江苏省盐城市盐都区2020年九年级中考英语三模试卷

—_______ is OK. I'm free at the weekend.

—In about six months.

—Thank you, John. It's a very kind _______, but I have to stay and take care of my grandma.

—Cooking. It has become more _______ among people and I can cook nice dishes now.

—No, you _______. Mr Li will show us around the city and he's a know-all.

—Not until the classroom _______.

—You can try our school library.

—_______. Even people in the UK like it very much.

—Just as the saying goes, "________". Don't stay up too late, or you will be tired out.

    A 13-year-old boy recently gained wide attention from net citizens in China when a video of his excellent basketball skills in a one-on-one situation was posted online.

    "It's so inspiring (鼓舞人心的)! How can you easily 1 your efforts after watching his video?" A net citizen wrote on Weibo.

    Born in Guangdong Province, Zhang Jiacheng lost his right 2 in an accident at just five, which was a big hit for 3a young kid. However, the boy decided to face the big 4and not let the fate control his life.5he has a dream: to be a basketball player.

    "How can he play basketball with just one arm?" Zhang always had to face the 6 from other kids around. "Hard work" is the only 7 that Zhang has in his success. Be it rainy or windy, Zhang 8 stops practising basketball. As a result, he's made 9 improvement in his skills. In the video, Zhang 10 his wonderful basketball skills in front of a defense (防卫) which was 11 up of several professional players. He received a loud 12 from people watching at the scene. "13 right hand has been taken away in a cruel way, but you have the best left hand. You are the 14 star in this game!" former CBA player Wang Jing said after watching Zhang's performance.

    "Give it a try, or give it up," Zhang once said. Indeed, he 15 the first of the two. His story tells us that stage is as big as your heart and action can go as far as your thought.

    Look at this picture below. It shows the layers (层) of a rain forest and what lives in each layer.

    The epidemic (疫情) is scary. But it's not all bad. In fact, we can learn some lessons from it.

    Loneliness, a natural feeling, is not something most people want to experience. When you feel lonely as a result of missing a loved one or a place, or preparing for a time spent away from your friends and family, here are some suggestions for you to avoid it.

    Focus on your health

    Studies have shown that poor sleep, lack of physical activity and unhealthy food can let you feel tired and sad, causing the feeling of loneliness. Try to get eight hours of sleep every night, try to take part in at least 30 minutes of physical activity, and don't eat junk food. Eating more fruits and vegetables will also help.

    Bring an old hobby back to life

    It's much more difficult to feel lonely if you're actively enjoying an activity, especially one that you are good at. If you've got a hobby that you love, try to spare time for your hobby even if you are busy, such as reading, playing a sport, cooking, painting ...

    Avoid staying at home all day long

    Spending your time in nature will probably improve your feelings and help you get over loneliness. Sunshine makes you feel happier and less focused on your loneliness. You can go hiking, go boating or go on a bike ride if you are not interested in just walking around. You may go for a coffee with your friends or even make big plans so that you have events to look forward to. First, you can make possible activities you might want to take part in, then, spend a few days planning out the event, so that you are fully prepared and stress-free. If possible, include other people in your plan to make your activity more interesting.

    All in all, it seems that facing your own loneliness is the first step to avoid loneliness. Do your best to follow the things above. It takes efforts, but it is worth your try.

    The clock struck twelve.

    Scrooge looked around him for the Ghost, but he couldn't see it. Then he remembered old Jacob Marley's prediction. He lifted his eyes, and he saw a serious Ghost. The ghost wore a black robe (长袍). The robe covered its head, its face and its body. The only thing visible was a hand. The ghost neither spoke nor moved. Scrooge was terrified.

    "Are you the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?" asked Scrooge.

    The Ghost didn't answer, but it pointed its hand in front of it.

    "You are going to show me the future," Scrooge continued. "Am I right, Ghost?"

    The Ghost nodded its head. That was the only answer Scrooge received.

    "Ghost of the Future," he said, "I'm more afraid of you than of all the other ghosts. But because I want to be a better man, I will go with you. Please, speak to me."

    It didn't reply. The hand pointed straight in front of them.

    "Lead on!" said Scrooge.

    The Ghost moved forwards. Scrooge followed in the shadow of its robe. And the robe carried him along. The city suddenly appeared around them. There they were, in the heart of it. The Ghost stopped beside some businessmen at the Stock (股票) Exchange. Its hand was pointing to them, so Scrooge listened to their conversation.

    "I only know he's dead," said a great fat man.

    "When did he die?" asked another.

    "Last night, I think."

    "What was the matter with him?" asked a third.

    "God knows " said the first, with a yawn.

    "What has he done with his money?" asked a red-faced gentleman.

    "I don't know," said the great fat man, yawning again. "He hasn't left it to me. That's all I know."

    Everybody laughed.

    "It will be a very small funeral (葬礼)," said the great fat man. "I don't think anybody will go to it."

    Scrooge knew the men. And he looked towards the Ghost for an explanation. He didn't understand why this conversation was important. But he knew it must be.

    Scrooge looked around the place. He looked at the clock. It was strange. He was usually there at this time, but he couldn't see himself.

    Would you like to be comfortable talking to other people? Holding conversations may help. Holding conversations may not seem like a skill. After all, everyone talks to other people frequently. But talking to new people makes many people nervous.

    Here are some ways to make conversations more fun and less awkward (尴尬的).

    Body language

    As strange as it may seem, much communication happens without any words. The way you stand and act tells people a lot about you. When you're talking with someone, stand up straight and look them in the eye. This shows your confidence. And if you're nervous, acting like you aren't can help you feel better. When you're listening, look at the other person. Lean forward to show that you're interested in what they're saying.

    Back and forth

    A good conversation is not a speech, which means that both people need to participate. If you're doing all the talking, pause to allow the other person to speak. If they don't say anything, try asking them a question.

    Questions can also help if you're struggling (挣扎) to think what to say. Maybe they'll say something you know or you can reply to. When you ask questions, try to think of open-ended ones. That means questions where the answer is more than just "yes" or “no”. Open-ended questions in English usually start with who, what, when, where and why.

    Don't fear silence.

    Don't feel worried or frightened if the conversation has quiet moments. Every conversation has some. Treat them as chances to change the subject to something you're interested in. You could also comment on (评论) something you've done recently. Or you can ask a question about the other person.

    So if you're shy, be brave, ask a question, and start a conversation. As with any skill, you will improve on holding conversations with time.

   Every Sunday morning, I take a light jog around a park near my home. There's a lake in one corner of the park. Each time I jog by this lake, I see the same elderly woman sitting by the lake with a small metal cage beside her.

   Last Sunday, my curiosity (好奇心) got the better of me, so I stopped jogging and walked over to her. As I got closer, I found that inside the metal cage were three turtles, slowly walking around. She had a fourth turtle on her lap (大腿) that she was carefully brushing.

    "Hello," I said. "I'd love to know what you're doing with these turtles."

    She smiled. "I'm cleaning their shells," she replied. "Anything on a turtle's shell, like algae (海藻) or scum (浮沫), stops the turtle from swimming. It can also weaken the shell over time. I'm doing this to help the turtles. It's my own way of making a difference."

    "Wow! That's really nice of you! But there are turtles living in lakes all around the world. And few of these turtles have kind people like you to help them clean their shells. So how exactly are you sure that you are truly making a difference?" I questioned.

    The woman laughed aloud. She then looked down at the turtle on her lap, brushed the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, "Sweetie, every act of kindness matters. If this little guy could talk, he'd tell you I just made all the difference in the world."

Strawberries look nice, but a light pressure can make them out of shape. Nowadays, there are many young people who are just like strawberries. When they face d, they easily break down. They don't know what to do when they are in t. They have a common name—strawberry kids.

    Why is it so e for many students to break down? Parents and schools are a main reason. Parents do almost e for them in their daily life, while schools care more about their m instead of developing their personality.

    Liu Yue, 13 years old, is from Fujian. His mom h criticizes him and he always feels good about himself. When a teacher criticized him strictly, he felt surprised and sad. He began to d his abilities.

    Students should do something to make them mentally (精神上) strong. An expert said, "When you have problems, don't ask for help too q. You should try to deal with problems first by yourself. I also a you to take an active part in sports and social activities. That can make you mentally strong."

   G up is not just a happy process. Pains also go along with it. The most important thing is to face the pains bravely and learn from them.

注意：1）词数100左右。开头和结尾已经写好，不计入总词数；

2）回复须包括所有要点，可适当发挥，使短文连贯，通顺；

3）文中不得提及真实的人名、校名等相关信息。

Dear Mr Yang,

    I would like to become a volunteer of the school project.

    I will be very happy if I am chosen to be a volunteer. Looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Li Ming