| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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Urbanization (2013·高考北京卷)Until relatively recently，the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city.The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.__ 1.__In fact，nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (乡村的) villages.It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living. Britain was only the beginning. 2.__The process of urbanization—the migration (迁徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization，which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live. In 1990，fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas.Today，over 82% of Americans live in cities.Only about 2% live on farms.__ 3.__ Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized.Even in advanced agricultural societies，it took about ninetyfive people on farms to feed five people in cities._ 4._Until modern times，those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants，laborers and professionals who served them.Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city. Over the past two centuries，the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. 5._Today，instead of needing ninetyfive farmers to feed five city people，one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred nonfarmers. A．That kept cities very small. B．The rest live in small towns. C．The effects of urban living on people should be considered. D．Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies. E．But even 200 years ago，only a few people could live in cities. F．Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive. G．Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Forgiveness (2013·高考辽宁卷)To forgive is a virtue，but no one has ever said it is easy.When someone has deeply hurt you，it can be extremely difficult to let go of your hate.However，forgiveness is possible，and it can be surprisingly beneficial to your physical and mental health.People who forgive show less sadness，anger and stress and more hopefulness，according to a recent research. 1._ Try the following steps： Calm yourself.__ 2.__ You can take a couple of breaths and think of something that gives you pleasure：a beautiful scene in nature，or someone you love. Don’t wait for an apology.Many times the person who hurt you does not intend to apologize.They may have wanted to hurt you or they just don’t see things the same way.__ 3._ Keep in mind that forgiveness does not necessarily mean becoming friends again with the person who upset you. Take the control away from your offender(冒犯者)．Rethinking about your hurt gives power to the person who caused you pain.Instead of focusing on your wounded feelings，learn to look for the love，beauty and kindness around you. __4.__ If you understand your offender，you may realize that he or she was acting out of unawareness，fear，and even love.You may want to write a letter to yourself from your offender’s point of view. Don’t forget to forgive yourself.__ 5._ But it can rob you of your selfconfidence if you don’t do it. A．Why should you forgive? B．How should you start to forgive? C．Recognize the benefits of forgiveness. D．Try to see things from your offender’s angle. E．For some people，forgiving themselves is the biggest challenge. F．To make your anger die away，try a simple stressmanagement technique. G．If you wait for people to apologize，you could be waiting an awfully long time.
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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(2013·高考四川卷)—James，can I have some black tea? —Sure，__1.__ —Well，just a little，please. —Two teaspoons? —__2.__I have gained some weight these days. (Minutes later.) —How nice it is! —__3.__ —Yes，please.Do you mind me smoking here? —__4._I don’t want to have secondhand smoke.Would you like some cookies，instead？Eating more and smoking less will do you good. —__5.__
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