1 . Direction: 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. prevent            B. colour             C. threatened       D. discrimination       E. demand       F. nonviolent G. armed             H. equally            I. rapidly             J. race                    K. detailed

The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom

In the spring of 1941, hundreds of thousands of whites were employed in industries mobilizing for the possible entry of the United States into World War II. Black labour leader A. Philip Randolph     1     a mass march on Washington unless blacks were hired     2     for those jobs, stating: “It is time to wake up Washington as it has never been shocked before.” To     3     the march, which many feared would result in     4     riots and international embarrassment, President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order that banned     5     in defence industries. His Executive Order 8802, June 25, 1941, established the Committee on Fair Employment Practices(known as FEPC) to receive and investigate discrimination complaints and take appropriate steps to redress valid grievances.

The fight against fascism during World War II brought to the forefront the contradictions between America’s ideals of democracy and equality and its treatment of racial minorities. Throughout the war, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People(NAACP) and other civil rights organizations worked to end discrimination in the     6     forces. During this time African Americans became more assertive in their     7     for equality in civilian life as well. The Congress of Racial Equality(CORE), an interracial organization founded to seek change through     8     means, conducted the first sit-ins to challenge the South’s Jim Crow laws.

After the war, and with the onset of the Cold War, segregation and inequality within the US were brought into sharp focus on the world stage, prompting federal and judicial action. President Harry Truman appointed a special committee to investigate racial conditions that     9     a civil rights agenda in its report, To Secure These Rights. Truman later issued an executive order that abolished racial discrimination in the military.

The NAACP won important Supreme Court victories and mobilized a mass lobby of organizations to press Congress to pass civil rights legislation. African Americans achieved notable firsts — Jackie Robinson broke the     10     barrier in major league baseball and civil rights activists Bayard Rustin and George Houser led black and white riders on a “Journey of Reconciliation” to challenge racial segregation on interstate buses.

2 . Direction: 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. recorded            B. roughly            C. especially            D. narrow            E. advocate F. transformation       G. challenge       H. emitting               I. changing          J. address          K. strive

“Climate change is moving faster than we are,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said back in 2018 in his     1     to the UN General Assembly — a statement that in hindsight now rings     2     true.

The essential goal of the Paris agreement of 2015 has been to limit the rise in average global temperatures to no more than 2℃ above pre-industrial levels — a time period centered     3     on the mid-19th century. The aspirational or wished — for objective of the agreement is to     4     for a rise in temperatures that doesn’t exceed 1.5℃.

But with carbon dioxide levels in the global atmosphere topping 420 parts per million — the highest level in     5     history — the 1.5℃ target appears to many experts to be out of reach. A United Nations report in 2018 concluded as much, saying back then that average global temperatures will likely reach 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels sometime between 2030 and 2052 if emissions continue rising as they have been.

With a 1.5℃ rise, about 4% of Earth’s terrestrial land area is projected to undergo a     6     of ecosystems from one type to another. With a 2℃ global temperature rise, about 13% is projected to undergo a shift. Across the American West, ecosystems stressed by diminished snow-melt, drought, insect infestations, and wildfire are     7     forests from the Rockies to the Sierra Nevada. Ten percent of iconic Giant Sequoia trees died in wildfires in the Sierra Nevada in 2020.

According to the UN’s 1.5℃ report, the world’s countries     8     the largest amounts of carbon dioxide have to turn things around soon: to limit warming to 1.5℃, global net greenhouse gas emissions from human activity must decline by about 45% from 2010 levels by 2030, and reach net zero by 2050. To limit warming to 2℃, emissions must decline by about 25% by 2030 and reach net zero by about 2070.

Despite the great     9     ahead, IEA chief Fatih Birol remarked recently that clean energy investments can still “shift the world on to a pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050”.

The path “is     10     but still achievable”, he said, “if we act now.”

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. defined                 B. aiding                 C. trends                 D. dominate          E. typical        F. loss G. necessities               H. featured            I. mark                  J. survive             K. appliances

American Decoration in the Middle of the 20th Century

Home decorating has come a long way over the decades. Certain elements that began as     1    for survival—like fireplaces—have transformed into decorative elements in the modern age. Some styles are still massively popular, inspiring copycat furniture that sells for thousands. Other     2    are ignored or even ridiculed.

No one knows what home decoration of the future will look like. But if we look back through history, we can guess which design elements will come back—and which will disappear forever.

The Great Depression affected every aspect of American life—including decoration.   People were just trying to     3    during the 1930s, which didn’t leave a lot of room for non-essentials. But that doesn’t mean everyone gave up on making their homes look beautiful. A     4    living room would have a few throw rugs in interesting patterns, too. There was no one type of furniture that     5    the 1930s—curved and straight line furniture still     6    as the Art Deco style from the previous era was still popular. Plastic chairs and wingback chairs all had a place in the 1930s home. People were also likely to use what they had and not care so much about matching a certain taste.

It’s impossible to describe the 1940s without mentioning World War II. During the first half of the decade, home design took a backseat to     7    the war effort. The second half was much different. Returning soldiers had something new to look forward to: new kitchens with     8    such as refrigerators, freezers, and dishwashers. Traditional wood furniture in dark or blonde tones graced every room of the home.

Post-war America was a lot happier and shinier than recent decades. With a prospering middle class and a healthy economy, people had more time and money to devote to new pursuits—like decorating their houses.

The unfussy furniture made popular by Charles Eames started to     9    the American household. Everything was simple and uncomplicated. Wall to wall carpeting became the most desirable type of flooring, especially in unique colours.

The 60s brought about many changes to American culture and home design was no exception. People wanted to show off their unique sense of style more than ever before. Homes weren’t just seen as a     10    of how successful you were—they were also a chance to let your personality shine through home decoration.

4 . 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. comprehensive	B. spread	C. impact	D. incredible	E. observed
F. compared	G. success	H. firmly	I. combination	J. heavily	K. motivate

A new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that around one in a hundred deaths worldwide is due to passive smoking, which kills an estimated 600,000 people a year.

In the first study to assess the global     1     of second-hand smoke, WHO experts find that children are more     2     exposed to second-hand smoke than any other age-group, and around 165,000 of them a year die because of it.

Children’s exposure to second-hand smoke is most likely to happen at home, and the double blow of infectious diseases and tobacco seems to be a deadly     3     for children in these regions. Commenting on the findings, Heather Wipfli and Jonathan Samet from the University of Southern California, said policymakers try to     4     families to stop smoking in the home.

While deaths due to passive smoking in children were skewed (曲解) toward poor and middle-income countries, deaths in adults were     5     across countries at all income levels.

In Europe’s high-income countries, only 71 child deaths occurred, while 35,388 deaths were in adults. Yet in the countries like Africa, an estimated 43,375 deaths due to passive smoking were in children     6     with 9,514 in adults.

Only 7.4 percent of the world population currently lives in places with     7     smoke-free laws, and those laws are not always     8     enforced (施行). In places where smoke-free rules are     9    , research shows that exposure to second-hand smoke in high-risk places like bars and restaurants can be cut by 90 percent, and in general by 60 percent, the researchers said.

Studies also show such laws help to reduce the number of cigarettes smoked by smokers and lead to higher     10     rates in those trying to quit.

5 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word that you do not need.

A. advertising B. associated C. crash D. commercial E. economically F. substantially G. display H. scene I. surrender J. primarily K. motivated

Imagine this scene in a movie: The hero is drinking a bottle of soda as the bad guys drive by disguised as delivery men. The hero leaps into his sports car and a chase ensues. The bad guys finally crash their delivery truck into a coffee house and    1    to the hero.

There is a reason why the hero was drinking Pepsi, the bad guys were driving a Federal Express truck and the    2    scene was a Starbucks coffee shop. That reason is called product placement, and it is more prevalent than one might suspect. This is an    3    technique in which companies pay a fee or provide services in exchange for a prominent    4    of their product. It is    5    used in connection with the movie industry, although other venues such as concert halls, convention centres and high-profile nightclubs may also agree to some form of placement.

One infamous example of product placement occurred in Steven Spielberg’s movie ET. Originally the alien creature was supposed to be lured out of hiding by following a trail of M&M chocolate candies. The company which produces M& Ms, however, did not wish to have their product    6    with an unproven and potentially unmarketable movie. A rival company agreed to provide a similar candy called Reese’s Pieces. The movie became a huge financial success, and the product placement boosted sales of Reese’s Pieces    7    

The use of this practice in movies has proven to be controversial. Some film-makers see it as too    8    . Others, particularly those with severe budget restrictions, welcome any company willing to invest money in exchange for placement.

The debate often centres around the necessity for a particular brand name product in a    9    . In our hypothetical chase sequence, the use of one Federal Express truck establishes the bad guys’ cover. Placing a fleet(车队)of Federal Express trucks on the street, however, may be an obvious case of product placement and considered too commercially    10    . Despite the debate between artistic integrity and practical commercialism, there is no doubt that product placement is effective in most cases.

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 delivered       B management       C overlooked        D.products        E.rural     F. shifted G.strategies       H.sufficient       I. tremendous        J.urbanisation       K.worst

National governments neglecting development needs of cities

National governments around the world are neglecting the needs of their major cities with non-existent or inadequate development policies, a new report has found. National governments are key to making cities more sustainable, because cities are limited distinctly in the policy measures they can take for themselves, the report points out. However, only a quarter of the world’s governments have urban development policies at all, and most of those that do exist are far from     1     to make cities sustainable.

The report looks at the key measures of energy production, transport, waste     2     and infrastructure(基础建设)，For instance, putting in adequate public transport can transform the lives of citizens and the carbon footprint of the cities they live in. Encouraging the use of electric vehicles above petrol-driven cars can also have a(n)     3     effect, not just on greenhouse gas emissions but also on removing some of the key causes of air pollution.

The report, from the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Coalition for Urban Transitions and funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies, suggests national governments have     4     the needs of their major cities even when they have in place national policies on issues such as climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.Derik Broekhoff of the Stockholm EnvironmentInstitute,the lead author of the study, said“Now is the time for national governments to put cities at the heart of their national development     5     . Countries must consider what policies need to be     6     in order to ensure their countries and cities are prepared for the unprecedented     7     and climate challenges the world is facing.”

Cities around the world are facing rapid population growth, and are likely to be among the areas     8     hit by dramatic climate change, in part because many are at risk of rising sea levels, floods and droughts. For most of human history, the     9     population was greater than those of cities, and it is only in just over the last decade that this balance has     10     with most of the world’s populations now living in urban centres, a trend that is expected to speed up even further.