浙江省宁波市北仑区2021年初中英语学业水平模拟考试（二模）...

Everybody makes decisions in daily life. Some of them are as simple as what you will eat for breakfast while others can be as1as what you will do in the future. And the decision you make can2be a turning point of your life.

I made an important decision when I was in Junior 3.

Before I made that decision, I was just one of the boys who tried hard to act as a(an)3. I didn't listen to my parents or teachers, thinking it a way to4my independence. But soon my grades were getting5.Then came the high school entrance exam.

At the turning point of my life, my mom wanted to have a talk with me. Actually, I wanted to6her request but when I looked at her eyes, 1 felt I couldn't refuse. Instead of asking me to study hard, to my7, Mom just asked what I wanted to do in the future.8thinking too much, I just said I would study hard.

Mom smiled and asked again: "I asked: what do you WANT to do?"

I never9thought about the question. So, I kept silent.

"10 you want to go on studying or start something different," she went on, "it is your own decision. Remember, it is11who decide your life, not anyone else." Tears welled in her eyes with these words.

For the12time in my life I was asked to make a big decision by myself. I was left alone and thought about my future.

It took me what seemed to be ages to make the biggest decision so far in my life一I wanted to be a man who makes a difference in the world. To13that, I needed to study hard.

The14to my future became clear to me. I didn't act rebelliously(叛逆地) any more. With passion (激情) in my heart, I studied hard.

Now, I'm 17 and I'm in one of the best schools in my city, in one of the best classes of the school and I am one of the15students in the class.

Have you ever got caught in a traffic jam on the road? How about a traffic jam in one of the world's busiest canals(运河)?

According to the managers of the ship named Ever Given, the accident happened because of strong winds during a sandstorm. Ever Given is a huge 220.000-on ship- 400 meters long and 59 meters wide. The ship got caught in the canal's most narrow area, which is about 205 to 225 meters wide.

By the end of last month, Ever Given had been caught in the Suez Canal for six days. It kept at least 422 ships waiting and cost 400 million dollars per hour, making it the world's most expensive traffic jam ever. The accident made more people understand how important the Suez Canal is.

Connecting the Mediterranean Sea(地中海) with the Red Sea, the Suez Canal is a main waterway for world trade. It allows ships to travel between Europe and South Asia without going around Africa, which makes the sea journey about 7,000 kilometers shorter.

Now, around 10% of the world trade passes through the canal. About 1.9 million barrels (桶) of oil go through the canal every day--that's about 7% of the world's oil. Things like machines and car parts are carried by the ships. Daily goods like furniture, clothing, toilet paper and coffee go through it as well. You can imagine what may happen if the canal stops working for a long time.

That's why the accident shocked the world. Experts from different countries flied to the Suez Canal to solve the problem. A large number of big boats were sent to pull and push the ship Ever Given, but it was no use. After six days of hard work, the ship was at last freed by moving away the sand under it. "The rising tide(潮水) really helped a lot." an official said.

Mohab Mamish, Egypt's President adviser for the Suez Canal projects said "The canal is now completely open for traffic, as the ship has moved." adding that they will increase the number of the working hours to move the other ships quickly.

BOOM! That's a word we often use to describe a loud sound. It's also part of the term "sonic boom (音爆)", which is something that happens when air is pushed so strongly and quickly that it creates a loud noise.

On March 20, a rare daytime meteor (流星) created a sonic boom over parts of the UK and France, according to Live Science. The meteor flew through the sky so fast that it could hardly be seen - but it could definitely be heard.

So how exactly are sonic booms made? You can think of air as being like water. When something moves through water, you can see ripples (波纹). If the object moves very quickly, the ripples start to run into each other.

The same thing happens in the air, even if it can't be seen. When the object moves faster than the speed of sound, the air is pushed hard, and it compresses (压缩) like the ripples on water. This will create a sound wave that is very loud, which is a sonic boom.

In fact, lots of things can make sonic booms. When you go to the park and see people play with whips and tops (鞭子和陀螺), you might hear a tiny sonic boom when they crack the whip. Aircraft that travel faster than the speed of sound can also make sonic booms.

A strong sonic boom can cause damage to windows or buildings, although the possibility of this is very low, according to the US Air Force. The loud sound can also disturb (影响) people on the ground and even cause hearing loss. That's why supersonic aircraft are only allowed in times of war.

Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. He is in a wheelchair because he's got cerebral palsy(小儿麻痹症). As a result, Rick couldn't walk or speak. There was no chance of Rick recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life.

However, with great effort, Rick learned to write his thoughts using a special computer. When Rick was 15, he communicated to his dad that he wanted to take part in a five mile running race for charity. Dick was not a runner but agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."

After high school, Rick went to Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Rick is a happy and successful man; he has a job at the University of Boston, and he works in computer studies. Rick loves sports too, and he takes part in marathons and triathlons(铁人三项运动).

Triathlons? In the triathlon, people swim 4 kilometers, cycle 180 kilometers and then run a 42- kilometer marathon. Rick can't run, cycle or swim because he's in a wheelchair. So how can he take part in a triathlon?

Rick can take part because he does it with his father, Dick Hoyt. In the running, his father pushes him in his wheelchair. In the swimming, Rick lies in a small boat and Dick swims and pulls him. And in the cycling, Rick sits in a special seat on the front of Dick's bike. Together, they are "Team Hoyt."

Of course, Team Hoyt never wins the race. The winner of a triathlon usually finishes in about nine hours. The Hoyts usually take about 14 or 15 hours. "That's right." says Dick. "Rick and I never win. But we think that we always win."

Dick Hoyt, who became a familiar sight pushing his son Rick in a wheelchair at road races around the country, especially the Boston Marathon, died on Wednesday at his home in Holland, Mass. He was 80.

Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like doing for my dad is that ________________"

March 21 is World Sleep Day. It reminds us to think about our sleeping habits and try to sleep better. How much do you know about sleep? Sally, Tom, Jack, John, Lucy and Ben are asking questions about sleep. Which of the following can best answer their questions?

— Nobody has the perfect answer to this question. Scientists did tests on rats. If rats don't sleep for over four weeks, their bodies become colder and smaller. And later, they die.

— Different people need different amounts of sleep. Many surveys show that adults need to sleep about 7 to 8 hours a day. But younger people need more sleep. Doctors advise 10 hours for primary school students, nine for junior high students and eight for senior high school.

— Most of us dream every night. Sometimes you can remember your dreams. But if your sleep is deep enough, you may not remember your dreams.

— Many people feel like they don't get enough sleep on weekdays, so they like to sleep for long hours on weekends. But does this make up for the loss? Doctors don't think so. You may feel better for a short time, but your body is already hurt. What's worse, this changes your body clock. The next day, you may find it hard to fall asleep.

— There are several ways you can do. For example, you can drink a cup of milk or listen to soft music before you go to sleep. Comfortable bedding also helps.

Tai chi (太极) has always been a symbol of Chinese culture and is becoming popular around the world. Over 100 million people in more than 150 practice tai chi nowadays.

One thing that makes tai chi popular is its health benefits. As you move, you breathe deeply and and pay your attention to your body. This you relax and find peace in the heart. Tai chi also focuses on harmony(协调) yin and yang. For example, if you work too hard and feel tired, you have too much "yang". So it's time for you to calm down and get more "yin?". This idea of keeping a healthy balance(平衡) can be found on almost in life. It makes tai chi far more than just a sport.

One day, a professor (教授) entered her classroom and asked her students to take a test. When the students got the test paper, they were too (surprise) to believe it was a test. They found the test paper almost empty only a small black dot (圆点) in the center of the page. The professor smiled and said, "Please describe you see in the test paper."

The students tried hard as they (tell). At the end of class, the professor took their test papers and started reading their answers one by one (loud). Each student tried to describe the black dot, but no one wrote about white area around the dot.

The professor explained. "Imagine that this paper is your life. The white area is all of your life (experience) and the black dot just stands for the bad things you've gone through. Life gives us many good things - loved ones, enjoyable moments, and even miracles from time to time. , we always put our eyes on something bad".

"From now on, I want you (think) about the big picture more often. Don't lose heart of the black dots in your life. Remind yourself how great life is sometimes."

要点提示：

Ways to start a happy high school life

注意：⑴短文必须包括话题中的所有要点，并做适当拓展；

⑵文中不得出现真实的人名和校名；

⑶词数100词左右。

Ways to start a happy high school life