Question

I stopped speaking because I found myself arguing all the time. After witnessing an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, I ______ using vehicles and started walking everywhere as a statement about ______. I often kept getting into ______ about whether one could make a ______ and argued about how everyone should do what I was doing.

On my 27th birthday, I decided not to speak for one day, as a kind of ______ to my community. When I woke up the next day, I didn't see any ______ to speak, so I didn't.

A week later, people started getting ______. My girlfriend wanted me to stop. My parents even got angry with me. But I didn't change my idea.

On the 10th anniversary of not ______， I spoke for a day. I didn't want it to feel as if it wasn't a ______. I was in California and I ______ my parents. My mother picked up and thought it was my brother ______ around. I had to prove it was me by telling her something only we knew.

______ not speaking for 17 years, I felt I had something to say. People came to ______ me. My first words were, “Thank you for being here.” But I didn't recognize my ______.

Having listened to thousands of people, I realized we had a ______ view of the environment. People always think it's about planting more trees, but it's more than that; it's about how we treat each other, and that also ______ economic equality and civil rights.

Now I give talks around the world. I started using ______ again. I still practise being ______ every morning. It reminds me to listen ______； not to judge what I think I'm hearing, but to try to understand what people are really ______.

1.A. turned to    B. thought about    C. gave up    D. insisted on

2.A. pollution    B. waste    C. exercise    D. support

3.A. fights    B. traps    C. dilemmas    D. debates

4.A. promise    B. difference    C. plan    D. living

5.A. encouragement    B. belief    C. punishment    D. gift

6.A. reason    B. sign    C. chance    D. language

7.A. puzzled    B. disappointed    C. worried    D. interested

8.A. arguing    B. riding    C. speaking    D. failing

9.A. warning    B. disadvantage    C. strength    D. choice

10.A. missed    B. called    C. visited    D. thanked

11.A. walking    B. coming    C. messing    D. hanging

12.A. Though    B. Once    C. If    D. After

13.A. hear    B. comfort    C. instruct    D. help

14.A. parents    B. voice    C. photo    D. handwriting

15.A. valid    B. correct    C. narrow    D. universal

16.A. proves    B. includes    C. improves    D. insures

17.A. phones    B. computers    C. loudspeakers    D. vehicles

18.A. silent    B. deaf    C. friendly    D. patient

19.A. constantly    B. properly    C. largely    D. merely

20.A. worrying    B. doing    C. advising    D. saying

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.D

4.B

5.D

6.A

7.C

8.C

9.D

10.B

11.C

12.D

13.A

14.B

15.C

16.B

17.D

18.A

19.B

20.D

【解析】本文是一篇记叙文。作者讲述了自己17年没有说话的一段经历。他认为沉默是为了更好地倾听他人。

1.考查动词短语。根据句中的started walking可知，作者放弃了机动车的使用而开始步行，turn to 转向； think about考虑； give up 放弃； insist on坚持。故选C。

2.考查名词。根据上文中an oil spill可知，作者这样做的目的是表明自己对环境污染的关注，故选A。

3.考查名词。根据上文和下文中出现的arguing和argued可知，作者经常和人们辩论，fight 打架；trap圈套，陷阱；dilemma困境；debate辩论。故选D。

4.考查固定短语。根据上文作者的行为可知，作者经常和人们辩论一个人的行为是否对环境的改变起作用。make a difference 有影响，有关系。故选B。

5.考查名词。encouragement 鼓励，belief 信任， punishment 惩罚，gift礼物。根据首段可知作者经常和人们争论，所以他认为自己不开口说话对社区的人们来说是一件好事，就像送给他们礼物一样让他们愉快，故选D。

6.考查名词。reason 原因，sign 符号，chance 机会，language语言，根据语境可知，作者没看到任何说话的理由，于是就保持了沉默，故选A。

7.考查形容词 。puzzled 令人困惑的，disappointed 令人失望的，worried 担心的，interested感兴趣的。根据后句内容可知，作者的女朋友和父母都开始担心他，故选C。

8.考查动词。 arguing 争论，riding骑车，speaking说话，failing失败 。根据上下文可知，作者10年没有开口说话，故选C。

9.考查名词。根据语境可知，作者在10年没有说话之后，决定说一天的话，因为他想让人们知道他不说话是他做出的一种选择，warning警告； disadvantage 劣势；strength强项；choice选择。故选D。

10.考查动词。missed 错过， called 打电话， visited 参观， D. thanked感谢。根据后句中picked up可知，作者给父母打电话。call sb. 给某人打电话。故选B。

11.考查动词词组。根据后句作者向母亲来证明打电话的是自己可知，母亲认为是作者的弟弟在胡闹。hang about闲荡；mess around 瞎闹，胡闹。故选C。

12.考查连接词。 Though尽管，Once 一旦，If 如果，After在…之后。

根据语境可知，作者17年没有说话，所以在17年之后作者感觉有话要说，故选D。

13.考查动词。hear 听，comfort 安慰， instruct 指导， help帮助。

根据前句内容可知，作者认为自己有话要说，所以人们前来听他讲话，故选A。

14.考查名词。parents 父母， voice 声音， photo 照片，handwriting笔迹。作者17年没有讲话，所以自己都听不出自己的声音了，故选B。

15.考查形容词。valid有效的，correct 正确的，narrow 狭窄的，universal普遍的。根据后句内容可知，作者认为人们对于环境的认识太狭隘了，故选C。

16.考查动词。proves证明， includes包括，improves提高，insures确保。

根据前文内容以及also可知，作者认为环境除了包括树木以外，还包括经济的平等和人权，故选B。

17.考查名词。phones手机，computers 电脑， loudspeakers 扬声器，vehicles车辆。根据第一段可知，作者放弃使用机动车，现在又开始使用了，故选D

18.考查形容词。silent 沉默的，deaf 聋的， friendly友好的，patient有耐心的。根据上文内容可知，作者每天早晨还是要保持沉默，故选A

19.考查副词。constantly不断地, properly合理地、正确地,largely 主要地， merely仅仅。根据后句内容可知，作者每天早晨要保持沉默是为了提醒自己要合理地、正确地倾听他人。故选B。

20.考查动词。worrying 担心，doing 做，advising 建议，saying说。

根据语境可知作者保持沉默的目的是要理解说话人真正的意思，故选D。