阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

1

For millions of people, the mere thought of climbing a ladder or looking over a cliff is enough to set the heart racing. But now scientists have come to the 1 with a pill to treat the fear of 2 . The medicine — which contains the stress hormone cortisol (压力荷尔蒙皮质醇) — 3 with traditional treatment to help people 4 what makes them frightened.

Fear of high places, or acrophobia, is one of the most common phobias (恐惧症). 5 , it is treated by exposing people to heights. 6 , the old way is rarely fully successful. The 7 method combines this “exposure treatment” with an amount of cortisol, the hormone released by the body in times of 8 . The international team of scientists tested the 9 of a cortisol pill on 40 people 10 acrophobia. The participants were either given cortisol or a placebo 11 they were exposed to heights. Placebos look like 12 , but they have no medical effect and are safe for humans.

At the end of the 13 , the participants were asked to describe how 14 they were using a questionnaire. Those taking cortisol were 15 less frightened.

The effects were also 16 , with the participants still feeling less frightened a month after taking the pill. The scientists 17 that cortisol works by making people forget what they 18 . It is thought to cut blood flow to areas of the brain that bring back memories, leaving people unable to recall (忆起) their phobia of heights. It also 19 the creation of new memories — allowing patients to 20 their new-found bravery.

The drug’s effects have been reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

1. A. rescue B. scene

C. ground D. agreement

2. A. heights B. competition

C. stages D. weight

3. A. battles B. works

C. compares D. plays

4. A. admit B. deny

C. forget D. recognize

5. A. Successfully B. Surprisingly

C. Occasionally D. Traditionally

6. A. Instead B. Besides

C. Therefore D. However

7. A. excellent B. fast

C. new D. usual

8. A. stress B. trouble

C. peace D. failure

9. A. effects B. qualities

C. importance D. safety

10. A. studying B. having

C. discussing D. knowing

11. A. though B. if

C. before D. after

12. A. snacks B. fruits

C. medicine D. food

13. A. experiment B. game

C. presentation D. report

14. A. proud B. scared

C. depressed D. confused

15. A. strangely B. noticeably

C. hopefully D. temporarily

16. A. immediate B. indirect

C. lasting D. possible

17. A. answer B. question

C. refuse D. believe

18. A. doubt B. promise

C. value D. fear

19. A. prevents B. encourages

C. involves D. proves

20. A. predict B. imagine

C. describe D. remember

2

Humans, through the ages, have experienced many changes from the time when they lived in dark caves to nowadays when they live in comfortable apartments, 1 one thing remains the same: people always 2 in groups. So why are groups so 3 to people? I think it is because of the psychological, social and financial advantages.

With regard to psychological aspects, I think groups make people feel more purposeful and 4 . When one is lonely and bored, he or she may 5 little purpose in life. But once they join a group that promotes a 6 cause, their life will soon become more purposeful. 7 , a group can give an individual courage to overcome difficulties. Everyone knows the saying, “There is 8 in numbers.” No doubt, meeting challenges as a group is often easier than meeting them 9 .

10 speaking, groups and organizations provide an interesting way for people with common interests to share information, ideas and hobbies. Today, there are 11 social groups, including running groups, culture groups and dance groups. As a group, people can have more fun and can 12 from the collection of different ideas 13 by the group’s many members. I think the saying, “Two heads are better than one.” 14 here.

Finally, I think groups are important to people because it allows them to pool their resources (资源) together to make certain things more 15 . For example, many people like traveling in large groups because hotels and airlines are always willing to offer a lower price 16 group business. Many modern suburban neighborhoods have formed car pools to share and lower the 17 of getting to and from the city. There’s 18 to the saying, “It’s 19 by the dozen.”

In conclusion, I think groups and organizations give people psychological, social and financial advantages. No matter how the world 20 , they play an essential role in our life.

1. A. so B. but

C. though D. unless

2. A. play B. live

C. eat D. compete

3. A. complex B. simple

C. important D. normal

4. A. careful B. successful

C. powerful D. grateful

5. A. collect B. promote

C. waste D. find

6. A. difficult B. smooth

C. lost D. worthy

7. A. Besides B. Instead

C. Otherwise D. Therefore

8. A. mystery B. strength

C. safety D. patience

9. A. again B. alone

C. apart D. abroad

10. A. Socially B. Honestly

C. Personally D. Roughly

11. A. countless B. limited

C. funny D. actual

12. A. hide B. benefit

C. wake D. separate

13. A. accepted B. appreciated

C. produced D. considered

14. A. passes B. ends

C. applies D. lies

15. A. public B. special

C. official D. affordable

16. A. in spite of B. in memory of

C. in addition to D. in exchange for

17. A. cost B. speed

C. chance D. profit

18. A. truth B. reality

C. principle D. purpose

19. A. luckier B. quicker

C. cheaper D. firmer

20. A. works B. tries

C. suffers D. changes

3

I was on holiday in Cornwall (a county in Southwest England) in August. Suddenly, while walking in a car park with a friend, I felt really 1 . I was having a serious heart attack, and immediately I 2 . I almost died, there and then, age 47.

As my friend was trying to 3 what was happening, a stranger 4 out of the car park 5 , having seen me on the ground, and asked my friend if I was OK. The stranger and his passenger got out of the car and came over to where I was 6 . They at once 7 what had happened and 8 .

The driver and his passenger were both 9 experts. They were consultants from Plymouth’s A&E (Accident and Emergency) Department at Derriford Hospital. I was also in 10 . The driver happened to have the only piece of 11 that could bring me back to life — a portable defibrillator (电击器) — in his 12 . After three-and-a-half minutes of being 13 , he had me conscious and I was immediately taken to a nearby hospital.

I later learnt from my doctor that he 14 the hospital most days to check on my 15. Apparently, my chances of surviving 16 the intervention (干预) of this stranger and his particular equipment were zero.

Since returning home to Bristol I tracked him down and had a(n) 17 chat with him by phone. I told him how much I 18 what he had done. He said he required nothing in return, and explained why he had a defibrillator that day: he is also the chairman of a South West charity raising money to provide 19 equipment to volunteers.

This 20 with a stranger didn’t just change my life — it gave me my life. Now I’m also hoping to help others in trouble.

1. A. confused B. uncomfortable

C. awkward D. anxious

2. A. showed up B. turned around

C. fell down D. set off

3. A. give up B. set down

C. figure out D. give away

4. A. cycling B. looking

C. walking D. driving

5. A. shouted B. jumped

C. entered D. stopped

6. A. resting B. parking

C. lying D. standing

7. A. realized B. remembered

C. accepted D. followed

8. A. took over B. took off

C. went on D. went away

9. A. social B. medical

C. political D. economic

10. A. doubt B. luck

C. surprise D. confusion

11. A. advice B. news

C. equipment D. information

12. A. house B. department

C. office D. car

13. A. slow B. foolish

C. sad D. dead

14. A. rang B. helped

C. bothered D. passed

15. A. recovery B. consciousness

C. accident D. injuries

16. A. by B. without

C. at D. after

17. A. honest B. different

C. calm D. emotional

18. A. ignored B. considered

C. appreciated D. enjoyed

19. A. long-lost B. life-saving

C. labor-saving D. high-tech

20. A. incident B. problem

C. challenge D. trade

4

People have been studying the methods of persuasion since the days of the ancient Greeks. They have found that listeners 1 a speaker’s ideas for two reasons — because they are 2 over by the speaker’s evidence, or because they are moved by the speaker’s emotional appeals.

If you hope to be 3 , you must support your 4 with evidence — examples, statistics, and other facts used to 5 something. As you prepare your speech, try at each point to imagine how your audience will 6 . Just expect their 7 and answer them with evidence. 8 what kind of evidence you use, it will be more persuasive if it is stated in 9 rather than general terms. When making a speech about noise pollution, 10 , you say, “Lots of people suffer from hearing loss.” That will leave the audience 11 how many “lots” amounts to. 12 , by saying “28 million Americans suffer from serious hearing loss,” you will make your point much more 13 .

You can 14 persuade your listeners by appealing to their emotions — fear, anger, pity, sorrow, and so forth. One important way to generate emotional appeals is by using emotional language. 15 you want to move your listeners, use moving language. Mary Fisher, an American political activist, is particularly 16 for her speech on fighting AIDS made in Houston in 1992. It has been regarded as “one of the best American speeches of the 20th century.” As she spoke, the conference hall fell unusually 17 , and many people were moved to tears. They were 18 by Fisher’s powerful words and heartfelt 19 . Afterward, most listeners owed the 20 of the speech to its emotional power.

Even when trying to move listeners to action, however, you should never replace evidence with emotional appeals. You need to build a good case based on facts in addition to arousing the emotions of your audience.

1. A. explore B. accept

C. consider D. translate

2. A. knocked B. won

C. held D. taken

3. A. careful B. truthful

C. persuasive D. humorous

4. A. goals B. examples

C. views D. rules

5. A. trust B. answer

C. suggest D. prove

6. A. relax B. return

C. recover D. react

7. A. doubts B. beliefs

C. confidence D. influence

8. A. Regardless of B. Because of

C. Rather than D. Other than

9. A. standard B. specific

C. simple D. brief

10. A. in short B. for instance

C. however D. thus

11. A. learning B. researching

C. wondering D. realizing

12. A. Therefore B. Otherwise

C. Besides D. Instead

13. A. automatically B. casually

C. rapidly D. effectively

14. A. ever B. just

C. also D. still

15. A. If B. Though

C. Before D. Unless

16. A. noted B. prepared

C. guilty D. grateful

17. A. impatient B. silent

C. empty D. busy

18. A. puzzled B. annoyed

C. attracted D. surprised

19. A. apologies B. thanks

C. wish D. delivery

20. A. success B. style

C. chance D. glory

5

In today’s world we find ourselves communicating more and more through online channels such as messaging, social media and video calls, often at the 1 of face-to-face dialogue. But is online communication 2 in today’s world?

To begin with, I’d like to 3 the advantages of online communication. One of the main arguments in its 4 is that it opens up the possibility of communicating with people in different places around the globe. This has considerable benefits in the workplace as meetings can 5 via videoconferencing between Stockholm, San Francisco and Shanghai without the need for 6 , exhausting business trips. Furthermore, it provides opportunities for 7 families and friends to keep in touch on a daily basis. Another point is that written online communication gives us the option of responding either immediately or at a time that 8 us as well as allowing us to edit and 9 our message.

On the other hand, there are several 10 to over-reliance on online communication. Some experts are concerned that a(n) 11 of face-to-face interaction (互动) delays the development of vital social skills. Tara Kennedy-Kline, author of Stop Raising Einstein, feels that connecting primarily through social media actually 12 making us socially awkward. “Our kids don’t know how to have conversations,” she said. “They are losing simple social skills 13 they only do things online.” Also, the very 14 of conversation is different in the real world. When you talk face to face, you communicate with 15 words. You communicate with your eyes, your hands, and your whole body. Your relationship with a person can grow much 16 when you communicate face to face. If short dialogues using too many emoticons 17 longer stretches of direct conversation with emotions expressed on real faces, we’re running the risk of losing the 18 of real conversation.

On balance, I believe that online communication brings an overall advantage in today’s 19 , global society. However, we should take care not to 20 the benefits of engaging in face-to-face dialogue.

1. A. request B. expense

C. mercy D. top

2. A. easy B. preferable

C. affordable D. accessible

3. A. offer B. use

C. outline D. get

4. A. position B. way

C. history D. favor

5. A. show up B. catch up

C. take charge D. take place

6. A. occasional B. quick

C. time-consuming D. energy-saving

7. A. worse-off B. low-income

C. long-distance D. well-to-do

8. A. suits B. attracts

C. satisfies D. reminds

9. A. polish B. save

C. delete D. send

10. A. keys B. drawbacks

C. approaches D. secrets

11. A. manner B. attitude

C. lack D. suggestion

12. A. starts B. avoids

C. ends up D. goes on

13. A. so B. unless

C. though D. because

14. A. purpose B. volume

C. speed D. nature

15. A. less than B. more than

C. rather than D. other than

16. A. simpler B. stronger

C. more formal D. more casual

17. A. replace B. affect

C. control D. disturb

18. A. art B. topic

C. choice D. advice

19. A. divided B. traditional

C. hard-won D. fast-paced

20. A. overlook B. compare

C. doubt D. argue

6

There are many people living on the streets. The 1 for homelessness are many and can be a result of things such as sickness, job loss, mental illness. It is incredibly 2 for someone who is experiencing homelessness to lose touch with their family and friends 3 broken relationships are at the heart of homelessness. Along with this come 4 of shame, embarrassment, and uncertainty. 5 reliable access to the Internet and digital devices (设备) combined with these 6 barriers keep many homeless individuals further away from their potential support systems.

That’s 7 I started Miracle Messages. In December 2014, I asked 8 people if they’d like to 9 a holiday message to a loved one using my phone. Jeffrey said yes. I 10 his video on Facebook, and it spread 11 . His sister read the post within 20 minutes. Weeks later, Jeffrey reunited with his 12 for the first time in 22 years.

I shared the 13 of Jeffrey and offered other homeless people the 14 to record their own Miracle Messages. That’s how I 15 Johnny, who recorded a video message to his family. Within three weeks, all four of his brothers and sisters traveled from across the country to 16 with Johnny in person again for the first time in 33 years.

Since then, Miracle Messages has 17 dozens of homeless individuals to reunite with their long 18 loved ones. Together with other social organizations, our 19 is to help 1% of the world’s homeless population reunite with their loved ones by 2021. And all of this is done by taking a piece of 20 technology such as mobile phones, and using it for social good.

1. A. questions B. reasons

C. purposes D. suggestions

2. A. safe B. painful

C. crazy D. easy

3. A. though B. because

C. or D. if

4. A. abilities B. dreams

C. feelings D. messages

5. A. Lacking B. Refusing

C. Seeking D. Providing

6. A. major B. emotional

C. class D. personal

7. A. why B. how

C. when D. where

8. A. hopeless B. careless

C. heartless D. homeless

9. A. deliver B. write

C. record D. receive

10. A. examined B. shared

C. watched D. discovered

11. A. secretly B. suddenly

C. quickly D. finally

12. A. family B. friends

C. team D. neighbors

13. A. picture B. wish

C. puzzle D. story

14. A. job B. way

C. chance D. plan

15. A. understood B. met

C. remembered D. noticed

16. A. talk B. unite

C. agree D. compare

17. A. helped B. advised

C. encouraged D. persuaded

18. A. forgotten B. ignored

C. trapped D. lost

19. A. function B. advantage

C. rule D. aim

20. A. complex B. efficient

C. everyday D. creative

7

Body language experts are people who evaluate non-verbal communication in contexts where an expert’s opinion is required. Many people have the 1 to evaluate body language to some degree, and some may even be quite good at making determinations about a person’s 2 based on body language. An expert in this 3 is typically a person with advanced formal education in psychology or another 4 that focuses on body language. However, 5 understanding the theories of body language is not enough to be an expert in practice. Using the theories quickly and 6 results are very important as well. The 7 of body language experts can be 8 in legal contexts, hiring decisions, and so on.

The way in which body language experts 9 depends on the expert and his or her theories about this science, but most 10 small unconscious movements and ways of positioning the body to 11 what an individual thinks or believes. It is 12 to understand that the movements themselves do not say anything except 13 the individual’s history, his or her personal psychology, and the situation at hand. An expert uses these 14 as well as information about the individual to help identify his or her 15 states.

One of the most important uses of body language experts is related to 16 . This type of expert can be 17 when reviewing what an individual says in a court to look for signs of deception (欺骗). Body language experts can also be useful in other disciplines where a person might be 18 an emotion. For example, 19 might make use of this type of expert when trying to 20 dishonest potential employees.

1. A. chance B. ability

C. intention D. courage

2. A. habits B. decisions

C. behaviors D. thoughts

3. A. country B. language

C. practice D. period

4. A. example B. subject

C. skill D. idea

5. A. simply B. quickly

C. truly D. eagerly

6. A. delivering B. evaluating

C. receiving D. presenting

7. A. impressions B. preparations

C. opinions D. doubts

8. A. clear B. different

C. popular D. useful

9. A. react B. study

C. move D. operate

10. A. compare to B. rely on

C. try out D. bring in

11. A. examine B. change

C. determine D. memorize

12. A. important B. natural

C. certain D. strange

13. A. in honor of B. in relation to

C. in common with D. in need of

14. A. experiences B. messages

C. clues D. views

15. A. physical B. current

C. financial D. internal

16. A. work B. law

C. science D. history

17. A. successful B. careful

C. helpful D. hopeful

18. A. hiding B. feeling

C. showing D. describing

19. A. experts B. employers

C. professors D. doctors

20. A. pay attention to B. put up with

C. look down on D. get rid of

8

On New Year’s Eve, I came across an old couple at a secondhand store. They moved slowly around me 1 something.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

They stopped, looked at me and said, “We’re looking for 2 things that look new.”

Then they 3 . I didn’t. It must have been a private joke between them.

Noticing I looked 4 , the man explained, “Look, every new year in the past we 5 to begin the year with new things. It was a goal to surround ourselves with things 6 and new so that we had new direction, new hopes and dreams for the 7 ahead.”

“How did that 8 ?” I asked.

“Well, after so many years, we discovered it really got us 9 ,” the woman said.

“Then why do you 10 at a secondhand store? Are things bad financially?”

“No, not at all. We just discovered that things don’t have to be 11 to be of great value. 12 it’s old, it’s new to someone who 13 saw it before,” the man said.

“So, each year we search for things that are 14 o others but mean the world to us,” the woman added.

This couple had spent most of their lives 15 that there was power in “things” and on New Year’s Eve, they should 16 old things and be surrounded with new things. They spent most of their lives believing that by doing so, their life was going to change magically.

17 , the truth is, there really isn’t anything different from one day to the next, one year to the next, except for your 18 to it. Everything is there waiting to be 19 , so everything is old until you see it for the first time.

I have learned a 20 that day and it has been the best New Year gift I have ever received.

1. A. in search of B. in charge of

C. in memory of D. in support of

2. A. strange B. old

C. cheap D. pretty

3. A. laughed B. nodded

C. shouted D. apologized

4. A. shocked B. worried

C. puzzled D. annoyed

5. A. promised B. tried

C. struggled D. failed

6. A. fresh B. familiar

C. interesting D. useful

7. A. way B. year

C. goal D. chance

8. A. carry out B. pick out

C. work out D. come out

9. A. somewhere B. anywhere

C. nowhere D. everywhere

10. A. work B. volunteer

C. stay D. shop

11. A. unique B. expensive

C. rare D. attractive

12. A. Even though B. Now that

C. If only D. Ever since

13. A. seldom B. never

C. sometimes D. often

14. A. common B. funny

C. valueless D. harmless

15. A. believing B. proving

C. explaining D. arguing

16. A. take hold of B. get rid of

C. pay attention to D. put up with

17. A. Therefore B. Moreover

C. Otherwise D. However

18. A. approach B. attitude

C. contribution D. introduction

19. A. bought B. remembered

C. improved D. discovered

20. A. word B. skill

C. fact D. lesson

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