浙江省杭州市江南实验学校2022-2023学年九年级上学期英...

"Hi! How are you? "The woman smiled as she sat next to me on the airplane. She had to lower herself slowly, trying hard to push her fat body into the seat and fill all the space, leaving no for me.

I felt uncomfortable and moved a little towards the window. She gave her greeting in a friendly voice again.

"Hi, "I replied.

"My name is Laura. I'm from Britain. How about you? "She smiled at me all the time.

"Malaysia." I said coldly.

Laura started a conversation with me. Although her voice was warm and caring, I still replied with unfriendly reactions. But when we were served drinks and meals, she tried hard to make sure that I had room to move in my seat. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable with my' elephant size'!" She said with great sincerity.

I looked at her surprisingly. I never thought she would face the problem and tell me her real thoughts. The face that I disliked before showed a nice smile—lively and calm at the same time. With her words and actions, I couldn't help but feel good with her.

Laura was interesting. During our conversation, Laura made every person on the plane who served us walk away laughing at her jokes. I asked Laura, "Have you ever thought about losing weight? You aren't worried about the illnesses that come with being overweight? "

"Not at all, because I eat healthily and do sports, "she said." This may not be scientific, but I believe in my heart that the people who get illness are the ones who worry all the time. I'm this size because I was born to be big! There is more to life than worrying about weight all day long. "

She drank her wine, "Besides, I get so much happiness every day that I need a bigger body to hold all of it! If I lose weight, I'll lose my happiness. "

Surprised by her unusual reasons, I smiled. I suddenly realized that Laura was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life.

We use elevators（电梯） all the time, but try and imagine life without them. Tall buildings wouldn't be possible without the elevator. It's convenient and safe, but did you know that long-ago people were afraid of using elevators?

People had been using ropes to move things for thousands of years before the modern elevator. The ancient Romans moved heavy things by using rope. Then in 1743, the French king had a" flying chair". His men lifted the king up to the second floor by using ropes. Although elevators had been improving over time, people were afraid to use them. People liked the idea of an elevator, but they believed it might suddenly fall.

In 1853, Elisha Otis is the inventor（发明者） of the modern elevator. He made safety brakes（刹车） to stop the elevator from falling. Otis had been thinking about people's fear of elevators. He decided to do an elevator act at a show in 1854. Otis stood on his elevator and cut the rope that was holding it. The elevator fell, but the safety brakes suddenly stopped it. How amazing! Three years later, customers at a store in New York could travel to the fifth floor by using an Otis elevator.

The next step was to improve the elevator ride. People had been feeling afraid about using elevators because they were small and noisy In the 1920s, elevators started playing relaxing music cover up other sounds. Then there was a great idea to put mirrors in elevators. People could check their hair and faces instead of fearing the elevator. They made the elevator seem bigger and quicker.

These days, elevators aren't scary. Elevators are getting faster, and office buildings, apartments and hotels are getting higher. You can find Otis elevators in most cities around the world. Remember to enjoy your ride in the elevator when you're going up to the thirty-fifth floor!

"All right then—just one more piece…"Words every girl has said when they are faced with the delicious cheesecake. Of course, many of us know we may eat the whole thing in the end.

It isn't just girls. Most of us find it hard to say "no" to something attractive. However, scientists now say that willpower（意志力） is very important for success and a happy life. Scientists in different countries have been studying the influence of willpower on people's lives for a long time. In one study, scientists told young children that they could either have one candy now, or two candies in 15 minutes. Waiting of course needed more willpower. Scientists then continued studying the children as they grew up. They wanted to see if some children always had stronger willpower. They also wanted to see how having stronger willpower influenced their lives.

Years later, scientists found that the children who had waited for two candies were all healthier, happier and richer adults. But there is hope, Roy F Baumeister, an American expert told us that we can train our willpower just like we train our muscles（肌肉）. Even a little practice can make our self-control stronger.

You could start by making yourself stand up straight, speaking in complete sentences, or using a computer mouse with the other hand. Scientists have found that people who are able to change little habits perform much better in willpower tests.

Like muscles, willpower can" get tired". Don't try to do too many things at the same time, or when you don't have enough energy, for example, when you are ill. If you already feel tired, you can try to recharge（恢复） your willpower with a good night's sleep and by eating well.

There always comes a moment when I wonder where I will end up and this moment always gives me a life lesson. These are the lessons that I wish I'd learned earlier：

There was a time when everyone's opinion was mine as well. Remember that your opinion matters just as much as the next guy's, whether they make more money than you or are less popular than you. Everyone's opinion holds the same weight.

When I was a teenager, I'd be angry and go crazy if I had heard someone said bad things behind my back. Looking back on those memories now, I'm not too surprised. After all, when you have little self-control, anything is possible.

Will one small quarrel among friends decide the development of the friendship? In my world it felt like it. I just wanted so much to be right and for them so much to be wrong. It only resulted in me wasting my time and in the other person storming off in frustration.

I'm not saying every parent knows what's the best for kids, but in general, parents do what they do to help us know how to look after ourselves. My parents used to make me do the dishes, cook dinner, sweep the floors, take out the garbage. . . Now I can take better care of myself.

Whenever I'd lose a friend, get an awful grade, or disappoint my parents, I feel terrible. Fortunately, I know now that we don't have to be stuck in bad situations. We can go out and create better ones. It all depends on how you see the situation.

One cold winter morning, Jim fell from his father's bike and his legs couldn't move. A doctor1him and said he had to stay in bed for some time. Jim was sad at the doctor's2because Christmas was coming. He wanted to look at the shop windows3Christmas gifts and see them lit up（被照亮） at night.

Jim's younger sister, Mary, Wanted. to4Her brother. Every day, she went to the shop nearby after school to look at the windows5When she got home, she would tell Jim what there were in the windows.

There were Christmas trees in all windows. A big kind Father Christmas was standing in one of the windows,6a long white bear（胡须）. In his pockets were all kinds of toys. How7he seemed to be in his big red coat and fur cap!

Every time Mary described the windows, Jim would8his eyes, imagining himself to be looking at the toys inside the shop.9there was one thing Mary didn't tell Jim. It was a lovely wooden horse. She wanted to give it to Jim as a Christmas10

The day before Christmas Eve, Mary11her pocket money and found that it was not enough. So she asked Dad12he could offer her a job to make some money. By helping her parents clean and decorate the house, Mary got enough money and bought the wooden horse.

On Christmas morning, Jim woke up and saw a wooden horse by his bed. What a big13! How happy he was! Mary was as happy as Jim because she made Jim happy.

Actually, the14people this Christmas were the parents because their daughter learnt to15

They eat wild animals, plants, berries, nuts, and insects. They hunt with bows and arrows. There are lots of dangerous snakes. It's one of southern Africa's(hot) places: There is no water, people have to get water from plants. When they are ill, there are no hospitals. People have to get medicine from plants too.

They are the San,last people living in the Kalahari. The San people have another name," Bush People''.(they) lifestyle is very simple, but they know more about animals and plants than most people do. The San people live in small(group) of 25-50. They live in huts. These houses(make) of wood and grass. There are lots of things they have to learn so that they can live in a dangerous place like the Kalahari. In the evenings, people often sit around a fire and tell stories(happy).

The Kalahari is a big area of bush and in the southern Africa. It has two parts. There is less rain in the southern part than in the northern part, so the south is drier. There are fewer plants and animals there, and it's more difficult for people(live). But when it rainsthe end of the summer, the land becomes greener and more beautiful. For a few weeks, there are(million) of little flowers and even butterflies!

— With p.

—It might be Mary's. She played it this morning.