浙江省新目标（Go for it）版2021年中考英语模拟卷（5）

    Long time ago, there was a contented king called Claudio, who never seemed to be sad and upset. All the people that ever met him thought everything was 1 in his world. No one knew the reason of the king's happiness was from his evening 2. Every night, the chef prepared king's favorite food—pizza for him.

    A musician tried to please the king. Since he failed to do so with his playing, he tried 3 way. He said, "My daughter can turn animals into clothing." The king didn't respond.

    The musician continued, "She can change 4 into diamond."

    "Now, that is the best 5 to my ears. I shall see this girl's 6 for myself tomorrow!" Immediately, King Claudio asked his servants to 7 every tree in the country.

    Early the next morning, the King told the girl, "8 by tomorrow morning you have not changed wood into diamond, you shall die."

    On the third day, the king saw the diamond in surprise. Greed (贪婪) 9 in his heart. "This girl can do everything!" he thought. So he asked people to gather all the water and let the girl turn the water into silver.

    At daybreak of the fourth day, the king got lots of silver. He then ordered his servants to get all the wheat. "If you can change this wheat into gold," he 10 the girl, "I shall set you free."

    Sure enough, the girl made it for the third time. Then she ran away as 11 as she could, wondering what would happen later.

    On the evening of that day, King Claudio could hardly wait for his 12 dinner. Instead, the chef said, "I'm 13. Your Highness. But you used up all the trees that I needed for the oven fire. You used up all the water and wheat that I needed to 14 the pizza. There can be no more pizza!

    King Claudio, in spite of his gold, silver, and diamond, did not 15 a smile on his face ever after.

    Parents, teachers and others who deal closely with teenagers know how difficult the teenage years can be, as teenagers always do wild and even dangerous things. Now, brain-imaging technology allows scientists to study the physical development of the brain in more detail to learn why teenagers act differently from adults.

    Recently, scientists discovered that though our brains are almost at their full size by the age of six, they are far from fully developed. Only during teenage years do our brains truly "grow up". During this time, they go through great changes. These changes were once thought to be finished by age 12. Now, scientists have found our brains continue to change till age 25. The result is the unpredictable actions seen in teenagers.

    The studies show that teenagers prefer to take more risks and act in more dangerous ways. One way the brain does this is by changing the way teenagers think of risk and reward. When teenagers think about rewards, their brains produce more chemicals that create pleasure than an adult brain would. Researchers believe this makes the rewards seem more important than the risks, and makes teenagers feel more excited about the new experiences than adults do.

    Research also found it makes social connections seem especially rewarding. Generally speaking, teenagers have a stronger need to meet new people. This is because teenagers begin to realize the people of the same age may one day control the world they live in. Because it's still developing, a teenage brain can change to deal with new situations. So, it connects social rewards with even more pleasure. In this way, the brain encourages teenagers to have a wide circle of friends, which is believed to make them more successful in life.

    Unluckily, this hunt for greater rewards can sometimes lead teenagers to make bad decisions. However, it also means teenagers are less afraid to try new things. The teenage brains are what help teenagers prepare for adult life.

    Some students expect to be able to "relax" for their four years at university. Now, they are receiving(comfortable) "wake-up calls." Lazy students at big universities like Peking and Fudan are being "asked to stop"—to leave the university(quick).

    It's a common belief in China that once (一旦) you've been accepted by a university, you will be promised to graduate. Your teachers may even tell youyou must study hard to pass the zhongkao and then the gaokao. Once you've jumped these hurdles and crossed the finish line, there will be no more pressure. University life willa piece of cake.

    There is some truth to this. During junior and senior high schools, you(require) to do lots of exercises or take weekly tests. Yet at university, there is not much homework. And there is no pressure to be "top of the class." But universities require you to complete tasks, such as article, on time. And (you) must pass mid-term and final. In the past, many universities were less strict about these requirements. Failedexam? Don't worry! You would be allowed to take an easier one again.

    Some universities, however, think making life(easy) for students than before isn't a good idea. Allowing students to leave the university no smarter than when they entered it isn't really helping them. It also makes the diploma (文凭) less valuable and(hurt) the fame of the university.

    Getting knowledge is the purpose of education at all levels, from primary schooluniversity. And there is no "easy" way to get knowledge except through hard work.

    Did the wind ever blow your hat away? Did you ever drop your notebook on a windy day? How many important pages did you lose? Wind is moving air. It can pick up light materials and carry them far away.

    Wind is a force of erosion(仗蚀). It can carry away small

martials such as dust particles(灰尘微粒) and sand particles from the earth's surface. However, wind itself does not cause much erosion. Most "wind" erosion is done by particles which are cried by wind. Wind is an important natural force of erosion in dry places.

    Wind can easily pick up sand particles. When they are blown against rocks, the sand particles hit the rocks in the wind. This happens over and over again. Little by lite, the rocks wear down.

    The particles which are carried by wind not only cause erosion, they also build up. What is carried away by the wind in one place will drop somewhere else.

    When wind slows down, it drops the materials that it is carrying. When sand is dropped, it builds up and becomes dunes(沙丘). Sand dunes are common in deserts and on beaches. Some dunes can be harmful. They can bury(埋) farms and homes, even whole towns.

    Wind carries dust particles higher and farther than it carries sand. Thick deposits of wind-blown dust may also build up. The wind-blown dust is called loess(黄土). Loess deposits are found in Washington State and Oregon State.

    Sometimes people plant grasses and trees to try to stop wind erosion. How does this help? The roots of plants help to hold down soil and other particles found on the ground.

    "Why do I live? Why do I wish for anything, or do anything? Is there anything in my life that will not be destroyed by my death?" Like Leo Tolstoy, the famous Russian writer, many people ask these difficult questions. Tolstoy spent his whole life trying to answer these difficult questions.

    As a young man, he thought people could achieve perfection if they tried hard enough. So he worked very hard to be the best in everything. He thought that he would find meaning and truth in success.

    In 1850s. Tolstoy wrote his first stories. He wrote about his life in the army. He also told stories about his childhood. These works were published and Tolstoy became a well-known writer.

    He earned the respect he always wanted. Many rich and smart men met and talked with Tolstoy. Some of them were writers like him. They talked a lot about faith ( 信仰) and the meaning of life. But soon Tolstoy recognized that these men were not perfect. Now he knew they could not answer his questions about faith.

    So in the 1860s, Tolstoy tried a different way to find the meaning of life. He opened a school for the children of his serfs-the people who worked on his land. These workers were very poor. He wanted to help them because he thought they were more honest than the rich people he knew.

    Tolstoy learned a lot from his workers. He understood how they worked hard to support their families. He began to believe that marriage and family would give his life meaning. So in 1862, Leo Tolstoy married a young woman named Sonya Behrs.

    The next 15 years were the best years of Tolstoy's life. It was during this time that he wrote his most famous books-War and Peace and Anna Karenina. Many experts say that War and Peace is one of the greatest books ever written. In these books, Tolstoy believed humans should live a simple life and take care of their families. Tolstoy thought this would satisfy him and bring him happiness.

    Leo Tolstoy is still a very respected writer today. His faith and writings have influenced many people all over the world.

—Really? Are there no d between them?