1 . 语法填空

Silent Spring

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published in 1962. Carson wrote the book     1     (aim) to alert people to the damaging effects of human activities     2     natural ecosystems. And she wished to see pesticides     3     (use) in a more responsible, limited and carefully monitored way. The book contained a lot of scientific information, research, examples and so on,     4     showed how precise she was as a scientist. The arguments were strong and the language was     5     (elegance) and influential. However, the book was not received positively by everyone. It quickly became a target for critics in the pesticide industry, who said that Carson’s research was not precise. Carson appeared in public and on television     6     (defend) her claims.

Carson’s message was     7     (alarm) and its influence was immediate and far-reaching. The use of DDT     8     (ban) and the EPA was established in the US. The book was considered as     9     milestone in the launch of the green movement in the Western world. Carson earned a Presidential Medal of Freedom after she passed away.

The book changed the world by increasing people’s     10     (aware) of protecting natural ecosystem.

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.

Charles Dickens

It has been 150 years since Charles Dickens died, 184 years since his first work was released to the public and 156 years since his last completed book came out. In all of this time, these novels have never been out of print. Dickens may have left us, but his work remains timeless,     1     (fascinate) the majority of those who open their pages.

Most people have read, watched or at least heard of Dickens’ stories, but what makes him and his work so popular? Since he began novel writing in his 20s, Dickens constantly produced quality classics. Year after year his awaiting fans were not left     2     (disappoint) as their minds were fed with complex tales of romance, crime, hope and despair.

In the Victorian era he lived in, much of the work Dickens produced     3     (model) on the literature before him. He was one of the first writers of the time     4     (portray) honest examples of working-class people, giving many something to relate to. He focused on unfolding the good and bad qualities of characters which allowed his readers to follow their journeys and understand     5     they may have acted in the unusual or shocking ways that they did.

Any Dickens fans will know the diverse and outrageous (耸人听闻的) characters coming to life between the pages.     6     was special about this novelist’s ability in imagining these characters’ stories is that it comes from his own life’s path.     7     a young boy left to take care of himself in a workhouse to the wealthy figure he became through his writing successes, he knew what it was like to see in different lights. This deep understanding of his characters gave his fictional stories the strong element of believability     8     is needed in a good novel.

Over a century and a half later, Dickens’ themes can be relevant to today’s world problems. His words and imagery have been transformed further into the media of modern film, television and even musical adaptations.     9     set in a time unfamiliar to readers today, his work still enables everyone to relate to the love, hardship and sense of family that pours from the narratives. It is this aspect     10     has carried Charles Dickens into the 21st century.

3 . 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。

While English speakers look back to the time of Shakespeare and Milton 400 years ago as a Golden age, Chinese look back far     1     (far), to the Tang dynasty 1, 200 years ago as their Golden age of literature.

A key feature of Chinese poetry is     2     it is concise (简洁的). Each character places a thought, an impression, an image. Emphasis is put on use of rhythm and sometimes in a     3     (balance) look of the characters so that it is     4     (visual) pleasing on paper.

Amazing 48, 000 poems have survived from the many Tang dynasty poets. After the Tang, poets struggled     5     (establish) a modern style that was not rooted in the glories of the past. Later the style of the Song dynasty did become a popular form. So many people enjoy such     6     (popular) because it was more fluent and less rigid than that of the Tang.

Many poems contain specific events from Chinese history, and that makes understanding these poems     7     challenge to non-Chinese. Translating Chinese poems into English     8     (cause) all sorts of problems. For many years, writers have tried to convey the spirit of poems     9     different ways. Although much is lost in translation, the core (核心) meaning can     10     (catch) and appreciated.