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. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to research published by Brigham Young University. The (26) ______ is that loneliness is a huge, if silent, risk factor.
Loneliness affects physical health in two ways. First, it produces stress hormones that can lead to many health problems. Second, people who live alone are less likely to go to doctor (27) ______, to exercise or to eat a healthy diet.
Public health experts in many countries are (28) ______ how to address widespread loneliness in our society. Last year Britain even appointed a minister for loneliness. “Loneliness (29) ______ almost every one of us at some point,” its minister for loneliness Baroness Barran said. “It can lead to very serious health (30) ______ for individuals who become isolated and disconnected.”
Barran started a “Let's Talk Loneliness” campaign that (31) ______ difficult conversations across Britain. He is now supporting “(32) ______ benches,” which are public seating areas where people are encouraged to go and chat with one another. The minister is also (33) ______ to stop public transportation from being cut in ways that leave people isolated.
More than one-fifth of adults in both the United States and Britain said in a 2018 (34) ______ that they often or always feel lonely. More than half of American adults are unmarried, and researchers have found that even among those who are married, 30% of relationships are (35) ______ strained. A quarter of Americans now live alone, and as the song says, one is the loneliest number.
Word Bank
Answers & Explanations
26. I (implication)。解析：位于 "The" 和 "is" 之间，必须填名词单数。意为这项研究的“言外之意/结论”是孤独是一个巨大的风险因素。
27. B (appointments)。解析：与前面的 "doctor" 构成复合名词。doctor appointments 意为“医生预约”。
28. D (debating)。解析：位于 "are" 和 "how to" 之间，使用现在分词构成现在进行时。专家们正在“辩论/讨论”如何解决孤独问题。
29. O (touches)。解析：句子缺谓语动词，主语 "Loneliness" 是第三人称单数，填动词单三形式。意为孤独“触及/影响”我们每一个人。
30. C (consequences)。解析：修饰前面的 "very serious health"，填名词。health consequences 意为严重的“健康后果”。
31. L (sparked)。解析：定语从句缺谓语动词，时态为过去时。这场运动“引发了”跨越英国的艰难对话。
32. F (friendly)。解析：修饰名词 "benches"，填形容词。friendly benches 意为“友谊长椅”，供人们交流。
33. J (pushing)。解析：位于 "is" 之后，构成现在进行时。部长正在“努力推动”停止削减公共交通。
34. N (survey)。解析：位于 "a 2018" 之后，缺名词单数。在2018年的一项“调查”中。
35. K (severely)。解析：修饰形容词 "strained" (紧张的/受损的)，需要填副词。意为30%的关系受到“严重”损害。
核心搭配与高分句型
【核心搭配与高频短语】
- pose risks：造成风险（Social isolation poses more health risks）
- according to：根据...（according to research published by...）
- lead to：导致（lead to many health problems）
- be likely to do sth.：可能做某事（are less likely to go to...）
- at some point：在某一时刻 / 在某种程度上（touches almost every one of us at some point）
- chat with one another：彼此聊天
- one-fifth of...：五分之一的...
- strained relationship：紧张的关系 / 受损的关系
【亮点句型解析】
- Comparison 比较结构：
"Social isolation poses more health risks than obesity or smoking..."
（社交孤立造成的健康风险比肥胖或吸烟更多。）使用 `more... than...` 结构清晰地量化了抽象概念的严重程度，是论述类作文的常用句式。 - Non-restrictive Relative Clause 非限制性定语从句：
"...friendly benches, which are public seating areas where people are encouraged to go..."
（...友谊长椅，它们是鼓励人们前往的公共休息区...）使用 `which` 引导的从句对前文的名词进行补充说明，且从句中又嵌套了 `where` 引导的地点状语从句，结构严密且信息量大，是翻译题的提分点。