天津完形 Cl016・2020_07 完形填空

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-35各题所给的A.B.C.D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

Detective Ashley Jones works at a police department in England. He has recently made a significant 16 – loneliness is a serious social problem that can contribute to depression and even crimes, but it can be 17 in a clever way. The 18 ? Chat Benches.

Jones got the idea after he had talked with an elderly lady who had been cheated of her 19 . The lady would get a call from a stranger every morning who 20 made her believe that he was her friend, and then she lent him about £31,000. Jones was 21 when she said that she didn’t actually 22 being cheated. “Otherwise, I would never speak to another person for weeks on end,” she said.

This led Jones to the conclusion that there are too many extremely 23 people in his community, who are easy targets of cheating. So he 24 to do something about it. He 25 the police department to allow him to 26 a couple of “Chat Benches” in two of their local parks. Then he hung a colorful sign on each of the benches that 27 : “HAPPY TO CHAT”. Just a few days after the signs went up, he found people sitting there and engaging in active and 28 conversations.

The idea is catching on 29 . There are now over 40 chat benches throughout England. More new chat benches have sprung up across the UK and beyond. All who participated have gained a(n) 30 outcome from getting involved. Jones’ idea has been fully 31 the “HAPPY TO CHAT” benches help 32 the invisible social barrier that keeps people from saying hello.

This effort is not just a(n) 33 at being community minded—it’s also a 34 measure. It prevents people who are cut off from society falling victim to cheaters.

The Chat Bench is a fantastic new project that 35 those of all ages to interact and get to know each other in the future.