（山西省）人教版2021-2022学年九年级上学期英语期中测试题（2）

—I am sorry. Mrs. Lin. I got up so late that I couldn't catch the first bus.

        Dragons are not real animals, but look like a combination (组合体) of many animals such as snakes, fish and deer. They have two horns (角) and a long moustache (胡子). With fantastic powers, they fly in the sky or swim in the sea. They can make rain, too. The Chinese dragon is a symbol of strength and good luck. The emperors of ancient China loved dragons. Their clothes were covered with pictures of dragons.

       We are proud to call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. In Chinese, “excellent” people are often called “dragon”. A number of Chinese sayings and idioms talk about dragons, for example, “Hoping one's child will become a dragon,” which means he or she will be successful.

        It is said that people born in the Year of the Dragon have certain characteristics. They are creative, confident, brave and quick-tempered. There are some famous “dragons” who have done excellent things, for example, Deng Xiaoping, the famous businessman Li Jiacheng and the movie star Zhao Wei. They are all successful. There are also some traditional festivals about dragons in China, such as Dragon Head-Raising Day and the Dragon Boat Festival. We have different kinds of activities to celebrate them. These two festivals come every year, but the Year of the Dragon comes every twelve years.

       The dragon is very important in Chinese culture. As the “descendants of the dragon”, it is necessary for us to know the views on dragons in our culture. It can help us understand why our parents always want us to be “dragons”.

       The year 2024 is the Year of the Dragon. Good luck to you!

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    A different way of teaching is widely used in our English study. Before class, we make study plans first. Then we look up the new words, listen to the recording and read the text. When we meet problems we can't solve by ourselves, we always write them down in our notebooks.

    In class, we sit in groups to discuss the problems freely.The teacher always offers help when we need.After discussion, it's time for us to give a report to the class.We also make conversations in pairs and practice a lot.It's really good for our listening and speaking.

    After class, we have less homework now so we can go to the library to read English books, magazines and newspapers.We can also surf the Internet for useful information.

    In a word, we enjoy the new way of studying.We can make more progress in our study.

Information Card

    Baseball－it's just a word, but for millions of Americans, ①it brings to mind so many images: hot dogs, cold beers, sunny afternoons

    For many people, baseball is the game of fathers and sons. Fathers and sons have been playing catch with each other on lawns(草坪) in the US. A father's favorite team becomes his son's. Grandfathers talk to their grandsons about games played long ago.

    Many American kids collect baseball cards. The cards have pictures of their favorite players on them. In school, friends exchange baseball cards. ②about, baseball, famous, are, students, by, players, talked, often.

    ③Baseball players are known as “the boys of summer” because the sport is most often played in summer. You don't need to be of a certain size or shape to play baseball. You don't have to be tall like a basketball player or strong like an American football player. You just need to want to have fun.

    Baseball is not as fast-paced(快节奏的) as basketball. When you go to see a game, there's time to relax, talk and get to know other people.

    Baseball may not be the most popular sport in the US, but it is the most traditional. It's not just a game anymore, but a key part of American culture, like apple pie.

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— It's about 1.3 billion.