Question

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.

Last year, a report by a committee of education experts said that a lot of American students cannot write well. The report noted the concerns of business leaders and teachers. The experts said that more students should have to pass a writing test 1. they can finish high school. They pointed out major college entrance tests are changing now 2. (include) a writing part.

Educators know that teaching students to write well is not easy. One problem is the amount of time needed to read through large amounts of work. So some companies 3. (develop) computer programs that can grade students writing more quickly than a person can. Writing tests can also cost 4. (little) to carry out by computer than paper-and-pencil. These computer systems, known as e-readers, use artificial intelligence to think in a way 5. teachers. For two years, both a computer and humans graded the student writing. Officials say there was almost no difference between the computer grades and 6. given by the human readers.

The entrance test commonly 7.(use) by business schools, the GMAT, already uses e-readers. The GRE and TOEFL tests might start; officials are deciding.

Systems 8.(use) to grade writing in college classes as well. The computers read a few hundred examples of student writing already graded by humans. Then the systems compare new writing against those already examined.

Some teachers say machines can never do the job as well as people can. A computer can find spelling and grammar mistakes, but it can never really understand 9. a writer is trying to say. Critics say a program cannot follow a thought or judge humor or understand a beautifully expressed idea.

But inventors of the programs say computer grading guarantees that each piece of writing is graded in the same way. They also say the systems 10.(mean) to judge knowledge more than creativity.

Answer

1.before

2.to include

3.have developed

4.less

5.like

6.those

7.used

8.are being used / have been used / are used

9.what

10.are meant

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章介绍了一种新型的电脑赋分软件能够帮助老师批阅作文。

1.考查连接词。句意：专家说，在他们高中毕业前，更多学生应该通过一个写作测试。结合句意和句子结构可知，此处应填表“在……之前”的连词，故填before。

2.考查非谓语动词。句意：他们指出，为了使写作成为考试的一部分，高考正在改变。结合句意和句子结构可知，此处应填不定式表目的，故填to include。

3.考查现在完成时。分析句子结构可知，此处是主句谓语动词，结合上下文意为“一些公司已经开发了电脑程序”，故应用现在完成时，主语companies是复数形式，故填have developed。

4.考查形容词比较级。根据than判断此处应填little的比较级，故填less。

5.考查介词。句意：这些被称为电子阅读器的电脑程序使用人工智能，以一种像老师一样的方式进行思考。结合句意和句子结构可知，此处应填表“像”的介词，故填like。

6.考查代词。句意：官员们说这些电脑给出的分数和人类给出的分数没什么不同。结合句意可知，为了避免重复此处应填代词指代上文出现的grades，属于同类异物，且是复数形式，故应用those指代，故填those。

7.考查非谓语动词。分析句子结构可知，此处应填非谓语动词作后置定语，逻辑主语test和use之间是被动关系，应用过去分词作后置定语，故填used。

8.考查时态和语态。此处是句子谓语动词，结合上下文可知，本句的时态可以是一般现时、现在完成时和现在完成进行时，主语systems和use之间是被动关系，即用一般现在时的被动语态，现在完成时的被动语态和现在完成进行时的被动语态，故填are being used / have been used / are used。

9.考查宾语从句。分析句子结构可知，此处是宾语从句连接词，从句a writer is trying to say缺少宾语，且指物，应用连接代词what，故填what。

10.考查时态和语态。分析句子结构可知，此处是宾语从句的谓语动词，由say判断为一般现在时，主语systems和mean之间是被动关系，故用一般现在时的被动语态，主语是复数，故填are meant。