to the top of the car, packed a mini-fridge and rice cooker, and set off from her home in the city of Zhengzhou. She posted video updates as she drove, and in October, one of them went     9     on Douyin, the Chinese TikTok.

In her videos, she marvelled at her newfound freedom. She could drive as fast as she wanted, brake as hard as she liked. Still, Su blushes when asked about her new fame. She also says she is not yet qualified to claim the mantle of feminist. "It took me so many years to realize that I had to live for myself." She paused: "It's something I'm     10     up to, not something that I just am."

2 . 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. accepting   B. apparent   C. deafening   D. desire   AB. ironically   AC. occasionally AD. presence   BC. re-experience   BD. release     CD. remain   ABC. stillness

The Quietest Place on Earth

My quest started when I was in the New York subway. My children were crying, four trains came screaming into the station at once and I put my hands over my ears – the noise was     1     . In cities, the ever-present dull background roar of planes, cars, machinery and voices is a fact of life. In an attempt to       2    some peace, I decided to go on a mission to find the quietest place on earth; to discover whether absolute silence exists. The place I was most excited about visiting was the anechoic chamber (吸波暗室) at Orfield Laboratories in Minnesota. It is the quietest place on earth – 99.9 % sound-absorbent.

But     3     , far from being peaceful, most people find its perfect quiet upsetting. The     4    of sound means things are working; it’s business as usual – when sound is absent, that signals breakdown.

I booked a 45-minute session – no one had managed to     5     in for that long before. When the heavy door shut behind me, I was plunged into darkness (lights can make a noise). For the first few seconds, being in such a quiet place felt like paradise. I tried to hear something and heard … nothing.

Then, after a minute or two, I became aware of the sound of my breathing, so I held my breath. My heartbeat became     6     -- nothing I could do about that. Then I stopped thinking about what bodily functions I could hear and began to enjoy it. I didn’t feel afraid and came out only because my time was up. Everyone was impressed that I’d beaten the record, but having spent so long searching for quiet, I was comfortable with the feeling of absolute     7     . Afterwards I felt wonderfully rested and calm.

My     8    for silence changed my life. I found that making space for moments of quiet in my day is the key to happiness – they give you a chance to think about what you want in life. If you can     9     become master of your own sound environment – from turning off the TV to moving to the country, as I did – you become a lot more     10    of the noises of everyday life.