1. (2020·全国卷Ⅰ)The unmanned Chang'e4 probe (探测器) — the name was inspired by an ancient Chinese moon goddess — (touch) down last week in the South PoleAitken basin.
解析：touched 分析句子结构，“the name was inspired by an ancient Chinese moon goddess”部分是对探月器名称的解释，可以看作是插入成分，故可判断出空格处是谓语动词。再根据句中的时间状语last week可知，此处用一般过去时。
2．(2020·全国卷Ⅲ)When he asked the villagers on the banks of the river where he could find the legendary (传奇的) artist, they smiled and (point) down the river.
解析：pointed and连接两个并列谓语动词，空格处的动词形式应和smiled一致，应用一般过去时。
3．(2020·浙江7月高考)New methods (mean) that fewer people worked in farming.
解析：meant 根据that引导的宾语从句中的时态可知，此处用一般过去时。
4．(2020·新高考全国卷Ⅰ)The 80,000 objects collected by Sir Hans Sloane, for example, (form)the core collection of the British Museum that opened in 1759.
解析：formed 根据定语从句中的时间状语in 1759可知，要用一般过去时。
