People have speculated for centuries about a future without work. Today is no different， with academics， writers， and activists once again 1 that technology is replacing human workers. Some imagine that the coming work-free world will be defined by 2 . A few wealthy people will own all the capital， and the masses will struggle in an impoverished wasteland..

　　A different and not mutually exclusive 3 holds that the future will be a wasteland of a different sort， one 4 by purposelessness：Without jobs to give their lives 5 ， people will simply become lazy and depressed. 6 today’s unemployed don’t seem to be having a great time. One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year report having depression， double the rate for 7 Americans. Also， some research suggests that the 8 for rising rates of mortality， mental-health problems， and addicting9 poorly-educated middle-aged people is shortage of well-paid jobs. Perhaps this is why many 10 the agonizing dullness of a jobless future.

　　But it doesn’t 11 follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with unease. Such visions are based on the 12 of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment. In the 13 of work， a society designed with other ends in mind could 14 strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure. Today， the 15 of work may be a bit overblown. “Many jobs are boring， degrading， unhealthy， and a waste of human potential，” says John Danaher， a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway.

　　These days， because leisure time is relatively 16 for most workers， people use their free time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional 17 of their jobs. “When I come home from a hard day’s work， I often feel 18 ，” Danaher says， adding， “In a world in which I don’t have to work， I might feel rather different”—perhaps different enough to throw himself 19 a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for 20 matters.

　　1.[A] boasting [B] denying[C] warning [D] ensuring

　　2.[A] inequality [B] instability[C] unreliability [D] uncertainty

　　3.[A] policy [B]guideline[C] resolution [D] prediction

　　4.[A] characterized [B]divided[C] balanced [D]measured

　　5.[A] wisdom [B] meaning[C] glory [D] freedom

　　6.[A] Instead [B] Indeed[C] Thus [D] Nevertheless

　　7.[A] rich [B] urban[C]working [D] educated

　　8.[A] explanation [B] requirement[C] compensation [D] substitute

　　9.[A] under [B] beyond[C] alongside [D] among

　　10.[A] leave behind [B] make up[C] worry about [D] set aside

　　11.[A] statistically [B] occasionally[C] necessarily [D] economically

　　12.[A] chances [B] downsides[C] benefits [D] principles

　　13.[A] absence [B] height[C] face [D] course

　　14.[A] disturb [B] restore[C] exclude [D] yield

　　15.[A] model [B] practice[C] virtue [D] hardship

　　16.[A] tricky [B] lengthy[C] mysterious [D] scarce

　　17.[A] demands [B] standards[C] qualities [D] threats

　　18.[A] ignored [B] tired[C] confused [D] starved

　　19.[A] off [B] against[C] behind [D] into

　　20.[A] technological [B] professional[C] educational [D] interpersonal

　　1.[答案][C] warning

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　解析：空格之后的宾语从句部分“technology is replacing human workers.”结合选项，应该选择warning。其他三项[A] boasting [B] denying [D] ensuring均不符合此处的语境要求，故均排除。

　　2.[答案][A] inequality

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　空格单词后面的句意看到了贫富对比，故作为上文对其进行概括关键应选择inequality。

　　3.[答案][D] prediction

　　考点：时态判断

　　空格之后的内容 “holds that the future will be a wasteland of a different sort，”该定语从句是对空格词汇的修饰与说明，既然文中用到了will 这一个表示将来时态的助动词，故答案为prediction。

　　4.[答案][A] characterized

　　考点：后置定语 + 固定搭配

　　one 4 by purposelessness。其他三项均不符合，故排除。

　　5.[答案][B] meaning

　　考点：句间语义理解

　　Without jobs to give their lives 5 ， people will simply become lazy and depressed.空格所在句后面的表述与空格前的内容属于并列关系，由逗号连接。答案选择meaning。[A] wisdom [C] glory [D] freedom 这些选项都表示褒义色彩和后面 lazy、depressed 矛盾。

　　6.[答案][B] Indeed

　　考点：上下文逻辑关系

　　分析下四个选项可以看出并无体现因果关系 故[A] Thus排除，另外instead，nevertheless 表示转折语意，但是上下文逻辑并无体现。故[A]Instead [C] Thus [D] Nevertheless均排除。

　　7.[答案][C] working

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　One Gallup poll found that 20 percent of Americans who have been unemployed for at least a year report having depression， double the rate for 7 Americans.根据上下文对比的语意对照应该选择working。前面提到unemployed 。此处在进行对比，故选择表示反义呼应的词working。

　　8.[答案][A] explanation

　　考点：句内语意理解+固定搭配

　　some research suggests that the 8 for rising rates of mortality， mental-health problems， and addicting 9 poorly-educated middle-aged people is shortage of well-paid jobs.

　　9.[答案][D] among

　　考点：句内语义理解、介词辨析

　　很明显应该指前者的发生范围。浏览四个选项，among“在....中”表示范围，符合此处语义需要，故为答案。

　　10.[答案][C] worry about

　　考点：上下文语义理解+句内语义理解

　　Perhaps this is why many 10 the agonizing dullness of a jobless future.

　　11.[答案][C] necessarily

　　考点：上下文逻辑关系+句内语义理解

　　But it doesn’t 11 follow from findings like these that a world without work would be filled with unease. But表示转折语意。doesn't necessarily不一定。符合此处语意需要，故为答案。

　　12.[答案][B] downsides

　　考点：上下文语义理解 后置定语

　　Such visions are based on the 12 of being unemployed in a society built on the concept of employment.

　　答案的线索在于空格后面的介词短语，后面提到being unemployed。这是贬义。其他选项均不符条件。

　　13.[答案][A] absence

　　考点：词汇复现

　　In the 13 of work， a society designed with other ends in mind could 14 strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure.

　　14.[答案][D] yield

　　考点：词汇的一词多义与搭配

　　In the 13 of work， a society designed with other ends in mind could 14 strikingly different circumstances for the future of labor and leisure.该空格所选词汇的主语是a society 宾语是different circumstances.根据主谓一致的原则应该选择yield。语义为：产生。

　　15.[答案][C] virtue

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　overblown.一词为解题线索。含义：吹散 吹倒 表贬义。后面的内容Many jobs are boring， degrading， unhealthy， and a waste of human potential，” says John Danaher， a lecturer at the National University of Ireland in Galway.是对这句话的进一步解释，结合前后的上下文语义理解，应选择virtue，其他选项均排除。

　　16.[答案][D] scarce

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　because leisure time is relatively 16 for most workers， people use their free time to counterbalance the intellectual and emotional 17 of their jobs.结合常识认知及上下文理解应该选择scarce。

　　17.[答案][A] demands

　　考点：上下文语义理解

　　根据语义的要求，浏览选项，只有demands符合语义要求。

　　18.[答案][B] tired

　　考点：上下文语义理解+常识

　　“When I come home from a hard day’s work， I often feel 18 ，” Danaher says， adding， “In a world in which I don’t have to work， I might feel rather different”.

　　19.[答案][D] into

　　考点：固定搭配+句内语义理解

　　perhaps different enough to throw himself 19 a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for 20 matters.

　　“Throw oneself into ......”意思是：一头扎进;投身于，积极从事

　　20.[答案][B] professional

　　考点：复现+呼应

　　perhaps different enough to throw himself into a hobby or a passion project with the intensity usually reserved for 20 matters.此处空格处答案和前面的intensity 形成呼应与关联。故此处professional符合语义需要，入选。