C
Horses have always been valued in both Western and Eastern cultures. As the Year of the Horse comes, it is necessary to learn more about 1. (they) roles across different cultures.
In Western culture, horses 2. (think) of as powerful animals. In ancient Europe, heroes fought and won with their trusted horses by their side. Even today, in horse racing, people see horses as a symbol of speed and victory.
However, in Chinese culture, horses carry even 3. (mean) symbolism(象征意义). They stand for speed, bravery and good luck. It is said that people who were born in the Year of the Horse are 4. (probable) brave, confident and energetic.
Chinese people 5. (create) many interesting sayings about horses so far. “A Horse That Can Cover a Thousand Li in a Day” describes people with great talent, while “Success Arrives with the Horse” is a common wish for friends taking 6. new challenges.
Besides, horses were very useful in people's daily life long ago. In the past, they played 7. important role in trade and transportation. For example, the Silk Road depended on horses 8. (carry) goods between the East and the West, making horses a true bridge between cultures.
9. in the East or the West, horses carry a powerful message. They remind us of the human spirit and the 10. (important) of the cultural connection. They truly express people's wishes to build a better future together.

1. their 2. are thought 3. more meaningful 4. probably 5. have created 6. on 7. an 8. to carry 9. Whether 10. importance

【分析】
本题是关于马在东西方文化意义的语法填空题，需结合语境、词性变化、时态语态、固定搭配等基础语法知识解题。每个空需依据句子结构、上下文逻辑及语法规则确定正确形式：1. 修饰名词需用物主代词；2. 主语与动词为被动关系，需用被动语态；3. even修饰形容词比较级；4. 修饰形容词用副词；5. so far是现在完成时标志；6. 考查固定搭配；7. 元音音素开头的单词前用不定冠词an；8. 考查非谓语动词的固定结构；9. 考查固定连词结构；10. the后需接名词。
【解析】
1. 空格后为名词roles，需用they的形容词性物主代词their修饰，故填their；
2. 主语horses是动作think的承受者，时态为一般现在时，故用一般现在时被动语态are thought；
3. even修饰形容词比较级，mean的形容词为meaningful，比较级是more meaningful，故填more meaningful；
4. 空格后为形容词brave，需用副词修饰，故填probably；
5. so far是现在完成时的标志，主语Chinese people为复数，故填have created；
6. 固定搭配take on意为“承担”，此处表示“承担新挑战”，故填on；
7. important以元音音素开头，泛指“一个重要角色”，故用不定冠词an；
8. 固定结构depend on sth to do sth，故填to carry；
9. 固定结构Whether...or...意为“无论...还是...”，符合语境，故填Whether；
10. the后需接名词，important的名词形式为importance，故填importance。
【答案】
1. their 2. are thought 3. more meaningful 4. probably 5. have created 6. on 7. an 8. to carry 9. Whether 10. importance
【知识点】
代词的用法、动词的时态与语态、固定搭配与词性转换
【点评】
本题围绕马的文化主题，考查初中核心基础语法点，涵盖代词、被动语态、比较级、副词、现在完成时等，注重语境运用，难度适中，能有效检验学生对基础语法的掌握情况。
【难度系数】
0.6

D
One day a man found a cocoon of a butterfly in the forest. He 1. (sit) there for several hours and watched it. Suddenly a small butterfly appeared and it tried its best 2. (pull) its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop 3. (make) any progress, so the man decided to help the butterfly. He cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon so that it could come out easily.
However, to his surprise, the butterfly had 4. heavy body and very small wings when it came out of the cocoon. He continued to watch it, because he hoped that its wings would be strong enough to support the body and fly up in time.
5. (lucky), the flight never happened. In fact, the butterfly kept crawling(爬) around with a heavy body and small wings 6. it died. It was never able to fly.
The man was 7. (surprise) because he didn't understand the rules of nature. Before the butterfly was out of the cocoon, fluid(液体) from its body must 8. (force) into its wings, and then it would be ready for flying. It must have a hard struggle(挣扎) to get out of the small opening by 9. (it).
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life. If we go 10. our life without difficulties, we would not be as strong as we could have been. We could never fly.

1. sat 2. to pull 3. making 4. a 5. Unluckily 6. until 7. surprised 8. be forced 9. itself 10. through

【分析】
本题为完形填空，考查英语基础语法与固定搭配的综合运用。解题思路：先通读全文理解文章大意（讲述蝴蝶破茧的哲理故事），再针对每个空格，结合语境、时态规则、固定搭配、词性要求等逐一分析，确定正确答案。
【解析】
1. 由上下文时态（整体为一般过去时），此处需用sit的过去式sat。
2. 固定搭配try one's best to do sth.（尽力做某事），故填to pull。
3. 固定搭配stop doing sth.（停止做某事），此处指蝴蝶停止取得进展，故填making。
4. 固定搭配have a/an + 形容词 + 名词，heavy以辅音音素开头，故用不定冠词a。
5. 此处需用副词修饰整个句子，结合语境“蝴蝶未能飞行”是不幸的结果，故填Unluckily。
6. 结合句意“蝴蝶一直爬行直到死亡”，用连词until（直到）。
7. 主语是人（the man），修饰人需用形容词surprised（惊讶的）。
8. 主语fluid与动词force为被动关系，情态动词must后接be+过去分词，故填be forced。
9. 固定搭配by oneself（独自），此处指蝴蝶靠自己挣扎，故填itself。
10. 固定搭配go through（经历），符合语境“人生经历困难”，故填through。
【答案】
sat; to pull; making; a; Unluckily; until; surprised; be forced; itself; through
【知识点】
动词时态、非谓语动词、固定搭配
【点评】
本题为哲理类完形填空，侧重考查基础语法（时态、被动、词性）与常用固定搭配，需结合语境分析，同时传递“人生需经历挣扎才能成长”的道理，难度适中。
【难度系数】
0.5