A 90-year-old has been awarded “Woman of the Year” for___1__ (be) Britain's oldest full-time employee—still working 40 hours a week.Now Irene Astbury works from 9 a.m.to 5 p.m.daily at the pet shop in Macclesfeild, __2__ she opened with her late husband Les.Her years of hard work have __3__ (final) been acknowledged after a customer nominated（提名）her to be Cheshire's Woman of the Year.

Picking up her “Lifetime Achievement” award, proud Irene __4__ (declare) she had no plans __5__ (retire) from her 36-year-old business.Irene said, “I don’t see any reason to give up work.I love coming here and seeing my family and all the friends I __6__ (make) over the years.I work not because I have to, __7__ because I want to.”

Granddaughter Gayle Parks, 31—who works alongside her in the family business—said it remained unknown as to who nominated Irene for the award.She said, "We don’t have any idea who put Grandma forward.When we got a call __8__(say) she was short-listed, we thought it was __9__ joke.But then we got an official letter and we were blown away.We are so proud of her.It’s __10__ (wonder).” (2019年全国卷Ⅱ）

What makes Pablo Picasso such a quintessential 20th-century artist? It's partly down to the visual ground he broke with his Cubist painting, __1__ some also has to do with the fact that his interests extended far beyond painting.Picasso's innovations in technique dazzled the art world for decades, __2__ (pave) the way for many of the important artistic __3__ (move) of the last century.

As critics emphasize the visual ground he broke with his Cubist painting, Picasso's poetry and other written works __4__ (overlook) in discussions of his long and varied career.The artist did not begin to write until the age of 53.His __5__ (literature) endeavors resulted in hundreds of poems with a unique fusion of words and visual imagery.A recent exhibition tour, __6__ (organize) by the Institutor Cervantes and the Museo Picasso Malaga, frames Picasso __7__ a poet and analyzes his fascination with Chinese art forms through a variety of documents and photos.A __8__ (new) produced documentary, screened at the exhibition hall, offers visitors __9__ comprehensive view on Picasso’s poems.“In this documentary of 30 minutes, you __10__ (discover) how experts of Picasso and lovers of Picasso think about his poetry,” said Jose Lebrero Stals, artistic director of Museo Picasso Malaga.（2020届湖南省衡阳市八中高三月考卷）

When a friend comes to you after a stressful day, how do you comfort him or her? A new study finds that a very __1__ (effect) technique is simple and easy, “Hugging.”

Michael Murphy is a psychology postdoc at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.He wanted to know if people who received hugs __2__ (regular) could handle stress and conflict better.“When __3__ (face) with stress individuals who report perceiving（察觉）the availability of __4__ network of supportive individuals tend __5__ (show) better adaptation.”

Murphy and his team interviewed 404 men and women every evening for two weeks.During these interviews, the participants were asked whether somebody __6__ (hug) them that day and whether they had experienced confilct or __7__ (tense) with somebody that day.They also were asked questions about their social interactions and responded __8__ questions about negative and positive mood states.

And the researchers found that individuals who experienced a conflict were not as negatively affected if they received a hug that day as were participants __9__ experienced confilct and didn’t get a hug.Murphy and his team also __10__ (see) that people who received a hug didn’t carry the negative effect to the next day, while those who did not receive a hug would.(2020届浙江省高三三校联考）

It’s been said, “no farmers, no food.” Well, China begins to set a new day to honor them— the Chinese Farmers’ Harvest Festival, __1__ falls on September 23rd this year.And it is the first national festival day to celebrate farmers and __2__ hard work.

Farmers represent the majority of the Chinese population.As a solid bedrock for the nation, they have made __3__ (significance) contributions during China’s revolution, development and reform.

Many __4__ (country) hold agricultural festivals after they harvest products.And now, Chinese farmers will have a festival of their own.China has declared the annual lunar autumn harvest as the Chinese Farmers Harvest Festival.

As a way __5__ (boost) farmers’ pride and happiness, the festival is supposed to ___6___(effective) wipe out poverty and to build a well-off society in all respects.

Experts say China’s rich agricultural history has helped lay a solid foundation __7__ the festival.In the last four decades of keeping farming records, grain production __8__ (remain) one of China’s top performers.The festival will reach beyond farms as well.New types of family farms, and some leading companies will get recognition thanks to their agricultural contributions.Also, they __9__ (encourage) to bring new information and management to the countryside, while __10__ (bring) more agricultural products to cities.

US writer Margaret Lee Runbeck once __1__ (write), “Happiness is not a station you arrive at, but __2__ manner of traveling.”But traveling is not always happy, at least for the buddies in the movieGreen Book.

The movie __3__ (adapt) from the true story of a road trip through the southern US in the early 1960s.In the flim, the black pianist Don Shirley hires Italian-American Tony to drive him to performances, but they face problems because of Shirley’s skin color.These problems enable them __4__ (form) a special friendship.

“There’s something so deeply right about this movie, so true __5__ the time,” said US film critic LaSalle.The time LaSalle is talking about was between late 1870s and 1960s, __6__ African-Americans experienced a very different and diffciult period.Many parts of the country had Jim Crow laws, which allowed __7__ (race) segregation(隔离).But in 1936, a black mail carrier named Victor H.Green published a list of friendly __8__ (business) as a small book with a green cover.The Green Book helped African-Americans travel more safely.Then, in 1964, Jim Crow laws went away.The book went away, too.

Today many US people still remember the time of Jim Crow.But they __9__ (probable) don’t know about the Green Book.It’s a __10__ (forget) part of the story.（2019年湖南省长沙一中雅礼长郡师大附中联考卷）

I can still recall the day __1__ I sat on the stairs of a temple in Nepal.The square before the temple became very muddy as __2__ result of the rain.We had to walk on a path __3__ (make) by a line of bricks on the muddy ground.

A friend of __4__ (I) complained all the way while she stepped on the bricks walking towards me.Looking around she said very __5__ (patient), “Disgusting indeed! What if I fall into the dirty water?”

Since I knew her very well, I __6__ (nod) cautiously, hoping to comfort her by my silent sympathy.

A few minutes later, __7__ friend came to the same scene.She stepped on the brick path dancing briskly and singing, “Jump, jump, jump!” until she reached the dry ground.She couldn’t help __8__ (shout), “What fun it is!” Eyes beaming with joy, she made the remarks, "The most pleasant thing of the rainy season is that one can entirely be free __9__ dust."

In the eyes of the two there were two different worlds.As the world has a population of 6 billion, it follows that there should be 6 billion __10__ (world)．

Have you ever wondered why birds sing? Maybe you __1__(think) that they were just happy.After all, you probably sing when you are happy.

Some __2__ (science) believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy.However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason.Their singing is actually a warning to other birds __3__ (stay) out of their territory.

Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area __4__ an animal, usually the male, claims as __5__ (it) own.Only he and his family are welcome there.No other birds of the same species are welcome.Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome.If a stranger should enter your territory and __6__ (threat) you, you might shout.

A bird does the same thing.But he expects an outsider almost any time, __7__(especial) at nesting(筑巢) season.So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not.This __8__ (scream) is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep __9__ outsider away.

You can see that birds have a language all their own.Most of it has to do __10_ _ attracting mates and setting up territories.

Pet owners __1__ (encourage) to take their animals to work, a move scientists say can be good for __2__ (produce), workplace morale (士气), and the well-being of animals .

A study found that 25% of Australian women would like to keep an office pet.Sue Chaseling of Petcare Information Service said the practice of __3__ (keep) offcie pets was good both for the people and the pets.“On the pets’ side, they are not left __4__ their own and won’t feel lonely and unhappy,” she said.A study of major US companies showed __5__ 73% found office pets beneficial (有益的), while 27% __6__ (experience) a drop in absenteeism (缺勤).

Xarni Riggs has two cats __7__ (walk) around her Global Hair Salon in Paddington.“My customers love them; they are their favorites,” she said, “They are not troublesome.They know when to go and have __8__ sleep in the sun.”

Ms Chaseling said cats were popular in service __9__ (industry) because they enable a point of conversation.But she said owners had to make sure both their co-workers and the cats were __10__(comfort).