Ⅰ. Grammar and Vocabulary
Section A
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.
Race to the Frozen North
On April 6, 1909, six determined men stood at the top of the world, claiming victory over one of Earth’s last great frontiers — the North Pole. Their leader, Robert E. Peary, captured the historic moment in photographs as his team proudly held up their flags. Among them was Matthew Henson, an experienced explorer ___1___ skills had been vital to their success. He held a unique flag, ___2___(sew) together from different pieces of fabric, while four expert Inuit hunters stood by his side. They guided the team through the endless frozen wilderness.
Reaching this ice-covered world was not easy. Many had tried before them, only ___3___ (force) back by terrible conditions. Peary’s success was not just luck — it was careful strategy, perseverance, and the strength of his team. He relied heavily ___4___ Henson, who had journeyed with him through the Arctic before. Henson wasn’t just an explorer; he was a survivalist, trained by the Inuit (因纽特人) in the art of handling the ice.
But no amount of skill ___5___ make overcoming the Arctic any easier. The wind screamed like a wild beast, and the temperature dropped to a freezing minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Henson later wrote in his journal, “Freezing of the whole front part of the face is an ordinary occurrence.” Ice formed on their skin, ___6___ (bite) deeper with every burst of wind. Frostbite (冻疮) was a constant threat. Peary himself had lost toes on earlier adventures.
Despite ___7___ they endured, they kept pushing forward. Their food was simple but packed with energy: pemmican, a dense mixture of dried meat, animal fat, and berries. ___8___ it did little to satisfy true hunger, it did keep them alive. Their days were long and exhausting. Yet they refused to stop.
Then, at last, they arrived. The vast, icy emptiness ___9___ (stretch) in every direction. Henson, moving quickly ahead, was the first to mark their achievement. When Peary arrived, they planted their flags, securing their place in history. The impossible ____10____ (conquer).
Section B
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. capabilities B. dismiss C. examine D. ignorance E. match F. misrepresentation G. passionate H. point I. plug J. relieving K. worrying |
The Hackers Who Protect Your Security
Have you ever locked yourself out of your house and had to try to break in? First you get a sense of accomplishment in succeeding. But then comes the ____11____ realization that if you can break into your own place as an amateur, a professional could do it five times faster. So you look for the weak ____12____ in your security and fix it. Well, that’s more or less how the DefCon hackers (黑客) conference works.
Every year
hackers meet in Las Vegas to test their knowledge and ____13____. Mention the word “hacker” and many of us picture a seventeen-year-old student sitting in a bedroom, illegally hacking into the government systems. But that is actually a(n) ____14____ of what most hackers do.
The activities that take place at DefCon have an enormous impact on our daily lives. Here, computer addicts who can’t break the habit or resist the challenge of finding security gaps ____15____ all kinds of systems, from the internet to mobile communications to household door locks. And then they try to hack them. In doing so, they do us all a great service by passing on their findings to industry, which can then ____16____ the security holes.
If you’re among those who ____17____ the DefCon attendees as a bunch of social misfits, then you probably have the same password for 90 percent of your online existence, which is risky. Even if you think you’re being clever by using your grandmother’s birth date backwards as a password, you’re no ____18____ for these people. There is no greater ____19____ to be found online than that of an average Internet user. I’m happy to admit that I’m one of them. I’m also aware that there are other people out there who are trying to get more and more access to our personal data. Sadly, we have few tools to protect ourselves. But there is a group of people who are ____20____ about online freedom and have the means to help us protect our privacy. Many of them can be found at DefCon.
