1 . 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.

Reconsidering the Staycation

I’ve always been doubtful of the staycation. The newly-invented word is too cute for     1     feels like a comfort: While other people are off exploring the Blue Lagoon by camper van, you get to stay in your very own home and go to your usual supermarket     2     cookies!

So, I am fascinated to discover, thanks to my colleague Catherine Pearson, that I     3     (understand) staycation in a wrong way. Evidently, my tendency     4     (take) a break without a plan is unlikely to produce a restorative effect. Instead, one should make good preparations for that period of time. Jaime Kurtz, a psychology professor at James Madison University and the author of “The Happy Traveler: Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations,” advises     5     (ask) oneself, “If I were moving away soon, what would I most want to do, and who would I most want to spend time with?”

I like this saying “Live every day as if it were your last.” Any reminder that time is flying is a good one     6     it gets you to live better. This weekend, you could, for instance, seek out some vegan ice cream     7     doesn’t taste terrible. You could try running in a pool, which is easier on the joints but as effective as running on land. You could go for a walk or a drive while listening to “Slow Radio,” a very comforting BBC podcast     8     (feature) sounds of the natural world.

Whether or not you have a proper vacation     9     (plan) for the coming weeks, you could envision any coming weekend as its own two-day mini-break, programming it as you would a trip to somewhere new, with a journey     10     (exciting) than just “sleep as much as possible” and “mow the lawn”.

2 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In 1818 Mary Shelley published Frankenstein, the story of a scientist who tries to create a superior, being and instead creates a monster. In the last two centuries, this story     1     (tell) over and over again in countless variations. At first sight, the Frankenstein story appears to warn us that if we try to play God and engineer life we will be punished severely. Yet the story has a     2     (deep) meaning.

The Frankenstein myth confronts. Homo sapiens (智人) with the fact that the last days are fast approaching.     3     some nuclear or ecological disaster strikes, the pace of technological development will soon lead to the replacement of Homo sapiens by completely different beings who possess not only different physiques, but also very different cognitive and emotional worlds. This is something most Sapiens find extremely worrying. We like to believe that in the future people just     4     us will travel from planet to planet in fast spaceships. We don’t like to think about the     5     (possible) that in the future, beings with emotions and identities like ours will no longer exist, and our place will be taken by alien life forms     6     abilities beat our own.

We seek comfort in the fantasy that Dr. Frankenstein can create only terrible monsters, whom we would have to destroy in order to save the world. We like to tell the story that way because it implies that we are     7     best of all beings, that there never was and never will be anything better than us. Any attempt     8     (improve) us will inevitably fail, because even if our bodies might be improved, you cannot touch the human spirit.

We would have a hard time     9     (accept) the fact that scientists could engineer spirits as well as bodies, and that future Dr. Frankenstein could therefore create something     10     (true) superior to us, something that will look at us as condescendingly (居高临下地) as we look at the Neanderthals (穴居人).

3 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个恰当的单词或者括号内单词的正确形式。

When we’re young, we fearlessly dream about what our lives might be like. Since I was very young, I have dreamed of working for the United Nations in some of the most troubled     1     (country) in the world. And thanks to a lot of courage, that dream finally came true.

But here's the thing about courage: It doesn’t just appear whenever we need it. It’s the result of tough     2     (consider) and real work, involving the balance     3     fear and bravery. Without fear, we’ll do foolish things. And without courage, we’ll never step into     4     unknown. The balance of the two is where the magic lies, and it’s a balance we all deal with every day...

I     5     (diagnose) with a disease called HIBM three years ago, which affects all my muscles from head to toe. It was frightening news, because I had no idea how the disease might progress. But what was     6     (extreme) disheartening was listening to other people advise me     7     (limit) my ambitions and dreams. So, I ignored them and continued to pursue my dream of working all over the world.

Life is already    8     (scare), so to make our dreams come true, we need to be brave. In facing my fears and     9     (find) the courage to push through them, I swear my life has been extraordinary. So live big and try to let your courage outweigh your fear. You never know     10     it might lead you in the life journey.

4 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出 提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Everyone has a sense of humor, but it’s pretty evident that not everybody has a good sense of it. Psychologists are divided on     1     humor is inborn or learnable. However, there is one thing that     2     (accept) universally so far — the sense of humor is uniquely human. It is associated with laughter and laughter is associated with happiness and courage. These are qualities     3     (share) with other forms of life. But if happiness is one of the goals     4     (chase) in life, then it is the sense of humor that provides the key.

5 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式.

When was the last time you blew too high     1     a swing and lost your stomach, or burst out laughing so hard that you start crying?

A lot of us may be still recovering from antisocial habits     2     (form) in the tough time. And so far, some events out of our control     3     (have) a bad effect on our health. Last fall, 76% of adults surveyed by the American Psychological Association said stress from politics. race relations and violence had affected their health. They reported     4     (experience) headaches, depression, nervousness and exhaustion.

But     5     (solution) may be hiding in plain sight. Two recent books argue that making room for more fun in your life could counteract (抵消) both the stress and the tendency       6     (escape) it by zoning out online.

In a book published in January, psychologist Mike trucker makes the case that pursuit of fun experiences may be even more valuable than seeking the sometimes abstract goal of happiness. In Rucker’s opinion, happiness is     7     state of mind. But fun is something we can do for     8     (we). It doesn’t require education, money or power. All it requires is intentionality. We     9     (actual) ignore the importance of fun. We are so casual and careless about     10     we use things around us to make us fun, but it is important for our happiness and health.

6 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Self-reliance is a significant element in being an independent person. When you can make decisions for yourself     1     relying on others to approve your choice, you are acting independently. A person     2     is self-reliant and makes decisions with confidence is going to find themselves being relied on. This can make them feel more valuable. However, people relying heavily on others for support     3     (see) as needy and demanding. These are not attractive features in someone's personality and might lend to losing friends.

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Do you believe that art can change our world? In a study     1    (conduct) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), researchers found that people with an active interest in the art contribute more to society than those with little or no interest in     2    . That means if you sing, dance, draw, or act, and especially if you watch others do so, you’re     3    (likely) to be socially responsible, tolerant and altruistic (无私的).

Kelly Leroux, an assistant professor at UIC who takes charge     4     the study, says, “Our data analysis has found a high correlation between the arts and altruistic actions—like donating blood,or doing favors for a neighbor,     5     place the interests of others over the interests of self,” she said. “    6     this, people who have interests in the arts are more willing to take part in activities, such as volunteering.”

Because the financial crisis still lasts, arts budgets     7    (reduce) very soon. However, this policy will take such important benefits away from students. Just as LeRoux says,     8     policymakers are worried about a decline in community life, the arts should not be disregarded as     9     effective means to promote social     10    (responsible).

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

As the famous American song of the 1950s says. “Little things mean a lot.” To me, this phrase is becoming more and more significant as I get older and    1     (increase) comprehend that the ‘“little” things in life are often the most valuable.

One of these “little things” is nature. Most of us, even in urban cities, can find at least a little slice of nature    2    (appreciate). There’s a well-tended garden in my workplace. Most days I would never pay attention to    3    as I rushed past on my way to the office. A few days ago, realizing what I had missed, I     4     (decide) just to go there and seriously take time to enjoy it. The garden with many brightly colored    5    (rose) still in bloom in November is not only a feast for the eyes, but also a credit to the hardworking staff    6    carefully look after it.

Another “little thing” that means a lot to me is my little balcony garden. It’s such    7     enormous delight to enjoy this little bit of nature in my own home.     8     (raise) from seeds, the plants there are now bringing me plenty of lovely peppers, which is    9    (enjoy) and practical.

Nature is not “over there”, it’s right in front of us. Maybe it’s time to start focusing more     10    the “little things” in life.

9 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Zu Ti of the Jin Dynasty was a man who had with great ambition. When he was young, he had a good friend     1     (name) Liu Kun. They had such a deep friendship     2     they stayed together every day and got up at the same time every morning.

One day, when they were sleeping. Zu Ti heard the rooster crowing (鸡鸣) . He woke up Liu Kun and said, “How about     3     (get) up to play swords (剑) as soon as we heard the rooster crowing from now on?” Liu Kun was still     4     (sleep) . But he agreed with him     5     (joyful) . From then on, they got up and played swords once the rooster began crowing. They kept their word and never gave up no matter     6     cold in winter or hot in summer. Hard work     7     (pay) off. After a long period of hard study and training, they finally became the all-rounder. And they both did excellent jobs to their country.

The idiom “to rise with the rooster” teaches us that with ambition and hard work,     8     (succeed) is possible. When we can discover our shortcomings     9     time, it is not too late to try. But if you are not willing     10     (work) hard, you will not be able to achieve a career after all.

10 . 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.

The art of growing bald gracefully

There are three important days in every bald(ing) man’s life: The day you realize you’re losing your hair, the day you realize you should shave off what remains, and the day you finally do.     1     (grow) bald gracefully is about reducing the gap between these milestones as far as possible. I learned this the hard way.

My fear     2     all hairless men look the same is reinforced by the fact that people keep saying I look like my dad. No one     3     (note) this resemblance before. Now, suddenly, we`re like two shiny-headed. bearded peas in a pod. There is a certain poetic justice here, and I suffer regular flashbacks to the bald jokes I’d tell at my dad’s expense.

Whether he’s     4     (blame) for my hairline is matter of debate. Studies of identical twins have found that heredity (遗传) factors account for around 80% of men’s tendency to go bald,     5     the genetics are poorly understood. An old wives’ tale dictates that hair loss is passed down via the mother,     6     means your maternal grandfather’s hairline is the best predictor of your own.

Lifestyle factors can play a part, and I often wonder whether my fate was hastened by eating trans fats and not sleeping enough, or by living in big cities during some of its most seriously     7     (pollute) years. But my hairline’s retreat was likely predestined. As such, I am at peace with it. Although I didn’t grow bald gracefully, I can still aspire to be bald with grace.

Anton was the first among my friends     8     (go) bald. While I had the luxury of holding out until aged 35, he was 18 when he first found clumps of hair on the pillow. Anton’s advice for me and fellow newcomers is as follows: Moisturize (滋润) your head daily, shave it every few days and wear hats to protect against the sun and heat loss alike. If you have a beard, keep it     9     (brush); if you’re muscly, be aware of terrifying people and disarm them with a smile. And remember, he concluded, the way you carry yourself matters more than     10     is — or isn’t — growing from the top of your head.