浙江省宁波市余姚市2020-2021年八年级下学期英语期末试卷

When I was studying at university, I tried my best to win the Beto Award (贝托奖), which was given to those who finished their schooling with the highest grades. I got very high marks one very1. I just missed 100 marks by one or two every single time. I did get a few 100 marks but the one 96 and the 97.5 marks2 me like a big hammer(锤子).

Why was I so crazy about getting3 grades? Perhaps I was a perfectionist. I was the kind of person who didn't4anything less than perfection while my classmates would be full of joy to get 85 marks. Finally, I didn't win the award. I 5 it by an inch that might as well have been a mile.

What standards (标准) do we set for6? What's the biggest and most important thing in our life? I didn't have the answer.

One day I walked out to the riverside to do exercise. Our neighbors don't7 show up to walk along the river, maybe once or twice a year. I was 8 under a tree when a woman, one of my neighbors, went out of her house. She fixed her eyes on me 9I guessed she had never seen anyone kicking(踢) his legs 6-7 feet high.

I apologized if I had10 her, for I got up early. Then the woman asked me," How high can you kick your legs?"" I said, "I have no11. "l saw a lower branch on the tree (perhaps close to 7 feet) and I 12 to kick it. I tried hard but missed.

What a shame! However, the woman didn't13 me. She just said, "Miss it or not, that is impressive(感人的). "I thought about that 14I was sitting alone in my room. I didn't feel so bad any more. And I remember her 15 for long. It is a new saying l learned from her.

Life is all about learning! We learn from our mistakes and misses. You're right in the ball park if you get close. Just keep trying!

A city's landmark is usually the first thing that causes tourists' attention. It is a symbol of the city. Different cities have different styles of architecture. But a landmark means the most famous of it.

"We are running out of space and the only places to go to are other worlds... Spreading out maybe the only thing that can save us from ourselves. I believe that humans need to leave Earth. "These are the words of the famous scientist Stephen Hawking, spoken at a science festival in 2017.

   ▲    Many experts also think that the only way for humans to go far into the future is to take control of other planets. Mars(火星) is one of the most attractive places humans have thought about. NASA, the United Arab Emirates, the private company SpaceX, and the organization Mars One all have plans to send humans there. "Either we spread out to other planets, or we risk dying out, "SpaceX founder Elon Musk said.

But not everyone agrees that moving to Mars or other planets is such a great plan. The most common argument against spreading is that it's just too expensive or dangerous. It will take a lot of money and other effort just to get people there, let alone set up a place for them to live. It's not even clear if humans could survive(生存) on Mars.

Maybe all the time and money people would pour into a Mars program would be better spent on more urgent ones here on Earth, like dealing with environmental protection. Some experts argue that dealing with a problem while staying here on Earth would be much easier and less expensive than surviving on a new planet.

What's more, moving to a new planet could harm or destroy(破坏) anything that already lives there. Mars seems deserted, but it could possibly have microbial life. Human visitors may destroy this life or change or damage the environment on Mars forever. Some feel it's too much of a risk to leave Earth.

You should always support (支持) your kids and their natural talents. And if you do this, great things will happen.

That's what 9-year-old Joe Whale's parents thought when they encouraged their son to keep drawing, even though he got into trouble for doodling during class. They sent Joe to an after-school art class and his artistic abilities were quickly noticed by those around him.

Now, Joe is known as The Doodle Boy and has his own website, as well as social media pages showing off his fantastic art. We spoke to Joe's dad Greg about his son's artistic talents. According to Greg, his son has always loved drawing and was a talented artist in primary school at age 4.

Also, Greg had some advice for parents who want their kids to develop their talents: "I would advise parents to encourage their children to always follow their passion (酷爱) and dreams. "He said, "When their kids get into trouble for something at school, some parents tend to shut that behavior down. However, others know what to do with a talent that needs creative space to grow, so they give them what they need. "

Joe's teacher realized his talent and posted his work on Instagram. His drawings caught the eye of the" Number 4" Restaurant in Shrewsbury, which asked him to come over and decorate (装饰)their walls with his doodles. Now, his dad drives him there so he can draw his heart eat. Who knew that drawing in an after-class program would lead Joe to get his first job at only 9 years old "They wanted to get Joe into their restaurant to complete an art piece in their main dining area so we have been going there after school for a couple of hours a night and he gets a chance to put his creativity on their wall," Greg said.

According to the website, Self-Sufficient Kids, it's unbelievably important to support whatever talents and dreams your children might have; even if what they're good at doesn't match your imagination of their future.

My mother is a teacher, and I grow up with the challenges a teacher faces. I often asked her, "Why do you teach? What keeps you teaching?" The answer was always the same: "My dear daughter, there is always that one child, that one moment that is worth(值得) it. "

Now, I am a teacher, too. But different from my mother, I teach students challenging activities outdoors. And when my mother asked me the similar questions, my answer was: "It's that one child, that one special moment."

One of those moments happened recently. I was working with a group of girls in a four-week program. Everything went on well through the" Team" events and we were moving on to a "High" one called the Wire Walk(走钢丝).

In the Wire Walk, each girl had to climb up the pegs in a tree to a wire, 8 meters high, and then walk across it. Of course, everything was safe for sure.

When I asked who would try first, a few girls raised their hands, and they finished the Wire Walk with little difficulty.

But when it was Susie's turn, it seemed that she didn't really want to. I asked Susie if she was ready. She answered softly, "I guess."

Now, Susie was at the foot of the tree. She started to make the long reach for the first peg. The other girls cheered for her. Then I found Susie was becoming nervous with every step. I realized she would not go much further. I talked quietly to Susie, trying to relax her.

Susie was halfway up. Then she stopped and held the tree tight (紧紧地), looking very afraid. Her eyes were closed. With her face against the tree, she cried, "I can't."

The other girls watched her in silence.

"I will still be your friend whatever. Susie!" Mary broke the silence.

To my surprise, Susie lifted her head and looked up to the wire. Then she turned to look do want Mary and smiled. Mary smiled back.

Finally, Susie made it all the way across that wire. When she returned to the ground, the first hug she looked for was from Mary. We all cheered.

Moments like this keep me doing what l do. The young hearts continue to fill me with courage.

Please help the Ruth Hayman Trust(露丝·海曼信托基金)

She was from South Africa. She fought for black people. In 1968 she moved to England, and started up English language classes for adults who had come to live in England. When Ruth died in1981, some teachers started a charity in her name to remember her.

Adults who:

●are over the age of 16

●learn English as a foreign language

●are now living in England

●don't have enough money to study

From 2016 to 2017 we helped hundreds of students from about 40 countries to study lessons such as medicine, English and computer.

Most of the money we give out is for lessons and exams and we also spend some money on books and other things like knives for cooking and scissors for cutting hair.

Naima, from Somalia, studied medicine with the help of the Trust. This helped her to get into a good university.

We raise money by ourselves. Some people give away money to us because they like what we do. We also hold many events such as concerts and sales to raise money. Naima, the girl who once got help from us, joined us in raising money later. She talked about how the Trust had helped change her life. But we don't have enough money. To continue helping people like Naima, we need to raise more money.

Please help by organizing a money-raising event in your college or in your neighborhood. We will help you say "thank you".