“Equal pay for equal work” is a phrase by the American women who feel they are {#blank#}1{#/blank#}(fair) treated by society. They think it is not right for women to be paid less than men for the {#blank#}2{#/blank#}amount of work. Some people say men have more duties than women. A married man has to earn money to support his family and make important {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (decide), so it is right for them to be paid more. Some are even against married women {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(work) at all. When wives go out to work, they say, the home and children {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (give) no attention to. If women are encouraged by equal pay to take up jobs, they will not {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (able) to do the things that they are best at doing: making a nice home and bringing {#blank#}7{#/blank#}children. Women who disagree say that they want to escape from the limited place which society wishes them to fill and have {#blank#}8{#/blank#} freedom to choose between a job and home life,{#blank#}9{#/blank#} a mixture of the two. In fact women have the right not only {#blank#}10{#/blank#} equal pay but also to equal chances.

    December 16, 2013 was my birthday. It was the day {#blank#}1{#/blank#} my best friend left me. I remember it as if it were yesterday. It was also our Christmas concert. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}(offer) a job in Colorado, my friend's father had to leave our city. And his family had to go with {#blank#}3{#/blank#}(he). Mr. Escalante, our old headmaster, brought her whole family up on the stage, and they made a big {#blank#}4{#/blank#}(announce) about how they {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(leave). After the concert ended, I was in a total mess. I felt as if I had made something torn out of my body that could never be {#blank#}6{#/blank#}(full) replaced. My best friend's name was Hannah Zona.

    Ever since I was a little girl, my family was always with the Zonas. We would go to the fair, did anything you could think of. {#blank#}7{#/blank#}(live) so close {#blank#}8{#/blank#} each other, we could always go to each other's houses after school. {#blank#}9{#/blank#}she is about 7 years older than me, we act like we are sisters. {#blank#}10{#/blank#}(word) can't describe how much I miss her. When she comes back to California, it's like we were never apart. Hannah Zona is the best friend you could ask for. No one could ever replace her and the love I have for her.

    Before the 17^th century, most of the native English speakers lived in England. After the 17^th century, British people began to move to other {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (country). Gradually, English was spoken there. At present {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (many) people speak English as their first, second or a foreign language than ever before. {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (luck), native English speakers can understand each other even if they don't speak the same kind of English.

    English {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (change) and developed when cultures met and communicated with each other over the past centuries. The English {#blank#}5{#/blank#}(speak) in England between about AD450 and 1150 was very different {#blank#}6{#/blank#} the modern English we speak today. It was the new settlers that enriched the English language and {#blank#}7{#/blank#} (especial) its vocabulary. The English language was settled by the 19^th century {#blank#}8{#/blank#} two big changes in English spelling happened. English now is also spoken as a foreign {#blank#}9{#/blank#}second language in South Asia. China may have the {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (large) number of English learners.

    Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

    Trust is a tricky business. On the one hand, it's a necessary condition for many worthwhile things such as child care or friendships. On the other hand, {#blank#}1{#/blank#} (put) your faith in the wrong place often carries a high price.

    Then, why do we trust at all? Well, because it feels good. {#blank#}2{#/blank#} people place their trust in an individual or an institution, their brains release oxytocin, a hormone that produces pleasurable feelings and triggers the herding instruction that leads sheep to flock together for safety and prompts humans {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (connect) with one another.

    Swiss Scientists have found that exposure{#blank#}4{#/blank#} this hormone puts us in a trusting mood: In a study, researchers sprayed oxytocin (催产素) into the noses of half the subjects; those subjects were ready to lend significantly {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (high) amounts of money to strangers than were their counterparts{#blank#}6{#/blank#}inhaled something else.

    Lucky for us, we also have a sixth sense for dishonesty that {#blank#}7{#/blank#} protect us. A Canadian study found that children as young as 14 months can differentiate between a credible person and a dishonest {#blank#}8{#/blank#}. Sixty toddlers were each introduced to an adult tester holding a plastic container. The tester would ask, "What's in here?" before looking into the container, smiling, and exclaiming, "Wow!" Each subject was then invited to look inside. Half of them found a toy; the other half discovered the container was empty-and realized the tester {#blank#}9{#/blank#} (fool) them.

    Among the children who had not been tricked, the majority were willing to cooperate with the tester in learning a new skill, demonstrating that they trusted his leadership. In contrast, only five of the 30 children {#blank#}10{#/blank#} (pair) with the "inflexible" tester participated in a follow-up activity.

    A pale, yellow moon was rising as I was walking home from my friend's house. We had spent the evening taking care {#blank#}1{#/blank#} her younger sister and had watched two really frightening horror films on TV.

    Imagine my shock when, suddenly, from the {#blank#}2{#/blank#} (distant) I heard a loud cry and saw a strange white form moving towards me at top speed through the air. I {#blank#}3{#/blank#} (open) my mouth but no sound came out. The terror I felt stopped me {#blank#}4{#/blank#} (scream) for help. I fell to the ground and kept my eyes tightly shut, in case I would end up staring into the eyes of a terrible beast.

    After a couple of {#blank#}5{#/blank#} (minute), when I realized that I hadn't been hurt, I {#blank#}6{#/blank#} (careful) opened my eyes and looked around. It was then {#blank#}7{#/blank#} I heard some sounds coming from a nearby tree. I looked up and saw a large, white owl sitting on a branch, watching me with what seemed to be a(n) {#blank#}8{#/blank#} (puzzle) expression on its face.

    I could have kicked {#blank#}9{#/blank#}(I) for being so stupid. It's strange how the mind can play tricks on you. I promised myself that that was {#blank#}10{#/blank#} last time I would go wandering around late at night after watching horror films!