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Detective Ashley Jones works at a police department in England. He has recently made a significant  1  —loneliness is a serious social problem that can contribute to depression and even crimes， but it can be   2 in a clever way. The 3  ？ Chat benches.

Jones got the idea after he had talked with an elderly lady who had been cheated of her 4  . The lady would get a call from a stranger every morning who  5 made her believe that he was her friend， and then she lent him about ￡31，000. Jones was 6 when she said that she didn't actually

 7   being cheated. “Otherwise， I would never speak to another person for weeks on end，” she said.

This led Jones to the conclusion that there are too many extremely  8  people in his community， who are easy targets of cheating. So he  9  to do something about it. He 10 the police department to allow him to  11 a couple of “chat benches” in two of their local parks. Then he hung a colorful sign on each of the benches that  12：“HAPPY TO CHAT”. Just a few days after the signs went up， he found people sitting there and engaging in active and  13 conversations.

The idea is catching on   14  . There are now over 40 chat benches throughout England. More new chat benches have sprung up across the UK and beyond. All who participated have gained a（n）

 15   outcome from getting involved. Jones' idea has been fully  16  —the “HAPPY TO CHAT” benches help   17   the invisible social barrier that keeps people from saying hello.

This effort is not just a（n）   18   at being community minded—it's also a  19   measure. It

prevents people who are cut off from society falling victim to cheaters.

The Chat Bench is a fantastic new project that  20  those of all ages to interact and get to know each other in the future.

1. A. choice B. discovery C. visit D. promise

2. A. experienced B. suffered C. prevented D. felt

3. A. solution       B. puzzle       C. excuse D. intention

4. A. pleasure B. prize       C. credit D. money

5. A. eventually B. frequently C. previously D. occasionally

6. A. ashamed B. shocked C. excited D. amused

7. A. mind B. forgive             C. risk       D. enjoy

8. A. active B. lonely C. cautious D. stubborn

9. A. learned B. refused C. pretended D. decided

10. A. forced       B. ordered C. convinced D. taught

11. A. put away B. make out C. tear apart D. set up

12. A. read      B. claimed C. meant       D. implied

13. A. formal       B. joyful             C. awkward D. crazy

14. A. randomly B. slowly                   C. quickly       D. purposefully

15. A. positive B. disappointing C. correct       D. embarrassing

16. A. realized       B. examined       C. discussed D. formed

17. A. break down       B. put up       C. keep off D. take out

18. A. glance        B. attempt C. knock             D. attack

19. A. heart-breaking     B. risk-taking C. face-saving             D. crime-cutting

20. A. forbids       B. appoints             C. encourages       D. troubles