中考英语复习-八年级短文阅读4.docx

中考英语复习-八年级短文阅读4For the Love of the Monkey KingYou probably have either read the book Journey to the West or watched it on TV. Some of you may have dreamed of becoming the Monkey King to help others when you were little, right? Do you know that the Monkey King is not only popular in China, but also loved by many foreigners? There is even one who wants to explore everything about it. He is Kevin Cook from the USA.Kevins interest in the Monkey King began from a cartoon sent by his friend. He loved the Monkey King so much that he wanted to know more about it. The more he knew, the more he realized he didnt know. So he made up his mind to go to China. The great country and its culture fascinated Kevin, and he decided to settle down. These years he has appeared in many documentaries to introduce Chinese culture to the world.Kevins latest work is a documentary series called Lets Go to China. There are six episodes and each lasts about 15 minutes. In Episode 5, he follows the Monkey King on his journey. He goes to many different places and sees many different types of the Monkey King. As you watch the documentary, you can learn a lot about Chinese culture, for example, shadow play and stop-motion animation.“Superman and Batman are still my heroes, but from this moment on, I have another hero in my heart. Dont ask me why Im just fascinated by a magical Chinese monkey,” Kevin said at the end of the documentary. Take Baby Steps to Get Chores DoneMany times we dont want to do chores. However, the problem is that sometimes putting things off makes things worse. Wonder how to deal with it? Its helpful to start by taking baby steps towards finishing chores, especially those you find boring.Your first step might be to make a list of chores you have to finish. It helps you know where to begin. Then, as you decide which chores to do, you can break them down into smaller ones. For example, when you wash the dishes, you can break it down into some easy steps such as getting dirty dishes, bringing the right tools, preparing hot water, and checking the results.Another baby step is just to imagine what a difference you will make. Imagine what your home will be like after you finish these chores. When you picture it in your mind, youll feel really motivated to take action.Finally, youd better give yourself a time limit. Try to spend limited time working on chores you need to do, and reward yourself with something pleasant. Youll probably find that doing chores is not really bad, and you may even want to give yourself more time to do them. Whats more, finishing them will probably be rewarding enough, but you can always treat yourself to something special for a job well done.Taking one step at a time can take you a long way towards your goals. So next time you have to do chores you hate, start taking these baby steps. Maybe you will finish all the chores before you know it! No One Knows the Real NameThe Ningbo Charity Federation received a donation of over 1 million yuan in November 2021, but no one knows who sent the money. It just came with a note that said “Shun qi zi ran”. And the money was from a place called No.1 Zhongshan Road, Ningbo City. However, it is not a real place.It was the 23rd year in a row this “Shun qi zi ran” sent money to the federation. According to Chen Yunjin, president of the federation, “Shun qi zi ran” began to give away money to the federation in 1999.There was something unusual about the donations. Each money order was no more than 10,000 yuan because in this way “Shun qi zi ran” wouldnt have to sign the real name according to bank rules.Interestingly, on July 25, 2021, the Henan Charity Federation also received five donations of 9,999 yuan and a donation of 5 yuan from the same place. The donor signed himself or herself “Feng tiao yu shun”. People noticed that the handwriting was similar to that of “Shun qi zi ran”.So far, “Shun qi zi ran” has donated 13.63 million yuan to the Ningbo Charity Federation. “Weve used all the money to help students in need or for other educational purposes,” Chen said.Now, more and more people are following the steps of “Shun qi zi ran” and passing their love on.Should or MustThere are two paths in life: Should and Must. We arrive at these crossroads over and over again. And each time, we get to choose.Should is how others want us to show up in the world what we should or shouldnt do. When we choose Should, the risk is small.Must is who we are, what we believe, and what we do when we are alone with our truest self. Must is why Van Gogh painted his whole life without ever receiving public recognition. Must is why Reyna Marder Gentin started to write for the first time after 23 years of being a lawyer.Choosing Must sounds fantastic, right? But Must is scary, hard, and a lot like jumping off a high building where you cant see anything down below. How can we actually choose Must?Ask yourself, “What is my Must?” If you dont know the answer, write down your biggest, most impossible dreams! Dont worry! Its just the first step.Now, think about whats actually in your way. Is it your parents? Maybe theyre just worried that you havent thought it through. Try to make a practical plan for what you want to do. Your parents may find it a good one. Is it money? Well, the best way to make money is to do what you love because its very likely that you will pay great attention to it. Choosing Must doesnt mean we need to give up everything we already have. Its about changing one small thing at a time.His Love for Ice and Snow Never StopsIf you go to Beishan Park in the city of Jilin, you may meet the roller skating star Han Tongyuan. Han is over 80 years old. His skillful skating always catches peoples eye, but few of them know that he was once a national ski champion.Han was born in a village at the foot of the Beishan Mountains. When Han was young, he helped his family herd sheep. The sheep could run fast, so it was really difficult for him to keep up with them in the winter. Then he began to learn to ski to make it easier for him to herd sheep. He skied many kilometers a day. Several months later, he could move even faster than the sheep.In 1956, Han took part in a skiing competition in Jilin City. He skied so well that he was chosen to join the citys ski team. Conditions were really difficult at that time, but Han worked hard. He made rapid progress, and he won two championships at the National Ski Games. However, Han had to leave the ski team in 1963 and get a job to support his family. He had little time to ski, but the love for skiing was always in his heart. When he retired from work in 1999, Han had more time for skiing. Each winter, he practices skiing and for the rest of the year, he goes roller skating in the park.Han has seen the development of winter sports in China over the years. He said, “I hope more people will take part in winter sports. They can help you stay healthy.”A Magical VacationOn beaches we often see lifeguards. They make sure swimmers follow safety rules and that no one has any trouble. Recently, lifeguards at an Alabama beach did more than that. They helped an old woman spend a magical vacation.Dottie Schneider is over 95 years old. She dreamed of going to the beach, but she is not able to walk because of a health problem she had several years ago. Her daughter Kimberly wanted to make her moms dream feeling her feet in the sand, come true, so she planned the vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama, USA.When they arrived, Kimberly tried to push her moms wheelchair through the sand. It turned out to be a great challenge. Thats when one of the lifeguards stepped in to help. Soon after Kimberly explained their situation, he helped Schneider get into his ATV and drove her to the beach.But the act of kindness didnt end there. Every day for a week, some lifeguards would carry Schneider to the beach chair. Then, at the end of the day, they would carry her back to the hotel.When the vacation was over, the old lady and her daughter became friends with the lifeguards. Its safe to say that Schneider had a “magical” time on her vacation. “I had fun,” she said. “Im looking forward to visiting Alabama and seeing my new friends again.”