武汉大学英语期末短文填词练习

2-2 Dog Plays “Mother” to Tiger Cubs

People at a zoo in China have used a dog named Balu to play mother to three _1_Siberian tigers. The newborn tigers at the Shanghai Wild Animal Park, including one male and two females were _2_by their mother. They were very much in need of being breast- fed and the zoo called for Balu.The first time the 7-year-old_3_ acted as a tiger’s mother was five years ago when a Siberian tiger became too sick and weak to feed her four babies and the park had to place an __4_for a_5_. Since then the animal owned by a fanner from Nanhui has been asked to play mother for 12 tiger cubs on for our._6_Officials from the park came calling for her services two months ago shortly after she had given birth to her own two_7_.Park spokesman Su Fei long recalled: “She was very strong at first sight.Though the tiger cubs were much bigger than her, she regarded them as her own children and fed them_8_.”Balu has now taken to breast-feeding both her own and “_9_” babies,according to Shanghai Daily M r. Su told the paper: “She is a loving mother, _10_to those tigers.When those_11_ cubs_12_ against her own puppies, she never got angry with them but tried to make them quiet with a gentle hug.”

1newborn 2 andoned 3 bitch 4 advertisement 5 replacement 6 occasions 7 puppies 8 wholeheartedly 9 adopted 10 especially 11 naughty 12 fought

5-2 The Olympic Park

To host the 29th Summer Olympic Games in 2008, Beijing needs 35 _1_in all. Thirty of them will be in Beijing, with 15 of them newly built. The first on the list is the building of the Olympic Park or “Olympic Green.”The Olympic Green will be_2_ at the northern tip of central Beijing, to the north of downtown area and to the east of a _3_famous for science,education and_4_ buildings. Covering a total area of 1,215_5_ the Olympic Green _6_of 760 hectares of woods and grassland, a 50-hectare Chinese Nationalities Museum and a 405-hectare International Exhibition and Sports Center. The Olympic Green will become a state-of-the-art center of cultural,_7_ and sports activities in Beijing.The Olympic Green also has an area of sports venues. In the area, an 80,000-seat main stadium and 15 other sports venues are now under _8_When completed, they will be able to host 12 major sports_9_ at the same time, including track and field events. The International Exhibition and Sports Center will also be built in this area.The design of the Olympic Green has taken serious_10_ about how to meet IOC’s standards of _11_protection. It uses_12_ that are environment-friendly and equipment that needs less energy to run so as to protect the environment. All this will help the Beijing Olympic Games to be remembered as the greenest Olympics.

1stadiums 2 located 3 district 4 historical 5 hectares, 6 consists 7 recreational 8 construction. 9 competitions 10 considerations 11 environmental 12 materials

6-2 The Maglev Train

On the whole I think our country has an_1_ system of_2_.But I do not think that it does a good job of transporting people between cities that are only a few hundred miles apart. A person _3_between one city and a neighboring one may spend only a_4_ short time in the air while spending several hours getting to and from the airport. This situation makes flying almost as time- consuming as driving. Moreover, airplanes use a lot of their fuel just getting into the air. They simply are not fuel_5_ on short trips.Then, high speed trains may

be the answer. One fairly new_6_ for such a train is for something called a MAGLEV, meaning a train raised in the air by_7_ force. Maglevs will not actually ride on the tracks but will fly above tracks that are magnetically_8_. This will save wear and tear on the tracks. These trains will be able to go faster than 150 miles per hour. At that speed conventional trains have trouble staying on the tracks. It seems Maglevs offer exciting _9_for the future.

1 excellent

2 transportation

3 commuting

4 relatively

5 efficient

6 proposal

7 magnetic

8 activated

9 possibilities

7-1 A Room with No Personal Objects

It is more difficult to tell what type of person lives in this room because there are very few _2_here. I think it’s a man because there are hardly any personal objects on display — for instance, there aren’t any family photos around the place.But there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that he’s an_1_ businessman, someone who spends most of his time traveling. There are a couple of_3_ rugs which are probably worth a lot of money, and a few other _4_which suggest that he has traveled to countries in the Middle East.Most of the furniture is_5_ rather than_6_. I think this is somebody who doesn’t actually spend much time at home, and when he does,hers very tidy. Probably he has somebody to clean his place once or twice a week. The lack of decoration suggests that he wants to be ready to pack his bags and leave at short notice.He seems to have little time to_7_, except, perhaps, in a working context. Maybe he’d have a working lunch sometimes with his partner or discuss a business deal with a_8_ over dinner. It’s very unlikely that he’d ever _9_at home. He’s single, and maybe the sort of person who has problems with _10_in personal relationships.

1 international

2 clues

3 oriental

4 ornaments

5 functional

6 decorative

7 socialize

8 client

9 entertain 10 commitment

7-2 This Room Looks a Bit of a Mess

At first sight this room looks a bit of a_1_. A real eccentric lives here.You can tell it’s a woman because there are _2_everywhere —men don’t like cushions. Cushions may look_3, but nine times out of ten, they don’t make seats more_4_. But that’s_5_ of the different ways men and women look at homes —men are often more practical, while women are more concerned with_6_.The room is very _7_— there are far too many things in the room,and every surface is covered with some_8_. There isn’t really enough furniture here —— she could do with a few shelves or _9_to put all the things in. But this is not a practical person. This is somebody who lives in the world of imagination — perhaps a children’s book writer.There’s something quite special about this room a s far as color is concerned. There are loads of bright colors, but no soft colors at all. Also, there is very little natural light as the windows are all shut and the_10_ drawn. On the other hand, there are a lot of indoor plants in the room. There are also all kinds of cut flowers in vases, bottles and bowls. The flowers and the green do help bring this person down to earth. And the bright colors _11_suggest a person who is warm-hearted and sociable.

1 mess

2 cushions

3 attractive

4 comfortable

5 typical

6 aesthetics

7 cluttered

8 ornament

9 cupboards 10 curtains 11 definitely

8-1 A Modem Office

We’re_1_ to start work at nine, but I often come in later because I have to take my

children to school first, but then I stay a bit later. Of course, if I’ve g ot an early meeting or if I’ve got to be in court first thing in the morning, my wife has to take the kids to school. We’re supposed to work a 40-hour week, but I think most people actually work more than that. We’re supposed to dress_2_,_3_ if we have contact with_6_, so I always wear a suit and tie to work. Female lawyers aren’t allowed to wear trousers or even dark tights. They have to wear knee-length skirts — no minis.The_4_ can wear tailored trousers, but no jeans. A weekly dress-down day was introduced last month —it’s an idea from America, where everybody comes into work in casual dress on a Friday. Personally, I have no desire to come into work wearing jeans and a T-shirt. I like to make a difference between work and home, and I can wear casual clothes at home. I think people should dress smartly for work — it gives a good impression. Smoking,eating and drinking are strictly _5_in the office. There’s a non-smoking _7_downstairs, and smokers have to go outside. Personally, I think smoking ought to be banned in all public places.

1supposed 2 smartly 3 particularly 5 forbidden4 secretaries 6 clients 7 cafeteria

9-1 Choosing a Career Some of the liberal arts graduates I’ve worked with over the years were confused about their _1_ options. They just d idn’t know about all the fields or kinds of jobs that they could_2_.Dave, for example, had his heart set on working for Nike. He loved sports and had played college baseball. Nike was his place — he just knew it. Problem was Nike didn’t know it. Dave was an English major and wasn’t sure what job he could do for them. When a family friend arranged for a meeting with an accountant that worked at Nike, Dave hoped the man would find him a

job at the company. But Dave didn’t tell the man the type of job he could do,didn’t ask questions about Nike’s _3_ department, nor did he inquire about who else he should talk to at the company. The result: Nothing happened after that meeting. It wasn’t the Nike employee’s job to figure out what career Dave could do, it was Dav e’s. Not having a clear idea of the types of jobs he can do is a_4_ error.I began to work with Dave shortly after the Nike meeting, focusing him on his stronger skills — writing, editing, and computer skills. Dave began working _5_ jobs and started networking with other alumni. Through networking,he learned about a _6_ at a publishing company. He landed a job as _7_assistant at a company that published_8_books and was coming out with a new baseball video game. Dave found a _9_ job once he directed his skills to what he could do for an employer instead of what an employer could do for him.

1career 2investigate 3communications 4 critical 5temporary 6position 7editorial 8comic 9terrific

10-2 Mark Brown (Part I)

Mark Brown went on holiday to America for two months where he spent over ￡1,200 more than he had planned. His mother had _1_ him money from England to cover his expenses. He had _2_ himself before going to America and so he decided to go to the police on the last day and say he had been robbed. With the report from the police he could _3_ some money back from the _4_ company.Mark thought that the most _5_ way was to fake the _6_ in the street. Leaving his bags in the hotel, he went to a rather dangerous part of New York. After walking up and down the street for sometime, he stood in front of a _7_ machine and bought a can of coke. Suddenly he _8_, “Help someone, my

bag has been stolen. PP To his surprise several people stopped and one man told him to cross the street to where a policeman was standing.All the people followed him across the road. Mark was now very nervous but he knew he had to continue with his story. He told the policeman that he had left his bag on the floor while buying a can of coke and that when he looked down it had disappeared. He then began to describe all the things that were in the bag. Knowing that the more things he said, the more money he would get, he told the policeman he had lost a video camera, _9_, money and clothes. He also gave a description of a man he had seen following him and was told to go to the police station later that day to collect a report for his insurance company.

1mailed 2insured 3claim 4insurance 5convincing 6robbery 7vending 8screamed 9jewellery

11-1 A Man of Bad Memory

I once knew a man whose _1_ was very bad. Richard Rudd was so _2_ that he sometimes forgot what he was talking about in the middle of a _3_. His wife had to remind him _4_ about his _5_ his classes — even his meals! Since Rudd was a professor at a well-known university, his _6_was often an _7_. It wasn’t that he was _8_, as some critical people tend to gossip. He was just very, very absent-minded.One hot summer day, Professor Rudd decided to take his children to the beach. The seaside town he planned to visit was a three-hour train ride away.To make the trip more interesting for his young children, he kept the name of the town a secret. Unfortunately, by the time Rudd had arrived at the train station, the poor forgetful man had forgotten the name of his _9_ himself. And as he failed to remember the phone number of his home, he was unable to call his wife to find out. Luckily, a friend of his happened to be in the station. He offered to take care of the children while Rudd went back home to find out where he was going.The professor’s wife was surprised to see him again so soon, but she was amused when she heard what the matter was. She _10_his memory, so she wrote the name of the town on a piece of paper. Satisfied that she had solved the problem, she sent her husband off again. Ten minutes later, she was _11_ to see him outside the house again. What was the matter now?

1memory 2forgetful 3sentence 4constantly 5appointments. 6forgetfulness 7embarrassment 8unintelligent 9destination 10distrusted 11astonished

11-2 Lost in the Fog

It’s be en quite some time since I was last in London, but something happened during that visit, that Ill remember as long as _1_.London had one of the thickest fogs in years. You could hardly see your hand in front of your face. The traffic crept along, their lights on and their horns blowing _2_ When evening fell, the weather got even worse. The fog was as thick as pea soup. All traffic came to a _3_. I had an important meeting on the other side of town, but it was impossible to find a taxi. I decided to walk,and started out _4_.Minutes later, I was completely lost. I couldn’t even find a street sign to get my bearings. Then I heard a voice come out of the fog. “I suppose you are lost.Can I help you?” I could barely see the young woman who had spoken to me,but was_5_to find another person out in the fog. I explained where I wanted to go, and she said she knew exactly how to get there. I was doubtful,but followed her through the dark streets.The city

seemed as quiet as a _6_, and I remember thinking my guide could be leading me to an alley where she and some friends would rob me. But my fears were _8_. The woman led me straight to my _7_. I was amazed at how well she had found her way through the fog.“1 know this part of town quite well,” she replied. “But the fog — this terrible fog—made it impossible to see anything,” I said. The woman smiled and gave an unexpected answer.

1hive 2furiously. 3standstill 4confidently 5grateful 6graveyard 7destination 8unfounded 12-1 Christopher Reeve

As a deadly infection spread through his body on the last day of his life,the former Superman star Christopher Reeve disregarded his health needs and did something he felt was more important. In a display of courage worthy

Of Superman, Reeve risked his own life to get out of bed and spend time with his beloved 12-year-old son Will. Although nurses at his home said he should stay in bed, the paralyzed star insisted that he be taken to watch Will play in a hockey game nearby.The game began at 3:20 p.m. When Will’s team hit the ice, the Superman star was at rink level behind the glass, cheering his boy on. The proud dad got a real treat that day. His son’s team won 11-0 and Will scored two goals. By nearly 6 p.m. Reeve and Will were back home for a father and son evening as the mother was appearing in a play in California. They watched a baseball game and had some Italian food for dinner. It was Reeve’s last meal. Shortly after 11 p.m., he suffered a heart failure.By the time he was rushed to a nearby hospital, he was in a coma. The doctors tried every measure to bring him around but it didn’t happen.Christopher Reeve was born in New York City in 1952. Although he was most well known for his role as Superman, his acting career covered a much larger ground. Paralyzed after a horse riding accident in 1995, he fought bravely against his severe disability for years. In 2002, he and his wife opened the US’s first center devoted to teaching paralyzed people to live more independently.

12-2 Milton Petrie

Every morning _1_ Milton Petrie walked from his New York _2_ and bought a newspaper from the _3_ old man on the street corner. One morning the man wasn’t there. Petrie learned that he was very ill in the city hospital. _3_he paid his hospital bill and later, when the man died, paid for his _4_The old man was just one of many people that Milton Petrie helped with his money. Whenever he read about personal disasters in his newspaper Petrie sent generous checks, especially to the families of policemen or firemen injured at work. He also sent checks to a mother who lost five children in a fire and a model whose face was cut in a knife attack. It cost him millions of dollars,but he still had millions left. He said he was lucky in business and he wanted to help those less _5_ than himself. “The nicest t hing is, the harder I work,the more money I make, and the more people I can help.”Milton Petrie died in 1994, when he was 92. His will was 120 pages long because he left $150 million to 383 people. His _7_, Carroll, his fourth and last wife, said his _6_ was a result of the _8_ of his early years. His family were poor but kind-hearted. His father was a Russian _9_, who became a policeman, but he never _10_ anyone, he was too kind. He couldn’t even give a parking ticket.

1billionaire 2apartment 3ragged 3Immediately 4funeral. 5fortunate 6generosity 7widow 8poverty 9immigrant 10arrested

13-1 "I Couldn't Survive Without Music!"

“I couldn’t _1_ without music,” says 15-year-old Steve. In the morning Steve wakes up to his favorite radio station. He listens to rock on the radio while he eats breakfast. He puts on his personal _2_ before he leaves the house and listens to music on the bus to school. At home Steve does his homework to music. He says that music helps him to _3_. He would like to make music himself some day.For _4_ like Steve, music is a very important part of life. Music is social; it brings people together at _5_, parties and concerts. Some people believe that fast, loud music is full of energy and can help people forget their problems and have fun. Others think music talks about love, freedom and imagination.But there can be a negative side to rock music. Many doctors have serious concerns. They say that music on personal stereos is often too loud. It can damage your hearing. Personal stereos stop you noticing the world outside. Headphones make you selfish. And of course, the biggest problem is

drugs. There is a strong _6_ between some kinds of music and young people taking drugs. Steve’s mother agrees that music brings some problems, “Steve is a _7_ boy,” she says, I don’t think he would ever take drugs. But I do worry about his hearing with all that loud music. And it drives me crazy!”

1survive 2stereo 3concentrate 4teenagers 5discos 6connection 7sensible

13-2 Rock and Roil

Switch on a radio or walk into a hotel _1_ anywhere in the world and you?ll probably hear the same songs. Many of these songs, by artists such as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, or ABBA, are far from new, but date from the fifties, sixties, and seventies. Yet back in the 1950s people thought that this kind of music would be jus t a brief fashion. “It will never last,” people said. In fact pop music has become a worldwide language.Modem popular music started when two very old musical traditions were brought together in the southern United States. …White music came from the old folk songs which were taken to America by the early European _2_ The music has a clear _3_ and the songs normally tell a story. Black music was brought to America from Africa by the black slaves. Their music had a strong _4_.The two traditions were first brought together in early twentieth century in jazz and blues music. However, like most other things in America at the time,music was _5_. Black people listened to black musicians and white people, white bands. By the 1950s attitudes started to change and people looked for a new sound that would really combine black and white music. Then there came the _6_ of the electric guitar. The electric guitar had three advantages. Firstly, it was easy to play.Secondly, you could sing and play at the same time, but most importantly of all it was LOUD. In late 1954 Elvis Presley combined the rhythms of Africa and the melodies of Europe with the __of the electric guitar, the new sound arrived. They called it rock and roll.

1lobby 2settlers. 3melody 4rhythm 5segregated 6invention 7volume

14-1 The Open University in Britain

The Open University in Britain plays an _1_ role in British education. It is _2_ amongst the top British universities for the quality of its teaching. In 1963 the leader of the Labour Party made a speech explaining a plan for a “university of the air” — an _3_3educational _4_ which would make use of television, radio and _5_ courses to give educational opportunity to those people who, for one reason or another, did not have a chance to

receive further education. But at that time many people laughed at the plan. By 1969 the plan was well advanced and by August 1970 the Open University had received forty thousand applications. But only twenty-four thousand could be accepted then for the four_6_ courses: social sciences, arts, science and mathematics. Many clerks, farm workers, housewives, teachers, policemen attended the first class over the radio or on TV in January 1971. At the same time thirteen study centers were set up all over the country so that students could spend one week a year at one of the university’s summer schools.T oday the Open University is Britain’s largest university, with over 210,000 students. Nearly all of its students are part-time and about 70 per cent of _7_ students are in full-time employment. Over 50,000 students are supported _9_ by their employers for their studies. People choose to study for many reasons — to further their careers, to make up for missed opportunities, to pursue a personal interest or simply to sharpen their minds.They choose the Open University because it offers them a chance to study with one of the best centers of learning in the country without giving up work or family _8_It is probably the cheapest and most far-reaching way to promote higher education.

1important 2ranked 4institution 5correspondence 6introductory 7undergraduate 9financially 8commitments.

14-2 What Is an Ideal Teacher Like?

The ideal teacher may be young or old, tall or short, fat or thin. He should know his subject. He can make mistakes but he is willing to learn. His _1_ is as important as his scholarship. The ideal teacher must be _2. He must never teach anything he himself is not interested in. He should be a bit of an actor and he should not be afraid to show his feelings and express his likes and dislikes. He must like his students and respect than, but he must also respect himself and be proud of his work. Otherwise, he cannot respect his students and win respect from them. The ideal teacher should have an understanding of his students and be able to relate to them. He needs students’ understanding, too. The ideal teacher should be kind, encouraging, and helpful. He is neither too strict nor too friendly. His _3_ and _4_towards his students should be in between these two _5_. The teacher should _6_ the student, too, so that he wants to learn. He needs patience and understanding, and must encourage the student without pushing or forcing him.The ideal teacher should see his students as _7_ and recognize their differences. He must know how to encourage the self-development and growth of each of his students. The ideal teacher is one who grows, learns,and improves himself along with his students.

1personality _2enthusiastic 3attitude 4approach5extremes 6motivate 7individuals

15-1 A Tsunami Survivor

It started as another day in _1_. As Kim sat eating breakfast at a beachside caféin Phuket, she saw the ocean turn a strange color, from _2_ blue to _3_. Weird, she thought. She didn’t know that the water hadn’t

changed color. It was rushing back, exposing the ocean bottom.Returning to their room after breakfast, Kim heard a man running through the lobby _4_, “Tidal wave!” Kim thought it was a bad joke. Then she saw the water — ankle- deep at first, rushing into the bottom floor of the hotel,then, deeper, darker, pushing branches and _5_.Kim climbed to the hotel roof, where a group had already gathered. She watched the streets turn into a smelly river carrying cars, bodies, and telephone poles. People were being washed into

the sea, _6_ flying, and there was blood everywhere.The water receded once, and then slowly rose again, filling the hotel and streets a second time. For two hours the group stayed on the roof. Fearing that another wave could come and _7_ her away, Kim finally came out into the flooded street, wading through the town until she reached a 17-story hotel. She spent the night on the floor of a room. At first light she caught a cab to the airport and a flight to Bangkok.She was among the lucky ones that _8_ escaped the tsunamis which hit 12 countries in South Asia and East Africa. About 275,000 people were reported dead after a powerful earthquake under the Indian Ocean sent tsunamis crashing into _9_ of these countries on December 26, 2004. The 9 magnitude quake off Indonesia’s Sumantra Island was the most powerful quake in the world in forty years.

1paradise 2crystal 3brownish 4screaming 5bricks 6vehicles 7sweep 8narrowly 9coastlines

16-2 How Newspapers Developed

The first newspapers were handwritten _1_which were posted in public places. The earliest recorded newspaper was started in Rome in 59 B.C.In the 700’s, the world’s first printed newspaper was developed in China. The paper was printed from _2_ wooden _3_ and _4_ among the citizens. Europe didn’t have a regularly publ ished newspaper until 1609, when one was started in Germany.The first regularly published newspaper in the English language was printed in Amsterdam in 1620. In 1621, an English newspaper was started in London and was published weekly. The first daily English newspaper was the “Daily Courant” (current), which didn’t appear until March 1702. In 1690, Benjamin Harris printed the first American newspaper in Boston. The paper was called “Publick (public) _5_, both _6 (foreign) and Domestick (_7_)”. The local government, however, didn’t _8_ of the paper and stopped its publication after the first issue. In 1704, John Campbell started “The Boston Newsletter”, the first newspaper to be published daily in the American _9_. By 1760, the colonies had more than thirty daily newspapers. There are now about 1,800 daily papers in the United States. Today, as a group, English language newspapers have the largest _10_ in the world. The largest circulation for an individual newspaper,however, is that of the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, which sells more than eleven million copies every day.

1sheets 2carved 3blocks 4distributed 5Occurrences _6Forreign 7domestic 8approve 9colonies 10circulation