北京市2023届九年级秋季英语开学摸底考试卷

It was January 2021. My second term in high school had just ended. Two weeks earlier, my parents checked my grades and 1 more than 20missing tasks. 

Bright and able as I was, I had often struggled（挣扎）with 2 and procrastination（拖延）, especially with writing tasks. But this time was different, and the pandemic（疫情）was to blame. I was doing my first year partly from home where I did my schoolwork on my own time, and, for the most part, without teacher guidance. 

The 3 was too much. I could do a million other things rather than my homework. I told my mom what I was missing from my teachers and classmates, "When a teacher walks around the classroom, you want to be on task, and you don't want to fall behind the other students. "

My parents tried to help, but their 4 fell far short of their expectations. Tired from working long days, they criticized rather than advised. Late-night learning hours ended in 5 matches. All three of us were upset and stressed out. 

We knew we couldn't solve this alone. So when my mom heard that Steve Merrill, an experienced teacher, could help, she 6 out.

Mr. Merrill told me that his students also had problems in the same areas: task organization and time management. He taught me to break down big tasks into small ones. We met twice a week, over video, where we could look over my tasks and put the skill into practice. After a few months, I started to see positive results. My grades were improving. My work habits were becoming more regular. There were 7 late-night learning hours and fights. 

The other eveningI came downstairs to ask my parents for help with a writing task. There was something different. I had 8 most of it two days before the deadline! While I don't expect this school year to be easy, I now have some of the tools I need to help me through it.

As for long-distance (距离) holidays, there are some wonderful places that actually offer you great value for your money, especially for those who do not hope to empty their pockets after a holiday. 

Tokyo, Japan

Food lovers should go to this busy city which has the lowest cost for eating out-you can even buy two evening meals (three dishes for each), with a bottle of wine, for just under $34. It's even cheaper than in Osaka. For sightseeing (观光) there are plenty of free museums and wonderful places, while tour bus ticket prices start from as little as $11. 56.

Bangkok, Thailand

The capital of Thailand is second to none as the best value long-distance city. Although there isn't a big difference across all prices compared to the other cities, it is accommodation (住宿) that really makes it stand out. If you're only stopping for a long weekend, then make sure to pay a visit to the mysterious temples (寺庙).

Dubai, UAE

Although Dubai does have a fame for being quite the splurge (挥霍金钱) when it comes to holidays and if you're going to enjoy shopping or experience the amusement parks, it is in fact quite worth the money. The city also offers some cheaper prices across its museums, theaters and amazing places as well as airport transfers(接送).

The Secret of a Long Life

I am Peter Brown. I am a writer with an important magazine. The other day I saw a white-haired man sitting on the chair in front of his house. I could see the wrinkles (皱纹) in his face and neck, and his wrinkled hands. Articles on the secrets of living to an old age are always popular with our readers, so I decided to write a story and discover the secret of this man's long life. As I went near him, I said:

"Sir, would it be okay if I talked with you for just a moment?"

"Not at all. Actually, it would make me very happy. I get very bored sitting here, even for a short time. Until a little while ago, I lived a full and active life without a moment's rest. "

"Well, they say that a lot of activities help one to live a long time. "

"That's true, very true. I still feel very well, although my step has slowed down a little. "

The conversation continued in that way for a while. Although I tried to be very thoughtful about getting information from older people, it seemed to me that it would now be all right to begin to ask some polite questions. 

"Would it be okay if I smoked?"

"Not at all. "

"I'd offer you one, but I suppose you probably don't smoke, or drink, or..."

"You're wrong! I've always smoked a great deal. And until a little while ago, I went dancing every night. And as for alcoholic drinks..."

"Do you mean to say that you've done these things all your life?"

"Of course. Why does that surprise you so much?"

"I've always been told that doing those things is bad for the health. "

"Nonsense!"

"I suppose that you have another secret...a lot of fruit...vegetables...a lot of exercise in the fresh air..."

"Don't be silly! I hate exercise in the fresh air, and I don't like any kind of vegetable. "

"This is unbelievable!"

"What do you mean, unbelievable? What are you talking about?"

"It's just that I can't understand how you've been able to live like that and to have lasted so long. Tell me, how old are you?"

"Me? I'm twenty-eight. Why?"

What does it mean to be green? 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 (关注). 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 (回收利用). We can also look for less packaging or even choose unbagged products whenever possible.

Location (地点) 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 (减少) waste and keeps the planet healthy.

Handwriting is gradually becoming a dying art. Most college students type nearly everything. Elementary and high schools across the country now view typing courses as the main choice. But what are we losing as handwriting loses its significance（重要性）in society? It's brain power, according to some studies.

Researchers from Princeton University and the University of California conducted a series of studies to prove the differences between students who wrote out their notes and those who typed notes. Participants（参与者）took notes on a lecture using one of the two methods and were tested on the material 30 minutes after the lecture and again a week later. The results of the research appeared in Psychological Science. The authors of the study noted that, while past studies on this topic tended to focus on the distractions（干扰）that resulted from using a computer, in this study, participants were using the laptops only to take notes. And handwriting still emerged as（成为）the champion. 

That's not to say that typing doesn't have its benefits. ClearvueHealth recently took a deep dive into the findings of a study to assess pros and cons（评估利弊）of writing and typing. The typists could copy down significantly more words than the writers. But while more of the lecture's content was retained in the computer when typing. The tests that the participants took proved this. On the test 30 minutes after the lecture, typists and writers did more or less equally well on questions about the basic facts of the lecture, but typists faltered（结巴）when it came to more conceptual questions. Students who take handwritten notes need to quickly process the lesson and rewrite it in a way they can understand, giving them an advantage in remembering new concepts（概念）in the long term.

As for the later quiz, well, the results were similar. Students with handwritten notes were able to remember and still understand the concepts of the lecture after a week had passed. These participants were also more open to understanding new ideas. Clearly, writing by hand can make you smarter. 

Computers aren't going away anytime soon, but that doesn't mean paper notebooks need to become obsolete. If your goal is to be able to set down facts, the efficiency of typing might best benefit you. But when it comes to truly dissecting（剖析）information, truly learning from it in the sense of making connections between analyzing the material, and retaining it in the long run, writing by hand is a better choice.

Teens Making a Difference

The power of teens is making an influence. These students are showing they have a valuable talent for inspiring younger children to do their best. 

Tutors (辅导教师) Program

Younger children sometimes are worried about their homework. In one Seattle after-school program, student tutors come to help. They help the children with artworks when their homework is done. The younger students are happy to get help with their homework. They are even happier to get the attention of older students. 

The younger students say the tutors are great role models. The student tutors say they get a great experience from working with younger children. It gives them confidence and improves their communication skills. 

Youth Coaches Program

What's better than a play day at school? A play day with teen coaches! Just ask the six hundred students at a Florida primary school. Each year, they spend a special day with some of high school athletes.

The teens teach all kinds of athletic skills. Some children learn to play basketball while others learn to play tennis or football. The teens also take time to explain how they balance sports and schoolwork and the young listeners hang on every word the teens say!

Dance Teachers Program

When parents in one Boston community were asked what they wished their children could do after school, they said, "Dance!" They probably wouldn't predict what happened next. Six teens volunteered to learn Latin dance. They wanted to teach the children in the community how to dance!

The teens formed a group and began sharing the dance steps they learned. The program grew quickly. More teens became teachers and more youngerchildren learned to dance. For the younger children, it was a chance to spend time with teen role models that they admired. Today, the program is a big success. Over three hundred children take part in the classes every year.