鲁教版英语八年级下册课文翻译及挖空练习.doc

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Mo Yan

Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature! Mo is the first Chinese who won the prize. When he heard the news，Mo said he never expected to win the prize, as there were so many good writers all over the world.

MoYan is the writer's pen name. His real name is Guan Moye.He was born into a farmer's family in Gaomi, Shandong, in February 1955. When he was 12, he dropped out of school and started to work, first in his village and later in a factory.

Little Moye enjoyed reading. But at that time,there were only a few books available in his village. He had to try every means to find books to read.With no more books at hand, he started reading a Chinese dictionary. He read it so many times that he found several mistakes in it.

In 1976,he joined the army.During that time, he began to study liberature and write stories. His first short story was published in 1981.He became famous in 1987 when his novel Red Sorghum was made into a film by the famous director Zhang Yimou. He also won the 18th Mao Dun Literature Prize in 2011 for his novel Frog.

MoYan is a famous writer in the world now.More and more people are being interested in his works.

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Fryderyk Chopin

Fryderyk Chopin was a famous pianist and music writer. Today many piano music lovers still listen to his famous works such as Minute Waltz. He was born on March 1, 1810 in a small village in Poland. Everyone in Chopin’s family was a musician. His father played the violin, and his mother and sister played the piano. His family moved to Wa rsaw when Chopin was seven months old.

When he was 6 years old, he started to take piano lessons. Soon he played even better than his teacher. At that time, he also started to write music, and began to give concerts when he was only seven! In 1825, when he was 15 years old, people said he was the best pianist in Warsaw. They called him the poet of the piano because his music could touch the hearts of his listeners.

In his later years, he enjoyed playing at his apartment for a few friends more than giving big concerts. Chopin became seriously ill when he was only 25 and continued to have bad health into his old age. In his last years, he was very weak but kept on writing music until he died in 1849. The world lost a musical talent, but his spirit continues to live in his works today.

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Alone among strangers: Dealing with a difficult situation

It was Friday night and I could hear loud music and people talking as I walked through the door. My friend saw me and came over. “Hey, Ben! Thanks for ing to my party.” he said. “Thanks for inviting me. It looks like a great party,” I replied. But I had a secret feeling of fear. I realized that I didn’t know anyone there. I moved towards the drinks table and got a drink. Then I nervously stood in a corner, not quite sure what to do.

Finally, I turned to the person next to me and introduced myself. “Hi,” I said. “My name’s Ben.” “Hi, I’m Tania,” the person replied shyly. Then there was a long silence as I kept trying to think about what to say next. I felt more and more nervous and other person was looking unfortable, too. In the end, all I could say was, “Well, it was nice meeting you.” And I quickly walked away. I felt so embarrassed that I left the party.

Ben isn’t the only person that has experienced this situation. Something similar has probably happened to most of us before. It’s natural to feel unsure of ourselves when starting conversations with strangers. A good starting paint is to ask the person questions about himself or herself, or talk about something you both like such as football or pop music. This can make social situations more relaxed. Then you’ll be glad you went to the party.

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Introduction to “small talk”

Small talk is relaxed dialog that helps people pass the time when they meet others. Empty silences often make us feel nervous so this is a way of filling those periods. In English, people often say it “breaks the ice”. You can make small talk when waiting inline at airport or bus stop. Though the things we talk about are not usually important, small talk itself is. It makes others feel relaxed and it passes time nicely.

For some, small talk is a mon form of munication. Business travelers, for example, always meet new people and usually make small talk before discussing serious business. They might be asked about how they got to the meeting or if their hotel is fortable. Workers in shops or restaurants also find small talk helpful when they are serving customers.

People make small talk in almost every country. What they say may be very different, but the basic rules of small talk are often the same. In most cultures, it is important to smile and keep the conversation light and humorous. Making other people smile can make them feel relaxed.

Things we should discuss can also depend on culture. In China, we can ask people if they are married or whether they have children. However, many western people think these are private subject, so they should be avoided. Also, the mon Chinese greeting “Have you eaten yet?” would seem strange to an English-speaking person.

Therefore, we should usually discuss “safe” subjects like the weather, which is mon in many cultures. People in England often talk about the weather, probably because it changes so much. However, the most important thing is to give the other person a chance to speak and listen to what they have to say.

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Travel Spotlight: Paris

For your next vacation ,why not consider visiting Paris. Paris is the capital of France and is one of the liveliest cities in Europe . It doesn't have any beaches or mountains,but there are still many things to do there. For example,it has some fantastic sights, including the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame Cathedral, one of the most famous churches in the world.

Traveling around Paris by taxi costs a lot of money, but it's usually convenient to take the underground train to most places. In general, though, France is quite an expensive place. One thing that is not expensive in France, however, is the wine!

Most people in France have learned English. But many people don't like to speak English,especially in Paris. So unless you speak French yourself, it's best to travel with someone who can translate things for you.

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I’d love to sail across the Pacific
We all dream about things that we would like to do we hope to achieve in the future. But are everybody’s dreams the same Here are some of the findings of a survey about hopes and dreams, in which thousands of students across China took part in it.
What are the hopes of teenagers
We received several different answers to the question: what would you like to do after finishing your education I t seems some students would like to start work as soon as possible, so that they can help provide better lives for their parents. Other students hope to continue studying after finishing school and to go to university. Although money is important, many teenagers said they want to do jobs they enjoy. According to the survey, the most popular choice of job is puter programming.
What are the dreams of teenagers
Teenagers have all kinds of dreams. Some are more realistic than others. For example, many students said they would like to be volunteers if Beijing could hold the World Cup, maybe working as translators or tour guides. And quite a few said they dream of going to the moon one day.
According to the survey, less realistic dreams are also mon, but many students reported that they were willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Quite a few dream of being famous, perhaps famous sports people or singers. Some said they’d like to go on exciting trips; one students said she’d love to sail across the Pacific Ocean. And then there are dreams that are impossible; three students said they’d like to be able to fly!
Conclusion
It was clear from the survey that teenagers have similar hopes. It seems that most students hope to have a good education and find a good job. On the other hand, students dream of very different things: good things, and even crazy things. It is very important to dream, so hold on your dreams; one day they may just e true.

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How I Learned to Learn English

Last year,I did not like my English class.Every class was like a bad dream.The teacher spoke so quickly that I did not understand her most of the time. I was afraid to ask questions because of my pronunciation . So I just hid behind my textbook and never said anything.

Then one day I watched an English movie called Toy Story. I fell in love with this exciting and funny movie! So then I began to watch other English movies as well.Although I could not understand everything the characters said, their body language and the expressions on their faces helped me to get the meaning. I also realized I could get the meaning by listening for just the key words. My pronunciation also improved by listening to the interesting conversations in English movies. I discovered that listening to something interesting is the secret to language learning. I also learned useful sentences like “It’s a piece of cake” or “It serves you right.” I did not understand these sentences at first. But because I wanted to understand the story, I looked up the words in a dictionary.

Now I really enjoy my English class. I want to learn new words and more grammar. Then I can have a better understanding of English movies.

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How Can You Bee a Successful Learner?
Everyone is born with the ability to learn.But whether or not you can do this well depends on your learning habits.Research shows that successful learners have some good habits in mon
Creating an interest in what they learn
Studies show that if you are interested in something,your brain is more active and it is also easier for you to pay att ention to it for a long time.Good learners oft en connect what they need to learn with something they are interested in.For example,if they need to learn English and they like music or sports,they can listen to English songs or watch sports programs in English.Th is way they will not get bored.
Practicing and learning from mistakes
Good learners think about what they are good at and what they need to practice more.Remember,“use it or lose it”!Even if you learn something well,you will forget it unless you use it.Practice makes perfect.Good learners are also not afraid of making mistakes.Alexander Graham Bell did not invent the telephone overnight.He succeeded by trying many times and learning from his mistakes.
Developing their study skills
It is not enough to just study hard.You have to know how to study.Good learners fi nd out the best ways to learn well.For example,they may take notes by writing down key words or by drawing mind maps.Good learners also look for ways to review what they have learned.Th ey may do this by reading their notes every day or by explaining the information to another student.
Asking questions
Good learners oft en ask questions during or aft er class.Th ey even ask each other and try to fi nd out the answers.Knowledge es from questioning.Learning is a life-long journey because every day brings something new.Everything that you learn bees a part of you and changes you,so learn wisely and learn well.

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Full Moon, Full Feelings

Chinese people have been celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival and enjoying mooncakes for centuries. Mooncakes are in the shape of a full moon on Mid-Autumn night. They carry people’s wishes to the families they love and miss.

There are many traditional folk stories about this festival. However, most people think that the story of Chang’e is the most touching. Chang’e was Hou Yi’s beautiful wife. After Hou Yi shot down the nine suns, a goddess gave him magic medicine to thank him. Whoever drank this could live forever, and Hou Yi planned to drink it with Chang’e . However ,a bad man, Feng Meng, tried to steal the medicine when Hou Yi was not home. Chang’e refused to give it to him and drank it all. She became very light and flew up to the moon. Hou Yi was so sad that he called out her name to the moon every night .

One night, he found that the moon was so bright and round that he could see his wife there. He quickly laid out her favorite fruits and desserts in the garden. How he wished that Chang’s could e back!

After this ,people started the tradition of admiring the moon and sharing mooncakes with their families.

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The Spirit of Christmas

Many would agree that when we think of Christmas, we probably think of gifts, Christmas trees and Santa Claus. But behind all these things lies the true meaning of Christmas: the importance of sharing and giving love and joy to people around us. The story in A Christmas Carol is perhaps the best example of this.

A Christmas Carol is a famous novel written by Charles Dickens. It is about an old man named Scrooge who never laughs or smiles. He is mean and only thinks about himself, and doesn’t treat others nicely. He just cares about whether he can make more money. And he hates Christmas. One Christmas Eve, Scrooge sees the ghost of Jacob Marley, his dead business partner. Marley used to be just like Scrooge, so he was punished after he died. He warns Scrooge to change his ways if he doesn’t want to end up like him. He also tells Scrooge to expect three spirits to visit him.

That night, three ghosts visit Scrooge. First, the Ghost of Christmas Past takes him back to his childhood and reminds Scrooge of his happier days as a child. Then the second spirit, the Ghost of Christmas Present, takes him to see how others are spending Christmas this year. Everyone is happy, even poor people. The last one, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to e, takes him to the future. He sees that he is dead but nobody cares. Scrooge is so scared that he wakes up in his bed and finds out it is already the next morning on Christmas Day!

He decides to change his life and promises to be a better person. He happily celebrates Christmas with his relatives. He also gives gifts to people in need. He now treats everyone with kindness and warmth, spreading love and joy everywhere he goes. And that is the true spirit of Christmas!

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Fun Times Park — Always a Fun Time!

[Alice and He Wei are in Space World]
Alice: I wonder where we should go next.
He Wei: How about that new ride over there?
Alice: Oh ... it looks pretty scary.
He Wei: e on! I promise it’ll be fun! If you’re afraid, just shout or hold my hand.

[After the ride]
Alice: You were right, that was fun! I was scared at first, but shouting really did help.
He Wei: See, that wasn’t so bad, right? You never know until you try something.
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