人教版八年级英语下课文原文

人教版八年级英语下课文原文

Unit 1 What’s the matter?

1.

Bus Driver and Passengers Save an Old Man

At 9:00 a.m. yesterday, bus NO.26 was going along Zhonghua Road when the driver saw an old man lying on the side of the road. A woman next to him was shouting for help.

The bus driver, 24-year-old Wang Ping, stopped the bus without thinking twice. He got off and asked the woman what happened. She said that the man had a heart problem and should go to the hospital. Mr. Wang knew he had to act quickly. He told the passengers that he must take the man to the hospital. He expected most or all of the passengers to get off and wait for the next bus. But to his surprise, they all agreed to go with him. Some passengers helped Mr. Wang to move the man into the bus.

Thanks to Mr. Wang and the passengers, the doctors saved the man in time. “It’s sad that many people don’t want to help others because they don’t want any trouble, ” says one passenger. “But the driver didn’t think about himself. He only thought about saving a life.”

2.

He Lost His Arm But Is Still Climbing

Aron Ralston is an American man who is interested in mountain climbing. As a mountain climber, Aron is used to taking risks. This is one of the exciting things about doing dangerous sports. There were many times when Aron almost lost his life because of accidents. On April 26, 2003, he found himself in a very dangerous situation when climbing in Utah.

On that day, Aron’s arm was caught under a 360-kilo rock that fell on him when he was climbing by himself in the mountains. Because he could not free his arm, he stayed there for five days and hoped that someone would find him. But when his water ran out, he knew that he would have to do something to save his own life. He was not ready to die that day. So he used his knife to cut off half his right arm. Then, with his left arm, he bandaged himself so that he would not lose too much blood. After that, he climbed down the mountain to find help.

After losing his arm, he wrote a book called Between a Rock and a Hard Place. This means being in a difficult situation that you cannot seem to get out of. In this book, Aron tells of the importance of making good decisions, and of being in control of one’s life. His love for mountain climbing is so great that he kept on climbing mountains even after this experience.

Do we have the same spirit as Aron? Let’s think about it before we find ourselves “between a rock and a hard place”, and before we have to make a decision that could mean life or death.

Unit 2 I’ll help to clean up the city parks.

1.

Students Who Volunteer

Mario Green and Mary Brown form Riverside High School give up several hours each week to help others.

Mario loves animals and wants to be an animal doctor. He volunteers at an animal hospital every Saturday morning. Mario believes it can help him to get his future dream job. “It’s hard work,” he says, “but I want to learn more about how to care for animals. I get such a strong feeling of satisfaction when I see the animals get better and the look of joy on their owners’ faces.”

Mary is a book lover. She could read by herself at the age of four. Last year, she decided to try out for a volunteer after-school reading program. She still works there once a week to help kids learn to read. “The kids are sitting in the library, but you can see in their eyes that they’re going on a different journey with each new book. Volunteering here is a dream come true for me. I can do what I love to do and help others at the same time.”

2.

Most people today are only worried about getting good jobs to make lots of money. In their free time, they think about what to do for fun. However, few people think about what they can do to help others. There are many people who are less lucky than us. Volunteering our time to help these people is a good way to spend our free time. For example, we can make plans to visit sick children in the hospital or raise money for homeless people. Some people even stop doing their jobs for a few months to a year to move to another place, like one of the countries in Africa, and help people there.

3.

Dear Miss Li,

I’d like to thank you for giving money to Animal Helpers. I’m sure you know that this group was set up to help disabled people like me. You helped to make it possible for me to have Lucky. Lucky makes a big difference to my life. Let me tell you my story.

What would it be like to be blind or deaf? Or imagine you can’t walk or use your hands easily. Most people would never think about this, but many people have these difficulties. I can’t use my arms or legs well, so normal things like answering the telephone, opening and closing doors, or carrying things are difficult for me. Then one day last year, a friend of mine helped me out. She talked to Animal Helpers about getting me a special trained dog. She also thought a dog might cheer me up. I love animals and I was excited about the idea of having a dog.

After six months of training with a dog at Animal Helpers, I was able to bring him home. My dog’s name is Lucky---a good name for him because of your kindness! Lucky is very clever and understands many English words, he can understand me when I give him orders. For example, I say, “Lucky! Get my book,” and he does it at once.

Lucky is a fantastic dog. I’ll send you a photo of him if you like, and I would show you how he helps me. Thank you again for changing my life.

Best wishes,

Ben Smith

Unit 3 Could you please clean your room?

1.

Last month, our dog welcomed me when I came home from school. He wanted a walk, but I was too tired. I threw down my bag and went to the living room. The minute I sat down in front of the TV, my mom came over.

“Could you please take the dog for a walk?” she asked.

“Could I watch one show first?” I asked.

“No!” she replied angrily. “You watch TV all the time and never help out around the house! I can’t work all day and do housework all evening.”

“Well, I work all day at school, too! I’m just as tired as you are!” I shouted back.

My mom did not say anything and walked away. For one week, she did not do any housework and neither did I. Finally, I could not find a clean dish or a clean shirt.

The next day, my mom came home from work to find the house clean and tidy.

“What happened?” she asked in surprise.

“I’m so sorry, Mom. I finally understand that we need to share the housework to have a clean and comfortable home.” I replied.

2.

Dear Sir,

I do not understand why some parents make their kids help with housework and chores at home. Kids these days already have enough stress from school. They do not have time to study and do housework, too. Housework is a waste of their time. Could we just let them do their job as students? They should spend their time on schoolwork in order to get good grades and get into a good university. Also, whey they get order, they have to do housework so there is no need for them to do it now. It is the parents’ job to provide a clean and comfortable environment at home for their children. And anyway, I think doing chores is not so difficult. I do not mind doing them.

Ms. Miller

3.

Dear Sir,

I think it is important for children to learn how to do chores and help their parents with housework. It is not enough to just get good grades at school. Children these days depend on their parents too much. They are always asking, “Could you get this for me?” or “Could you help me with that?” Doing chores helps to develop children’ s independence and teaches them how to look after themselves. It also helps them to understand the idea of fairness. Since they live in one house with their parents, they should know that everyone should do their part in keeping it clean and tidy. Out neighbors’ son got into a good college but during his first year, he had no ides how to take care of himself. As a result, he often fell ill and his grades dropped. The earlier kids learn to be independent, the better it is for their future.

Mr. Smith

Unit 4 Why don’t you talk to your parents?

1.

Dear Mr. Hunt,

My problem is that I can’t get on with my family. Relations between my parents have become difficult. They fight a lot, and I really don’t like it. It’s the only communication they have. I don’t know if I should say anything to them about this. When they argue, it’s like a big, black cloud hanging over our home. Also, my elder brother is not very nice to me. He always refuses me to watch my favorite TV show. Instead he watches whatever he wants until late at night. I don’t think this is fair. At home I always feel lonely and nervous. Is that normal? What can I do?

Sad and Thirteen

2.

Dear Sad and Thirteen,

It’s not easy being your age, and it’s normal to have these feelings. Why don’t you talk about these feelings with your family? If your parents are having problems, you should offer to help. Maybe you could do more jobs around the house so they have more time for proper communication. Secondly, why don’t you sit down and communicate with your brother? You should explain that you don’t mind him watching TV all the time. However, he should let you watch your favorite show. I hope things will be better for you soon.

Robert Hunt

3.

Maybe You Should Learn to Relax!

These days, Chinese children are sometimes busier on weekends than weekdays because they have to take so many after-school classes. Many of them are learning exam skills so that they can get into a good high school and later a good university. Others are practicing sports so that they can compete and win. However, this doesn’t only happen in China.

The Taylors are a typical American family. Life for Cathy Taylor’s three children is very busy. “On most days after school,” Cathy says, “I take one of my two boys to basketball practice and my daughter to football training. Then I have to take my other son to piano lessons. Maybe I could cut out a few of their activities, but I believe these activities are important for my children’ s future. I really want them to be successful.” However, the tired children don’t get home until 7:00 p.m. They have a quick dinner, and then it’s time for homework.

Linda Miller, a mother of three, knows all about such stress. “In some families, competition starts very young and continues until kids get older,” she says. “Mothers send their small kids to all kinds of classes. And they are always comparing them with other children. It’s crazy. I don’t think that’s fair. Why don’t they just let their kids be kids? People shouldn’t push their kids so hard.”

Doctors say too much pressure is not good for a child’s development. Dr. Alice Green says all these activities can cause a lot of stress for children. “Kids should have time to relax and think for themselves, too. Although it’s normal to want successful children, it’s even more important to have happy children.”

Unit 5 What were you doing when the rainstorm came?

1.

The Storm Brought People Closer Together

Ben could hear strong winds outside his home in Alabama. Black clouds were making the sky very dark. With no light outside, it felt like midnight. The news on TV reported that a heavy rainstorm was in the area.

Everyone in the neighborhood was busy. Ben’s dad was putting pieces of wood over the windows while his mom was making sure the flashlight and radio were working. She also put some candles and matches on the table.

Ben was helping his mom make dinner when the rains began to beat heavily against the windows. After dinner, they tried to play a card game, but it was hard to have fun with a serious storm happening outside.

Ben could not sleep at first. He finally fell asleep was the wind was dying down at around 3:00 a.m. When he woke up, the sun was rising. He went outside with his family and found the neighborhood in a mess. Fallen trees, broken windows and rubbish were everywhere. They joined the neighbors to help clean up the neighborhood together. Although the storm broke many things apart, it brought families and neighbors closer together.

2.

Do You Remember What You Were Doing?

People often remember what they were doing when they heard the news of important events in history. In America, for example, many people remember what they were doing on April 4, 1968. This was an important event in American history. On this day, Dr. Martin Luther King was killed. Although some people may not remember who killed him, they remember what they were doing when they heard the news.

Robert Allen is now over 50, but he was a school pupil at that time. “I was at home with my parents,” Robert remembers. “We were eating dinner in the kitchen when we heard the news on the radio. The news reporter said, ‘Dr. King died just 10 minutes ago.’ My parents were completely shocked! My parents did not talk after that, and we finished the rest of our dinner in silence.”

More recently, most Americans remember what they were doing when the World Trade Center in New York was taken down by terrorists. Even the date---September 11, 2001---has meaning to most Americans.

This was a day Kate Smith will never forget. She remembers working in her office near the two towers. “My friend shouted that a plane just hit the World Trade Center! I didn’t believe him at first, but then I looked out the window and realized that it was true. I was so scared that I could hardly think clearly after that.”

Unit 6 An old man tried to move the mountains.

1.

In November 1979, pupils in England were able to watch a new TV program called Monkey. Most of them were hearing this story for the first time. However, this story is not new to Chinese children. The Monkey King or Sun Wukong is the main character in the traditional Chinese book Journey to the West.

The Monkey King is not just any normal monkey. In fact, he sometimes does not even look like a monkey! This is because he can make 72 changes to his shape and size, turning himself into different animals and objects. But unless he can hide his tail, he cannot turn himself into a person. To fight bad people, the Monkey King uses a magic stick. Sometimes he can make the stick so small that he can keep it in his ear. At other times, he is able to make it big and long.

The Monkey King has excited the children of China for many years. And as soon as the TV program came out more than 30 years ago, Western children became interested in reading this story because the clever Monkey King keeps fighting to help the weak and never gives up.

2.

Gretel heard that their parents planned to kill her and her brother. But Hansel had a plan to save himself and his sister. He went to get some white stones before he went to bed that night. The next day, the wife sent the children to the forest. Hansel dropped the stones as they walked. Later that night, they could see the stones because of the shining moonlight. The stones showed them the way home. Hansel wanted to get more stones, but his stepmother did not let him to go out. The next morning, the wife sent the children to the forest again. Hansel had no stones, so he dropped pieces of bread. But the bird ate them, so Hansel and Gretel were lost in the forest. They walked until they saw a house made of food. Hansel wanted to eat the house, bur then they heard the voice of an old woman coming from the house.

3.

Once upon a time, there was an emperor. He loved buying and looking at clothes. One day, two brothers came to the city. They told the emperor that they could make beautiful clothes for him, bur he must give them silk and gold. The brothers were bad people. They kept all the silk and gold for themselves. They told the emperor the clothes they made were special because only clever people could see them. When the emperor put on the clothes, all he could see was his underwear. But he didn’t want people to think he was stupid, so he said the clothes were beautiful. Then he walked around the city in his new clothes until one boy shouted, “The emperor isn’t wearing any clothes!”

Unit 7 What’s the highest mountain in the world?

1.

Qomolangma---the Most Dangerous Mountain in the World?

One of the world’s most dangerous sports is mountain climbing, and one of the most popular places for this is the Himalayas. The Himalayas run along the southwestern part of China. Of all the mountains, Qomalangma rises the highest and is the most famous. It is 8,844.43 meters high and so is very dangerous to climb. Thick clouds cover the top and snow can fall very hard. Even more serious difficulties include freezing weather conditions and heavy storms. It is also very hard to take in air as you get near the top.

The first people to reach the top were Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. The first Chinese team did so in 1960, while the first woman to succeed was Junko Tabei from Japan in 1975.

Why do so many climbers risk their lives? One of the main reasons is because people want to challenge themselves in the face of difficulties. The spirit of these climbers shows us that we should never give up trying to achieve our dreams. It also shows that humans can sometimes be stronger than the forces of nature.

2.

It is 8:30 a.m. at the Chengdu Research Base. Lin Wei and the other panda keepers are preparing the milk for the baby pandas’ breakfast. At 9:00 a.m., they find that most of the babies are already awake and hungry. When the babies see the keepers, they run over with excitement and some of them even walk into their friends and fall over!

“They’re so cute and lovely. I take care of them like they’re my own babies. I wash, feed and play with them every day. They’re very special to me.”

Pandas do not have many babies, maybe only one every two years. The babies often die from illness and do not live very long. Adult pandas spend more than 12 hours a day eating about 10 kilos of bamboo. Many years ago, there were a lot more bamboo forests and pandas in China, but then humans started to cut down the forests. Scientists say there are now fewer than 2,000 pandas living in the remaining forests. Another 200 or so live in zoos or research centers in China and other countries.

An education program in Chengdu teaches children in cities about pandas and other endangered animals. They send people to schools to tell children about the importance of saving these animals. The children sing songs or make artwork about pandas and other wild animals. Teaching children is one way to help save pandas. The Chinese government is also planting more bamboo trees so there will be more forests for pandas to live in. We all hope that in the future there will be a lot more pandas than now.

Unit 8 Have you read Treasure Island yet?

1.

When I first arrived on this island, I had nothing. But I’ve found the ship and made a small boat. I’ve brought back many thing I can use---food and drink, tools, knives and guns. Although I have lost everything, I have not lost my life. So I will not give up and I will wait for another ship. I have already cut down trees and built a house. I go out with my gun almost every day to kill animals and birds for food. I’m even learning to grow fruit and vegetables.

A few weeks ago, I found the marks of another man’s feet on the sand. Who else is on my island? How long have they been here? Not long after that, I saw some cannibals trying to kill two men from a broken ship. One of them died but the other ran towards my house. I helped him kill the cannibals. This man now lives with me and helps me. I named him Friday because that was the day I met him. He is smart and I have already taught him some English.

2.

A Country Music Song Changed Her Life Forever

When Sarah was a teenager, she used to fight over almost everything with her family. But five years ago, while she was studying abroad in England, she heard a song full of feelings abut returning home on the radio. It made Sarah think about her family and friends back in the US. She came to realize how much she actually missed all of them. Ever since them, she has been a fan of American country music.

Country is a traditional kind of music from the southern states of America. Nashville, Tennessee is the home of country music. Many songs these days are just about modern life in the US, such as the importance of money and success but not about belonging to a group. However, country music brings us back to the “good old days” when people were kind to each other and laughter, friends, family, and the beauty of nature and the countryside.

Sarah hasn’t been to Nashville yet, but it is her dream to go there one day. She has already read a lot about the place and done some research on it. She knows that there is a Country Music Hall of Fame Museum in Nashville. There are also always a lot of great country music concerts with famous musicians ans singers, kike Garth Brooks. Sarah has already listened to most of his songs. “Garth is one of the most successful musicians in American history. He’s sold more than 120 million records. I hope to see him sing live one day!”

Unit 9 Have you ever been to a museum?

1.

Ken: The most interesting museum I’ve ever been to is the American Computer Museum. They have information about different computers and who invented them. The old computers were much bigger. It’s unbelievable that technology has progressed in such a rapid way! I’ve also learned that there was a special computer. It could play chess even better than humans. I wonder how much more computers will be able to do in the future.

Amy: I’ve recently been to a very unusual museum in India, the International Museum of Toilets. I just couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw so many different kinds of toilets there. The museum teaches people about the history and development of toilets. It also encourages governments and social groups to think about ways to improve toilets in the future.

Linlin: Last year I went to the Hangzhou National Tea Museum. It’s a relaxing and peaceful place near a lake. The tea art performances show how to make a perfect cup of tea with beautiful tea sets. Watching the tea preparation is just as enjoyable as drinking the tea itself. I’ve finally realized why my grandpa loves drinking tea and collecting tea sets.

2.

Singapore---A Place You Will Never Forget!

Have you ever been to Singapore? For thousands of tourists from China, this small island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful and safe place to take a holiday. On the one hand m more than three quarters of the population are Chinese, so you can simply speak Putonghua a lot of the time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country, so it’s also a good place to practice your English!

Have you ever tried Chinese food outside of China? Maybe you fear that you won’t be able to find anything good to eat when you travel. In Singapore, however, you’ll find a lot of food from China; you won’t have any problem getting rice, noodles or dumplings. Singapore is also an excellent place to try new food. Whether you like Indian food, Western food or Japanese food, you’ll find it all in Singapore!

Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a Night Safari. It might seem strange to go to a zoo when it’s dark. However, if you go to see lions, tigers or foxes during the daytime, they’ll probably be asleep! A lot of animals only wake up at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in a more natural environment than in a normal zoo.

One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature is almost the same all year round. This is because the island is so close to the equator. So you can choose to go whenever you like -spring , summer, autumn or winter. And, of course, it’s not too gar from China!

Unit 10 I’ve had this bike for three years.

1.

My children are growing up fast. My daughter is 16 and my boy is already in junior high school. As they ger bigger our house seems to ger smaller. So we want to see some of our thing s in a yard sale and geve the money to a children’s home.

We have already cleared out a lot of things from our bedrooms. We have decided to each sell five things that we no longer use. My son was quite sad at first. Although he has not played with his odd toys for a long time, he still wanted to keep them. For example, he has owned a train and railway set since his fourth birthday, and he played with it almost every week until he was about seven. And he did not want to lose his toy monkey, either. He slept next to the monkey every night when he was a child. My daughter was more understanding, although she also felt sad to part with certain toys.

As for me , I did not want to give up my football shirts, but, to be honest, I have not played for a while now. I am getting older, too!

2.

Hometown Feelings

Some people still live in their hometown. However, others may only see it once or twice a year. Nowadays, millions of Chinese leave the countryside to search for work in the cities. Among these is Zhong Wei, a 46-year-old husband and father. He has lived in Wenzhou for the last 13 years. With a hard job in a crayon factory, he doesn’t find much time to visit his hometown. “I used to return home at least once a year, but I haven’t been back for almost three years now. It’s a shame, but I just don’t have the time,” he says.

Many people like Zhong Wei regard with great interest how their hometowns have changed. Perhaps large hospitals and new roads have appeared. In many places, the government has also built new schools and sent teachers from the cities to help.

“I noticed that’s true of my hometown,” adds Zhong Wei. “Children have learned to read and count at my old primary school since the mid-20th century. But now the buildings are really old. I hear they’re going to build a new school there.” Zhong Wei thinks such developments are good, and he also knows that his hometown cannot always stay the same.

According to Zhong Wei, however, some things will never change. “In my hometown, there was a big old tree opposite the school. It is still there and has become quite a symbol of the place. Most of the children in my time liked to play together under that big tree, especially during the summer holiday. It was such a happy childhood. Our hometown has left many soft and sweet memories in our hearts.”

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