牛津版（深圳•广州）初中英语八年级下学期期中考试模拟试卷（4）

    When the Spring Festival falls, red flowers bloom (盛开) on the windows of my home. Of course, these are not1flowers. But in the cold of2, these wonderful flowers bring warmth to us. They are made of paper by my3, who is now aged 70. With a few cuts, she4a piece of paper into a beautiful work of art.

    When my grandma was young, she was considered clumsy (笨拙的) in the5. But on a cold winter night, she saw some beautiful red paper6on her new neighbour's windows. She was so interested in it and decided to7from her neighbour. Tons of paper was wasted, and her fingers were cut many times. But she8practising. It took 10 years9my grandma could make paper art skillfully (熟练地). The red flowers, blooming like burning fire, light up her world. Now, everyone in the village10her.

    My grandma's story has shown me what it takes to realize one's dream.

    Do you notice music playing there when you go somewhere? Today most stores, stations restaurants and other places play music. You might even hear music in an office or on a farm.

Scientists believe that music changes the way people behave. They think that Western classical music makes people feel rich. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend even less.

Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. In fact, people eat their food faster when the music gets faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This gets people to eat faster and leave more quickly. Restaurants can make more money this way.

Some scientists think that music makes people think and learn better. They say that music helps students be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help people relax.

    Next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might change the way you do things.

    When was the last time you gave or received a hug? Do your parents hug you before you go to school? In Western countries, it is quite common to greet close friends or relatives with a hug.

    You might hug your teammates after winning a basketball game. If one of your friends is having a bad day, you can hug him to cheer him up. Friends who haven't seen each other for a long time will usually hug each other when meeting.

    Of course, people in different countries have different opinions when it comes to hugging. After coming to China, I've noticed that Chinese people are generally more reluctant (不情愿的) to hug than those are in my home country, the USA.

    My Chinese friends told me that hugging is considered to be very intimate (亲密的) in their culture. It usually only happens between people who are really close to each other, like couples. Chinese people don't usually hug in public either.

    But people's attitudes towards hugging can also change. I remember watching a video story about a "hugging party" that was held in Shanghai. A local artist held the party, inviting strangers and asking them to hug each other.

    The Chinese participants clearly looked uncomfortable. However, after the party, several of them changed their minds. They decided that hugging doesn't have to be awkward (尴尬的) and can actually be quite nice. So next time you see your mum or dad, give her/him a hug—see how it makes you feel.

    On February 9th, Sarah Darling was walking along the street when she met a homeless man named Billy Ray Harris. She reached into her change purse, emptied out all the coins she had and gave them to the homeless man.

    Sarah didn't realize that she had given Billy not only all her change but also her diamond ring that she had put in her change purse earlier until the next morning. She and her husband, Bill Krejci, rushed to see if they could find Billy.The grateful couple paid him back for his honesty by emptying out their pockets of all the money they had.

    Bill Krejci, a web designer, felt that he needed to do something more for this amazingly honest man.In just four days, Billy received over $85,000.

    Billy is living with a person who is generous instead of living in the streets. And that's not all—Thanks to the news report, he got together again with his older brother, Edwin Harris who he had been unable to find for 27 years.

    He returned something that did not belong to him.

    You can seldom see homeless people on the street. Socould you do if you want to help them? Here are some (way).

    Donate (捐赠) money. The easiest way to help the homeless is (give) your money. When you want (do) that, you can donate your money to local organizations. Most charity organizations know where the most help is needed.

    Donate things. (donate) your used or new things is another easy way to help. Donate these things to local organizations which help the homeless or give them to homeless people you see often. The best things to donate include thingsprofessional clothing, new socks…

    Provide food. There are lots of ways that you can help homeless people get food. You can donate fresh fruitvegetables to local soup kitchens. You can also drop off bananas, apples, or sandwiches.

    Call emergency (紧急) services. If you see someone who may be a danger to the homeless (them) or others, call emergency services. If someone is (clear) having a serious problem, call for (help) too. If someone is in danger because of weather conditions, call emergency services as well.

要求：

1）可以适当发挥，文中不得出现真实姓名和学校名称；

2）语言通顺，意思连贯，条理清楚，书写规范；

3）词数：80左右。信的开头和结尾已经给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is Wang Hua. …

    I'm looking forward to your reply.

Yours sincerely,

Wang Hua