Reading Comprehension (Banked Cloze)Directions: Fill in the blanks in the following passage by selecting suitable words from the Word Bank. You may not use any of the words more than once.Passage1.My fourteenth birthday was the best I ever spent. Instead of having a big party with lots of presents and kids, I spent the day with my mother and father. This was their idea and as a teenager I was not very (1)___________ on it at first. The sheer simplicity of the idea seemed (2)__________. "Shouldn't there be some kind of (3)__________ or something?" I asked.My father just laughed and said, "Let's start off at the bakery with some cake." I smiled to(4)__________ how disappointed I was. I tried to understand because I knew that we had(5)__________ fallen on hard times. We walked down the slope from our home to a small cafe. There my father tried to (6)__________ the shopkeeper to give us one big piece of cake instead of a whole one. My father was (7)__________ in the art of getting what he wanted. The shopkeeper was a(n) (8)__________ man and brought out one big piece with a couple of candles on top. As we sat with three forks eating that cake I (9)__________ that it was quite a luxury to be able to spend time with my parents. How many other parents could spend a weekday with their child? We spent the entire day talking, and together we had a party as (10)__________ as any has ever been. I've never forgotten that special day.Passage 2.I have had one article of clothing for twenty years. On my 12th birthday, I received a sweater that my older sister had (1)__________ for me. She was then (2)__________ with cancer in a hospital when she made it. Making the sweater was no easy job for her. I spent that birthday at the hospital with my sister. When she gave me the sweater, she stood up uneasily, (3)__________ as if she might fall. She (4)__________ a little before taking a tender hold onto my arm and handing me the sweater. She said with all her strength, "Remember that you can (5)__________ anything as long as you try hard." She passed away a year later.On the front of the sweater were (6)__________ the words "Best Sister". It was far too big for me at that time but I eventually (7)__________ into a woman and it fit just right.I was a wreck after she died. I had no idea about what life would be like without her. The sweater reminded me of my sister together with her love. I am very (8)__________ about the way I dress. However, I (9)__________ that sweater at every birthday for twenty years. Now that I have had time to (10)__________ from the loss of my sister, I no longer cry when I put it on. I just smile and say the words "Best Sister" to myself.Passage 3.How can you help yourself be at your best when you exercise? The answer is to get a high(1)__________ of iron-rich foods in your diet. When people take part in activities like running, they(2)__________ to lose iron. It is important for your body to (3)__________ red meats to get the iron you need. It is also essential that you remember to keep your diet (4)___________ and healthy. You can do this by also including grains, which can be found in cereals as well as eating green vegetables. You should also remember that some foods could (5)__________ with your body absorbing vitamins and minerals. This includes coffee or tea, which contain (6)__________ that are not good for you. Most people should sip on something before, during and after they exercise to replace the water in their bodies. Water and juice are (7)__________ instead of sodas and coffee. Many have found that modifying their diet has really had a positive (8)__________ on their performance. "I used to exercise all the time, but my endurance never really improved," said one athlete. "Even though I was slender and not overweight, I contacted a physician. Together we (9)__________ the amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals I was getting. The improvement in my performance was (10)__________ after I changed what I was eating. The most important thing is that I am getting more iron."Passage 4.Many Americans have developed a diet of fast food and are accordingly gaining weight. To combat their weight, they take up exercise while (1)__________ to change their diet. While exercise is very important, you must also (2)__________ how much fat you eat. You should also take care to select foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. This will help you to lose weight; (3)__________, it will give you a lot more energy to be active. People who do not eat healthily or get (4) vitamins and minerals will typically have a hard time losing weight. "It is a (5)__________ mistake to think you can eat foods that are not healthy just because you start exercising," said one physician. "People who do not eat right are at a (6)__________ disadvantage in every activity they participate in." One successful basketball coach said, "I not only try to get my players to work hard, but I also try to(7)__________ my team members to eat a healthy diet. It really helps a player's body to(8)__________ back day after day. Until other teams start to (9)__________ our enthusiasm for good food, we expect to keep on winning."With all the evidence supporting a healthy diet, why haven't we said (10)__________ to diets with too much fat? There's a lot to be said for eating right.Passage 5.How would you go about designing a math curriculum? There is a real need to (1)__________ academic achievement in schools and help with the development of a student's overall character. Many schools are asking their students what (2)__________ they have for improving their education. Teachers and other faculty members are asking questions like "How can we encourage better (3)__________ in certain classes?"One teacher, Francis Barker, explained how she got unexpected positive results from a tough bunch of kids. "My math class had become increasingly empty. Instead of handing out (4)__________, I decided to ask students what I could do better. Surprisingly, they had a lot of great suggestions about how to (5)__________ the way math is taught. Right after I implemented some of their ideas, the (6)__________ in the classroom really changed. Students became more (7)__________ about learning. Almost all of the students started attending class every day. The conventional way to (8)__________ this problem would have been to punish my students, but that wouldn't have worked with this group. I understood that my primary goal had to be the (9)__________ of a new bond between them and me. My method may have been controversial, but I wanted to (10)__________ to the students that in order to learn, we need to work together."Ms. Barker won the Teacher of the Year Award at her school.Passage 6.Why do we always assume that a "good student" is one that gets really good grades? Oddly enough, it is often not the students that got the best grades that succeed in life, but rather the ones that exhibited the most heart. Indeed, if you want to (1)__________ on how far a student might get in life, a better measurement than grades might be how hard they try. Many teachers actually (2)__________ this, and boost the final grades of students who work hard to learn.One teacher of English grammar said, "If a student is giving his or her utmost effort, I make sure that is (3)__________ in the final grade. You can't simply look at a (4)__________ of test results to determine how well a student has done in your class. Students' (5)__________ during class are much more important than what they put on paper. They (6)__________ the ability to help others around them succeed. When there is a (7)__________ discussion about something, they are always participating. As a teacher, I am primarily (8)__________ with helping students to develop strong character. Those who I can help in this way will become more (9)__________ than any who simply got high scores."Attitudes like this teacher's are ensuring that our students have a (10)__________ of intelligence and good values. This is a combination for real success.Passage 7.The Susan B. Anthony dollar was the first coin to honor the accomplishments of an American woman. In 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the law converting the one-dollar coin from the "silver dollar" to one that bore the likeness of Ms. Anthony. It was officially (1)__________ in 1979 in Rochester, NY, her home during the most politically active years of her life. In 1997, the Government replaced the Susan B. Anthony dollar with the "golden dollar" coin. The golden color of this new coin, combined with a smoother edge helped it to be more easily (2)__________ from a quarter than the Susan B. Anthony dollar.It was Ms. Anthony's role in gaining women more rights that earned her the most (3)__________ and honor. However, most scholars will tell you that she led (4)__________ campaigns for human rights throughout her life. She was well known for her work to (5)__________ slaves. She (6)__________ herself on a daily basis for advances in education."We (7)__________ a great deal of gratitude to Ms. Anthony for her human rights accomplishments," said one professor. "We should not easily dismiss the importance of a coin that (8)__________ her likeness. She helped us (9)__________ into a nation that truly stands for freedom. Without her courage, liberty in America might have only (10)__________ for white men." Indeed almost all coins before this one had honored white men.Passage 8.Many animals native to North America have been used as symbols of American freedom. In my opinion, the buffalo is the animal that best (1)__________ the independence of early Americans. The sheer numbers of these great creatures alone was enough to inspire countless (2)__________ and poems. However, watching a single buffalo stand a harsh winter storm offered a (3)__________ for the toughness of early American settlers.Truly the greatest (4)__________ that arose from the settlement of the American frontier was the loss of the buffalo and the American Indians. Many killed the buffalo to make (5)__________ from their horns and for meat. The main reason for killing the buffalo, however, was so that the American Indians would be left without a food source, (6)__________ forcing them to leave the grasslands. The (7)__________ of the enormous herds of buffalo took from our land the most noble of all its creatures.Over the past fifty years, many efforts have been made to (8)__________ the American people about their loss. Think about the treasure that they carelessly (9)__________ long ago! There was even a coin, the buffalo nickel, made to honor the animal and the American Indians. And, many buffalo still (10)__________ in National Parks and are being raised by individuals. Unfortunately though, we will never again see the buffalo wander alongside a stream upon the grasslands. ThePassage 9My husband is in the hospital with cancer and has been seriously ill for a month. He was always (1)_________________ but he has lost a lot of weight. I find myself (2)_____________ that I hardly recognize him. Now, his yellow skin hangs (3)__________ on his skeleton, as he lies there unaware. A machine next to the bed records his slow (4)__________. I have sat here waiting for some (5)_________ of life—a finger movement, anything—but there is never any change. Time seems to stand still and I feel my own pulse (6)__________ and hear my own breathing. Doctors and nurses come in and out at (7 and look at his charts.Our eyes meet and somehow, together, we become (8)__________ that this is a special moment for us. I know that he would want me to be bold and show strength as he always had. He is the man who (9)____________ at countless community associations while he himself was ill. He is a man with (10)__________ who never needed a calendar to remember a friend or relative's birthday or our anniversary.It is my duty to show how proud I am to have been a part of this great man's life.Passage 10I have been in a major car accident and I am lying in a hospital bed. My status is not good, but I am still alive. When the doctors look at my charts they whisper to each other and I (1)__________ if they are saying that I will die soon. If I could talk I would (2)__________ about my condition, but I cannot. They have (3)__________ a needle to my arm with tape and a long tube leads to a bottle hanging above. From the bottle, fluids slowly (4)__________ into my body because I cannot eat or drink on my own. Sometimes the nurses use a straw to put a little (5)__________ in my mouth. I am grateful because even though I get plenty of liquids from the tube to my arm, the (6)__________ in my mouth is constant.I should feel sorry for myself, but I am not. Instead, I am (7)__________ for this time to reflect on what a great family I have. One of my daughters is in the room with me. She (8)__________ her chair over and places it alongside my bed. Then she sits down close to me and (9)__________ my hand. "Daddy, I want you to know how (10)__________ and special you have been to all of us. Please remember, no matter where you are, we will always be with you."Passage 11On the West Coast of the States, people fear earthquakes. They accordingly watch for signs, like worms coming out from the ground. On the Gulf Coast the biggest natural threat is a hurricane or (1)__________ tropical storm. Here the best (2)_________ of where a storm will strike is the behavior of birds and sea creatures. One (3)__________ that seabirds take for a hurricane is that they move a long way from the ocean. A large hurricane that recently struck many southern states in America seemed (4)___________ to be heading directly for Mexico. Despite the appearance that the hurricane was heading for the Mexican coast, the birds there stayed (5)___________. The birds on the Gulf Coast of America, (6)____________, moved far away from the sea even before the storm changed direction toward the American coast. Having enough time is a (7)___________ when preparing for a natural disaster. The occurrence of bird movement should have served as a very early warning for people as to the direction of this hurricane. Unfortunately, far too few were paying attention and over a thousand people (8) ___________lost their lives. Immediately after the disaster many people began to suggest that government offices that help with storm preparations (9) ____________with offices that monitor wild animals. This is a sensible suggestion considering the (10)____________ for losses of lives. Who would have ever guessed that a bird watcher might actually save lives?Passage 12People seem to have very short memories when it comes to natural disasters. Despite environmental concerns and recommendations that we (1)_________ some areas where such disasters may occur from development, we build anyway. Often we must ignore the fact that we can never build buildings to (2)__________ the true force of nature in order to proceed. No engineer or architect can design a building on an earthquake's (3) __________line that is safe. All forecasts (4) __________how far a building on poor foundation will sink are theoretical at best. Sometimes, whole cities sink. We design buildings that are so-called "earthquake-(5) __________", but they can never truly be tested without an actual earthquake.It seems that our anxiety for building upon our land (6)___________ our judgment and memories. If one official will not give (7) ____________for land use, we simply get another one elected who will allow it. If there is legal (8) ___________that keeps us from proceeding, we find an official who will give us a favorable ruling. The process seems quite transparent, so there should be enough protest to stop it. But instead, we build. And, more often than not our efforts are (9) _________attempts to match wits with nature. Almost inevitably we find ourselves picking up the (10)___________ of these experimental buildings. As one great baseball coach once said, "Nature always has the final say."Passage 13I am looking to change the world. However, I have no need to conquer the world in order to make my contributions felt. Without a doubt, I may not belong in the same (1)_________ as Bill Gates or Albert Einstein, but I have a will. Sure we need great minds like Einstein's in this world, but to really (2)_________ average people who do good are needed as well. I believe (3)__________ are only a tiny fraction of the whole population. It is the rest of us average people who really make this world work.I would prefer my efforts went relatively (4)___________, but make modern civilization possible. Hopefully my efforts will make a (5)___________ as well. There are many ways to make a(n) (6)____________whateverclassificationwheredistributioninfluencegeniuseseffectgenuinedifference shortageimpactunnoticedflourishconcealedblossom on other's lives. By simply being a model citizen and doing (7) ___________you do to the best of your ability, you are making an enormous contribution to your community.There is a (8)___________ of people committed to doing what needs to be done in their own backyard. That's (9) ____________I come in. Not only am I ready to help mankind out by lending my hand wherever needed, but also I want to give praise to those around the world who do the same. People need to realize just how far their sphere of (10)__________ reaches. Not everyone is a Bill Gates.Passage 14If you were on a team to choose five of the world's greatest minds, past and present, to solve today's problems, whom would you choose? If it were me, I would suggest our (1)_________ include Bill Gates. His well-known multitasking ability would allow our team to (2) ____________many great things for our world at once. He could manage multiple frames on his computer screen, each (3)___________ a different problem our team was working on. Of course, to calculate the answers to complex equations, our team would need the accelerated genius of Einstein. And, our team should be (4)__________ of members who understand kindness. With Mother Teresa on board, not a single one of mankind's (5) ____________would go without attention. And likewise, we would be nothing if we did not understand (6) ___________when it came to violence, so I would ask Ghandi to participate as well. Let's not forget that to get positive (7) ___________this group will need to understand modern politics. That's why I think we could get the (8) ___________performance by including Kofi Annan.Our (9) __________would need to put their headquarters somewhere. I suggest the location be somewhere in need of help, like Africa, as opposed to (10) ____________more power in an already developed country. And they would need a group leader. Maybe we should all elect that personPassage 15How does a scientist go about cloning a sheep? First they acquire an egg cell of a sheep. Then they combine it with the nucleus of a cell containing the DNA of the sheep they are attempting to clone. This is the ribbon-like molecule that contains (1)_________ information. This molecule comes from the nucleus of any living cell, but it must be (2)___________ if you want to clone an animal. In the right conditions, the newly created cell then begins to split, and then (3)___________ and then the organism grows.Would the same (4) ____________work for a human? Almost all scientists believe it would, and this is the issue that has (5)___________ so much debate. The creation of Dolly has caused many organizations to (6) ___________energetic protests. The topic has even found its way to the Congress of the United States. There, many government leaders are arguing over legislation that would (7)___________ cloning of humans. They fear that the implications of cloning are too enormous to be fully understood at this time. Many are advising (8) __________experiments on cloning altogether until we know more about the scientific and moral dilemmas we might face. Still others (9)___________ that many advances in medicine could come from these experiments. They wish to (10)___________ efforts to clones pigs specifically to develop medicines. Whatever it is we decide to do, we must proceed carefully.Passage 16If we cloned a human, would the copy be identical to the original? Of course not! Identical (1) __________to do not produce an exact copy of a person. Almost any twin can tell you that while they (2) ___________to their brother or sister and share the same DNA, there are many differences. There are other factors (3)___________ to the biology of a clone that would make them slightly different from the original. The original and twin do not have the same egg cell in common. Each egg cell is (4) ___________to in that it has different energy-processing machinery from other eggs. This is what leads scientists to (5) __________to each clone as a "unique being". Others are not so sure. There is a great deal of confusion over what a clone actually is and this has caused a lot of (6) _________to. Some believe we will be creating copies genetically (7) __________to the original. One scientist countered, "We won't have a problem cloning an infant that is healthy. Our problem will be when people act outside of moral (8)__________ to that should be followed." Many fear human cloning will threaten human society while others see opportunities for (9) ____________to on diseases like cancer. Congress can try to (10) ___________to laws to stop scientists from cloning, but it would be better to allow research and regulate it. The real problem with cloning isn'tPassage 17There is a legal agreement for just about everything these days. It may sound a bit conservative, but I think it would be nice if we could keep some of that law out of marriage. Nowadays, people getting married are (1) _________by everything from how many times they take out the garbage each week to a schedule for who cooks. There just seems to be a gross (2) __________in the perspectives of young people getting married. Before a couple even gets married, they are talking about the division of (3)__________ in case of a divorce. It almost (4) __________that a couple will separate by making it apparent that the idea of divorce is feasible for both parties. And, it creates excellent (5)__________ for unhappy marriages. You can't write down in a (6) ___________agreement what your daily schedule is going to be for the rest of your life. What a horror to wake up every morning to an agreement that states that you will always have to remain the same as when you first married. Such a (7) ____________would go against everything that makes us individuals. A person's expectations need to be (8) ____________so that the person can live and grow. Laws (9)__________ by outsiders cannot govern a happy marriage. It must be (10) ___________through years of commitment to understanding one another. It must involve strong communication throughout the marriage.Passage 18I have a prenuptial agreement with my husband. One clause in it states that every morning he will take our dog for a walk. If he should (1) ___________this agreement, there will be severe consequences. In the case of my death, he shall be denied my grandmother's estate, which I (2) _________before marriage. I have strong (3) __________for this-I am not crazy. It is the only way I can determine that he is truly (4) _____________to me and not my money. I could have included language in the document related to sexual relationships with other women, but this may not have been (5)__________. Everyone knows how hard it would be to (6)___________ if he was having an affair. It would, however, be very hard to (7) ____________in a court of law if he failed to walk the dog.It was awkward when I asked him for his signature on this agreement. I tried to assure him that it had no (8)___________ on how much I loved him, but he did not believe me. It met with his refusal at first, but he (9)___________ after I explained myself further. I told him how I had been (10) ___________before when my previous husband refused to do any household tasks. He said, "If I only have to walk the dog, I agree."Passage 19A small piece of gold with markings was lying in plain sight when I found it in the desert of southern Utah. It immediately (1) __________my curiosity when I saw it. You see I had been searching for a clue to solve a very old mystery. Why had the Anasazi, a civilization that once lived in this area, suddenly (2) ___________from the face of the earth? There have been many examples of tools for (3)___________ and farming found from these people. These tools lead researchers to (4)__________ the Anasazi were quite advanced for their time. There have never been any findings though adequately explaining why these people so suddenly disappeared. I hoped that the (5) __________that I had found would be of some help. Maybe it would (6)___________ some light on the subject. The probable answer: it is a gold coin. It is not believed that the Anasazi used any form of (7) __________for the exchange of goods. However, even to a (8) __________observer, this was a remarkable discovery. I needed to (9) ___________that this coin was left there around the time the Anasazi had disappeared. In this way, I could reasonably assume that whatever group of people left the coin had (10) ___________to the mystery of the Anasazi's departure. Perhaps the visitors had unknowingly brought with them diseases that had swiftly killed off the Anasazi. Whatever the answer, I believed my discovery would be responsible for revealing it.Passage 20I thought I had prepared for everything, but I hadn't prepared for this. We left Miami on a cruise, anticipating a fantastic vacation. There exists a surplus of (1)__________ stories of the Bermuda Triangle, but I did not believe such foolishness. What person with any sense could believe it to be the "devil's personal playground"? Besides, after (2)_________ research by a government council, officials stated this area of the sea is no less safe than any other. "The frequency of ships vanishing within the Caribbean is (3)___________to or less than that of other seas," read the government's report.While the government (4)__________ this position, just after departure, I began to think otherwise. Our ship (5)__________ a strange patch of fog just outside of Miami. Upon entering the weird low-lying cloud, the crew began to run about nervously. Something very urgent was going on. We all gathered on the deck, where the captain told us what was happening. Apparently, the odd circumstance was not just atmospheric in nature, but also mechanical. The communications, electrical generator and (6) ___________equipment were also acting funny. Then, suddenly, the enormous ship began to be (7) _________right into the ocean. It would soon be (8) __________beneath the waters. In a panic, we all (9)___________ the ship in lifeboats. Fortunately,KeysPassage 1(1) keen; (2) boring; (3) festival; (4) disguise; (5) financially;(6) convince; (7) skilled; (8) agreeable; (9) reckoned; (10) merryPassge 2(1)knit; (2) battling; (3) swaying; (4) staggered; (5) accomplish; (6) displayed; (7) blossomed; (8) particular; (9) wore; (10) healPassge 3(1) ratio; (2) tend; (3) digest; (4) balanced; (5) interfere; (6) substances; (7) recommended; (8) impact; (9) calculated; (10) striking Passage 4(1) neglecting; (2) restrict; (3) plus; (4) sufficient; (5) costly;(6) comparative; (7) inspire; (8) bounce; (9) rival; (10) farewell Passage 5(1) boost; (2) proposals; (3) attendance; (4) punishments; (5) revise;(6) mood; (7) energetic; (8) tackle; (9) formation; (10) implyPassage 6(1) speculate; (2) acknowledge; (3) reflected; (4) succession; (5) contributions;(6) possess; (7) vigorous; (8) concerned; (9) fruitful; (10) mixture Passage 7(1) dedicated; (2) distinguished; (3) fame; (4) successive; (5) liberate;(6) exerted; (7) owe; (8) bears; (9) evolve; (10) existedPassge 8(1) characterized; (2) portraits; (3) symbol; (4) tragedy; (5) decorations;(6) thereby; (7) destruction; (8) enlighten; (9) discarded; (10) exist Passage 9(1) slender; (2) astonished; (3) loosely; (4) pulse; (5) hint;(6) quicken; (7) intervals; (8) aware; (9) volunteered; (10) responsibility Passage 10(1) wonder; (2) inquire; (3) secured; (4) drip; (5) moisture;(6) thirst; (7) grateful; (8) slides; (9) grips; (10) influential;Passage 11(1) severe; (2) indication; (3) precaution; (4) initially; (5) calm;(6) however; (7) necessity; (8) needlessly; (9) cooperate; (10) potential。
