2023年浙江省中考英语真题分类汇编：阅读理解（第四题）

We all enjoy being part of a group-there's no better work than teamwork, right? Actually, I disagree. Teamwork can be hard. In fact, it was so difficult that I left my office job and started working from home on my own. It's a much better fit for me, and it has made me think about why teamwork can make our jobs harder rather than easier.

Personalities (个性) can make teamwork difficult. There's often someone on the team that puts their needs first. The team often goes along with this person, whose ideas might not be the best, just the loudest. Just one difficult personality can make teamwork hard. Combine (结合) several challenging personality types, and it's even harder.

 Not having enough time together can also make teamwork challenging. For example, I was once on a team where we never had enough time to meet as a group. To successfully work as a team, you need time together-and lots of it.  

A final reason teamwork is difficult is because there's often no training on how to work on a team. You can't just put people in a room and expect them to work well with each other. You need to build trust with your team members. Think of football players: They aren't just given a ball and told to play. They practice, and they train.

Team can be hard, but working alone has its challenges, too. When my computer doesn't work, I don't have an IT person to turn to. When I have a great idea, I don't have anyone to share it with to see if it really is a great idea. Don't get me wrong-I still like my team of one and enjoy making all of the important decisions myself. But now I realize what was wrong with the teamwork I did in the past and how good teamwork could be if done correctly. And that's useful information-because one day I might want to turn my ME TEAM into a WE TEAM.

Roger Federer, a world-famous sports star, quit(放弃) the 2020 Olympic Games to deal with his knee problem. It was a hard decision because no one wanted to be a quitter. But finding the courage to let go can be good for you. 

Nothing is fun all the time. Sticking at something difficult teaches us important skills like perseverance(毅力). However, learning to let go when things aren't right is important too. Maybe your heart isn't in playing the piano any more, or you only play football because your friends do and you want to try a different sport instead. Making the decision to walk away can free up time and energy to spend on something you really enjoy. In fact, studies show that letting go of goals you can't reach, or don't really want, can build up your confidence and help you lead a happier and healthier life. 

But how can you know it's time to stop and move on? Eric Bean is an expert in sports psychology(心理学) who helps athletes and teams understand their feelings. He says, "Quitting is never a matter of black and white." He suggests thinking carefully about why you aren't enjoying something any more. Is it because you've argued with a teammate or can't get on with a new art teacher? Talk about this with a trusted adult or friend. That can help you decide whether you should stay and stick, or quit and move on. 

Quitting doesn't have to mean totally giving up, though. For example, playing an instrument might be more fun if you take away the pressure of exams. If you do decide to give up an activity, Bean suggests picking up another where you can still enjoy things like teamwork, creativity, and exercise.

 The race is on to get more electric cars on the road. People predict that electric care might be more common in the future. But according to a 2021 survey by Pew Research Center. more than half of U.S. adults like gas-powered cars better. They say electric cars are expensive and charging（充电）them is a big problem, For now, most people plan to stick with gas-powered cars. We ask young readers what they think about electric cars.  

①Does life sometimes seem to be full of impossible problems? How many times, for example, do you find yourself saying things like "I really don't understand this Maths problem", or "I can't get into the school team"? Well, maybe it's time to introduce yourself to the power of "yet". By adding this simple word, you can change everything. "I really don't understand this Maths problem yet." "I can't get into the school team yet." Suddenly, the impossible becomes possible. You can imagine those things happening.

②I read about a school that has changed the way it marks its students' exams. The school find out that the old pass/ fail system wasn't helping students' motivation(积极性). If you passed, then great, but those students who didn't pass often felt like failures. So now students who don't pass the exams will not see a big red F on their papers; they see a "Not yet" instead. That way the students feel that they are on a journey. They haven't reached the end, but they know that they are going the right way.

③This kind of thinking is part of what experts call "having a growth mindset". People with a growth mindset don't concentrate on failure. They aren't worried by not getting things right the first time and are happy to keep trying until they do. They enjoy the challenge and believe they can change. In contrast, people who just focus on the failure have what the experts call "a fixed mindset". These people are always worried about failure and are happy to give up when things don't go right. They don't think that they are able to change. Clearly, it is better to have a growth mindset than a fixed mindset.

④But don't worry if you think that you have a fixed mindset. ____. Remember that it all starts with questioning the things you believe about yourself. Stop believing that you can't or you haven't and realize that you just can't or haven't yet. Once you start doing this, you'll wonder why you didn't do it before. It's one small but very powerful word.

Plants are more than just pretty to look at. They give us fruits, vegetables and food we eat. Some plants even provide materials for medicine or building things. But do you know that plants can do something even more amazing? They can make our homes, schools and workplaces much healthier.

We spend a large part of our day indoors. Unluckily, the air inside buildings can often be full of chemicals（化学物质）from many things around us. This poor air quality（质量）can make us feel sick, causing sore eyes and throats, and even making it hard for us to breathe. When the air inside buildings gets really bad, people even call them "sick buildings".

The good news is that plants are like nature's little superheroes. They have a magic power fighting against bad air. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide (CO₂) and breathe out oxygen (O₂) which we humans need to live. They can also add moisture to the air if it's too dry, making it more comfortable for us to breathe.

____ Scientists have discovered that plants have the ability to take in harmful chemicals, making the air around us safer to breathe. They set up a completely closed building called "bio-home" for experiments. Before they added plants, the air inside was full of chemicals and people found it hard to breathe. But after they added plants, the air got much cleaner and it became easier to breathe. To make the air inside even better, the scientists used different kinds of plants. After a while, the building wasn't a "sick building" any more. People could go inside without feeling unwell.

So you see, plants are fantastic! They are not only beautiful to look at, but they also provide us with food, help create materials and play an important role in our health. They make our indoor environments cleaner and healthier, making us feel better. Next time you see a plant, remember all the amazing things it can do for us!

Do you get in trouble for feeding your dog on food from dinner under the table? A new study suggests that by sharing "people food" you might actually be helping to keep your pet healthy.

Many dogs are fed dry processed food. Science has shown that a diet (饮食) of processed food is not healthy for humans. Scientists from the University of Helsinki, in Finland, say this diet is not good for our pet dogs, either.

The scientists discovered that the foods a dog might find in an owner's home such as eggs, fish, meat and vegetables may be better than a diet of just dog food. This is because having different kinds of foods leads to more variety (多样性) in microbes, which are little living things, too small to be seen with our eyes. There are millions of them in human and animal bodies. Some are bad for us, but many are good for us, and they play important roles in helping us digest (消化)food.

A total of 8,500 young pet dogs took part in the study. 4,500 of them were under 6 months old, and the rest were between 6 and 18 months old. The owners were asked about what foods they had fed their pets and how often. When the dogs reached adulthood, their owners reported that about 20% of the dogs showed CE symptoms (慢性肠胃不适症状) such as weight loss. However, if dogs had been fed a mixed diet while young, it was 22% less possible for them to experience CE symptoms later in life.

Dr. Anna Hielm-Bjorkman told The Times of London, "Dog foods on sale are described as providing a complete diet... But what we show is that variety is important. Nobody would give 12 years of the same food to a child—why should a dog be different?"

I was travelling on a British ship from India to London in 1905. Among all the passengers, no one would fail to notice Padishah, an Indian businessman. From the moment he got on the ship, he kept showing off the diamond on his turban. The big diamond successfully attracted attention, including that of the five ostriches on the deck.

One morning, as Padishah passed by the ostriches, one swallowed his diamond suddenly. The bird ran around and mixed itself with the others in no time.

"Whose are these stupid ostriches? I want my diamond back!" Padishah shouted angrily. People began to crowd on the deck. I was among the first to arrive. I didn't feel half sorry for the man as he was asking everyone what to do for the diamond's return.

Word swept across the ship about the accident, reaching a man named Potter. After lunch in the hall, Potter went to Padishah and claimed, "I've contacted the ostriches' owner in London. He accepted my offer for all five and now I am the owner. I have the right to keep the birds and the diamond inside." I thought Potter was rather smart and regretted deeply at a lost chance.

Padishah was so upset and blurted, "There's no way you can get my diamond," he continued as he got calmer. "I can offer you 100 pounds for the birds." Potter simply refused and left.

After a while, Potter came back to the hall with a sly smile. He announced that he wanted to sell four birds separately to separate people by auction. The starting price was 80 for a bird. One of them, he would keep for himself.

Before the crowd realised what was happening, a diamond businessman got one bird for 100 pounds. The prices for the following birds rose higher and higher. After the fourth being sold, Padishah got half mad, not knowing what to do. Potter seemed suddenly sorry and said, "I should have kept them all. But... Trust me! The last bird must be the one."

I stared at the last bird for quite a while and asked Potter for a private conversation. After a long talk, I finally got the bird for 700 pounds.____

The next morning, I was waiting in line to get off the ship, picturing the amazing future life in mind. Then, I saw Padishah and Potter walk arm in arm on the shore, just like old friends. At that moment, I learnt a lesson worth a diamond.

① One morning, I got up early and decided to make an apple pie for my mum. I called my grandma for help, followed a TV program to make jam and waited excitedly. I enjoyed every step so much that I didn't notice three hours pass by. Although the pie looked terrible and was not that delicious, Mum ate it up and told me it was the best pie that she had ever had. For the first time, I realised that although I didn't make the pie successfully, I really enjoyed the process (过程).

② The process is important because it brings us something bigger than the result itself. That is, we always have new experiences during the process, which may help us improve our skills or form good relationships with others. If we just concentrate      on the result and do not enjoy the process, we will be more likely to feel disappointed and want to give up. As a result, we will never understand the real meaning of success.

③ But in this busy world, we see a lot of successful people are in competition. How can we enjoy the process? Well, the question has the answer in itself.

④ Don't always compare yourself with others. First of all, we are all different. And success means different things to us. For some, success means being famous, while for others, it may be health or power. Ride your own ride.

⑤ Slow down. You need to stop expecting immediate results in what you do and learn to be patient. Impatience leads to unhappiness. Do it slowly, but never stop.

⑥ Reward (奖励) yourself. Divide the process into small steps, and give yourself a reward after completing each of them. Rewarding yourself for small wins can go a long way. For example, if you are in the process of losing weight, enjoy your favourite cake once in a while.

There were only 15 minutes until lunch. But everyone in Mrs. Stretch's math class was waiting excitedly for the start of Around the World.

Around the World was Eddie's favorite classroom game. He loved racing against a classmate to solve a math problem. Eddie won and lost. But his friend Michael never lost. He was the champion （冠军） of Around the World. Every week he would go around the classroom winning against everyone.

"Are we all ready?" Mrs. Stretch asked. Everyone nodded.

"Then let's begin," said Mrs. Stretch. "Talia, you start. "

Talia was new to the class. This would be her first time playing. She jumped up and went over to Eddie's desk. Eddie stood up, too.

"Twelve times two," said Mrs. Stretch.

"Twenty-four!" Talia called out, a second before Eddie could.

Eddie sat down, disappointed but sill happy to know the right answer.

Talia moved on to challenge the next classmate. She seemed unstoppable. Finally, Talia got to Michael.

"Eight times twelve. " Mrs. Stretch said.

"Ninety-six!" shouted Talia first.

The class sat shocked, then everyone cheered for Talia, today's champion.

"Nice job, Talia," said Mrs. Stretch, "It's time for lunch, everyone, Now line up, please. "

Eddie stood to go to lunch. He noticed Michael had his head down on his desk, his face buried in his arms. Eddie walked to Michael and put his hand on his shoulder.

"It's OK to. Jose," Eddie said. "I lose Around the World all the time. You're still great at multiplication. "

"That's not why I'm upset," Michael said into his arms. "No one likes me. They cheered when I lost. "

"You think they cheered against you?" Eddie asked.

"▲" Michael said.

"I think they cheered because they were too surprised," Eddie said, "You're the champ. Talia had to do her best to beat you. So, people were excited about it. "

"She is really good at math," Michael agreed.

"And so are you," said Eddie. "You help us all work harder. Because of you, we probably have the best math class in the whole school. "

"Thanks," Michael said. He smiled at Eddie, "Do you want to sit together at lunch?"

"Sure," said Eddie. "You can quiz me on math problems and help me get better. "

Michael stood up, "Challenge accepted!"