Section A: Banked Cloze
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten 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. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Herbicide-Free Campus
In her second year, Charlene Duong learned of the use of poisonous, synthetic pesticides on her college campus. Shocked but not surprised, she knew she had to do something. Along with a couple of classmates, Charlene did a quick web search and discovered a small but growing movement led by the organization, Herbicide-Free Campus (HFC), to rid college campuses of artificial herbicides (灭草剂). They were (26) ______.
Like many, Charlene experiences climate anxiety—a (27) ______ fear of a climate catastrophe — and was, at the time, looking for an (28) ______. When she discovered the HFC movement, she said she felt she “had found a specific area to focus on that still fit into the larger picture of fighting for a healthier, safer, cleaner (29) ______ for all.”
Toxic herbicide use in university land care is not unique. Most institutions of higher education rely on synthetic pesticides and fertilizers to achieve (30) ______ goals. Having a “beautiful” campus means green and perfectly maintained lawns along with flower beds and paved sidewalks. But these (31) ______ managed campuses can come at a cost: increased cancer risk, (32) ______ waterways, poisoned wildlife and lifeless soil.
Pesticide use on college campuses also contributes to our global climate crisis. The use of chemicals to get rid of insects or unwanted plant life can increase indirect (33) ______, as they can include petroleum-based ingredients. Pesticide use also decreases the life in soil, (34) ______ the ability of soils to absorb carbon or retain water and thus reducing campuses ability to recover quickly from climate-related extreme weather events like droughts and floods.
Instead of using toxic chemicals, students working with HFC help out with (35) ______ the campus grounds. “This work reminds me to be in the present moment as I play my role in reducing herbicide use and keeping my campus safe and healthy,” says Charlene.
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Section A: Banked Cloze
26. J (intrigued)。解析：空格在系动词 `were` 之后，作表语，主语是 `They`（指代 Charlene 和她的同学）。前文提到她们在网上搜索并发现了一个不断发展的环保运动，因此她们对此感到“好奇/被迷住了”。选项 `intrigued`（被迷住的，好奇的）完美契合语境。
27. B (chronic)。解析：空格在不定冠词 `a` 和名词 `fear` 之间，需要填入辅音音素开头的形容词作定语。破折号前提到“气候焦虑”，破折号后是对其的解释：一种对气候灾难“长期的/慢性的”恐惧。选项 `chronic`（慢性的，长期的）符合语境。
28. L (outlet)。解析：空格在不定冠词 `an` 之后，需要填入以元音音素开头的单数名词。句意为“当时她正在寻找一个______”。结合前文一直处于焦虑情绪中，她寻找的应是一个“发泄途径/出口”。选项 `outlet`（发泄途径，出口）最贴切。
29. F (environment)。解析：空格在并列的形容词 `cleaner` 之后，需要填入名词。句意为“为一个更健康、更安全、更清洁的______而奋斗”。结合全文关于无除草剂校园和气候的讨论，选项 `environment`（环境）是显而易见的答案。
30. A (aesthetic)。解析：空格在动词 `achieve` 和名词 `goals` 之间，需要填入形容词。后文紧接着解释说，拥有一个“美丽”的校园意味着绿色的草坪、花坛等，这都是为了视觉上的美观。因此填入 `aesthetic`（审美的，美观的）。
31. D (conventionally)。解析：空格在指示代词 `these` 和形容词/过去分词 `managed` 之间，需要填入副词。前文提到依赖合成农药和化肥，这属于传统的管理方式。选项 `conventionally`（常规地，传统地）符合逻辑，表示“这些以传统（化学）方式管理的校园”。
32. C (contaminated)。解析：空格与名词 `waterways`（水道）搭配，并在 `cancer risk`, `poisoned wildlife` 和 `lifeless soil` 等负面词汇构成的并列结构中，需要填入带有负面色彩的形容词或过去分词。选项 `contaminated`（受污染的）符合语境。
33. E (emissions)。解析：空格在形容词 `indirect` 之后，需要填入名词。后文 `as they can include petroleum-based ingredients`（因为它们含有石油基成分）解释了其原因。含石油成分的化学物质会增加间接的“排放”。选项 `emissions`（排放物）符合气候和环保语境。
34. G (hampering)。解析：空格在逗号后，逻辑主语是前面的整个句子 `Pesticide use also decreases the life in soil`，需要填入现在分词作结果状语。句意：“农药的使用减少了土壤中的生命，______了土壤吸收碳或保持水分的能力”。选项 `hampering`（阻碍，妨碍）完全符合语意逻辑。
35. O (weeding)。解析：空格在介词 `with` 之后，需要填入动名词或名词。前文说“与其使用有毒化学品”，说明学生们是用人工方式帮助处理校园地面。选项 `weeding`（除草）与前文的 `herbicides`（除草剂）形成呼应，表示人工除草。
【核心搭配与高分句型】
rid... of...：清除，摆脱（rid college campuses of artificial herbicides）
fit into the larger picture：融入更大的图景/格局（still fit into the larger picture of fighting for...）
come at a cost：付出代价（can come at a cost: increased cancer risk...）
petroleum-based：含有石油成分的（petroleum-based ingredients）
play a role in：在...中发挥作用，扮演角色（play my role in reducing herbicide use）
【长难句解析】
"Pesticide use also decreases the life in soil, hampering the ability of soils to absorb carbon or retain water and thus reducing campuses ability to recover quickly from climate-related extreme weather events like droughts and floods."
（农药的使用还减少了土壤中的生命，阻碍了土壤吸收碳或保持水分的能力，从而降低了校园从干旱和洪水等与气候相关的极端天气事件中快速恢复的能力。）
此句包含两个由现在分词 `hampering` 和 `reducing` 构成的结果状语，层层递进地说明了农药使用的负面连锁反应，非常适合写作模仿。
（农药的使用还减少了土壤中的生命，阻碍了土壤吸收碳或保持水分的能力，从而降低了校园从干旱和洪水等与气候相关的极端天气事件中快速恢复的能力。）
此句包含两个由现在分词 `hampering` 和 `reducing` 构成的结果状语，层层递进地说明了农药使用的负面连锁反应，非常适合写作模仿。