浙江省新目标（Go for it）版2021年中考英语模拟卷（4）

    The world uses about a thousand million(百万) tons of water a day. Water is a human right and everyone should have their share. Yet more than 700 million people around the world have trouble getting clean, safe water.

    Treating wastewater is a good way to provide fresh water for us. And it, also helps the environment by keeping waste out of rivers and oceans. 80% of wastewater around the world is not treated at all, and it is running into oceans. But now we have got the technology to treat and reuse the wastewater.

While 75% of our planet is covered with water, only about 2% is fresh water一that comes from rivers, lakes, ice and snow. The rest, 98% of the water, is in seas and oceans. It is too salty to drink. Then desalination (淡化) businesses come in. More than 19,000 factories have been built around the world, mostly in coastal countries. They process (加工) more than 92 million tons of water every day. But the technology they use requires a lot of energy.

    Scientists are working to create a less costly technology. They want to produce 20 times more clean water and make sure everyone has enough. But for now, the world still faces each day with not having enough water for everyone.

    Lots of times, Pap would lock me in the wooden house and go away. Pap was pretty careful not to leave a knife or anything in the cabin while he was gone. But I finally got something — a saw, and started sawing hard to help myself out. As soon as I heard Pap coming up from town, I hid the saw and waited. He came in angrily, "Get out to the boat and get what I brought from town."

    It was good to be outside again, even if it was for just a few minutes. If I wanted to, I could take off running right now. I'd just run away, but that's when Pap yelled, "Boy, are you asleep or drowned?"

    At dinner time, Pap'd drank too much and fell asleep on the floor. I thought about taking the key from his pocket quietly, but he was having a restless sleep. I waited for him to settle down, but then I got too tired and fell asleep.

    It was after sunup when Pap woke me. "Get out there and catch us some fish," he ordered. I headed out and saw something else floating toward me in the river. It was a canoe (独木舟). I jumped in and swam over to it. It was empty inside, then I had a good idea. I pulled that canoe up and hid it behind some bushes. When I had my chance, I'd go down the river in the canoe. No one would ever find me.

    Pap got angry when he saw me back, wet all over. So I got locked inside the cabin again. Once Pap set off for town, I had my chance.

    When I was ready to run off through the hole I cut with the saw, I realized Pap would know I'd run away. So I smashed the door with an ax. Then I found a wild pig lying dead in the woods and dripped some of its blood on the cabin floor. I pulled out some of my hair and dropped it on the floor, too.

    Many pets got separated from their families almost two years ago, when Superstorm Sandy hit the East Coast. A New Jersey family was one of them. They lost their dog. He got away from their backyard during the storm.

    Chuck James said that his family searched for the brown-and-white dog named Reckless for months after the October 2012 storm. Reckless was a cute dog which brought much pleasure to the whole family, and the youngest daughter Tiffany loved him most. They played together, watched TV together, ate popcorn together and Reckless even saw Tiffany off when she headed for the kindergarten every morning. Chuck James kept on searching for the lovely dog in e very possible way, but no luck.

    "We reported him missing and called the shelters from time to time, just hoping they had him," James said. "We always kept our hopes up, but finally it was time to move on."

    James said the family had planned to get a new dog. The dog was to be a tenth birthday surprise for their eldest daughter, Ally. The family of five went to the Monmouth County SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) to adopt a new animal. When James and his wife walked close to the first cage, they saw a familiar face inside.

    "He was a little bigger than I remembered because they had fed him well," James joked. "But then he was lying on my wife's feet and I knew it was him. It was unbelievable. I know this dog is meant to be with our family."

    When SPCA officials asked if they could prove the animal was their dog, a friend sent a selfie showing the family with their dog before Sandy hit the East Coast.

    "We're all so happy to have him back," James said. The family is living in a hotel while their home is being repaired. This weekend, the Jameses went on a camping trip with Reckless to celebrate the dog's return.

    Monkeys seem to have a way with numbers.

    A team of researchers trained three Rhesus monkeys to associate 26 clearly different symbols made up of numbers and selective letters with 0-25 drops of water or juice as a reward. The researchers then tested how the monkeys combined—or added—the symbols to get the reward.

    Here's how Harvard Medical School scientist Margaret Livingstone, who led the team, described the experiment: In their cages the monkeys were provided with touch screens. On one part of the screen, a symbol would appear, and on the other side two symbols inside a circle were shown. For example, the number 7 would flash on one side of the screen and the other end would have 9 and 8. If the monkeys touched the left side of the screen they would be rewarded with seven drops of water or juice; if they went for the circle, they would be rewarded with the sum of the numbers—17 in this example.

    After running hundreds of tests, the researchers noted that the monkeys would go for the higher values more than half the time, showing that they were performing a calculation(计算), not just remembering the value of each combination.

    When the team studied the results of the experiment more closely, they noticed that the monkeys tended to underestimate(低估)a sum compared with a single symbol when the two were close in value—sometimes choosing, for example, a 13 over the sum of 8 and 6. The underestimation was systematic: When adding two numbers, the monkeys always paid attention to the larger of the two, and then added only a fraction(小部分)of the smaller number to it.

    "This shows that there is a certain way number is represented in their brains, "Dr. Livingstone says. "But in this experiment what they're doing is paying more attention to the big number than the little one. "

    Ever since COVID-19 began, it has stopped most people from leaving their homes, including students. Most schools across China have moved to online classes since Feb 17. Through livestreaming (直播课), many students have been able to go back to school online.

    Zhao Yuchen, 13, Beijing

    To me, the biggest headache about studying online is the connection of the Internet. Sometimes, I can't hear my English teacher's voice and I have to connect again. It wasted lots of time. Since then, I have checked my network before class every day and asked other family members not to use the internet while I'm having a class.

    Lin Xiyu, 14, Shanghai

    Studying at home has made it hard for me to plan my schedule at first. Planning ahead and creating a study calendar is important. You need to know how much time each task will take, such as reviewing your lessons, asking questions, taking notes, and making a to-do list for your homework. These are all good ways to help us learn better online.

    Zhang Penghui, 15, Heilongjiang

    Online learning takes strong self-discipline (自律) and willpower (意志力). There are lots of distractions (分心) while studying at home. My mom likes to offer me snacks and drinks, which sometimes distracts me from listening during my classes. I have asked her to stop

Disturbing (打扰) me while I'm studying. A quiet room and clean desk can help us.

    Born into a farmer's family, life was not easy when I was a kid. We were so 1 that we often did not know where our next meal was coming from. I had to 2 cabbages at the marketplace to support my family.

    A 3 once came to the marketplace, and I went to listen to him. My mother was 4 with me for forgetting my job. But that night, while she was making clothes for us under the weak light of an oil lamp, I couldn't help 5stories I'd heard that day. She listened 6At first, since in her eyes professional storytellers were smooth-talking(花言巧语的) men—7good ever came out of their mouths. 8 slowly she was attracted by my retold stories, and from that day on, she never gave me any task on market days, which is a silent 9 for me to enjoy new stories. As a repayment(回报) for Mother's kindness and a way to 10 my memory, I'd retell the stories for her in lively detail. Soon, she wasn't the only member of my audience, which later included my elder sisters, my aunts, 11 my stubborn grandmother.

I knew she was 12 me. Talkative kids are not well thought of in our village, for they can bring trouble to themselves and to their 13 when they talk too much. Mother often 14 me not to talk so much, wanting me to be a silent and modest teenager. 15, my natural desire(渴望) to talk never went away, and that is what makes my name — Mo Yan, which means 'no speaking'. This strong wish to talk also improved my ability to express myself, which is important for writers who are also considered as storytellers.

Her handmade life

    In 2019，Li Ziqi won Person of the Year in the category of cultural influence awarded（"2019年度文化传播人物"）by China Newsweek.

    more than 21 million fans on Sina Weibo and 7 million followers on video-sharing site YouTube, Li has made a name for  (she) in a series of videos that show off a traditional Chinese way of life in rural Sichuan province. She is doing her part to let (many) people know about Chinese culture.

    Li seems to be a master of all kinds of  (skill) —cooking, painting, designing and farming. She grows plants and raises silkworms to make a quilt  her grandmother. She really cares for the old. Many videos show her picking seasonal ingredients from her own garden  cooking them up with her wood-fired wok. A warm bowl of soup for the winter, a lighter plate of noodles for the summer, Li follows the (season) in her cooking, and makes food suitable for the particular climate.

    Her handmade lifestyle is  fantasy（幻想） for many people. When they watch Li Ziqi's videos at the end of a busy day, they may also want to relax and experience something nice to take away some of their anxiety and stress.

    "Li  (lead) a life that many dream of, but don't dare to give up their current life in exchange for," iFeng.com wrote. Li Ziqi tells the stories of China's culture and that of China. The  (succeed) also comes from her "passion for life, for her home and for her culture".

    "The more, the merrier (愉快的)."You may have heard the old saying. It's usually (真实的) , but not for travel. When it comes to travel, I say, "The more, the messier."

    I first made the plan about the travel a few years ago. I bought the (最便宜的) airline ticket I could find: the Philippines. It turned out great! Once, I went on a long hike and (错过) the last bus back to town. No problem! Because I was traveling alone, I was able to ride with some Swiss tourists who only had one (空的) seat in their car. Traveling alone, I was never really alone at all. It was easier to meet people. I (交际) with everyone I met.

    I can really understand why people like to travel alone. It's easier to plan. Just pack your bag and go (直接地) to your dream place. If you go with other people, you'll have to think about your time and (钱) . Besides freedom, for some people, solo travel is a journey for the mind and soul (灵魂). They believe solo travel helps them (避免) different kinds of problems of daily life and (社会的) activities. "I need peace. I need quiet,"" said Suzanne Joinson in the Telegraph.

"And most of all, I really, really need to be alone."

    US (作家) Henry Rollins once said: "Loneliness adds beauty to life. It puts a special burn on sunsets and makes night air smell better."

要求：⑴80词左右。

⑵字迹工整，语法正确，意思连贯，可适当发挥。

We should be thankful