浙江省嘉兴市秀洲区2022-2023学年八年级下学期英语期中...

My day began when I saw my six-year-old son Jonathan doing something in the garden by my azalea bush (杜鹃花丛). By the time I got1, I found he'd broken it! It was my favorite!

"Can I take this to school?" he asked, smiling. Though a bit unhappy, I nodded. Then I turned back to the broken bush and 2 it as if to say silently, " I'm sorry. " Later I pruned (修剪) it with great care.

The rest of the day, I was busy doing endless housework. Time had passed by fast 3I realized it was already 3:00. Leaving the clothes in the washing machine, I hurriedly got to school to 4 Jonathan. When I got there, the teacher told me she wanted to talk about Jonathan.

What now? I thought.

I had prepared myself for the worst,5 the teacher's words greatly surprised me. " Did you know Jonathan brought 6 to school today? " she asked. I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush. " See that little girl?" the teacher 7_. I saw a bright-eyed child busily drawing a picture with crayons. I 8 again.

"Well, her parents are separated (分居的) and she has been 9 these days. I did all I could to comfort (安慰) her, but nothing10. This morning I watched your son walk over to11 with some pretty pink flowers and say, "This is for you". "

I felt my heart full of 12 for what my son had done. Holding Jonathan's hand, I said, "Thank you, you've 13 my day. "

I was warmed by the14 Jonathan showed to the little girl and I made up my mind to pass it on. Later that evening when my husband came back home from a tiring workday, I picked some pink azaleas and 15 them to him. "This is for you," I said.

Good photographers are like reporters. They record people's lives with cameras. They are also like artists or writers. Their photos can make people think or feel something.

I was 15 months old, a happy carefree kid, until the day I fell. It was a bad fall. I landed on a piece of glass that cut my eye badly. My mom found a doctor who knew that if the eye was removed, my face would look ugly. From then on, my injured, sightless, cloudy gray eye lived on with me.

Sometimes people asked me embarrassing (使人难堪的) questions. When kids played games, I was always the "monster". I grew up imagining that everyone looked down on (瞧不起) me.

Yet Mom would say to me, "Hold your head up high and face the world. " I began to depend on that saying.

As a child, I thought mom meant, "Be careful or you will fall down or bump into something because you are not looking. " As a teenager, I usually looked down to hide my shame. But I found that when I held my head up high, people liked me.

In high school I even became the class president, but on the inside I still felt like a monster. All I really wanted was to look like everyone else. When things got really bad, I would cry to my mom and she would look at me with loving eyes and say, "Hold your head up high and face the world. Let them see the beauty that is inside. "

When I met the man who became my husband, we looked each other straight in the eye, and he told me I was beautiful inside and out.

My mom's love was the sunshine that made me bright that gave me confidence. I had faced hardships, and learned not only to appreciate myself but also to have deep compassion (怜悯) for others.

"Hold your head up high" has been heard many times in my home. Each of my children has felt its invitation. I say it to my children. The gift my mom gave me will live on.

Sometimes, you just can't help it. Maybe you're watching a sad movie, or thinking about the friend who moved away. Why do people cry? What are tears (眼泪)？ Scientists are working hard to find the answers to these questions.

Ad Vingerhoets is a professor of psychology (心埋学) at Tilburg University, in the Netherlands. He is one of the few scientists in the world who has studied crying. According to Vingerboets, there are three kinds of tears. Basal tears are the first type. They act as a protective object between the eye and the rest of the world. Next are reflex tears. They wash your eyes clean when something gets in them. Finally, there are emotional tears. "They are connected with our feelings," explains Vingerboets. "Especially when we feel helpless. "

Scientists believe that crying has something to do with how humans developed and learned to depend on each other. "Humans are very complex (复杂的)，" says Lauren Bylsma, a professor from the USA. "It seems that tears serve to get help and support from others. " She says another reason we cry is that humans have the longest developmental period (时期) of almost any animal. It takes a long time for humans to grow up.

Vingerhoets _____________. "I think that the reason why humans cry has to do with our long childhood. " he says. "That's the time when we are still dependent on adults for love and protection and care. Tons ware a safer way to be noticed by others. In this case, it is better to use a silent signal to ask for help," he says.

Vingerhoets and Rylsma do lots of studies to better understand why humans cry. According to Bylsma, there is still much more to discover. "It's surprising." she says, "how much we still don't know."

I'm John. I have a grandfather in(法国), a little old, but still looks handsome. We have lived together for fifteen years. I always get on well with him. But last month he  (搬家) to the countryside. It is the place that he has (曾经) dreamed of. And he has (期盼) to work on the farm since about ten years ago. In his words, that is to (锻炼). He believes life lies in movements. When I was a kid, I had a lot of fun with my grandfather. We always talked about  (宇宙飞船)，the planets and the solar system. While talking, sometimes I couldn't help imagining flying in the (宇宙) with my grandfather. I knew it was impossible, but as a teenager, I still hoped it would come true. And we made many  (模型) planes, too. The planes we made were wonderful, and we were really (感到自豪的) of ourselves. As time goes by, he is now getting older and (虚弱). We can't share everything together any more. But in my eyes, he is still young and strong as well. He is my hero in my heart forever.

Learn to Rise Again

Have you ever lost yourself, especially when an accident happens? Maybe it is not always easy (discover) yourself. But if you do, you will have a new start.

From a young age, I had a strong sense of my future, skating was (important) than anything else in the world. I spent 24 hours a week (develop) my skills. So I was rewarded (回报) with the first place medals in nearly every competition.

an accident made a difference to everything. During one competition, I fell and hurt (I) badly. The doctor told me that I couldn't skate anymore. The pain in my back was hard to stand and even basic daily tasks (become) difficult for me. My confidence was taken away. I lost heart and wondered my future would be like. After eight months of suffering, I began to work as a volunteer in some local communities. By volunteering as swimming teacher for kids, I got an idea of who I wanted to become. Little little, my confidence came back.

Sometimes, accidents in life will get in our way. We can choose to stay behind or try to get past these accidents. For me, it is just an experience that has helped me to learn a lot. And the most important thing (be) that I learn to rise again.

Do you want to be the most popular person in the class? You don't need to change your character, you just need to improve your character. The most popular people are trusted and loved because they stay normal but still have something that makes them different from the rest of us. Here are some pieces of advice on how to become the most popular person in the class.

If you want others to like and respect (尊重) you, you have to start by liking yourself. Do not change yourself in order to please others.

Help people and do it happily. Being nice to people can make them happy.

Be active and have a positive attitude (积极的态度) to life. Develop confidence in yourself.

Stay clean and wear fresh clothes. Don't try to follow fashion to please others.

Big words or money can't bring respect. You have to get it by being honest (诚实的). It also helps your personal growth. You must be a person that can be trusted to get respect.

你的感受，用英语投稿给我们英语俱乐部。

注意：1. 短文必须包含所选主题的全部信息，并适当发挥；2. 文中不得出现真实的人名和校名等相关信息；3. 词数：80词左右：4. 开头已给出，不计入总词数

It is easy to catch a cold in spring and many people have been ill. I felt sick last week, too.