Ⅰ.完形填空
Making friends can be a challenge, and it becomes even harder as one gets older. 1 ， people often overlook the reality that for many elderly people, living alone can lead to loneliness and 2 . Marleen Brooks of California was 3 of this when she came home to find a 4 note from her 90yearold neighbor, whom she'd 5 spoken to before.
The elderly woman had 6 Marleen to admit that she was extremely lonely, asking if the two of them could be friends. The note read, “Would you 7 becoming my friend? I'm 90 years old—I live alone. All my friends have passed away. I'm so lonely and 8 ．”
Marleen sent a photo of the note to a local news presenter, who 9 it on his social media page along with a(n) 10 from Marleen, “Came home to this note, which made me sad, but on the 11 side it looks like I will be getting a new friend.”
Later, Marleen went over and 12 herself to her elderly neighbor, Wanda. During the visit, Wanda 13 to Marleen about her constant isolation and how 14 she was to meet her.
In terms of the state of 15 elderly people, having someone around makes all the difference in the world, 16 it seems like a small thing to 17 them and have a conversation. The newsreader reminded his 18 in the post, “I would 19 that maybe you can knock at their doors and say hi. I know it would mean the 20 to them.”
[语篇解读] 本文是记叙文。本文讲述了玛莲隔壁的一位90岁的老人给她留下便条说想跟她做朋友，因为自己太孤独了。一位新闻主播将这件事分享到了网上，并呼吁人们多和老人交流。
1．A．Additionally B．Honestly
C．Obviously D．Sadly
解析：空前一句提到，交朋友是一种挑战，随着年龄的增长，交朋友越来越困难。根据空后的“overlook the reality”可推断，此处应指更糟糕的一种情况。sadly“令人遗憾地；不幸地”，符合语境。
答案：D
2．A．delight B．sadness
C．satisfaction D．anger
解析：根据空前的loneliness和并列连词and，并结合文章第一句和常识可知，此处应指对老年人来说，独自居住容易让他们感到孤独和悲伤。sadness“悲伤”，符合语境。
答案：B
3．A．reminded B．informed
C．convinced D．required
解析：结合语境可知，此处应指玛莲回到家发现了她90岁的邻居写给她的便条，这使她想起了独居老年人很孤独这个事实。remind“使想起，提醒”，符合语境。
答案：A
4．A．delicate B．thoughtful
C．heartbreaking D．serious
解析：根据下文可知，老人非常孤独，想和玛莲做朋友。结合常识可知，这张便条的内容是令人悲伤的。heartbreaking“令人悲伤的”，符合语境。
答案：C
5．A．ever B．never
C．still D．even
解析：根据语境及下文中的“extremely lonely”和“asking if the two of them could be friends”可推知，此处应指两人从没说过话，故never符合语境。
答案：B
6．A．contacted B．advised
C．promised D．inspired
解析：根据空后的“asking if the two of them could be friends”可知，此处应指老人给玛莲写了便条来联系她。contact“联系”，符合语境。
答案：A
7．A．hate B．enjoy
C．regret D．consider
解析：根据语境及上文中的“asking if the two of them could be friends”可知，此处应指老人想让玛莲考虑一下与她做朋友的事。consider“考虑”，符合语境。
答案：D
8．A．scared B．shy
C．disappointed D．safe
解析：根据上文的“I'm 90 years old—I live alone. All my friends have passed away.”和选项可推知，此处应指老人很害怕。scared“害怕的”，符合语境。
答案：A
9．A．discussed B．shared
C．conveyed D．commented
解析：根据空前的“sent a photo of the note to a local news presenter”及空后的“on his social media page”并结合常识可知，这位新闻主播在他的社交媒体网页上分享(share)了这张照片。
答案：B
10．A．announcement B．argument
C．explanation D．composition
解析：空后的内容为玛莲对这张便条的解释说明，故explanation符合语境，意为“解释”。
答案：C
11．A．bright B．right
C．effective D．practical
解析：根据空前的“made me sad”及表转折的连词but和空后的“getting a new friend”可知，此处指此事好的一方面，故bright符合语境，bright side“令人高兴的一面”。
答案：A
12．A．recommended B．addressed
C．introduced D．devoted
解析：根据空前的“Marleen went over”和下文中的“During the visit”和常识可推知，此处应指玛莲拜访了这位老人，向她介绍了自己，故introduce符合语境。
答案：C
13．A．opened up B．came over
C．held on D．turned back
解析：根据空后的“about her constant isolation”可推知，此处应指在这次拜访中，老人敞开心扉向玛莲诉说了她的孤独。open up“开始畅所欲言，开始倾诉心事”，符合语境。
答案：A
14．A．nervous B．pleased
C．cautious D．embarrassed
解析：上文提到，老人诉说了自己的孤独，想跟玛莲交朋友。根据语境可知，此处应指老人表达了自己见到玛莲后有多高兴。pleased“高兴的”，符合语境。
答案：B
15．A．happy B．healthy
C．friendly D．lonely
解析：根据上文所讲述的90岁的孤独老人想跟玛莲交朋友的故事可推知，此处应指就那些孤独老人的状况而言，有个人在身边会让他们的世界有很大不同。故lonely符合语境。
答案：D
16．A．now that B．so that
C．even if D．only if
解析：上文提到，对于孤独的老人而言，有人在身边会让他们的世界大为不同；空后讲到，和他们交谈看起来只是件小事。结合语境可知，此处应表示让步关系。故even if“即使”符合语境。
答案：C
17．A．recognize B．greet
C．encourage D．comfort
解析：根据空前的“a small thing”及空后的“have a conversation”可知，此处应指问候老人并与他们交谈，故greet符合语境。
答案：B
18．A．colleagues B．applicants
C．relatives D．audience
解析：根据空前的newsreader和常识可推断，此处应指这位新闻主播在帖子里提醒他的听众，故audience符合语境。
答案：D
19．A．ask B．command
C．ensure D．predict
解析：根据上文的reminded和语境可推知，此处应指这位新闻主播想呼吁人们多和老人交流，故ask符合语境，意为“请求”。
答案：A
20．A．hope B．benefit
C．surprise D．world
解析：根据上文中的“having someone around makes all the difference in the world”可知，做点小事会让老人的世界大为不同，故此处应指这位新闻主播认为敲开那些孤独老人的门，跟他们打个招呼，对他们来说，可能意味着一切。mean the world to sb.为固定短语，意为“对某人来说意味着一切”，故world符合语境。
答案：D
