________ the relatively low physical fitness levels of primary and middle school students, allotting higher scores to PE in zhongkao may be an effective way of getting students to do more physical exercise.

A. Given
B. Without
C. Despite
D. Since

After 12 years and 279 episodes, The Big Bang Theory, known for its__________depiction of nerd culture, ended with an emotional finale that attracted the biggest audience in recent years.

A. effective
B. affectionate
C. respective
D. passionate

Scientists in China and Poland have invented a laser-powered micro-robot that can climb vertically and make its way across glass ceilings while upside down, with a special layer made of glycerin(甘油) allowing the robot to _______ gravity and cling to ceilings and walls.

A. define
B. decline
C. discipline
D. defy

East China's Shandong province recently released a plan to strengthen the protection and utilization of cultural relics in the province, in a bid to better___________the province's cultural heritage.

A. reverse
B. prevent
C. preserve
D. consume

“They fall in love in the morning, get married at noon and file for divorce in the afternoon,” a judge in Vietnam said figuratively about the current “marry in_________, repent at leisure” phenomenon among younger Vietnamese.

A. haze
B. hit
C. haste
D. halt

Morgan Stanley is seeking a stronger_________in China due to wider opening in financial sector and a growing middle income group, according to James Gorman, chairman and CEO of the New York-based investment bank.

A. presence
B. consent
C. present
D. essence

Basketball legend Kobe Bryant's untimely death has drawn an outpouring of shock and__________ across China, prompting a wave of tributes to the former NBA superstar from the country's sports community and beyond.

A. glue
B. grip
C. grant
D. grief

The passage of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is intended to drive China to_________to US' demands by taking Hong Kong hostage. Should it fail to achieve such a purpose, Washington wouldn't hesitate to destroy Hong Kong.

A. yell
B. yield
C. yawn
D. yoyo

By the last day of Jallikattu, the tradition of running with the bulls in Southern India, hundreds of bulls were__________ through the wildly excited crowds, with people trying to grab the bull by its hump and hang on to the terrified, bucking animal for at least a hundred meters.

A. held out
B. fixed up
C. let loose
D. cut open

Part IIIBlank Filling(10分)Directions:In this section, there is a passage with several blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.After retiring from 30 years of teaching, Ethbell Pepper could easily have decided to sit back and relax and enjoy a peaceful retirement. But that kind of life is not for Ethbell Pepper. "I just wanted to do something different. If you are going to 1in life, do it. Don't just sit down and look out of the window," she says.At 68, she decided to become one of the 2participators in a program at the university of California. The program offers 3housing and classes to people over sixty. She 4in a class called Human Relationships and Diverse Society. "I taught 5students in my English and drama classes in high school for 20 years. But in this 6, I found out a lot about other cultures I didn't know then. One of the most important lessons that I'm learning is to 7, not to judge." Older adults can add to the educational resources of university by bringing with them a lot of 8experiences. Their presence on campus helps 9some long beliefs of aging. Young students may have fears of growing older. But that kind of fear can be10as they see the older people can be active, healthy, and continue to contribute to society. The younger students may begin to see aging as a natural part of living.