1. 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的词或填入括号中所给单词的正确形式。
From deserts and beaches to playgrounds, sand is a common sight. But you might not know that sand is also a useful resource. Sand is the second most-used resource in the world after water, the BBC reported. However, the UN said that sand is not limitless and that we might be running out of ________.
Sand is made up of very small ________ （piece） of rock, soil and minerals（矿物质）. It can take tens of thousands of years to form. But now we are using sand more________ （quick） than it is being formed. According to the BBC, we use about 15 billion tons of sand every year ________ build houses, roads and other things. People also put sand in the________ [si:] to make new islands. For example, the Palm islands are made up of three________ [lɑːdʒ] man-made islands in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. In 2010, they ________ （take） 94 million cubic meters of sand to build. If people keep________（use） this much sand, it will run out in many places. For example, Vietnam may run out of construction sand by 2020, Live Science noted.
________ [sins] people need so much sand, they are trying to mine（开采） more of it. But this is bad for the environment. Mining sand may ________ beaches to disappear and more floods to happen in places close to the sea. Also, this may affect the habitats （栖息地） of many plants and animals.
2．阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的词，或填入括号内所给单词的正确形式（每空最多不超过3个单词）。
Thomas Edison was a great American ________ （invent）.When he was________child, he was always asking questions and trying out new ideas. No matter________ hard it was, he never gave up.
Young Tom was in school for only three ________ （month）. His teacher didn't understand why he had so many strange questions. Most of ________（they） were not about his lessons. The teacher didn't want to teach Tom any more. He asked Tom's mother to take the boy home. Tom's mother taught him ________ （read） and write, and she found him a very good student. He learnt very fast and became very ________（interest） in science.
One day, he saw a little boy ________（play） on the railway tracks （铁轨） at a station. A train was coming near quickly, and the boy was too frightened （恐惧） to move. Edison rushed out and took him away ________ （safe）. The boy's father was so thankful that he taught Edison to send messages ________telegraph （电报）.
