1 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Vertical Farms: Is the sky really the limit?

At a hyper-controlled indoor farm in industrial South San Francisco, four robots carefully transfer seeds from barcoded trays into 4.5-meter towers that then are hung vertically (垂直地) inside a 445 sq metre grow room. Workers in branded jumpsuits     1     (inspect) the greens for imperfect produce, but there is almost     2    . Then the pesticide-free product is packaged and put on a truck     3     (deliver) to a local market where the customer becomes the first person to touch it. With the world’s population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050, most of     4     will be living in cities, experts say a 70% increase from current levels of global food production will be needed. But agricultural land is     5     short supply thanks to the climate crisis and urbanization.

Indoor farming raised more than $1 bn in 2021, exceeding the combined funding in 2018 and 2019. But critics say the massive energy costs     6    (need) to run vertical farms and greenhouses make the practice far less eco-friendly than their branding suggests.

Designed to produce yields hundreds of times larger than traditional outdoor farming, vertical farms occupy spaces such as buildings or shipping containers while using 70 to 95% less water     7     they can recapture and recycle rather than waste it due to poor irrigation (灌溉) or evaporation. Products are fully traceable from seed to shelf, stay fresher longer and there’s little risk of bacteria, infected animal faces (粪便) or     8    (have) to transport them long distances in trucks and planes.

Entrepreneurs like Irving Fain, CEO and founder of Manhattan-based Bowery Farming, say that they’re gathering knowledge about plant growth and agronomy (农学) that     9     take traditional farmers outdoors hundreds of years to accumulate. The possibilities raised by vertical farms have also captured the imagination of a number of large venture capitalists and private equality funds. “While it is still too early to tell     10     these high-tech, high-rise growing machines will become a real estate asset class in their own right, some investors are starting to take a serious look at vertical farming as a possible new asset category.” said Fain.

2 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Smart TV channels a sense of frustration

The phenomenon of watching less or not watching TV has mirrored a plunge in traditional TV sales in recent years.

“I haven’t watched TV at home for almost five years.” The same sentiment is a true portrayal of many Gen-Zers today. In the past when entertainment options     1     (limit), TV dominated. Nowadays, computers, mobile phones and tablets, all of     2     offer more content, have overtaken TV in the viewing stakes.

“Watching     3     (much) or not watching TV is the inevitable result of the diversification of entertainment for young people. The programs offered by the major TV stations is increasingly unable to meet the needs of young people, and a few minutes of advertisements are added at every turn,     4     (make) it difficult to compete with mobile phones and tablets,” says Li Dadi at Haige Business Watch, a public WeChat account     5     (dedicate) to business analysis.

The phenomenon mirrors a plunge in traditional TV sales in recent years. A report by All View Cloud, a data analysis company, says that domestic TV sales in 2020 were 44.5 million units, down 9.1 percent year-on-year; and sales revenue was 120.9 billion yuan ($19.1 billion), down 11.7 percent.

However, not watching traditional TV does not mean     6     (not use) the actual set. The current development of smart TV is not just a tool for watching programs on the box. The three major video content providers, Tencent Video, iQiyi and Youku, have all launched TV applications. People     7     also cast the content of their mobile phones onto the TV at any time. Leaning on the sofa and watching a 55-inch big screen is still much more comfortable than lying on the bed with a 6.1-inch mobile phone.

However, compared with the rapid development and profit growth of internet smart TV, complaints about a decline in service experience have come to light.

A woman’s complaint over her newly bought TV set has echoed across Chinese social media recently. In her video, posted on Douyin, she says most people watching TV now are elders, and a TV cannot be turned on     8     two remote controls at least. After she finally turned it on, advertisements popped up and lasted for more than 10 seconds. The various charging apps, all required to be purchased to allow for viewing,     9     (make) the experience worse. Without a VIP membership, there came another 70-second advertisement     10     she could finally watch a proper TV series. “I miss the simple TV set of my childhood,” she said.

3 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fil in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

People regularly engage in “presenteeism”—going to work while ill. It’s the opposite of absenteeism.

On the face of it, being sick at work might sound like     1     employers might favor, with some work preferable to none at all. Besides, such employees display a strong ethic, job dedication and loyalty. But research generally finds health consequences for present-but-ill employees, with higher medical costs and greater reductions in productivity than absenteeism would cause.

Employees who recover at home are     2    (productive) than persistently ill employees struggling at work     3    (meet) job demands, research shows.

“Organizations need to think about this, develop policies and get first-level managers     4    (involve) who are closest to the probably sick employees,” said Gary Johns, a professor at Concordia University in Montreal. He’s reviewed the academic literature addressing corporate and employee impacts     5     presenteeism.

“Giving employees accommodation and support can be good all the way around,” he said, “They are under so much pressure to go to work     6     they are polluting the place or are affecting their own health downstream. But this needs     7    (manage) so you do not burn people out physically and abuse them and create problems. It takes a sensitive hand.” he said.

Ill employees make more mistakes, communicate less effectively and produce lower quality work. Presenteeism among pharmacists, one study found,     8    (result) in more prescription errors. Nevertheless,     9     practising absenteeism, medical workers tend to be on the job, even with contagious illnesses.

Job insecurity, strict attendance policies, teamwork, demanding clients and     10     positive attendance culture are among the factors promoting presenteeism. That, in turn can worsen existing medical conditions, damage the quality of life and lead to impressions of ineffectiveness because of declines in productivity.

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Just as people have altered their skin’s color to indicate wealth and beauty, so have cultures around the globe marked their skin to show cultural identity or community status. Tattooing (纹身), for example, has been carried out for thousands of years. Leaders in places     1    (include) ancient Egypt, Britain, and Peru wore tattoos to mark their status or bravery. Today, among the Maori people of New Zealand, full-facial tattoos are still used     2    (identify) the wearer as a member of a certain family.

In Japan, tattooing had been practiced for a long time     3     it was outlawed in the 19^th century. Despite the fact that there are no laws against it today, tattoos are still strongly associated with criminals — particularly the yakuza known for their full-body tattoos. The complex design of a yakuza member’s tattoo includes symbols of character qualities     4     the wearer wants to have. The process of getting a full-body tattoo is both slow and painful and     5     can take two years or more to complete.

In some cultures, scarring — a marking which     6    (cause) by cutting or burning the skin — is a practice, usually among people who have darker skin on which a tattoo would be difficult to see. For many men in West Africa, scarring is a ceremony of passage —     7     act symbolizing that a male has matured from a child into an adult. In Australia, among some native people, cuts     8    (make) on the skin of both men and women show that they reach the age of 16 or 17.     9     these, they were traditionally not permitted to trade, sing ceremonial songs, or participate in other activities.

Not all skin markings are permanent, though. In countries such as Morocco and India, women     10     decorate their skin with colorful henna designs for celebrations such as weddings and important religious holidays. The henna coloring, which comes from a plant, fades over time.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Remote Work Slows Senior Housing Market Recovery

With the rise of remote work, the market for senior housing has met with problems in its recovery. Only a few old people choose to live in senior-living communities     1     the growing senior population and the cancelation of COVID-19 restrictions once making family visits difficult.     2     this trend suggests is that people’s shift to remote work contributes to the slow rebound of the senior housing market. That is, remote work is keeping many older Americans from moving into senior-living communities once warmly     3     (welcome).

When more adults began working remotely during the pandemic (流行病), they were able to check in on aging parents easily — they     4     take care of their parents’ issues on short notice.

Experts have been analyzing the phenomenon in different ways. Some found that the greater flexibility to care for parents     5     (mean) people’s delay in sending aged parents to expensive senior-housing accommodations. Therefore, markets with high levels of people working from home usually have lower senior-housing occupancy rates. Others said remote work might have some effect but also pointed to different factors. For instance, many seniors think that their family wallets are getting thinner, making some of them reluctant     6     (send) to senior-living communities.

The age at which people enter senior housing is also increasing,     7     serves as another sign that shows people are choosing to delay transitioning. The rising cost of senior living weighs heavily on that decision. The CPI (consumer-price index) for nursing homes and adult day services rose 4.5% last May compared with     8     in May, 2022.

Still, many senior-housing operators are optimistic. When     9     (illustrate) their point, they showed an increase in the number of people turning 80 years old over the following years and the actual wealth they have collected. Moreover, they find remote work arrangements are decreasing in some parts of the country,     10     employees there have seen their lowered productivity while working from home.

7 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Walking and Using a Phone is Bad for Your Health

Spend time on any crowded sidewalk and you’ll see heads bent over and eyes cast downward. One recent study of college students found that a quarter of people crossing intersections     1     (absorb) in a device. That screen in your hand isn’t just distracting your attention. It also changes your mood, your manner of walking and etc. — and affects your ability to get from point A to point B     2     running into trouble.

When you walk and use a phone at the same time, you automatically adjust     3     you move. Video footage of walkers has shown that people on phones walk about 10 percent slower than those undistracted ones. These changes can block traffic on the sidewalk. And     4     walking makes up a big portion of your daily physical activity, walking more slowly may have impacts for your fitness.

Looking down at a smartphone while walking can also increase the amount of force     5     (place) on the neck and upper back muscles, which could reduce balance and increase the risk of falls.

It’s now widely accepted that walking in natural spaces is good for your mental health. It appears that     6     (get) these benefits, it’s important that your attention is on the environment, rather than on your phone.

Most of us understand that walking and using a phone can be risky. Some cities, like Honolulu,     7     (pass) laws to control distracted walkers. But research on those dangers has turned up some surprises. One study has looked at the connection between “phone-related distracted walking” and emergency department visits. Using government data     8     (extend) over the years 2011 to 2019, the researchers turned up nearly 30,000 walking injuries occasioned by phones.

If you’re distracted by a phone, you’re definitely putting     9     at some risk. So how do you stay safe? If you do walk and use your device at the same time, stop when you’re around stairs, crosswalks and messy or uneven ground,     10     accidents are more likely to occur.

8 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

What If You’re Not Good at English?

Researchers whose first language is not English can spend around twice as long reading an English scientific journal article as native speakers. For a PhD student, that can mean     1     (spend) up to 19 additional working days per year just reading papers.

These statistics,     2     (publish) today in PLOS Biology, might not be shocking, researchers say, but it’s important to measure the effects of language barriers on the careers of academics       3     are not fluent in English. “It is the first step for the scientific community       4     (make) more efforts to solve this problem”, says Tatsuya Amano, a biodiversity researcher at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, and a co-author of the study.

The team found that among scientists who had published only one paper in English, scientists from countries       5     English is generally poor spent 29.8 percent more time writing papers than native English speakers;     6     from countries with moderate English proficiency (能力) spent 50.6% more time. Similarly, the researchers found that people from countries with low English proficiency spent an average of 90.8 percent more time reading scientific articles       7     native English speakers.

At conferences, even those who overcome obstacles face difficulties in presenting their work in English. Germana Barata, a researcher who     8     (specialize) in science communication at the State University of Campinas in Brazil, says that despite being fluent in English, she still feels uncomfortable at times. “We       9     (give) the same amount of time to present, but all that we can say in 10 minutes is different from       10     a native speaker can say,” she points out.

9 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.   

Bob’s problems began during his formative years. His parents got divorced when he was young, and neither of his parents wanted to raise him or his brother and sister, so he     1     (bring) up by a foster family chosen by a social worker in the community.

Unfortunately, his foster father was a strict authoritarian and often beat him. Bob rebelled against this strict upbringing, and by the time he was eight years old, he     2     (run) wild, stealing from shops and playing truant. When he reached adolescence, sometime around his thirteenth birthday, he had already appeared in court several times, charged     3     juvenile crimes. The judge blamed his foster parents,     4     (explain) that children needed responsible parents and guardians who would look after them properly. The foster father didn’t agree with the judge and objected to this, pointing out that Bob’s two brothers and sister were well-adjusted children who behaved at home and worked well at school.

This has raised some interesting questions about the modern family system.     5     it is true that parents should not be too lenient with children by letting them do     6     they want,     7     too over-protective by sheltering them from the realities of life, it is also true that they should not be too strict. It has also highlighted the disadvantages of the modern nuclear family     8     the child has only its mother and father to rely on or the single-parent family, in which the mother or father has to struggle particularly hard     9     (support) their dependents.     

In fact, many people believe that we     10     return to traditional family values and the extended family: extensive research has shown that children from these families are generally better behaved and have a better chance of success in later life.

10 . Directions: After reading the passages below, fill in the blanks to make the passages coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fil in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Buzzwords (流行词) Capture How We Lived in 2023

While walking along Suzhou Creek to gather material for my latest “Shanghai Expression” column, I was wondering     1    Shanghai’s modem skylines match the historical aspects of the area so effortlessly. The old and the new create a unique ambience (格调) .

Near the creek, I encountered Uncle Chen, fishing in a tranquil spot.

“Nice day for fishing,” I said in greeting him.

He looked up with a smile. “Yes, it’s a break from the mobile phono world.”

It     2     (strike) me that American publisher Merriam-Webster included “authentic” on its list of the year 2023’s top words. It reflects a growing focus on genuineness in an era     3       (dominate) by AI, celebrity culture and social media.

As I talked with Uncle Chen, the bustle of the city     4     (continue) around us. Food deliverymen buzzed past. Online celebrities in dopamine dresses held selfie sticks for livestreaming,     5     (highlight) the rise of a breed of “new professionals.”

Tourists and locals alike strolled through the area, some engaged in     6     appeared to be a “citywalk” —a wander     7     a clear destination.

Office workers walked by holding fancy coffee cups, a sign of the evolving coffee trends     8     have swept the city, like the “Moutai-flavored latte.”

Watching Uncle Chen, tourists, online celebrities, office workers and delivery people, I saw a changing city in a realm of constant change, summarized by a variety of contemporary buzzwords.

    9     2023 winds down, it’s interesting to note that buzzwords aren’t just words. Rather, they are markers of the dynamic, ever-changing aspects of life.

Each buzzword has its own story. Each popular phrase offers a peek into the hearts and minds of people, especially the younger generation. Let’s pause     10     (look) at some of them more closely.