浙江省台州市天台县2018-2019学年八年级下学期英语期末考试试卷（含小段音频）

    An old woman had two large pots(罐) — one on each end of a pole(扁担). She carried the pole with the pots on her shoulder. One of the pots had a crack(裂缝) in it, while the other pot was 1 and was always full of water. At the 2 of the long walk from the local well(井) to the woman's house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.

    This 3 daily for two years, with the woman bringing home only 4 pot(s) of water. Of course, the perfect pot was 5. But the poor cracked pot was 6 of its own imperfection.

    One day, the cracked pot spoke to the 7 while they were on the way back. "I am ashamed of myself 8 this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house," it said. The old woman smiled and said, "Did you 9 that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I 10 know you were cracked. I planted flower seeds on 11 side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you 12them."

    "For two years, I have been able to 13 these beautiful flowers to decorate(装饰) my dining table. 14 you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty." Hearing these words, the cracked pot 15.

    Each of us has our own cracks. But it's these cracks that make our lives so interesting and meaningful.

    The film Forever Enthralled was directed by the director(导演)Chen Kaige, and famous stars acted in it, such asZhang Ziyi and Chen Hong. This film shows Mei Lanfang's life.

    Mei, a master of Beijing opera, grew up in a family of Beijing opera performers. He began to perform on the stage(舞台)in 1904 when he was 10 years old. He learnt his acting skills and played female roles and became highly good at singing, dancing and acting. He turned himself into a performer of almost all types of the "Dan" female roles.

    In July 1937, the Japanese army occupied(占领) Beijing. The officer of the army told Mei to perform for them and promised to give him a lot of money. Mei refused to do so, and from then on, he gave up performing on stage during the war. This made him poor until the war ended in 1945.

After 1949, he made the Dan have an important place in Beijing opera through many years of hard working. In his 50-year stage life, he used new acting skills and made lots of good operas. So he became the symbol of Beijing opera.