山东省济宁市梁山县2021-2022学年九年级上学期英语期末...

Once upon a time, a hippo（河马）lived in a river next to a big tree.

One day, a bird came and nested（筑巢）in the tree. The songs of the bird filled the hippo with so much envy（羡慕）that he couldn't think of anything else. Every day he would think why he wasn't born to be a bird even though the bird told him many times he was so lucky to b? so big and such a good swimmer.

Finally, the hippo made up his mind that he would come out ot the river, climb the tree and start singing. However, when he tried to climb the tree, it was very clear that the hippo didn't have wings, nor claws to climb with.

Realizing that he would never climb up the tree, he angrily hit the tree until it came crashing to the ground. Then he stepped onto the leaves of the fallen tree and began singing

Unfortunately, hippos can't sing, either. All that came from his mouth were terrible noises, and when the other animals heard this, they all came around to make fun of the hippo.

He was so ashamed by this, He also felt bad about having knocked the tree over. He used all his strength to raise the tree back up again, and look after it until it completely recovered（康复）.

Have you ever been sad because you failed in something? If so, please remember, for often, achieving what you expect not the most important thing. Here is a story to tell you why.

One day, a little boy, Paul decided to dig a hole behind his house after watching a science program. As Paul was working, a couple of boys stopped by to watch. "What are you doing?" asked one of the visitors. "I want to dig a deep hole all the Way through the earth!" Paul answered excitedly. The other boys began to laugh, telling him that it was impossible to do it. Then they left.

But Paul kept on digging and digging. Suddenly, a few small colorful stones caught his eyes. He collected them and put them into a glass jar patiently. Humming a song, he went on digging. The jar was full soon. Then Paul talked to himself calmly and proudly "Maybe I can't finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I have in the process of digging!"

Maybe Paul's goal was too difficult, but it did cause him to go on.

Not every goal will be achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Nor every dream will come true. But when you can't achieve your goal, maybe you can say "Yes, but look at what I've found along the way! There are so many wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried to do something!" It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a meaning.

Many of you have probably had this experience: You get on a train and are ready to take a nap or read a book, only to find that the passenger in front of you is watching a TV show on his tablet without headphones. The child next to you won't stop crying. And the old lady behind you talks on her phone during the whole trip.

Wish the train could be less noisy？There might be a solution for you. The Beijing Shanghai high-speed railway, one of China's busiest high-speed rail lines, have had "quiet" carriages starting since Dec 23, 2020.

In quiet carriages, on board videos are muted（静音）and announcements are/made at a lower volume（音量）. Doors at the ends of the carriage are kept closed. to reduce noise from other carriages. "Train attendants（乘务员）are responsible for making sure that passengers re rest ea remain quiet and follow, the rules.

Passengers who are willing to obey the rules can choose the quiet carriages when. booking their tickets, according to China's national railway operator

Some people have pointed out that this kind of quiet environment should be offered in all carriages. They say that having quiet carriages might give people the impression that they don't need to be quiet in non quiet carriages.

Quiet carriages might be more enjoyable, While some internet users are in favor of the new service, it has also sparked discussion about just how quiet travelers should be in quiet carriages. Many people have raised questions such as "What if I snore（打呼噜）？"and" Can we talk to our travel, companions if we need to?"

A group of university graduates visited their old professor. During their visit, the conversation turned to work. The graduates （complain）about their problems and stress in work and in life. After offering coffee to his guests, the professor went to the kitchen and came with a coffee pot and a tray （托盘）. crowded with many different cups；porcelain（陶瓷）, glass, plastic and crystal(水晶).

Some cups were simple, other ones expensive. The professor asked them to pick out their cups (one). When the graduates picked out their favorite cups. The professor explained, "Notice how all the beautiful cups were picked out and the simple and cheap ones (leave)."

"Wanting only the best things for yourself （be）the source of your problems and stress. You need （understand）tat the cup doesn't make the coffee better. Actually, all that you wanted was the coffee not the cup. But you commodiously（有意识地）chose the best cups, and then looked to see what cups others picked. "

"Life is the coffee. Your job, money, position in society… they are the cups. The type of cup doesn't determine the quality of life. Sometimes, by（concentrate）only on the cups. We forget to enjoy the taste of coffee. The happiest people are not those have the best things, but those who enjoy life and make （much）of what they have. "

Hearing this, the graduates were speechless. They had learned another important life lesson from their old professor—that true （happy）means enjoying life and not worrying about unimportant things.

The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people to travel the Silk Road about 3, 000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6, 500 kilometers. It spread from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.

Traders travelling the Silk Road carried silk, of course. They also carried and traded spices（香料）, cloth, valuable stones and gold.

There is a famous old story along the old road. It is said that Roman soldiers travelled through central Asia. They started to live near the ancient Chinese village of Liqian, Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the story of villages of China was started.

During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and The Silk Road allowed he sharing of valuable goods new ideas. These included people and trading goods from the Mediterranean, Persian, Magyar Armenian, Bacteria, Indian and Chinese areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they goods, stories, languages, and cultures.

In modern times, the old Silk Road routes（路线）are still used, but now they are crossed trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35, 000 objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China the history of many countries and peoples.

Lego（乐高积木）is a children's toy consisting of small plastic pieces that can  be joined together, to make models of different objects. It's very popular with children. But these plastic pieces are harmful to the earth. To prevent the harm, the Lego Group is now introducing earth-friendly pieces. The 85-year old Danish toy maker said these Lego pieces such as leaves, bushes and trees were made completely from plant-based plastic. The first Lego pieces made from plant based plastic will go on sale later this year, the company has announced. Then will start appearing in Lego box sets.

The Lego Group plants to use sustainable（可持续的）materials in all its toys by 2030. According to Tin Brook at Lego, the new sustainable Lego parts are made from polyethylene, a kind of soft plastic made from sugar cane（甘蔗）.

"Lego products have always been about providing great play experiences and giving every child the chance to build their own world through the play. Children and parents won't find any difference in the quality（品质）or appearance of the new parts, "said Brooks, "As the Lego Group is working towards using sustainable things in its most toys, it will always pay attention to high quality and safety. "

The Lego Group's purpose is to reach zero waste by 2030. They are trying to make the world a better place to live, and they are working hard to make great rials. toys from healthier materials. By using eco-friendly materials, they can help create a world where humans and nature co-exist（共存）peacefully.

I'm very glad to hear that you're coming to China soon.