A Teenage Inventor

The world could be one step closer to quick and inexpensive Ebola detection thanks to a teenager from Connecticut.

Olivia Hallisey, a junior at Greenwich High School, was awarded $50,000 in the Google Science Fair for her new method that detects Ebola, a virus that causes bleeding from different parts of the body and usually causes death. Olivia’s method is to ask patients to put their saliva (唾液) onto a testing card. The card changes color if the person is catching Ebloa. Present Ebloa tests take up to 12 hours and cost $1,000. Olivia’s method, however, can be done just in 30 minutes for about $25. Besides, the sample (样本) doesn’t have to be put in a refrigerator thanks to the silk material Olivia uses to produce the testing cards.

Olivia was inspired to deal with this global problem after watching the news that more than 10,000 people died from Ebola in West Africa. She was particularly worried about the fact that, while the acts of involvement can improve survival rates, present detection methods are costly, time-consuming and require complex tools. Olivia got help from her science research teacher. She drew out directions from past research, and figured out detection systems that have proven to work with other diseases, including Lyme disease and yellow fever.

“What affects one country affects everyone,” Olivia told CNBC. “We have to work together to find answers to the huge challenges which cause harm to the global health.” The Connecticut’s teen, who hopes to become a doctor one day, was named the Google Science Fair winner in the competition of 20 competitors from across the globe. The fair is open to young people between the ages of 13 and 18 in most countries.

Olivia hopes her success will inspire other girls interested in science and computers. “I would just encourage girls to try it in the beginning, and remind them that they don’t have to feel naturally drawn or feel like they have a special talent for maths or science,” she told CNBC, “but just really look at something they are interested in and then think how to improve something or make it more enjoyable or relate it to their interests.”

1.According to the passage, present Ebola detection methods ______.

A.must use a large amount of samples

B.may detect other deadly viruses as well

C.have proven to be ineffective in practice

D.require samples to be kept in refrigerators

2.What can we learn about Olivia’s method?

A.Time-consuming. B.Cheap.

C.Complex. D.Out-of-date.

3.What does the underlined word “drawn” in Paragraph 5 probably mean？

A.Attracted. B.Controlled.

C.Admitted. D.Exposed.

4.The Google Science Fair is intended for ______.

A.students B.doctors

C.inventors D.scientists

    No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock ‘n’ roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.

“Technically, I think what they’re proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.

People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there’s no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.

The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect workers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand.

Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.

However, physicist Joseph West thinks there might have been a simpler way, who led the new study. West said, “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction. I thought, ‘Why don’t they just try rolling the things?’ ”A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides, he realized. That, he notes, should make a block of stone “a lot easier to roll than a square”.

So he tried it.

He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block. That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel. Then they placed the block on the ground.

They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled. The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths. They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的) path.

West hasn’t tested his idea on larger blocks, but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding. At least, workers wouldn’t have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.

1.It’s widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by       .

A. rolling them on roads B. pushing them over the sand

C. sliding them on smooth paths D. dragging them on some poles

2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to?

A. Rolling the blocks with poles attached.

B. Rolling the blocks on wooden wheels.

C. Rolling poles to move the blocks.

D. Rolling the blocks with fat.

3.Why is rolling better than sliding according to West?

A. Because more force is needed for sliding.

B. Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle.

C. Because sliding on smooth roads is more dangerous.

D. Because less preparation on paths is needed for rolling.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

B. An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

C. An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

D. An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

    Shakespeare’s Globe Exhibition & Tour is a unique international resource to explore Shakespeare’s work. Open all year round, it gives you an opportunity to learn more about the most famous playwright, Shakespeare, and helps you seek to further the experience and international understanding of him.

●Group Visits to the Exhibition & Tour Opening Hours

Theatre Tours:

Monday to Sunday 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

Exhibition:

Monday to Sunday 9:00 am – 5:00 pm

Groups of 15 people or more are required to pre-book their visit, and each group will have its own tour guide. To make a reservation, please fill in a Group Request Form and return it to us via email.

●Exhibition and Tour Prices

Exhibition & Globe Theatre Tour

Adult: £15.00

Senior (60+): £13.50

Student (with valid ID):  £11.50

Children (5–15): £8.00

Complimentary: Every 16th person free

●Getting Here

Shakespeare’s Globe 21 New Globe Walk, London SE1 9DT, UK

We currently have enhanced security, with all bags being checked. Please arrive in good time, do not bring any large bags and check the Calendar before your visit or call +44 (0)20 7902 1500 to find out about our latest opening times.

By car and taxi

Where possible, visitors are advised to arrive by public transport or by taxi.

There is a car park on Thames Exchange on the north side of Southwark Bridge (open 24 hours, seven days a week).

Black cabs may be found all year round on Southwark Bridge. It may also be possible to pick one up from outside the main foyer(大厅) on New Globe Walk.

●Where to eat

Swan at Shakespeare’s Globe serves modern British seasonal food for dinner, afternoon tea or drinks in our beautiful bar and restaurant set over two floors. Available for pre and post-theatre dining.

Swan Restaurant

Monday – Friday:12 noon – 2:30 pm & 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm

Saturday:12 noon – 3:30 pm & 6:00 pm – 10:30 pm.

Sunday:12 noon – 9:00 pm

1.When can you pay a visit to the exhibition?

A.8:00 am on Monday. B.7:00 pm on Sunday.

C.5:30 pm on Saturday. D.2:00 pm on Friday.

2.Which of the following applies to visitors?

A.They’re able to get a taxi near Southwark Bridge.

B.They can park on the south side of Southwark Bridge.

C.They are required to deposit their bags before entering.

D.It’s more convenient to drive there than taking public transport.

3.What can we know about Swan Restaurant?

A.Afternoon tea is not served on Sunday.

B.It serves three meals, drinks and afternoon tea.

C.It is closed from 3 pm to 5 pm on workdays.

D.It has a beautiful two-storey bar.

Translations.

1.难道老师不应该对所有学生一视同仁吗?（suppose）

2.考虑到你的处境，你的确很值得同情，但坦言，你的话我远不能接受。（more than）

3.没有坚决持久的行动难成大事。正由于此，史上各个领域梦想成真的巨星,寥寥无几。（come true）

4.新建的笃志楼，现代感足，设施齐备，将解决教学空间有限的问题。在投入使用之前,欢迎师生前往参观。（welcome a.）

Summary writing.

Craig Silverman, a journalist, tracked rumors circulating online in 2014 and found that shares and social interactions around fake news articles dwarfed those of the articles that debunked(戳穿) them. According to Silverman, fake news stories are engineered to appeal to people's hopes and fears, and aren't constrained by reality, which gives them the edge in creating shareable content.

You might think you're immune to(对…免疫) falling for these lies, but a wealth of research disagrees. Back in the 1940s, researchers found that "the more a rumor is told, the greater is its plausibility(可信度)". This means a rumor born out of mild suspicion can, by gaining currency, shift public thinking and opinion.

It gets worse：studies show that students tend to place enormous trust in search engines to deliver accurate results, often turning to the first result returned-a concern given that fake news can appear in the section for news stories displayed, for example, above Google's search results.

So how can you protect yourself from digital lies? An easy step is to check who produced it. Often itis clear from the URI, that a website is pretending to be reputable by stealing the name and style of another publication. Also, take a look at the other stories on the website. Fake news websites often have nothing but fake content. If all the stories are outrageous, consider it a red flag. Finally, search for coverage of the story elsewhere, if a story is false you'll often find it debunked on websites such as snopes.com.

Summary: (NO MORE THAN FOUR words for each blank).

Meeting people's 1. and freed from 2., fake news is found to 3. especially when 4.. Worse still, students 5., particularly those 6.of search results. For 7., website visitors should 8. and 9., or 10. for verification.

Grammar

It was her notion that boys my age needed "a good thrashing" when they misbehaved. These she administered with my belt, often for what seemed to me like small offenses 1. coming home late for supper because I was having a good time sledding on the hill. A man had a responsibility to meet his social obligations on time. Small as she was, she 2. still make the snapping belt sting when it lashed across my bared legs, but I hated the indignity of these beatings so much that I refused to satisfy her with 3. discreetly pretended show of tears.

My failure to cry during her "thrashings" fueled my mother's anger, and I knew it. Tears 4. (be) evidence that I had learned the lesson. My silent submission to her heaviest blows intensified her fury. If she had been a man she would have been able to make me cry for mercy, but because she was not, and because I did not weep, she struck 5. (hard).

I knew that faking the tears would gratify her and end the punishment, but I refused. The injustice and humiliation of 6.(beat) hurt so greatly that I deliberately accepted the worst gritted my teeth and, when the belt had fallen four or five times, muttered, "That doesn't hurt me." In these moments 7. we were very close to bitter hatred of 8.. We were two wills of iron. She was determined to break me: I was just as determined 9. she would not.

In the end she was the one who always cried, and then, when she had thrown the belt aside and collapsed on a chair weeping quietly, the anger and hatred instantly drained out of me, and 10. (overcome) with pity and love. I rushed to embrace and kiss her, saying "It's all right, Mama, it's all right. I'll never do it again. I promise, I'll never do it again."

    Franz Kafka wrote that "a book must be the ax(斧子) for the frozen sea inside us". I once shared this sentence with a class of seventh graders, when we'd just finished John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. Reading the end together out loud in class, my toughest boy, a star basketball player, wept a little. They understood. When George shoots Lennie, the tragedy is that they realize it was always going to happen. In my 14 years of teaching in a New York City public middle school, I've taught kids with imprisoned parents, abusive parents, irresponsible parents; kids who are parents themselves; kids who are homeless: kids who grew up in violent neighborhoods. 1.

For the last seven years, I have worked as a reading enrichment teacher, reading classic works of literature with small groups of students from grades six to eight. I originally proposed this idea to my headmaster after learning that a former excellent student of mine had transferred out of a selective high school-one that often attracts the literary-minded children of Manhattan's upper classes-into a less competitive setting. The daughter of immigrants, with a father in prison, she perhaps felt uncomfortable with her new classmates, who came from homes lined with bookshelves, whose parents had earned Ph. D.'s. 2.

Along with Of Mice and Men, my groups read: Sounder, The Red Pony, Lord of the Flies, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. 3. About The Red Pony, one student said, "it's about being a man, it's about manliness." I had never before seen the parallels between Scarface and Macbeth, nor had I heard Lady Macbeth's soliloquies(独白) read as raps, but both made sense; the interpretations were playful, but serious. Once introduced to Steinbeck's writing, one boy went on to read The Grapes of Wrath and told me repeatedly how amazing it was that "all these people hate each other, and they're all white." 4.Year after year, former students visited and told me how prepared they had felt in thein first year in college as a result of the classes.

A.We taught students to read increasingly complex texts for emotional punch (碰撞).

B.I thought additional "cultural capital" could help such students develop better in high school.

C.His historical view was broadened, his sense of his own country deepened and outlook improved.

D.They understand, better than I, the novel's terrible logic-the giving way of dreams to fate.

E.The students didn't always read from the expected point of view.

F.They learnt that words do not only confuse but also amaze people.

    Countries are failing to take the action needed to stave off the worst effects of climate change, a UN climate report has found, and the commitments made in the 2015 Paris agreement will not be met unless governments introduce additional measures as a matter of urgency.

New taxes on fossil fuels, investment in clean technology and much stronger government policies to bring down emissions are likely to be necessary. Governments must also stop subsidizing (补贴) fossil fuels, directly and indirectly, the report said.

Greenhouse gas emissions continued their long-term rise last year, according to the report, but they could be brought under control. There are promising signs, such as investment from the private sector in renewable energy and other technologies to cut carbon, but these are currently insufficient to meet scientific advice.

Global emissions have reached what the UN has called "historic levels" of 53.5 gigatonnes(十亿吨) of carbon dioxide equivalent, and are showing no signs of peaking, despite a leveling off in the past decade.

Joyce Msuya, deputy executive director of UN Environment, said: "The science is clear: for all the ambitious climate action we've seen, governments need to move faster and with greater urgency. We're feeding this fire, while the means to extinguish it are within reach. "

Last month, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) warned of the dire effects of allowing global warming to reach 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. The world has a little over a decade to bring down greenhouse gas emissions before such dangerous levels of warming become inevitable.

Only 57 countries, representing 60%of global greenhouse gas emissions, are on track to cause their emissions to peak before 2030.If emissions are allowed to rise beyond that, the IPCC has said countries are likely to breach the 1.5℃ limit, which will trigger sea-level rises, droughts, floods and other extreme weather events.

According to the Paris agreement, the first global pact to bind both developed and developing countries to a specific temperature goal, governments must do all they can to stop warming reaching 2℃ above pre-industrial levels, with an aspiration to limit warming to no more than 1.5℃.

Jian Liu, the chief scientist at UN Environment, said some of the necessary policies were clear and available, if there was political will to implement them. "When governments embrace fiscal(财政的) policy measures to subsidize low-carbon alternatives and tax fossil fuels, they can stimulate the right investments in the energy sector and significantly reduce carbon emissions. If all fossil fuel subsidies were phased out, global carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 10% by 2030."

1.Which of the following ideas is NOT included in the UN climate report?

A.Governments should stop their subsidy to the coal and petroleum industry.

B.The efforts made by the government showed some promising signs.

C.Man has been breaking the historical records of global emissions.

D.There is still hope for us to control Greenhouse gas emission.

2.How do you interpret the underlined sentence in paragraph 5?

A.The situation is dangerous and we need to do something to bring it under control.

B.Immediate fire-fighting measures should be taken to keep the fire under control.

C.We are making climate efforts but the achieved effects can be easily reversed.

D.To reduce emissions, we need to close down the fossil-fuel-powered plants.

3.Which of the following statements is True according to the Paris agreement?

A.It is desirable for humanity to limit the temperature rise within 1.5℃.

B.Countries need to control the temperature rise within 2℃ above prehistoric level.

C.Developed and developing countries are bound by their own temperature goals.

D.Disastrous climate change will be irrecoverable if we exceed the 1.5℃ limit.

4.What does the word "dire" mean in paragraph 6?

A.upcoming B.hazardous

C.crucial D.convincing

5.What's the primary purpose of this article?

A.To show a huge gap between words and deeds in fighting global warning.

B.To present a clear picture of how Paris agreement is implemented.

C.To appeal for further global commitment to avoid disastrous climate.

D.To warn of worsening climate caused by lack of combined human effort.

Finally, a dictionary with a soul.

Our dictionary was written for humans, by humans. Look up a word, and you'll read a friendly explanation that you'll actually remember. It's as if your favorite teacher were explaining it to you.

Real world examples, hot off the press.

Read thousands of example sentences from current newspapers, magazines, and literature. We show you how words live in the wild and give you usage tips so that you're more confident about using the words you learn.

Try the world's smartest, fastest dictionary.

Find the word you're looking for faster than with any other online dictionary. Just start typing a word and our dictionary will display the most likely results. We want you to find the word's definition as quickly as possible, without having to look through a lot of clutter.

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As you play Vocabulary.com, we figure out which words you know and which ones you need a little help with. We keep practicing with you until you master the tough ones.

Let us know which words you want to focus on, and we'll prioritize those.

As your vocabulary grows, Vocabulary.com grows with you.

Vocabulary.com is a platform for lifelong learning, growing with you every step of the way. As you improve, the words that you learn will become more and more advanced. And, with our easy-to-use progress-monitoring tools, you can always look back to see how far you've come.

1.Each word item in Vocabulary.com is explained in a (n) ________ way.

A.clear and precise B.easy-to-understand-and-remember

C.in-depth and thoughtful D.humorous and thought-provoking

2.When a user types a word in the search box, Vocabulary.com will give is list of ________.

A.likely results for the user to choose B.useful tips on word usages

C.most likely definitions D.real-world examples

3.Regular users of Vocabulary.com can enjoy a (n) ________ vocabulary improvement.

A.progressive B.persona

C.privileged D.instant

4.What people is Vocabulary.com most suitable for to use?

A.Those who attempt long-term English learning.

B.Advanced English learners with a large vocabulary.

C.English learners who need a dictionary near at hand.

D.English teachers who want to monitor students' progress.

    Westley said to me in a whisper: "God damn! I'm tired of sitting here. Let's get up and be saved." So he got up and was saved.

Then I was left alone on the mourners' bench. My aunt came and knelt at my knees and cried, while prayers and songs circled, all around me in the little church. The whole room prayed for me alone. And I kept waiting quietly for Jesus, waiting, waiting-but he didn't come. I want to see him, but nothing happened to me. Nothing!

"Langston, why don't you come? Why don't you come and be saved? Oh. Lamb of God! Why don't you come?"

Now it was really getting late. I began to be ashamed of myself, holding everything up so long. I began to wonder what God thought about Westley, who certainly hadn't seen Jesus either, but who was now sitting proudly on the platform, swinging his legs and grinning down at me, surrounded by deacons(教堂执事) and old women on their knees praying. God had not struck Westley dead for lying in the temple. So I decided that maybe to save further trouble, I'd better lie, too, and say that Jesus had come, and get up and be saved. So I got up.

Suddenly the whole room broke into a sea of shouting, as they saw me rise. Waves of rejoicing swept he place. Women leaped in the air. My aunt threw her arms around me. The minister(牧师) took me by the hand and led me to the platform.

When things quieted down, in a hushed silence, interrupted by a few joyous "Amens," all the new young lambs were blessed in the name of God. Then happy singing filled the room.

That night, for the last time in my life but one-for I was a big boy twelve years old-I cried. I cried in bed alone, and couldn't stop. I buried my head under the quilts, but my aunt heard me. She woke up and old my uncle I was crying because the Holy Ghost had come into my life, but I was really crying because I couldn't bear to tell her that I deceived everybody in the church, that I hadn't seen Jesus, and that now I didn't believe there was a Jesus any more, since he didn't come to help me.

1.I attended a special ceremony ________.

A.to be saved by Jesus and blessed B.to become a member of the church

C.to celebrate the appearance of Jesus D.to be given judgment for my sin

2.________, I got up at last.

A.Afraid of being struck dead by God

B.Eager to join Westley sitting on the platform

C.Ashamed of delaying the coming of God

D.Guilty of causing trouble to all the others

3.What can be inferred about the new young lambs in the service?

A.There were all saved by the God.

B.They all committed a sin.

C.They all saw Jesus except Westley and me.

D.They all deserved God's blessing.

4.I cried that night because I was ________.

A.forced to accept a merciless God

B.conscience-stricken at cheating before God

C.more a saved lamb than a liar

D.deprived of my belief in the existence of Jesus

    Technological life is and will be a series of upgrades and the rate of advancement is increasing. If we are honest, we must admit that one aspect of the ______ upgrades and eternal becoming of the technium (技术元素) is to make holes in our heart. One day not too long ago we（all of us）decided that we could not live another day ______ we had a smart phone; a dozen years earlier this need would have ______ us. Now we get angry if the network is slow, but before, when we were ______ , we had no thoughts of the network at all. We keep inventing new things that make new ______ , new holes that must be filled.

Some people are furious that our hearts are pierced (刺穿) ______ by the things we make. They see this ever-neediness as a devaluing of human nobility, the source of our ______ discontent. I agree that technology is the source. The momentum of technologies pushes us to chase the ______ , which are always disappearing beneath the arrival of the next newer thing, so satisfaction continues to retreat from our ______ .

But I celebrate the never-ending discontent that technology brings. We are different from our animal ancestors in that we are not ______ to merely survive, but have been incredibly busy ______ new itches that we have to scratch, new desires we've never had before. This is the trigger for our ingenuity and growth.

We cannot expand our self, and our collective self, ______ making holes in our heart. We are ______ our boundaries and widening the small container that holds our identity. It can be painful. Of course, there will be rips and tears. Late-night infomercials (信息广告) and endless web pages of about-to-be-out-of-date gizmos(新玩意儿)are hardly uplifting techniques, and the path to our ______ is very boring, and everyday. When we imagine a better future, we should factor in this constant ______ .

1.A.ceaseless B.effortless C.meaningless D.regardless

2.A.whether B.once C.while D.unless

3.A.dismayed B.astonished C.delighted D.bothered

4.A.tactless B.humble C.innocent D.suspicious

5.A.longings B.findings C.understanding D.warnings

6.A.thus B.yet C.even D.rather

7.A.half-hearted B.continual C.peculiar D.social

8.A.wildest B.latter C.newest D.utmost

9.A.grasp B.era C.sight D.share

10.A.allowed B.content C.privileged D.spontaneous

11.A.wrapping up B.smoothing over C.carrying out D.making up

12.A.through B.against C.without D.despite

13.A.defining B.stretching C.overstepping D.marking

14.A.enlargement B.formation C.sensation D.pleasure

15.A.demand B.tolerance C.companion D.discomfort

Which of the following sentence have "save" of the same meaning as that in "The grownups, less excitable, save their own presents till breakfast time."

A.I had a bottle of champagne which I'd been saving for a special occasion.

B.Your eves don't water with fresh air, which saves you a lot in paper tissues.

C.If you lent me £5, it would save me a trip to the bank.

D.Safety may mean more time and trouble but it may save a lot of heartbreak in the home.

The development of pills often owe ________ to science-we started with a drug that we hoped would be effective in heart disease and we ended up with a medicine that was highly effective against nerve disorder.

A.much chance B.much chance as C.much to chance as D.as much to chance as

Once upon a time, with roots that go back to medieval marketplaces ________ stalls(货摊) that functioned as stores, shopping offered a way for people to get socially connected.

A.featuring B.featuring in C.featured D.featured in

China is a racially mixed country, in which various ethnic(民族) groups bring their own unique flavors to each corner of the country, which adds ________ people's table.

A.to great variety of B.great variety to

C.to a great variety of D.the great variety to

The use of the telescope to observe the heavens close up has made ________ great increase of our knowledge of the starts.

A.possible B.it possible C.possibly D.it possibly

________ to a colorful campus culture, students should draw a line between what is their major concern and what is of ________ importance.

A.Exposing…the least B.Having exposed...least

C.Having been exposed…the less D.Exposed...less

Scientists have suggested a solution to cutting down greenhouse effect: planting an area ________ the US with trees, which, when mature, would consume as much carbon dioxide as is being released.

A.of the size of B.the size of C.as the same size as D.the same size of

General Eisenhower once told his soldiers that what ________ not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight-it's the size of the fight in the dog.

A.is counted B.counts is C.is counted is D.to count is

The autobiography(自传) of the happiest man would not be a record of sensational or exciting experiences, but ________ composed of simple and plain incidents or routines.

A.it is B.which is C.one that D.one

Crying and talking about emotional pain are the most effective ways to get rid of the heavy feeling that haunts you, so don't ________ your tears or zip your lips about your distress.

A.hold back B.set back C.laugh away D.burst into

The most striking trait of Americans is that they always seem to be in a hurry. ________ is this more evident than in their eating habits-sitting down to a leisurely meal seems to be a luxury.

A.Barely B.Only C.Nowhere D.Eventually

He had one mistress to whom he was faithful to the day of his death：Music. Not for ________ moment did he ever give up what he believed, or what he loved.

A.a single B.the slightest C.quite a D.the very

I'm afraid your type of humor might be a little ________ in such a formal meeting.

A.out of character B.out of context C.out of use D.out of place

Among all pastimes, gathering around and listening to mother or father read a good story can almost bring a family ________ together.

A.closer B.closest C.the closer D.close

Think to yourself that every day is your last and the hour to which you do not look forward may come as a（n） ________ surprise.

A.welcomed B.welcoming C.welcome D.unwelcome

Privilege comes from Latin privilegium, meaning a law for just one person, and means a benefit enjoyed by an individual or group ________ what's available to others.

A.within B.considering C.despite D.beyond

Some Western countries have long ________ that Iran aims to create a nuclear bomb, but Teheran said the materials were only for civil use.

A.suspected B.doubted C.wondered D.convinced

Studying is the action of ________ to acquire knowledge, either by directly observing phenomena of interest, or by reading the writings of others about these phenomena.

A.proceeding B.attempting C.tending D.managing

Though he never disguised his leadership ambitions, he continued to deny that ________ to challenge the Prime Minister.

A.he had no intention B.he had every intention C.it was not his intention D.it was his intention