People complain that decisions to approve or deny a permit are often　　　　　　　　　 rather than based on fixed criteria.

A. appropriate　　 B. conscious　　 C. arbitrary　 D. controversial

Some of you must have complained why there are so many English words that you have to 　22 every day. However, do you know how many words the English language has exactly? Maybe ten thousand, one hundred thousand, or 　23 one million!

Every 98 minutes, there is a new English word being 　24 Last time when words were being 25　 to the language at this rate was during the 　26 of William Shakespeare. The 　27 popularity of English has 　28 the most fertile period of word creation. About 1.53 billion people speak English as a 　29 , a second or a business language. The Global Language Monitor, 　 30 in the state of Texas in the US, has been recording English word creation since 2003. Now, there are almost one million English words.

Words that are predicted to be the one millionth 　 31　 “defollow”, “defriend”, “noob”, and “greenwashing”. “Defollow” and “defriend” are Internet words, 　 32 what users do with a person they do not wish to 　 33 in touch with on the Internet. “Noob” is an offending name for someone new 　34 a particular task or community. The word “greenwashing” 　35 what companies do to appear 　36 friendly. And “chiconomics” means a difficult time in fashion. Of course, there is a 　37 that the one millionth word will be a sixth choice. The Global Language Monitor once 　38 that the millionth English word would be “imminent” in 2006, but the organization has 39 that expected date 　40 once. Other experts have 　41 doubts about its methods because they don’t think that there is an agreement about how to classify a word.

22.　　 A．write 　　 　　　B．read 　 　　　　 C．memorize 　　 　　　D．copy

23.　　 A．still 　　　　　B．hence 　　　　 C．nevertheless 　　　D．even

24.　　 A．inspired 　 　　　B．motivated 　 　　 C．commented 　　　D．created

25.　　 A．advocated 　　 　B．added 　　　　 　　 C．adopted　 　　　　 D．acquired

26.　　 A．years 　　 　　　B．days 　 　　　　 C．months　 　　　　 D．hours

27.　　 A．appropriate 　　 　B．fundamental 　　　 C．widespread　　 　　 D．elementary

28.　　 A．brought　 　　 B．led 　　　　　　 C．found　　 　　　　 D．taken

29.　　 A．primary 　 　　　B．social 　　　　 C．physical 　　　　 D．typical

30.　　 A．lay　 　　 　　B．located 　　　　 C．built 　　 　　　　　D．found

31.　　 A．conclude 　　　B．consist 　　　 　　　　 C．exclude 　　　　　D．include

32.　　 A．saying 　　 　　　B．writing 　　　 　　 C．describing 　 　　　D．accounting

33.　　 A．lose 　　　　　B．pay 　　 　　　　 C．have 　　 　　　　　D．stay

34.　　 A．on 　 　　　　　B．of 　　　　　　 C．to 　　　　　　　D．with

35.　　 A．refers to 　　　B．prefers to 　 　　 C．comes to 　　 　　　D．sticks to

36.　　 A．continually 　　 　B．eventually 　 　　 C．environmentally 　 　D．constantly

37.　　 A．possibility 　　　 　B．fact 　　 　　　　 C．result　　 　　　　 D．bond

38.　　 A．published 　　　 　B．declared 　　 　　 C．expected 　　 　　　D．claimed

39.　　 A．put up　　 　　 B．put off　　　　 C．put down　　　 　D．put out

40.　　 A．other than 　　 　B．more than　　 　 C．rather than　　 　　 D．less than

41.　　 A．consulted 　　 B．instructed 　 　　 C．associated 　 　　　D．expressed

I had just finished high school when a disaster hit our family. It was October 1962, and 　 21　 was out of the question. So I found a job. In 1971, my employer announced only graduates(大学毕业生) would get 　22　 . My job seemed at a dead end unless I 　 23　 further. And to graduate, I had to pass the higher secondary examination first.

　　　 I 　 24　 an admission form（表格） and rode to the Human Resource（人力资源） Management office. On arriving there, I was 　 25　 ---I couldn’t find the form. It was the last day to 　 26　 the form, and no blank forms were 　27　 at the office. I was standing there, disappointed, 　 28　 an elderly gentleman asked me why I looked so 　 29　 . I told him what happened, 　 30　 , “Now I’ll have to wait another year.”

　　　 “Well,” he said, “if you’re really serious about studying further, come with me. I have a 　 31　 blank form at home.”

　　　 It was 12:30 pm. The counter（柜台） would 　 32　 at 2 pm. His home was 10 km away and I had a slight 　33 of going somewhere with a stranger. Anyway, this was my last chance. We reached his house on my bike. He advised me to remain 　 34　 , and gave me a pen and the form. When it was 　 35　 , he told me to rush back and 　　36　 carefully. I reached the office at 1:58 pm. There were two people in line, waiting for their 　37　 . Just then, the counter official announced that no more forms would be 　 38　 after mine. I breathed a sigh of 　 39　 .

　　　 I passed the exam and later got a bachelor’s degree. I also got the promotions. I 　　40　 it all to the timely help from a true gentleman whose name I forgot to ask.

21. A. education　　　　　 B. competition　　　　　　　 C. college　　　　　　　　　　 D. employment

22. A. attention　　　　　　 B. promotions　　　　　　　 C. prizes　　　　　　　　　　　 D. approval

23. A. attempted　　　　　 B. explained　　　　　　　　 C. studied　　　　　　　　　　 D. worked

24. A. filled in　　　　　　　 B. stepped onto　　　　　　 C. put down　　　　　　　　 D. looked at

25. A. ashamed　　　　　　 B. frightened　　　　　　　　 C. embarrassed　　　　　　 D. shocked

26. A. review　　　　　　　 B. submit　　　　　　　 　 C. find　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. revise

27. A. appropriate　　　　 B. available　　　　　 　 C. practical　　　　　　　　　 D. helpful

28. A. when　　　　　　　　 B. before　　　　　　　 　 C. unless　　　　　　　　　　 D. until

29. A. serious　　　　 　 B. angry　　　　　　　 　 C. troubled　　　　　　　　　 D. tired

30. A. agreeing　　　　　　 B. suggesting　　　　 　 C. responding　　　　　　　 D. adding

31. A. special　　　　　　　 B. similar　　　　　　　 　 C. private　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. spare

32. A. close　　　　　　　　 B. move　　　　　　　　　　　 C. change　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. reset

33. A. regret　　　　　　　　 B. fear　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. sadness　　　　　　　　　 D. puzzle

34. A. quiet　　　　　　　　　 B. slow　　　　　　　　　　　 C. calm　　　　　　　　　　　 D. polite

35. A. rewritten　　　　　　 B. done　　　　　　　　　　　 C. corrected　　　　　　　　 D. read

36. A. follow　　　　　　　　 B. walk　　　　　　　　　　　 C. drive　　　　　　　　　　　 D. answer

37. A. form　　　　　　　　　 B. role　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. luck　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. turn

38. A. accepted B. chosen C. recommended　　　　　 D. recognized

39. A. relief　　　　　　　　　 B. confidence　　　　　　　 C. tension　　　　　　　　　　 D. anxiety

40. A. devote　　　　　　　 B. apply　　　　　　　　　　　 C. owe　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. connect

Brenda Linson never goes anywhere without an empty spectacles case. It is as vital to her as her purse. Yet, she doesn’t wear glasses. The reason she cannot do without it is that she cannot read and she cannot write. If ever she gets into any situation where she might be expected to do either of these things, she fishes around in her bag for the spectacles case, finds it’s empty, and asks the person concerned to do the reading for her. Until a few months ago hardly anybody knew about her problem. Her husband didn’t know and her children didn’t know. The children still don’t.

She had many tactics for hiding her difficult—for example, never lingering near a phone at work, in case she had to answer it and might be required to write something down.

It has never occurred to the children that their mother cannot read. She doesn’t read them stories, but then their father doesn’t either, so they find nothing surprising in the fact. Similarly they just accept that Dad is the one who writes the sick notes and reads the school reports. Now that the elder boy Tom is quite a proficient reader, Brenda can skillfully get him to read any notes brought home from school simply by asking,“What’s that all about, then?”

Brenda’s husband never guessed the truth in ten years of marriage. For one thing, he insists on handling all domestic correspondence and bills himself. A salesman for a large company, he travels a great deal and so is not around so much to spot the truth. While he’s away Brenda cores with any situations by explaining that she cannot do anything until she’s discussed it with her husband.

Brenda was very successful in her job until recently. For the last five years she had worked as waitress at an expensive restaurant, and had eventually been promoted to head waitress. She kept the thing a secret there too, and got over the practical difficulties somehow.

1．Brenda carries an empty spectacles case wherever she goes because__________.

　　　　 A．she is always so forgetful

B．she uses it as a purse

C．it may provide her with an excuse

D．she wishes to look like an educated woman

2．Brenda’s children have never found out about her problem as__________.

　　　　 A．she isn’t often at home

B．they are too young to guess the truth

C．they find it normal to ask their father for everything

D．they think it natural that short-sighted people like their mother don’t do much reading or writing

3．What most probably made Brenda try hard to hide her difficulty?

　　　　 A．Her desire to be successful in her job.

B．Her fear of losing face.

C．Her deceitful nature.

D．Both A and B.

4．Of the following suggested titles, which is the most appropriate?

　　　　 A．Brenda and Her Family

B．A Woman Who Doesn’t Wear Glasses

C．A Woman with an Empty Spectacles Case

D．The Miserable Life of a Waitress