浙江省宁波市镇海区2020-2021学年八年级上学期英语期中...

One morning, when I was leaving for my business, a middle-aged man came up and asked me for help. He said he had no1to get food for his large family.

"You look strong. 2 don't you work?" I asked." Simply because I can't get work, sir." "If I give you work, what pay do you want?" "3 I can get bread for my family, sir." he answered.

I decided to find out if he 4 meant what he said. "OK. I'll give you one pound an hour, 5 you can carry a brick(砖)under your arm and walk around the square for five hours without 6." "Thank you, sir. I will."

I found a brick and started him on his walk before I went to my business. I 7 thought he would do what he had promised.

When I came back five hours later, I saw him 8 walking, with the brick under his arm.

I stopped him and gave him9 pounds. He10 me and told me that some people had offered to help him when they knew why he was doing. He would go and ask 11 for work. Before leaving, he asked if I would give him the 12. I did.

Several years later, a well-dressed man greeted me on a train. He said that he was the brick man and had his own business now. "You know, I still keep that brick and always value it as the most 13 thing I have. Because it has brought me14 and success."

15, it was not the brick that made the man successful, but his faithfulness(坚定) in doing even a very little thing.

Four women were awarded Nobel prize (诺贝尔奖) of 2020.

Do you know Jack-o'-lantern in the Halloween(万圣节)? It is usually made of pumpkins（南瓜）.

There are 2 billion pounds of pumpkins planted in the US each year. Most of them are carved up instead of eaten. Someone often asks a few questions: Are the pumpkins sold for Jack-o'-lanterns different from pumpkins sold as food? And are Halloween pumpkins any good to eat?

Howden pumpkins are the most common decorative（装饰的） pumpkins . They are specifically for carving into Jack-o'-lanterns, with a symmetrical round shape, deep orange color.

Because they're for decoration first, carving pumpkins don't taste very good. "Uncut carving pumpkins are safe to eat; however, it's not the best type to use for cooking," Daria McKelvey tells Mental Floss.

Of course, there are also many pumpkin varieties for cooking and eating. These include Sugar Pie, Kabocha, and Cinderella pumpkins. You can shop for these pumpkins at local farms or in the store. They should be easy to tell apart from the carving pumpkins for Halloween: Unlike decorative pumpkins, cooking pumpkins are small and dense(紧实的）. This is part of the reason they taste better. McKelvey says，"Cooking pumpkins are smaller, sweeter, have a thicker rind(皮) , and have less fibers(纤维), making them easier to cook with—but not so good for carving."

Whatever you do, make sure your pumpkin isn't carved up already when you decide to cook with it. There are many ways to recycle your Jack-o'-lanterns, but turning them into pie isn't one of them.

Do you like games? Do you like playing games with children? Children have their own rules in playing games. They hardly need a referee(裁判) and hardly trouble to keep scores. They don't care much about who wins or loses, and it doesn't seem to worry them if the game is not finished. Yet, they like games that depend a lot on luck so that their personal abilities can't be directly compared.

Grown-ups can hardly find children's games exciting, and they often feel puzzled at why their kids play such simple games again and again. However, it is found that a child plays games for very important reasons. He can be a good player without having to think whether he is a popular person, and he can find himself being a useful partner to someone. He becomes a leader when it comes to his turn. He can be confident too. In some game, where it is his place to give orders, to pretend to be dead, to throw a ball actually at someone.

It appears to us that when children play a game, everyone knows the rules. More importantly, everyone plays according to the rules. Those rules may be childish, but they make sure that every child has a chance to win.

The word "sharenting" (晒娃) is used to describe that parents share lots of pictures of their children on social media. Should parents ask kids before posting photos and other information about children online? What do you think?

Cindy, 16:

I think parents should ask for permission from their kids before sharing their photos online. Some parents like to share embarrassing(令人尴尬的) photos of their kids. For example, sometimes their kids are sleeping or_____ in the pictures. But most kids don't want these photos to be shared online.

Tom, 17:

I am against sharenting. It is not responsible when parents think so little of their children's privacy (隐私) ; however, much sharenting just seems like fun to them. I've also noticed that some parents like to show off their children. Children may not like that. It's far better to share their happiness in the family than on social media.

Sam, 16:

Parents should be able to share something about their children online, because it shows their love and care for their children. In fact, the sharing of information, pictures and moments on social media can play a role in recording the growth of children. Also, it can help children to behave(表现) well.

Tina, 15:

1 think that sharenting is reasonable. First, sharing children's pictures and news on social media gives parents a way to show their love and pride. It's a record of their lives. Second, when the children are grown, the pictures and other items will seem like treasures to them, leading them to recall their young lives.

⑴Love me, love my dog. 

⑵A friend in need is a friend indeed. 

⑶A good beginning is half done. 

⑷Actions speak louder than words. 

⑸Do as the Romans do. 

Greenwood Park is the  place to go to on weekends. I always finish my breakfast  on Saturdays because I want to get to Greenwood Park before 10:00 a.m. to meet my friends. The park is a crowded place on weekends because almost everyone goes there to see the street . Some people think they are boring, but I think they are the most creative people. However, the place where you can enjoy your timeis at one of the small coffee shops near the park. You can read or relax there. There is something for  at Greenwood Park.

Here is a classic story in ancient China.

Once upon a time, the(young) daughter of Yandi(炎帝) went sailing on the East Sea. Suddenly a strong wind rose and her boat turned down while she was enjoying . Just before she was covered by the waves, her spirit turned into a beautiful . As it flew over the sea, it cried (sad) with the sound:" Jingwei, Jingwei", then, people called it "Jingwei".

The bird lived on a mountain near the sea. It hated the sea much that it decided to fill it up. Every day, it flew to and fro(来回地)  the mountain and the sea, carrying a stick and a stone from the mountain and dropping it into the sea.

One day, the sea said to Jingwei, "Poor little bird, stop (do) that boring thing! You'll never fill me up." Jingwei replied, "I'm sure that I'll fill you up! I will, even if it takes me(thousand) of years! I'll fight on until you die!"

The brave little bird kept carrying sticks and stones from theto the East Sea without (take) a rest. We use "The bird Jingwei fill the sea" to describe people that are indomilable (不屈不挠的) and will not stop until they reach their goals.

Nowadays the DCEP is coming into people's life. There are some advantages and disadvantages.