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 with the proper form of the given word: for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

When I succeeded in     1    (become) a part-time employee of Nokia China last summer, many friends asked me how I survived the interview.

I once asked     2     the same questions. Many of my peers also     3    (ask) for the job, including some very competitive and intelligent     4    (study) in famous universities.

But why did the interviewer pick me instead of them?

Finally, curiosity pushed me to ask the interviewers soon     5     we became colleagues. The reason     6     I succeeded was that I appeared confident but humble, responsible and communicative. They judged people not only by their academic certificates,     7     by their qualities and abilities. I happened to be the right person.

To be frank, I once felt ashamed of being a student from     8     unknown college, and I think this may apply to some of you. I     9    (think) that my future was ruined. It was only at the time of my successful interview that I finally understood the famous saying — “You decide where you go.” It has certainly helped me make a giant step closer     10     my dream of graduating with prospects for the future.

2 . 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.
Living your best life

It was a bright spring morning in a suburban Rochester, New York, neighborhood. Three young men,     1     hearts were full of excitement, were preparing for a road trip across the United States. It would be the adventure of a life time. I was one of those young men. For my friends and     2    , going on a cross-country trip was at the top our bucket lists!

A bucket list simply lists things you want to see, try or accomplish     3     your lifetime. But it’s not something simple like learning to ride a bike or passing a math test. You need to dream big!     4     this may not sound practical, it’s a good mental exercise and a lot of fun. The sky is the limit! Why? Because making a bucket list can push you to do something extraordinary!

Making a bucket list can also help you get in touch with your values. People live busy lives, so it’s easy to get     5     (trap) in life’s daily routines. But taking time to chew over     6     you really want from life can help you get a fresh perspective.

If you’re ready to start making your own bucket list, you first need to decide what to put on it. You could make a list of unusual things you’d like to do, such as doing     7     underwater photo shoot as a mermaid (美人鱼). If you love animals, you could put a trip to Tokyo     8     (visit) a night bird café on your list.

What’s on my list? Well, since I fancy     9     (look) into the night sky, I want to spend a few nights in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile. If the skies are clear, I would have a view of the whole Milky Way Galaxy! Now it’s your turn. What strikes your fancy? You     10     (not) discover what you are capable of until you dream BIG.

3 . 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.

It’s OK Not to Be OK

Every now and then, you are probably told not to give up when things get difficult. But at what point can we feel that it’s OK to give up? Sometimes, giving up can be a thoughtful and brave decision. If you feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders and it is holding     1     down, find a way to take a break.    2     (remember) that you can always give up when you hit your limit and start over when you feel ready again.

Simone Biles, with a     3     (combine) total of 32 Olympic and World Championship medals, got a case of the “twisties” at the Olympics in Tokyo last year. This means that when doing flips (空翻) or twists, the world’s greatest gymnast had a hard time figuring out     4     the ground was. So, she told the world she wasn’t going to compete     5     she knew her limits. If she had pushed herself at all costs, she might have ended up with a lifelong injury. Instead, she knew when     6     (tell) people she wasn’t OK.

As a four-time Grand Slam winner at the age of 23, the Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka     7     (drop) out of the 2021 French Open. She announced that she needed a break     8     the spotlight to work on her mental health. In a TIME magazine interview before the Olympics, she said, “I do hope that people     9     relate and understand it’s OK to not be OK, and it’s OK to talk about it. There are people     10     experiences are inspiring, and there is usually light at the end of any tunnel.”

4 . 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.

Agree to Disagree

I am old enough to remember running through the whipping rain to find a phone booth, only     1     (get) cut off in the middle of the call because I ran out of change. I remember having posted hand-written letters home from overseas that would take two weeks to arrive.

In comparison, the world of social media is truly a miracle. Free of charge, you     2     contact anybody, anywhere, anytime. Social media enables us to debate with people the world over. And this is a good thing in some aspects. In the market-place of ideas, you get to try on other people’s shoes and see     3     the world looks like from their perspective. In the 90s, experts predicted an end to historical conflict because people would become more open-minded and tolerant. But this is sadly not turning out to be the case. As psychologist Johnathan Haidt said in his article “The Codding of the American Mind,” social media     4     (create) people who are addicted to conflict and is driving polarization(极端化).

Because online disagreements are no longer being conducted between two people in an enclosed room, but are instead happening in a public space with thousands of onlookers, many debates have devolved into nothing more than a popularity contest—whoever walks away with the most “likes”     5     (crown) the winner. People often say things they don’t believe in order to get more likes.     6     sugar—the more likes you get, the better you feel.

Meanwhile, social media algorithms (算法) reinforce an echo chamber (回音室). By     7     (expose) you to articles and videos similar in opinion to those you’ve clicked on before, they lure you down the rabbit hole     8     the media you consume is reinforcing the opinions you already have.

Many of us have probably got     9     (stick) in a heated debate over some controversial topic. This may not matter much if the conflict occurs between strangers. But when it comes to close family or friends, the result can be unpleasant. Many people find it really hard to feel close to their friends     10     they have the same beliefs.

My advice here is to bear in mind the following: You are entitled to your opinion; I just happen to think otherwise. So let’s agree to disagree.

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.

On Teachers

Ancient scholars certainly had teachers. A teacher is one who passes on the truth, imparts knowledge and solves puzzles. Man is not born with knowledge. Who can deny that he has puzzles? If one had doubts and is not willing to learn from a teacher, his doubts     1     (never resolve).

The men born before me surely know the truth before me, so I respect them as teachers, whereas those born after me may also know the truth before me, so I likewise respect them as teachers. It is the truth that I endeavor to learn. Must I know beforehand     2     my teacher was born earlier or later than me? Therefore, no distinction should be made between the noble and the humble or between the young and the old. Where lies the truth, there is a teacher.

Alas, it is a long time     3     the admirable tone of respecting teachers ceased to pass on! How hard it would be to expect a man to be free of puzzle! Sages in olden times     4     outstripped by far the ordinary people even had teachers and asked them questions. Nowadays the multitude(大众),     5     much inferior to sages, are ashamed of being instructed by teachers. As a consequence, sages become more sage, and ignoramuses(无知识的人)more ignorant. The wisdom of the former and the stupidity of the latter -- are they not all caused by this?

Loving parents may select teachers to instruct their children. But when it comes to themselves, they feel     6     a disgrace to be taught by them. How wrong they must be! The teachers of their children only show them how to read a book sentence by sentence, not to be mentioned in the same breath as those whom I refer to as passing on the truth and solving puzzles. For lack of reading skills, one seeks the help of teachers, while for unsolved puzzles, one acts contrariwise. It is indeed learning the lesser but giving up the greater. I do not see its wisdom.

Physicians, musicians and multifarious artisans are not ashamed of learning from each other. But among the gentlefolk the talk about the teachers and pupils would invite laughter from a gathered company. When     7     (ask) about the reason, they would say. “The one is equal to the other in age and knowledge.” To be instructed by a man of low social standing is regarded as a disgrace, and by a man of high official rank as a flattery. Alas, it is only conceivable that the noble tone of respecting teachers is lost and hardly retrievable! Physicians, musicians and artisans are refused to be treated as equals by gentlefolks, yet these gentlefolks turn out to be     8     (intelligent) than those physicians, musicians and artisans. Is it not strange?

Sages have had no constant teachers. Confucius once learned from Tan Zi as well as from Chang Hong, Shi Xiang and Laozi, though Tan Zi and his like are not on a parity with him in wisdom. Confucius says: “Out of my two fellow-travelers one     9     be qualified to be my teacher.” Hence pupils are not necessarily inferior to teachers, and teachers need not always be superior to pupils. Some may know the truth earlier or later than others and each has his own professional speciality - that is all!

Li Pan, aged seventeen, is fond of ancient classical writings and have studied all the six arts and their commentaries. Not restrained by the current practice, he has learned from me. As I praise him for his     10     (stick) to the old ways, I am writing this essay “On Teachers” for him.

6 . 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.

The first time I invited a good friend not just over to but into my house, post-vaccination, without masks, I couldn’t even wait until she walked up to my door —I ran outside to greet her, and we hugged each other in the driveway. We both held on tight, as we took turns exclaiming how good it was to see each other. We     1    (not hang) out in person since January 2020, and of course I was looking forward to talking, sharing a meal, catching up on all her news—but somehow I felt that     2     any of that happened, I would also get to hug her. It was my first hug from a friend in more than a year, and a reminder of just how     3     (comfort) a good hug can be.

I’ve been a huger since middle school, when my friends and I     4     embrace between classes in the hall as though we hadn’t just seen one another the day before. In high school, I volunteered at a Girl Scouts camp every summer, and at the end of each session, many of our campers would seek us out     5     (say) goodbye. My fellow counselors and I would typically offer     6     a choice: Hug, handshake or high five? Most of the kids would choose a hug. But there were always at least a few     7     would opt for a handshake, at times delivered so solemnly that I felt like we were going into business together, or a high five, some slapping so hard that my hand     8     (hurt). I always appreciated this ritual, especially the individual ask, for the simple reason     9     it allowed me to think about and honor each camper’s wishes. As I venture out from my pandemic bubble, I hope to bring the same kind of intentionality to every much     10     (anticipate) reunion.

7 . Directions: Read the following passage. 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.

In the Name of Love

Many people grow up hearing the advice that all you need to do in life is to “find your passion.” The implication is     1    if you “do what you love”, success and probably happiness and money would follow. People like Apple’s Steve Jobs and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg were long regarded     2     examples of this trend. In fact,    3     age group you are in, or education level you have reached, this idealized view of the working world is the modern-day equivalent of the emperor’s new clothes myth.

When you stick to the “do what you love” advice for your career, you immediately narrow your vision of what a career can be and therefore, limit your ability     4     (satisfy) by your careers. You get the wrong idea that you are not doing the right job    5     you are doing the job that you “love”. There’s a big chance     6    you will miss out on some of the wisest potential career decisions available to you. What’s more, you might be wasting your time chasing after a bachelor’s degree only to take a job    7     your degree is all but useless.

Most people don’t grow up,     8     (want) to clean up after others or work in low-end (低端的) retail or fast food jobs. The reality is: we need bus drivers, cooks and doormen as much as we need engineers, web developers and data scientists. Even though machines may be taking some jobs away, there is a large number of jobs that are not going anywhere-and we depend on them every day.

Stop putting too much pressure on     9    (you) in order to do what you love. Start with focusing on what skills you have, what you can learn, and     10     you can translate them into a worthwhile job with upward mobility. Your love for what you do will come with the satisfaction of a job well done.

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.

Wintry Scenes from a Swedish Wonderland

I always give the same advice to ambitious photographers: Wherever home is, that’s where you should begin. Having lived and worked everywhere but in Sweden for most of my life, I was terrible at following it myself. For me, Sweden has always been a place to relax and spend time with family. I’ve never explored it in the same way I’ve explored destinations like Zambia     1     now.

With all of my foreign trips     2     (cancel) this year, I decided to travel north from my home near Stockholm. What began as a two-week trip quickly turned into journeys     3    , both starting and finishing in midwinter, lasted the entire year.

Climate change doesn’t have any impact on the length of our daylight. And yet,     4     (lie) on the back staring up at the magical light show of the aurora borealis (北极光), I hardly minded the lack of daylight. Instead,     5     caught my attention was the fascinating beauty of the white, frozen landscapes and the endless shades of blue.

But Johan Stenevad, my host at Lapland Guesthouse, showed me     6     else. One day, on a snowmobile path lined with tall trees on both sides, he turned off his engine and asked me what I saw. “Trees,” I answered. “A forest.”

He shook his head. “Not a forest, just a plantation. Soon, this is what     7     (leave).” he said. For over half a century now, the ancient forests that once seemed endless continue     8     (cut) down. The Sami that live mainly in the northern areas     9     (face) an existential crisis. Their lives and culture are closely linked to the ancient forests and the reindeer (驯鹿) there. The slow growing lichen (地衣) and mushrooms upon which the reindeer depend for survival are not found in plantations. So, the death of one     10     mean the death of the other, and an uncertain future for an entire people.

We are not visitors in nature and it’s essential for our own survival as well as that of the natural world.

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.

My community and state are still recovering from the recent disaster. A storm     1    （strike）on a Friday evening, knocking down trees, blocking roads, damaging homes, and destroying power lines.

Hundreds of thousands of people suddenly found themselves in the dark     2     water, electricity, air conditioning, and internet. They found themselves cut off from the modern world.     3    （endure）90 degree plus heat, they had no idea when it would be over.

However, the most amazing thing happened.     4    the reality of the crisis sank in, it brought out the best in us. While there were a few acts of selfishness, they     5    （overlook）amid the wave of love that came from the hearts of so many.

People shared their food, ice, and gasoline. People who still had power opened their homes to     6     who had none. People rushed out to clear roads and homes of fallen trees. Selfless power engineers worked around the clock to repair the damage and restore electricity.

People gathered in their gardens     7     they shared hugs and offered words of hope and faith that they would see themselves through it all. Strangers came together as one family to help each other in this time of great need. Most people acted like heroes under the most difficult circumstances.

Life’s disasters challenge all of us from time to time with no one     8    （spare）.

How we respond to them, however, is up to us. We     9     react to them like evils of selfishness or like heroes of love. May you always bring the best from your heart to     10    life may throw at you then!

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 other.

Home Team or Visitor?

“Time to leave!” my mother shouted up the stairs.

My heart beat fast. This was it---my first day at school in Chicago! By the end of last year, we     1     (live) in a town with a total population of about 2000 for many years. Mom had changed jobs, though, and now we were Chicagoans.     2     (have) no idea what to expect from this big-city school, I took one last look in the mirror. My new Chicago Cubs sweater looked great with my old jeans and new tennis shoes. I put my old Cubs cap on my head,     3     (get) my backpack, and ran for the waiting school bus.

When the bus came, it was nearly full. I walked down the aisle (走道)slowly, looking for an empty seat. I felt     4    everybody was staring at me, but most of them were busy talking to each other. However, as I glanced toward the back, I noticed a couple of boys     5     (laugh). They were pointing at me.

“Hey, we have something new     6     (talk) about on our bus today!” one of them shouted over the noise. At the moment, everyone got quiet and all eyes     7     (raise) to me. I felt terribly ashamed.

Suddenly, a big kid stood up and said, “Come over here.” I was glad     8     (get) out of the aisle, away from all those eyes, so I went to sit down beside him. The bus started moving.

“I’m Al,” he said,     9     (shake) my hand. "Don’t let those two bother you. They're some of     10     (big) baseball fans in our school. They aren't actually fond of making fun of you.”

“I’m Lewis.” I said.

Al smiled and said, “You know, you do kind of look like a tourist.”

We both laughed, and suddenly I felt a lot better. Right then I decided that

the next day I'd wear the same kind of clothes I had worn at my old school.

From the experience of that day, I learned that it's always best to just be     11    . I also realized that every day is full of surprises. How could I know that in the middle of an embarrassing moment, I’d meet someone like Al, with     12    I would make a great friend?