浙江省杭州市临安区2023年英语中考一模试卷

A blog by Frank, aged 15

I didn't like attention drawn to myself in class. Unless assigned (指定) a seat by the teacher, I always chose to sit at the back of the classroom.

All these changed after I joined a sports team. It began when a teacher suggested I join a Ping-Pong team. At first I refused because I couldn't even play Ping-Pong. But the teacher kept encouraging me "going for it", so I decided to give a try.

Getting up the courage to go to the tryouts (选拔赛) was only the half of it. Luckily, I passed them. Before attending the practice sessions (练习赛), all the players need to know the rules of the game. I was the only one "new" at the game, so I decided to do my best at each training. Soon I knew the rules and the "moves". Being part of a team was fun and encouraging. With time, I learned how to play and made friends in the process. I never had so much fun and was so confident!

Now I have more self-confidence in myself. Every time I meet problems, my teacher's "going for it" rings in my ears.

When did the first man appear? Although early humans didn't leave any written records, they left many paintings on the walls of the caves (洞穴) where they lived. From these paintings, we know that early humans walked on four limbs. Also, they did not live at one place but moved from place to place in search of food and water.

Without any tools, early humans used stones and wood to dig and cut their food. They also used these to protect themselves from animals. Because stones were used to make tools, this age was called Stone Age.

With time going, tools made of stones and wood were replaced (代替) with metal ones. Metals(金属) were also used for farming and making knives.

The first fire that early humans noticed was natural fire caused by lightning. With fire, early humans could now light up dark caves. They could keep themselves warm during cold weather and cook meat. Also the fire could drive animals away.

Early humans noticed new trees growing from the seeds (种子) that fell to the ground from the fruits. This gave them the idea that they could make their own food by planting seeds, which led to farming. With the beginning of farming, early humans began to live in one place. They moved out of the caves and lived on farms and near the fields together, then the first villages appeared.

Raising animals changed the life of early humans. The wild dogs were probably the first animal to be raised. As time went, goats, sheep, cows, and horses were kept, too. This led to herding (畜牧业).

Sea turtles (海龟) live in the sea most of the time. The beaches in Florida are home to sea turtles. Female sea turtles come here from the ocean to lay eggs. Then they return to the ocean. However, the number of some of these turtle species is falling. They are in danger. So people in Florida work together as a community to protect them.

Some volunteers take direct action to help the turtles. They look closely at the sand to find out where the sea turtles lay their eggs. Then they help bury (埋藏) the eggs in order to save them from being destroyed. They also help people who are studying sea turtles.

Florida's government has passed laws to save the turtles. One of these laws is "Florida's Marine Turtle Protection Act". This law prevents anyone from destroying sea turtles nests or eggs. It helps protect the turtles from dying out.

People also work together to save the turtles through organizations (组织) like the Sea Turtle Conservancy. For example, the bright light from buildings near the beach can influence sea turtles. The baby turtles may get lost. Many of them do not make it to the ocean and die. The Sea Turtle Conservancy works with house owners to make the lighting in their buildings sea turtle-friendly. They also advise people to turn off their lights at night if they live close to a beach.

In a word, everyone can do their part to protect sea turtles and their living places. People in Florida can work as volunteers to clean up the beaches and pick up their own litter. Everyone in the community has the power to make a difference!

Should I repair it or replace (更换) it when a much-used home appliance (家用电器) suddenly stops working? It is hard to decide.

Almost every family has faced this difficult question. There are so many things to consider, from the cost to the influence on the environment. However, you may not have much time to make a decision just imagine living without a fridge in the summer.

According to a recent survey, more than 94 percent of the 12500 participants (参与者) chose to repair a broken appliance. Only 6 percent chose to replace the appliance. Did they make a wise decision?

I think it is helpful for you to make a decision if you can work out the current (当前的) value of your appliance. When you buy a new home appliance, write down its cost and the number of years you expect it to last. Divide the cost by the number of years and you will know how much value the appliance loses each year. When the appliance breaks down, you can quickly work out its current value. If a repair costs more than the appliance's current value, you should buy a new one to replace the appliance. Otherwise (否则), you can consider repairing it.

According to this rule, if a washing machine breaks down when it is eight years old, you should replace it. For fridges, that number is nine. And for vacuum cleaners, it is seven. What do you think of this rule? How do you decide whether to repair a broken appliance or to replace it? Have you ever felt sorry about your decision?

How to achieve your goals?

We all have goals that are important to us. Do you want to know how to achieve them? Here are some useful tips for you.

Set one clear goal at a time for yourself. Without a clear goal, you may feel lost at the beginning. Make sure that it has personal meaning to you. Try to remember your goal as you try to achieve it.

The act of writing down what you are going to do is a strong motivator (动力). Use action verbs to write down your goals. Also record what your reward will be for achieving the goal.

Share your goal with a trusted friend or with your family and ask them for advice. The help from others will help you keep going, especially when you meet difficulties.

Small wins are a way to achieve a bigger goal. Break a big goal down into smaller and easier steps. You can finish your small goals in a short period each time. Small wins add up to big ones!

Being active and open can help you face difficulties. No matter how bad the situation is, you can always find something good in it. Believing that you can achieve your goals makes all the difference in your success.

A group of boys wanted to help some orphans (孤儿) .They planned to1money for them so that they could go to school.

They wanted to ask people for donations （捐赠）. The first man they2was a person sitting on a chair. They saw him through the door. He was scolding(责备) a boy for tearing (撕扯) a piece of unused paper into3. He was very angry and4the boy not to waste paper.

The boys didn't want to waste time there. When they decided to5away, the gentleman called them in and asked them to take a seat. They didn't know6to begin. They looked at one another when the gentleman asked the7of their visit. When they8him they wanted to collect money for the orphans, he asked them to wait. As they were waiting, hot snacks were9to them.

The gentleman gave an envelope to them and asked them to open it and have a look. They are10to see a check for $1,000,000. He told them to make good use of it and donate it to the local11. The gentleman knew that they were not going to enter the house12they saw him scolding the boy for wasting paper. He said to them, "I am not unkind, but saving what we have is a good13. We can spend every penny we save on the most14thing this way." That day the boys were extremely delighted. They couldn't thank15enough.

Do you find that you learn things faster than your parents sometimes? Congratulations, you could be right. Scientists have found the reason children learn faster than adults.

Scientists at Brown University, US, found that school-aged children learn new knowledge and (skill) faster than grown-ups. This has something to do with a chemical (化学物质) called GABA in our brains. It reduces brain noise so that we can learn things more (easy). It also (make) new knowledge stay longer in our heads.

The scientists scanned (扫描) the brains of children (8-11 years old) and adults (18-35 years old) before, during, and after doing learning task. It turned out that when children learn new things, the amount of GABA rises quickly. But there's little change in adults' brains. This tells us why children are (good) learners than adults.

The finding, the scientists said, should encourage teachers and parents (let) children learn anything from riding a bike playing an instrument in their childhood. It could also (use) to help adults learn faster by increasing the amount of GABA in 60. (they) brains. The best way of increasing GABA is to get enough sleep and exercise.

Dear Jack,

Li Ping