Birds ______ by mating and hatching eggs.

Scientists should treat personal safety with ______ seriousness when conducting experiments.

Cancer, ______ heart diseases, killed more than 60,000 people in Taiwan last year.

Jamie quit his job ______, leaving a lot mess for his coworkers to deal with.

Because ______ contain a lot of chemical substances, they are harmful to the natural environment.

Feeling an ______ pain in his chest, Mr. Hollande went to a doctor immediately.

The farmers in this area want to grow plants that are ______ to disease so that they can increase yields.

The board of directors rejected an impractical ______ put forward by one of its members.

The rock ______ lying in the north coast of Taiwan are more than stunning, especially the one of the Queen’s Head.

Genetic diversity refers to the variety of genes within a species. It is a part of biodiversity, and it is essential for __1__ the balance of the ecosystem.

It prevents the species 2 extinct when an environment changes.

Planting cash crops, however, reduces genetic diversity. In the 19th century, Irish farmers planted only a certain type of potato to increase 3 .

As a result, when a potato blight hit Ireland, there was no other food for the local to live on. The disaster 4 about a million people’s lives.

If the Irish 5 different species of potato, the situation would have been less severe. From this example, we know that it is important to preserve genetic diversity.

It is a fact that there are plenty fish under water; it would be quite impossible to count them all. But now, scientists from all over the world have built up a global __1__ called the Census of Marine Life (CoML) to do the impossible.

Actually, CoML’s purpose is to list all the __2__ of fish, animal, and plant living in the earth’s waters. In year 2000 alone, it discovered 160 new types of fish, about three a week.

It has counted 15,300 kinds of fish and predicts an increase of underwater plants and animals. So far, CoML has found an __3__ 200,000 varieties.

Why count the seemingly countless? There are many reasons. While making the investigation, scientists invent new methods and equipment to explore the seas. They also discover how to protect underwater ecosystems; this, in turn, will perhaps help us understand how to protect and __4__ sea creatures.

In brief, CoML’s project is about maintaining the __5__ of nature. It counts fish, for we all count on fish.

Though not the world’s longest river, the Amazon River forms the world’s largest river system, the Amazon Basin. It __1__ approximately 20 percent of all the water that the world’s rivers pour into the oceans on its own.

The Amazon River is one of the main __2__ of the Boto, also known as the pink Amazon River Dolphin. Piranha, a flesh-eating fish, also lives in the waters of the Amazon.

The Amazon River contains a __3__ range of life in various countries such as Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, and Peru.

The Amazon Rainforest is the home of many surprising __4__, including the world’s largest snakes and freshwater fish.

It has also been described as the “Lung of Our Planet,” because the forest __5__ carbon dioxide into oxygen.

More than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen comes from the Amazon Rainforest. However, this __6__ treasure is disappearing.

Despite the __7__ international concern for environmental protection, the Amazon Rainforest is being destroyed every single minute for the profits it yields.

1.5 acres of rainforest are __8__ every second, with tragic consequences for countries all over the world.

Experts estimate that the last __9__ rainforests could be gone in less than 40 years.

Most people see the need to protect the remaining forests while at the same time __10__ the lives of the people who depend on them. Therefore, environmentalists are now taking action to save these unique forests before it is too late

Beware of those playboys and operators whose ______ easily make you “fall” in love.

To ______ TV ratings, the producer decided to invite handsome, muscular models to the show.

The rule is that when the ______ rises and the demand decreases, the price will begin to fall.

Scenes gradually changed as the train traveled from the city to the ______.

The mad scientist buried himself in ______ of books about evolution.

It is easy to be ______ by ice cream on a hot summer day.

Tina’s ex-husband only visits her and their child ______; he doesn’t love them as much as he says he does.

There were so many people in the night market that Pamela had to elbow her way through the ______ crowd.

Instead of spitting the ______ he chewed, the little boy swallowed it.

On hearing her room reservation was canceled, Wan-Jun had a fight with the staff at the ______.

As a comparatively small country, Taiwan has the highest density of convenience stores in the world. One will bump into __1__ a convenience store every 500 meters.

Convenience stores have such high popularity mainly because they offer their customers a vast __3__ of services.

People no longer have to run __4__ place __4__ place to get what they want.

This allows them to save time while running __5__. If they run out of cash, they can even use the ATMs in these stores. Convenience stores have made the lives of people so much easier. It is no wonder they are such a huge success in Taiwan.

When you have much to do but have little time, a convenience store can be your best friend. No post office nearby? You can copy important __1__ at a convenience store and send them through mail.

What’s even better, such a service is __2__ 24/7.

Don’t want to wait in line at the bank? Convenience stores offer bill payment services for electricity, water, Internet and phone. You can pay traffic tickets, too. If you run out of money paying these bills, don’t worry. There’s usually an ATM machine __3__ inside.

Feeling hungry? If you want to relax with a drink, a snack, or even a meal, convenience stores have you covered! Many stores now offer tables and chairs for customers, and some have outdoor seating, __4__ customers can enjoy a cup of coffee and the view at the same time.

Because of all these services, people __5__convenience stores more often than ever before. In fact, these stores have almost become part of daily life.

The humble shopping cart has finally joined the high-tech revolution. Smart shopping carts will be introduced to the supermarket to __1__ sales and increase profits.

These new smart carts don’t look very different from the old ones, except for __2__ interactive screens with its original design.

When customers enter a store, they can choose to use one of these carts. They just scan the store card, and their shopping history is entered automatically into the computer __3__ on the cart. As they shop, the cart will speak to them, like a perfect store clerk.

As they shop, the cart will speak to them, like a perfect store clerk. It might suggest __4__ that the shoppers would need, considering what goods the customers have purchased the last time, and the time that has passed since those purchases are made.

Customers could also make use of the cart to locate a specific product in __5__ or on shelves.

It could announce special sales, answer questions, and even present appropriate ad __6__.

When customers scan purchases for self-checkout, the cart will know that a shopper has just bought a steak and might __7__ various recipes and suggest several kinds of wine and desserts to go with it.

Some people are __8__ about the loss of privacy. They do not want the store to broadcast their past purchases. However, many still embrace the convenience of this new design.

The way people shop keeps __9__.

Coming soon are radio chips in each item. This will get rid of checkout __10__. Shoppers’ credit cards would be automatically billed for every item, saving time that could be spent doing more shopping.

The student has been _____ his report for hours, hoping that he could turn it in on time.

I mistook the man’s shoes for mine because they are completely _____.

The coat is made of real _____, so it’s quite expensive.

Rosa is such a(n) _____ worker that her boss is very dissatisfied with her.

Some students think that getting good grades at school is of _____ importance, while some say developing social skills should be a top priority.

Compared with boys, girls are often _____ as being bad at math. In fact, everyone can learn math well as long as they spend much time on it.

As one of the largest international companies, the technology firm once had a(n) _____ on the computer operating systems.

This mountainous area is always covered with snow in winter, and many people spend their free time _____ during that period.

Lisa can’t attend the party tonight on the _____ of her busy work.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is one of the most popular American TV _____. Many people consider the plot impressive and exciting.

Suppose you have to prepare gifts for different people. You might make choices as __1__.

A leather jacket would be suitable for a taxi driver, because it’s a(n) __2__ of clothing cabdrivers often wear. As for students, giving them a dictionary would be favorable, because it helps them with their studies.

As for students, giving them a dictionary would be favorable, because it helps them with their studies. If the gift receivers are the elderly, then you might prepare rocking chairs, because they are probably __3__ walk around much. These are the common answers most people have, but that’s not always the case.

These are the common answers most people have, but that’s not always the case. In fact, to know what someone is really like involves __4__ a lot of information.

With just a few words to __5__, your mind naturally produces a stereotyped picture of that type of person instead of a real picture that reflects the person’s likes.

Gift giving is a common practice in daily life. When we choose a gift for someone special, it’s important to choose something that’s appropriate __1__ the basis of that person’s gender. After all, some gifts are more suitable for males, while some are more suitable for females.

When __2__ to look for a gift for a woman, remember that females will appreciate cute little things or products that can make them look pretty.

__3__ make-up, perfume, or clothes as gifts for females may be a good idea.

Males, of course, are different. In general, men like gifts that are useful in their hobbies. If a man plays tennis, __4__, a new tennis shirt or some tennis balls might make a good gift. If a man really likes his car, a new key ring for his car keys makes sense

Of course, there are no absolute rules to __5__ when it comes to gift giving, but gender is something important to keep in mind. When you choose gifts that cater to the receivers’ likes, you’re sure to win their appreciation!

As part of our mental toolkit, human beings tend to classify things according to similarities. There are many examples now considered stereotypes built on different __1__.

Yet, do these __2__ qualities actually mirror reality?

Examples that can serve as national __3__ are that the Greeks are lazy and that the Germans are hard-working.

This type of fixed image seems to __4__ the fact that everyone’s personality is unique. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development actually finds that Greeks work many more hours each year than Germans do.

Although the Germans do score higher in productivity, it is __5__ the facts to say that the Greeks are lazy.

In addition, it is also __6__ to decide whether to employ a person based on such inaccurate images.

Another example about national stereotypes involves the Spanish and their assumed love of bullfighting. This image probably comes from the fact that the activity of bullfighting and such events as the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona are thought to be a traditional Spanish culture. Although they do __7__ in Spain, a poll found that a majority of Spanish people had a negative view of bullfighting.

The finding may __8__ that the statement “All Spanish love bullfighting” is nothing but a stereotype.

Finally, many of us are also misled by the image that the French are food snobs (講究食物者) and that most of them dislike Americans. In fact, the French tend to view the Americans very favorably, even more so than the Japanese and the Germans. In addition, while French food is often considered some of the world’s best, the French do __9__ a lot of fast food. Thus, calling them food snobs is a serious stretch.

Polls and studies show that national stereotypes do not reflect the character of a country. People should __10__ seeing other countries as what they truly are and simply ignore broad statements that often prove exaggerated.