You must fire ____ incompetent assistant of yours.

Some narratives seem more like plays, heavy with dialogue by which writers allow their ____ to reveal themselves.

If you intend to melt the snow for drinking water, you can ____ extra purity by running it through a coffee filter.

The daisy-like flowers of chamomile have been used for centuries to ____ anxiety and insomnia.

Despite concern about the disappearance of the album in popular music,2014 delivered a great crop of album ____.

The party’s reduced vote in the general election was ____ lack of support for its policies.

He closed his eyes and held the two versions of La Mappa to his mind’s ____ to analyze their differences.

Twelve pupils were killed and five ____ injured after gunmen attacked the school during lunchtime.

A15-year-old girl has been arrested ____ accusations of using Instagram to anonymously threaten her high school.

It was reported that a73-year-old man died on an Etihad flight ____ to Germany from Abu Dhabi.

It’s ____ the case in the region; a story always sounds clear enough at a distance, but the nearer you get to the scene of event the vaguer it becomes.

How can I concentrate if you ____ continually ____ me with silly questions?

Among the four sentences below, Sentence ____ expresses the highest degree of possibility.

She is a better speaker than ____ in the class.

Nobody heard him sing, ____?

I can’t put up with ____.

There has been an increasing number of ____ in primary schools in the past few years.

This is one of the issues that deserve ____.

The audience ____ excited on seeing ____ favorite star glide onto the stage.

____ your advice, I would have made the wrong decision.

The sentence I wish I had been more careful in spending money expresses the speaker’s ____.

The Attorney General ordered a federal autopsy of Brown’s body, seeking to ____ the family and community there would be a thorough investigation into his death.

The department secretary was ____ the guest speaker at the station at10 this morning, but the speaker’s journey was cancelled on a short notice.

If you need me to help with your teleconferencing arrangements, I can be reached with the touch of a single button on ____ special phone of Harry’s.

Advocates of studying abroad believe students will reach new levels of intercultural understanding far exceeding what they ____ be able to accomplish just at home.

In order that no further damage ____, you get the wounded back to the intensive care unit as quickly as possible.

Sometimes a written message succeeds ____ an oral one fails; at other times, talking to the recipient will produce results that the printed word can’t match.

From the outside, the two start-up companies’ partnership looks like ____ story.

It is easy to think you understand another person, ____ later that you were wrong.

What is the function of the present progressive in “My neighbor is always playing loud music at midnight”?

Which of the following reflexive pronouns expresses emphasis?

“People who are sensitive can appreciate art better.” The relative clause in this sentence ____.

When the police officers who took part in the King beating were first brought to ____, their lawyers used the videotape as evidence against the prosecution.

____, the most controversial candidate in the election campaign, he has been strongly criticized for his crude comments about women.

Prices have recently risen in order to ____ the increased cost of raw materials.

The celebrity says in court papers she “has no ____ of giving any authorization to anyone to proceed with a divorce.”

What actually ____ a good angle—or a good selfie overall—is rooted in what we consider beautiful.

The school is going the ____ mile to create the next generation of sporting stars thanks to its unique development program.

The teachers’ union ____ a lawsuit against the district calling for repairing “deplorable” school conditions.

Last March the ____ of a19th century cargo ship was found by an underwater archaeological team.

She’s worn his designs on ____ occasions from red carpets to movie premieres.

A leading ____ intelligence and operations company has released its analysis of worldwide reported incidents of piracy and crime against mariners.

The smell that rose from the saucepan was so powerful that Mom shut the window lest anybody outside ____ it.

George told the police officer that he was punched ____ by a masked man Sunday night at a restaurant.

The printer used the highest quality paper and ink and turned out far fewer volumes than he otherwise ____.

Top unemployment rate kept rising in that decade, ____ did economic growth accompanied by rampant commercialism and consumerism.

In the coming years, there are about10,000 square kilometers of the designated search area still ____ by sonar equipment towed from ships.

Despite their high profile and increasing athletic ability, ____ might still lag behind men in participation, events, and medals awarded.

Which of the following italicized phrases indicates CAUSE?

The underlined verb forms are used to indicate ____.

“My60 application letters procured just one interview, which I declined.” The non-restrictive relative clause in the sentence is used to ____.

Unable to continue at her job and to pay rent, Vicky and her family were ____ from their home.

The Bent Pyramid outside Cairo ____ ancient Egypt’s first attempt to build a smooth-sided pyramid.

U.S. News ____ rankings of colleges since1983. They are a very popular resource for students looking to apply to a university campus.

He was lured into a crime he would not ____ have committed.

She was once a young country wife with chickens in the backyard and a view of ____ mountains behind the apple orchard.

I long to alleviate ____, but I cannot.

Indeed, it is arguable that body shattering is the very point of football, as killing and maiming ____.

At ____, photography is a chemical process, during which a light-sensitive material is altered when exposed to light.

She hired a lawyer to investigate, only to learn that Gabriel had removed her name from the deed. The infinitive verb phrase “only to learn” is used ____.

Which of the following italicized words DOES NOT carry the metaphorical meaning?

My mother was determined to help those in need and she would have been immensely proud of what has been achieved these last20 years. The italicized part in the sentence expresses ____.

____ combination of techniques authors use, all stories—from the briefest anecdotes to the longest novels—have a plot.

She followed the receptionist down a luxurious corridor to a closed door, ____ the woman gave a quick knock before opening it.

Ms Enab is one of the first Palestinian ____ with seven years’ racing experience.

“I wondered if I could have a word with you.” The past tense used in the sentence refers to a ____.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t wait to propose to her.” The subjunctive mood in the sentence is used to ____.

“It’s a shame that the city official should have gone back on his word.” The modal auxiliary SHOULD is used to express ____.

Timothy Ray Brown, the first man cured of HIV, initially opted against the stem cell transplant that ____ history.

Some Martian rock structures look strikingly like structures on Earth that are known ____ by microbes.

At that moment, with the crowd watching me, I was not afraid in the ordinary sense, as I ____ if I ____ alone.

Everyone in the company agrees that their boss is a very resourceful and ____ man.

In ____ of the strong earthquake last week, many families are deep in mourning.

The factory is looking for better ways to ____ operations so as to improve productivity.

The unique wall paintings in the old town are once again under the media ____.

Please excuse me. I must ____ to some urgent business now.

Not sophisticated at all, Tim is easy to lose his ____, which may hurt people around him.

She often let the children play in the yard to keep them out of ____.

There is a strong ____ between the father and the son.

The smartphone manufacturer blamed ____ batteries for last year’s humiliating recall of its flagship smartphone.

When you have finished with that book, don’t forget to put it back on the shelf, ____?

Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

It is not so much the language ____ the cultural background that makes the film difficult to understand.

There is no doubt ____ the committee has made the right decision on the housing project.

If you explained the situation to your lawyer, he ____ able to advise you much better than I can.

Which of the following is a stative verb (静态动词)?

Which of the following italicized parts indicates a subject-verb relation?

Which of the following is INCORRECT?

All the President’s Men ____ one of the important books for scholars who study the Watergate Scandal.

There ____ nothing more for discussion, the meeting came to an end half an hour earlier.

Bottles from this region sell ____ at about $50 a case.

The product contains no ____ colours, flavours, or preservatives.

The Foreign Secretary tried to ____ doubts about his handling of the crisis.

Mutual funds are thus best for investors who don’t want to take the time to study stocks in detail or who ____ the resources to build a portfolio.

Chris ran ____ John at a sporting-goods trade show and the two quickly struck ____ an easy rapport.

“I am leaving the country soon,” he told a ____ convened group of reporters.

Israel and Hamas had reached a deal on extending the ____ ceasefire by an extra24 hours until Tuesday at midnight.

____ to unplugging the alarm clock and trusting your ability to wake on time on your own, you should probably ease yourself into the new arrangement by keeping a very regular schedule for several weeks.

If you are an athlete, strong abdominal muscles help you ensure a strong back and freedom from injury during ____ upper-body movement.

Finning is a cruel ____ in which the shark’s fins are lopped off, and the live shark is thrown back to sea.

Moving from beginning to end by order of time, narration relies on a more natural pattern of organization than ____.

____ the attempted rescue mission, the hostages might still be alive.

Members of the Parliament were poised ____ ahead with a bill to approve construction of the oil pipeline.

Writers often coupled narration with other techniques to develop ideas and support opinions that otherwise ____ abstract, unclear, or unconvincing.

Protocol was ____ enabled him to make difficult decisions without ever looking back.

The woman had persuaded him to do ____ he was hired never to do — reveal the combination for the lock on the entrance.

The bad news was that he could be a very dangerous person ____ he choose to be.

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” These two questions are used as a ____.

What is the function of the present progressive in “They are always calling me by the wrong name”?

“Harry was compelled to resign and to come down to London, where he set up as an army coach.” The relative clause in the sentence serves to ____.

____ the ____ broken-down satellites or tossed-away rocket stages.

Having returned from abroad a totally different person. The italicized part functions as a(n) ____ in the sentence.

Welcome to this special edition of TV Picks, featuring things that must be consumed, let alone ____ books.

When you have finished with that novel, don’t forget to return to Tom, ____?

In the coming years, there are about10,000 square kilometers of the designated search area still ____ by sonar equipment towed from ships.

Cities have nonprofit associations, usually made up of Fire Department personnel working on their own time to provide ____ inspections.

There is no means ____ a man will not resort to avoid the real labor of thinking.

Which of the following italicized modal verb “might” in the reply? Person A: Where is Tim? Person B: He might be next door.

“After a confused silence, the speaker attempted a weak reply only to halt midway to confer with his assistant and finally to admit that he had made a mistake.” The two infinitive phrases “midway” are used to ____.

Awaiting me is a demanding job that I just don’t know ____ I’m going to do.

By the end of last month, our cute baby ____ in this world for100 days.

____ wounded soldier was ____ good old friend of his.

The children were ____ hungry and each of them could have eaten a horse.

____ your generous assistance, I couldn’t have accomplished this daunting task in time.

She was impressed by the view of ____ mountains behind the apple orchard.

In phrases like biting bright, scorching hot, or dazzling bright, the -ING participle is used as ____.

“There used to be a bus stop around the corner of the street.” The italicized part in the sentence indicates ____.

“We were to have been there now, but the traffic jam was so serious.” The italicized part signifies ____.

“Alice has an urgent task, and she must be working late at the office now.” The italicized word in the sentence expresses ____.

He tricked the kid ____ trusting him by pretending that he had super power.