英语15选10练习

Whether it is at work or at home, we need just the right amount of challenges to keep us happy. When the challenges are too tough to 1 , we feel stressed out and when we feel that challenge isn’t challenge enough, we get easily 2 . The secret to keep oneself happily engaged is to find a balance in between these two 3 .

A state in which we feel 4 challenged is what we should look for. Such a state keeps us mentally and physically engrossed. When we lose ourselves in our activities, we achieve a sense of 5 .

Work that keeps us well challenged helps us make our lives more interesting and 6 . A lot of smart people do not mind continuing working at something they truly enjoy; even if that means they get a pay that is little less than 7 . This also holds true for leisure activities. It is not 8 that the most expensive forms of relaxation provide that state of indulgence. Simple activities like gardening and socializing can keep one busy and entertained.

So find yourself a job that you’ll enjoy doing or ask for a position that you think will help you achieve this. Make a small 9 on your salary if needed because you’ll be much better off if you truly enjoy your work. Take up a hobby that you’ll have fun doing. If you’ve been tired of spending your free time on a 10 activity like sitting in front of the TV, try something else challenging. Break the monotony by tuning your bike, shooting some baskets, visiting a library or inviting your friends for tea. Indulge yourself in anything that you can lose yourself into because there’s no other better way to be happy.

A) failure B) satisfying C) sides D) handle E) temporarily

F) happiness G) expected H) necessary I) extremes J) bored

K) appropriately L) fortune M) particular N) compromise O) interesting

Ex.2

Every year, earthquakes are 1 for a large number of deaths and vast amount of destruction in various parts of the world. Most of these damaging earthquakes 2 either in a narrow belt which surrounds the Pacific Ocean or in a line which extends from Burma to the Alps in Europe. Some of the 3 is directly caused by the quake itself. An example of this is the collapse of buildings as a result of vibration. Other damage results from landslides, tsunamis or major fires which are initiated by the quake.

There are about a million quakes a year. 4 , however, not all of them are destructive. The intensity of an quake is 5 on the Richter Scale (里氏震级), which goes from 0 upward. The highest magnitude recorded to date is 9. Major damage generally occurs from quakes ranging upwards from 6.0. 6 to this are those whose epicenters (震中) are located far from the inhabited areas.

The actual cause of the quake itself is the breaking apart of rocks at or below the earth’s surface. This is 7 by pressure which scientists believe may be due to a number of reasons, two of which are the expansion and contraction of the earth’s crust and continental drift.

In order to 8 the damage and lessen some of the suffering results from earthquakes, scientists are working on ways to enable accurate prediction. Two of the 9 presently in use to achieve this goal are seismographs (地震仪) and tilt meters（地面倾斜测量仪）. The former records any shaking of the earth: by means of calculations seismologist can accurately 10 the exact time, location and size of an earthquake. The latter, as the name suggests, is used to record any changes in the tilt of the land.

A) Earthquakes B) destruction C) Fortunately D) focused E) instruments

F) indicate G) avoid H) produced I) Exceptions J) Unfortunately

K) occur L) account M) responsible N) measured O) minimize

What do dieting and energy policy have in common? The Snack Well effect. The name comes from those tasty little cookies that are advertised as being lower in fat and sugar. And they are—which often 1 dieters to eat more of them than regular cookies, and then 2 why they are not losing weight.

It 3 out there is a Snack Well effect for energy use too —and it may make it tougher for us to cut back on carbon. When 4 conscious consumers buy an energy-efficient dishwasher, for example, they may feel less guilty about running the machine more often and as a result may not end up saving much on their utility bills. Likewise, studies 5 that people who install more-energy-efficient lights lose 5% to 12% of the expected savings by 6 them on longer.

Much like dieters eating too many SnackWell’s, we can hamstring (削弱) our attempts to save energy and money. So resist the 7 to raise your thermostat (恒温器) after you buy a more efficient furnace (火炉); lower the temperature by a degree and shave another 1% off your heating bill.

But even if we do what mentioned above, we may 8 up spending those energy saving somewhere else —like on a plane ride to Bermuda. Although studies are scant (不足的), a 2010 report by the UK Energy Research Centre estimated that globally, this rebound effect could reduce the savings from energy efficiency by 10% or more.

That doesn’t mean energy –efficiency measures are 9 —or that we should never go on vacation. But it does mean that cutting back on energy consumption, like dieting, is not an 10 to gorge ourselves on less guilty pleasures.

A) carefully B) alone C) end D) effective E) urge

F) leaving G) turns H) works I) leads J) environmentally

K) wonder L) indicate M) proof N) useless O) excuse