湖北省武汉市新洲区2023-2024学年九年级上学期12月质量监测英语试题

— ____, as long as it won't take long.

— ____. No pains, no gains. 

— ____. I'm just watching TV.

—Not yet, but she ____ in an hour. 

—Yes. She ____ many girls from poor areas in Yunnan in the past 40 years. 

—What a pity. I think we should play a role in protecting the environment. 

—It's half past five. We can leave now.

—Oh, boy！You've just got too used to the ____ life at home. Why not try something new?

—What a pity This kind of goldfish ____ much care and attention. 

—It ____. It cost her an arm and a leg. 

—Because some drivers don't take any ____ of speed limit.

—She really needs a rest. Her health ____ under great work stress. 

—We'd better ____ an excuse for this now.

Just two more days till Christmas! Marcus sat by his window, staring at the 1  lights on other buildings. His little brother, Peter, sat beside him.

"When are we getting our Christmas tree, Marcus?" Peter asked.

On hearing this, Marcus walked slowly to his room and 2  his piggy bank. Only seven dollars! Far from enough! Mama was too 3  to make a living. He decided to earn more on his own. 

He delivered the milk on his way to school and after school, he pushed carts to help shoppers. In the evening, he 4 the baby for neighbors. Two days later, six more dollars jingled (发出叮当声) in his pocket. "My lucky day," he thought. Thirteen dollars should buy a small tree

He 5 all the way to the street with the excited Peter. But even the smallest trees were $ 15 or more. Suddenly, he saw a small tree planted in a can. "Is that one for 6 , sir?"

"Yes, that's my last 7 tree," the seller said. "It's small now, but it will grow tall."

"How much does it cost?" asked Marcus.

"It's Christmas Eve. For you, $ 8." answered the man.

"It's so small," Peter complained.

"Being small isn't a bad thing. You're small, but you are 8 . I can find you wherever you are." Marcus told his brother as he 9 the tree. "It will grow bigger, just like you." Peter's eyes opened wide. "There are 5 dollars left. Let's go to the10 ," Marcus said.

They shopped quickly: a scarf for Mama; a coloring book for Peter; a wallet for Marcus. They hurried home. Marcus set their tree on the table and Peter couldn't wait to place straw birds on the branches.

When they were 11  decorating the tree, Mama came in. What came to her sight really astonished her. Straw birds were hanging on a small lovely Christmas tree; 12  were on the sofa. 

"What 13 The Santa Claus came?" asked the Mama

"Marcus is the Santa!" Peter replied, running to mom. "He worked after school and earned some money. He bought the Christmas tree and presents."

"But I can't afford a big tree, mom," Marcus 14 his head and said.

"My dear, it is the biggest and most beautiful tree in my heart!" said mom. 15 the two boys tightly, Mama couldn't contain her joyful tears.

It was dark and freezing cold outside. The wind kept blowing. At that time, the bell rang loudly, and everybody walked orderly to the school gate, including David. His mother would come and pick him up from school but today she was absent. David wondered what had happened, but he was not worried at all. It usually took only ten minutes for his mother to get to school by riding an electric bike. However, half an hour passed, and there was no sign that his mother would come.  ★  

On his way home, David could hardly see any passers-by. The trees shook with the wind and the leaves fell from them without making any noise. David was lost in thinking what was wrong with his mother. Some terrible thoughts jumped out of his mind. Little David burst into tears and quickened his step. 

Finally, David stood in front of his beautiful house. He opened the door hurriedly. He turned on the lights unhesitatingly. Everything was in order. David pushed all the doors and was eager to look for his mother. Still, he couldn't find her anywhere. It was hard for him to control his nervousness. He ran to the telephone and began to make a phone call to his mother.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and came a familiar voice. It was his mother. He hurried to the door and opened it excitedly. His mother wore a big smile, saying, "I just want you to be independent. And I followed you along the way. You made it. I am proud of you. "David held his mother tightly, promising that he would never worry her and he would become brave.

With the summer vacation coming, study tours of primary and middle school students have become popular. Children come in groups to different places of interest, museums and universities to learn while enjoying them. 

The study tour is the most traditional way of learning and education in different countries in the world. Since old times, the Chinese think highly of the role of study tour in developing personality and knowledge. Confucius led disciples (门徒) to travel around the world, broadening their horizons (视野) and shaping their characters. Therefore, there is a tradition to have study tour in China. 

With the development of economy (经济) and society, children today have become dependent on phones, tablets and computers for both learning and fun. This is not only harmful to their eyes but also reduces their chances to connect with nature and social life. Therefore, it is necessary for children to get more experiences and memories by learning while traveling. It is undoubtedly good for children. 

Study tours can improve children's understanding of the knowledge in books. China has a saying, "It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books. "By experiencing firsthand knowledge during their travels, they can turn the textbooks into real experiences, thus getting a deeper understanding of the knowledge.

Study tours offer children a valuable chance to become more independent. In the school environment, children often put their heart into studies, leaving little room for activities such as practical labor or sports, which are necessary for a well-rounded person. By independent living and problem-solving with other children of the same ages, students can learn to deal with real-life situations. 

However, the current market appears to be chaotic (混乱的). Some businesses might charge high fees (费用) without offering meaningful education. What's more, some teachers might not have the required qualifications (资格), which raises worries about the safety of students.

It depends on each family to decide whether to join in study tours or not. To make the right decision, time and money should be considered, along with children' needs and interests. Of course, the decision does not necessarily dictate (决定) a child's future. The key to a child's development lies in day-to-day education and the environment provided by the family.

Every family has its own way to celebrate Halloween. Pumpkin carving (南瓜雕刻) at Halloween is my family t . We visit a local farm every October. In the pumpkin field, I c with my three brothers and sister to find out the biggest pumpkin. 

This year, it was hard to tell which one was the winner because we forgot to w them before taking out their insides. I decided to force my head inside the pumpkin to solve the problem. 

With the pumpkin (lie) on the table, hole uppermost (面向上地), I pressed my head against the opening. At first I got stuck above my eyes and as I went on with my task, my nose prevented my head entering. Finally I m to put my whole head into it. But my e didn't last long because the pumpkin was heavy. I tried to get my head out. When I pulled hard, my nose got the way.

I was stuck for five or six minutes though it felt much longer. I felt uncomfortable as if I would fall to the ground. I was s . "Don't panic! Papa, Papa, we need your help, "Jason cried. My father came over in time. He (try) many ways but they didn't work, though. "Why not break the pumpkin (direct)?" suddenly came mother's voice. At last, my head got out. But what did I see? My mother was filming all the way!

内容提示：

Do you have a good relationship with your parents? 

Is there something done by your parents moving you

What do you want to say or do to your parents? 

Something more about you and your parents. 

注意：文中不得透露个人真实姓名和学校，词数60-80，标题和开头已给出，不计入总词数

Be thankful to your parents!

As everyone knows, parents always love their children.