浙江省杭州十三中2022-2023学年九年级下学期3月英语检...

Do you know a traditional toy called taiping nijiaojiao? It is a clay toy and also a whistle (哨子) in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu with a history of over 1,000 years.

Taiping nijiaojiao is made of the mud from the local mountain. It takes more than ten steps to make the clay toy, and the key step is to knead it with your hands. You can knead the clay toy into anything, like animals and plants. The blowhole is the most difficult part to make, for the size of the blowhole makes a difference to the sound. While coloring, you can use traditional cultural elements（元素）that carry good meanings. It's hard to make taiping nijiaojiao. But when you finally make it, you will feel proud of yourself.

Zhou Baokang, a lover of folk art, learned how to make the clay toy from local artists about 20 years ago. He wants more people to know about it, so he has opened a museum to introduce the clay toy. He teaches kids how to make the clay toy, too.

There are many traditional art forms in China, but some of them have been lost. Luckily, the traditional clay toy taiping nijiaojiao is kept to this day.

Green is more than just a color. It also means taking special steps to protect the environment. Buying a green product is a small step everyone can take. Deciding whether a product is green, however, isn't always easy. We need to consider the whole life cycle of the product even after it's of no use. Here is what we may keep in mind.

The materials of a product are usually our first focus. What is it made of? Are there any harmful chemicals in it? Green products are made of more natural materials which are free from harmful chemicals, so they can be good for our physical health.

Packaging is important. How is a product packaged? Is it over packaged? We'd better choose glass, metal and paper packaging, as these can be reused or more easily recycled. We can also look for less packaging or even choose unbagged products whenever possible.

Location matters. Where was a product produced? Where are we buying it? Think about how much energy was used to get it. To us, try to choose local products. When it comes to food, it is a good idea to order directly from local farmer, shop at markets and buy fruits in season. Buying from stores near our houses is also a good choice, because we can go there without driving a car.

Look into what the company tells us about their product. It's easy to say that a product is "green" or "all natural" but the words may be too good to be true. So, much of the information about a product should be taken with a grain of salt. After all, companies try to make us believe that their products are environmentally responsible.

The greenest thing is certainly the one we don't buy. Things like food and clothing are necessary for life. But many others are not. Better than buying is choosing to leave an unnecessary product in the store and doing without. It sends a message to the producer, keeps money in our pockets, reduces waste and keeps the planet healthy.

Little George lived in a poor village. One summer day George's mother sent him to the field to pick up some dried wood for the fire.

George looked very hard. By the time the sun was high, he was very hot and wished for a cool place to rest and have some food. As he walked along, he found some shade, and by it were some fine, wild strawberries.

"How good these will be with my bread and butter," thought George. He picked up all of the strawberries. As he was lifting the first strawberry to his mouth, he remembered his sick mother, alone in her dark, cold room in the village.

With this in mind, he put the strawberry back again." Shall I save them for her?" he asked himself.

He thought how refreshing they would be for her, yet was still looking at them with a longing eye.

"I will eat half, and take the other half to her," he said. He divided them into two heaps (堆), but each heap looked so small. He put them together again.

"I will only eat one," he thought. But, as he again lifted it to his mouth, he saw that he had taken the finest, and he put it back.

When the sun was beginning to sink, George set out for home. How happy he felt, then, that he had all his strawberries for his sick mother.

He heard his mother's faint voice calling him." Is that you, George? I am glad you have come back. I am thirsty, and am longing for some tea." George ran to her and joyfully offered his wild strawberries.

"And you saved them for your sick mother, didn't you?" said she, laying her hand fondly on his head, with tears in her eyes.

Would you like to try writing a poem? Maybe you think it is impossible especially if you do not think you are naturally creative. But if you follow the steps below, you can also write a better poem than you expected. You will be proud to share it with your friends.

◆. Find the theme that you are interested in. Start your poem with a clear idea

"Love and friendship" is always the theme for a poem.

◆.Get your creative minds working by picking a poetic form. You may choose a poetic form that you find easy.

◆.You should always try to describe something using the five senses. They are smell, taste, touch, sight and sound. Using imaginations will lead your readers into the world of your poem and make images (意象) come alive for them.

◆.You could use "the heart of stone", "as white as snow" and so on. With these expressions, your poem will be different. They can make your poem a piece of wonderful work to your readers.

◆. Once you have completed a poem, you should read it aloud to yourself. Notice how the words sound on the page. Pay attention to how each line of your poem moves into the next smoothly. Keep a pen close by so you can mark any lines or words that sound difficult or strange.

The day that I will always remember is when I ran my first 10km.While putting my toe on the starting 1, I felt my heart drop to my stomach. However, I would need my heart, because in running, when you run out of your 2, you just run with your heart.

That day the 3 was cool and fresh, and my courage had arrived. The race was about to start. Bang! The 4 of the starting gun ran into the air. I took off running, fast like the wind. I knew it would be a really great 5 for me. In the first four miles, I felt like a cheetah (猎豹). I felt 6 and forceful in my pace.

Then came the fifth mile. My legs 7 like jelly (果冻), and I could feel fire burning in my lungs, "keep 8 !" the thought ran through my head. Now was the time I had to run with my 9. I had to win although I didn't know whether I would 10 it. My body really wanted to 11 , but my heart told me not to. I think it's the important thing about running. The real run starts when you want to 12.

I saw the finishing line and I felt like an Olympic runner who was about to win the race. I had 13 been happier, and felt proud too when I had my 14 put around my neck. Running is one of the most challenging things for life, 15 I believe nothing is impossible as long as you put your heart into it.

Cable ties(扎带), bottle caps, and colorful pieces of plastic-these would be rubbish to most of us. But 34-year-old Flora Blathwayt saw them  treasure and art. She even set up a company selling greeting cards  (make) of them this year.

Flora likes to make something by hand, and she always  (care) about environmental protection. On a clean-up trip to London's river the Thames, she was shocked  (see) the rubbish in the river. After that, she decided to do something with it. Then she started to use the rubbish to make "green" greeting cards.

She first made a card for her  (sister) wedding. On the card, it was a car with lots of colorful pieces of plastic. Following the success of the card, she then  (begin) to make some for other family members and friends. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she lost her job. Then she turned  (she) hobby into a full-time business. A card sells for $6, and each one has  (word), showing where the plastic rubbish is from.

Flora hopes her cards can help people know about plastic pollution in a fun way. In fact, even the simplest  (day) activities can have a big influence on the environment. She also hopes her small business is doing its bit—even  it's just reminding people of the problems we still face.