浙江省新目标版初中英语九年级上学期期中模拟试卷（2）

    If you cannot travel around the world, why not travel on the Internet? GeoGuessr is a new online travel game. The game is easy to play, but nearly impossible to win. The new online game challenges your geography skills.

How to play the game

    When you think you know where the photo was taken, click on the Google map to place your marker.

    Click on the "Make A Guess" button on the bottom of the map. A new image will appear, showing the distance between the area you chose and the actual location. GeoGuessr will tell how many kilometers away you were and how many points you earned.

    You get five chances to guess the location. After the fifth one, you see a map showing your guesses, the correct location and the number of points you earned.

Helpful hints(提示)

    Here are a few tips to help you identify what part of the planet you are seeing.

    look around and see if you can find any words on signs to show the local language. For example, if both French and English are on signs, Canada might be a good guess.

    Make a note of whether the cars drive on the right or the left side of the road. If cars are driving on the left, that narrows your guesses.

    The more you play the game, the better you will get at geography.

Sing the language you're learning

    How can you remember a song from your childhood to this day? Why do your teachers use songs to teach you English? It seems there is a scientific reason for this.

    Researchers are now studying the relationship between music and remembering a foreign language. They find that remembering words in a song is the best way to remember even the most difficult language.

     "Singing could be a new way of learning a foreign language. The brain likes to remember things when they are used in a catchy and meaningful way," said Dr. Karen Ludke. The findings may help those who have difficulties learning foreign languages. In his blog, Dr. Ludke writes, "A listen-and-repeat singing method can support foreign language learning, and opens the door for future research in this area."

    Many language teachers know the value of using music and singing. Hua Zhuying, a teacher at a Chinese language school in Washington, D. C. , depends heavily on songs in teaching Chinese. She says, "I use music all the time to teach children Chinese. For little kids usually we use English songs but teach them the Chinese lyrics(歌词). So it's easy for them to start because they know the music. Not only does it work, but it is fun for the kids."

     "Sometimes, I think if I were taught English in that way, maybe I would speak much better English than now," Hua Zhuying adds.

    Our brain likes music, especially for remembering. So, if you're still struggling in learning a language, why not try singing it out?

    People often ask me for suggestions about how to learn English. As for it, everyone is different. I'll share some of my experience. I once took a school year English course in Wuhan University, but I mostly learned English on my own.

    One thing I can tell you is that once you've started learning, you should try to think in English as much as you can. If you see something when you're riding your bike or walking down the street, just think about "How would I say them in English?" At first, it might be with simple words or phrases, but later you should think about longer phrases and sentences. Now I'm in America, and for most of the time, I would think in English and speak it directly. It's amazing how much this helps.

    For several years after I started learning, I was often afraid of talking with others in English because I didn't want to make mistakes. Finally I got it over. And while traveling in America, I'd try to hang out with friends who couldn't speak Chinese, so that I'd have no choice but to speak English. And I also decided that if I said something stupid and other people laughed at me, then so be it. After that, my English started improving much more quickly.

    Besides, it may be a good idea to ask your American friends to look at the way you're writing, and give you some suggestions for improvement.

    There are many different festivals around the world. Usually we know about some traditional ones. But here are some special festivals in the world. Have you heard of them?

The Straw (稻草) Bear Festival

    It is a traditional celebration in one small UK town. It runs for three days every year in January. The festival celebrates the beginning of the agricultural year. People there enjoy watching bear dances. A few men wear straw bear costumes (演出服) and dance for others.

The Cologne Carnival (狂欢节)

    It is one of Europe's biggest street festivals. It starts at 11：11 a. m. on November 11 and lasts till February 14 next year. Local people call the time the "crazy" season. During the festival, people put on colorful clothes and play music to celebrate it in the street. The festival has gone on for 197 years. Each year, about 1.5 million people take part in it.

Day of the Dead

    It is celebrated in Mexico every year between October 31 and November 2. It's not a scary day like its name. Instead, it's a colorful holiday. People believe the spirits of their ancestors (祖先) will return to the world of the living on that day. They share food and drinks to keep the spirits alive and the spirits can be with them in this way.

    My name is Gina. I live in Bridge Street, which is a tidy and clean community. There is a big mall near my house. I (normal) go there for shopping on weekend. You can buy all kinds of things in clothes section (部分). The clothes there are nice and (expensive). Many people come there to choose their favorite clothes. In the fruit section, you can find many kinds of fresh fruits, such as apples, bananas, grapes and so . The staff there are friendly and they always answer your questions (polite). So if you are in trouble, you can ask (they) for help. There is also a big underground (park) lot beside the mall. It's very convenient for you to park your car there. On weekends, there are always lots of people there. you don't want to wait in line for a long time, I suggest you go there on weekdays. It's (crowded) because people are busy with their work. The (mall) address is No. 288 Bridge Street. Just 200 meters east of the City Library. Come and buy your favorite things today!

    Two years ago, my family moved to a new city and I had to study in a new school. As I had few friends there, I felt lonely. Then I met Tony. The first time I saw him, he was standing in the center of a group of students, telling jokes. The children around laughed from time to time. Tony knew about my problem. He asked me to play basketball with his friends and helped me with my studies. We soon became good friends.

    About a year ago, however, Tony's father was killed in an accident. As a result, his family had to move to a small house. Tony changed into a different person. He became silent and he even lost his interest in studies. Several times, I invited him to go out and play basketball with me, but he refused. I wanted to help him, but didn't know what to do.

    Then something strange happened in my class. Two classmates lost the money in their schoolbags.

    Last Friday, just before the P. E. lesson, I went back to the classroom to get my running shoes I would use. The door was half open. I went in. To my astonishment, I saw Tony was searching one of my classmates' schoolbags. I was shocked…