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初中英语作文题目列表(汇编20篇)

成长的烦恼是苦茶,干涩干涩的;成长的烦恼是坚冰,冰冻冰冻的;成长的烦恼是泪水,无情无情的。今天小编就来分享初中优秀作文:成长的烦恼,请各位读者好好欣赏和借鉴。

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寒假的计划初中英语作文

全文共 595 字

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Dear Mr.Brown:

As I have not heard of you for long, I feel anxious.How are you doing in this winter vocation.Some of my classmates intend to travel,because they think it can relax themself.There has some students plans to read more books at home,in order to make a preparation for the learning of future.Other schoolmates prepare to take part in physical exercise,just for keep their health.By the way, my plan of winter vocation is doing more houseworks for my mother,because she is very hard to do that.I want to relieve her burden.

Let me hear if you receive the letter safely.

Yours

[寒假计划初中英语作文

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篇1:初中暑假的英语

全文共 681 字

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Summer vacation, this is a the students expect long-lost happy time, simply can and play, no more unpleasant sound alarm clock in the morning... But we looked at those high expectations, a less-pressured treasure mom, has arranged everything for us: early in the morning to go to remedial class, noon to classes every day and every day go to remedial classes in the afternoon. I every day in ask him, who invented the remedial class! Deprived of the time I watch TV, if let me know who it is, I will regard that man as my enemy.

暑假,本是一个们期望己久的时光,可以痛痛快快地玩了,早上再也没有了令人讨厌的闹钟声…可是我们那些望子成龙,望女成凤的宝妈们,却早早为我们安排好了一切﹕每天早上去辅导班,每天中午去辅导班,每天下午去辅导班。我每天在问天问地,到底是谁发明了辅导班!剥夺了我看电视的,如果让我知道是谁,我要把那个人视为我的仇人。

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篇2:初中写可爱的小狗英语

全文共 1753 字

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I remember in the fifth grade, in a winter vacation, because my outstanding achievements, my father in order to reward me, gave me a fluffy puppy.

The puppy is clean, but the temper has some strange, always have a person around it all the time to accompany it to play, take care of it.

Once again, because of the festivals, we would like to go out shopping, when we happily with a photo back, I saw the neighbors whispered to me, said: "You are really, put a puppy on "Oh, Im sorry, noisy to you, please forgive me." The gas disappeared. I just breathed a sigh of relief, entered the house, the dog will be like a gust of wind generally rushed over to me, but also kept licking my hand. "I do not appreciate it! I point it with his head and said:" You bad things that harm us scolded. "At that time it seems to understand my words, suddenly behaved like a small sheep, like a few times from time to time, as if to say:" I just want you to accompany me! See it look like that, I suddenly Played an unnamed compassion, then in the heart to forgive it.

If it is not hygienic, it is true that is right, do not know how the matter, this dog is very nasty bath, but it is smart puppy, so in the bath, it will be the first match, And then secretly put the claws out of the basin, and then people do not pay attention when the "wind" of the sound will be able to escape the lightning in its view is desperate brazier small tub.

This puppy is also very much like to play, if you have shopping, then do not take it out, because if you take it out, I am afraid it is not going to go home at night, because it just can not stop playing, unless Until it is hungry or dark, otherwise you do not want to go home.

How about it, this is my family that a strange quirky puppy.

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篇3:以一次实践活动为话题的初中英语作文

全文共 573 字

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Last week, my teacher told us that we would have a practical activity. At first, we were happy to hear it, all of us thought that must be very funny. But when we heard that we needed to assist the cleaners with their work, we felt lost. It must be the dirty work. However, the cleaners were very nice to us, and they did their work with passion. We tried to help them as much as we could. We talked happily. Suddenly, I was so grateful to them, as they were the city’s decorators. What they did meant so much to the society. We should respct them and understand their work.

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篇4:有关交通英语作文初中

全文共 778 字

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Many years ago, I saw a science fiction film, which described a future

world. The way people lived was very different. They could drive cars in the

sky. Everything in the future world was so convenient. Since then, I was always

curious about how the future world would become. The fling cars seemed so

ridiculous for now, but thinking about more than 100 years ago, people never

thought about flying in the sky, but now we could take planes and traveled

around the world. Everything was possible. Whats more, the development of

technology is so fast that the world changes so much every ten years. Nowadays,

people can pay the bill online. No matter where they go, a cell phone can solve

most problems. I believe that future transportation will be much efficient and

will surprise us all.

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篇5:我喜欢篮球初中英语优秀作文

全文共 1369 字

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I Like Basketball

My favorite Sports is basketball. It looks so cool in TV that I was crazy about those basketball stars ever since I was little.

Basketball requires speed, height and skills. I run, jump, switch, and try to hit! All parts of my body are exercised in this sport. I feel that I’m like wind flying in the playground for my goal, which makes me feel so GREat!

Basketball needs quick reaction and decision. When chance comes, it may disappear in the next second. I should keep an eye watching as an eagle, decide and judge quickly as a leopard, and run for it as a wolf.

Further more, basketball is a sports more than just exercising, It needs team work. No one can play himself. A team should work together. So I learn to cooperate with others in this game. I should understand what my teammate doing and what he needs me to do for him. On the other side, I should learn to show my teammate what I need. At the same time, I need to keep an eye on the whole game, knowing how is the situation of our team and how is the other team. It involved more cooperation and strategy.

I played basketball more for about 5 years now. I make many good friends throught this sports. It is proud to win honor for my team and my school. Also I enjoy all games with my friends. Basketball will be my best friends in the future and my best memory about school life.

[我喜欢篮球初中英语优秀作文

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篇6:初中英语作文:MyLifeinSchool

全文共 801 字

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导语:你的校园生活是什么样的呢?下面是yuwenmi小编为大家整理的优秀英语作文,欢迎阅读与借鉴,谢谢!

My name is Zhang Xin and I study in No.1 Middle School. Our campus is so large and beautiful that I am happy to study in our school. I usually reach school at 7 o’clock and our morning reading begins at half past seven. I have seven classes a day, four in the morning and three in the afternoon. I listen to the teacher carefully in the class. But after class, I play very well with my classmates. We have many activities for fun. Our class ends at five o’clock. Generally, I spend half an hour in taking part in sport activities. It’s good for my health. I like my life in school.

【参考译文】

我的名字叫张欣,在第一中学上学。我们的校园很大很漂亮,我很高兴能在这个学校上学。我通常在七点到学校,七点半开始早读,八点开始上课。我一天有七节课,早上四节,下午三节。课堂上,我认真听讲,课后和同学们玩得很开心,我们有很多的活动可以玩。我们五点下课,我常常在花半个小时的时间参加体育活动,这有益于我的健康。我喜欢我的学校生活。

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篇7:优秀初中英语作文

全文共 1228 字

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learning is a daily experience and a lifetime mission. this is a proverb full of logic. in other words, learning is significant in our whole life. indeed, we can learn many things from it. if you understand it and apply it to your study or work, you’ll necessarily benefit a lot from it.

there are many reasons which can explain this phenomenon and the following are the typical ones. the first reason is that learning can light our road in the coming future. there is no denying the fact that the society is developing increasingly fast and we are often easily surpassed by the people around. the only way to avoid this is to learn to improve ourselves. as an illustration, i’d like to take myself as an example. after graduation from college, my life has been full of working pressure, which contributes to my decision of pursuing further education. that’s why i can make my own way in such a competitive society.

the effect of learning can be boiled down to two major ones. first, with the spirit of learning, we are more capable of overcoming the difficulties in the future. more importantly, we can enrich our spare time life by learning. no matter who you are, you must remember that learning is the basic skill in our life.

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篇8:初中英语作文及翻译:保护环境

全文共 956 字

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Protecting the Environment

In the last several decades, our earth has been extremely polluted, such as air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and so on. In recent years, the extreme weather becomes more and more frequent. Winter gets colder and summer becomes hotter and it rains more frequently. All of these warn us that protecting the environment is a serious and emergent event. As our general people, we should build proper lifestyle. We should pay attention to water and light saving. When we go out, we should firstly choose the public transportation. The most important is that we must realize that we can do a lot of things to protect our environment. Its our duty to make our home better. Let’s change from ourselves.

在过去的几十年里,我们的地球已经极度污染,比如大气污染,水污染以及噪音污染等等。近几年,极地气候越来越频繁。冬天越来越暖,夏天越来越热,还经常下雨。所有的这些都警示我们保护环境是一件严肃紧迫的事。作为普通老百姓,我们应该形成合适的生活方式。我们应该注意节约水电。出门的时候我们应该首选公共交通。最重要的是我们必须意识到我们可以做很多事情来保护我们的环境。使我们的家园变得更美好是我们的责任。让我们从自己开始改变。

[初中英语作文及翻译:保护环境

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篇9:怀念的英语作文初中

全文共 1382 字

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He always rose early to enjoy at least two hours of solitude in the house

and garden before the rest of the family came down In winter he spent most of

the time reading and writing. In sum mer he liked to get out of doors to work in

the kitchen garden or to take the dog for a walk in the neighbouring woods and

fields Whatever the weather, there was plenty to occupy him.

Although he was a creature of habit, there seemed to be an infinite variety

in his pursuits. He wrote book reviews regularly for two of the national

weeklies. He worked conscientiously his special subject, Indian History, and was

thus one of the world authorities on it;

he collected modern abstract paintings and so had a circle of friends

amongst artists and sculptors; there was hardly anything he did not know about

traditional jazz and he often entertained both British and America n jazz

musicians He was a superb cook and knew a lot about French and German food.

His family adored him and in a sense he was spoiled by them. At first

glance you would have taken him for a retired army officer-his bearing was

erect, his hair was cut short, he was fussy about his clothes, which were always

neat, clean and conventional. He liked to keep fit, and this was reflected in

his clear, steady blue eyes and healthy suntanned complexion. He hardly ever

watched TV, but enjoyed a good film and an occasional evening at the

theatre.

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篇10:暑假初中日记题目大全

全文共 668 字

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这个暑假我过得太开心了!

最快乐的事情你们知道是什么吗?最快乐的事情就是老爸带我去上海看世博会。在世博会里,我看到了许多国家馆,了解了很多国家的特色,知道了各个国家的风土人情。在世博会游览中我最忙活的一件事情就是盖章,为了给这次世博之旅留下纪念,我奔波于各个展馆,忙得我不亦乐乎。世博会可真是“不出国门,看世界”啊!

在暑假期间,我还去烟台参加了舞蹈比赛。到了比赛场地,走场的时候,我十分认真的“观察地形”。很快,比赛开始了,我尽情的发挥着,努力让自己表现的最棒。可是正式比赛的时候,我们的小队员们还是出了一点差错,但我们并没有互相埋怨。不管结果如何,我们都很HAPPY!

对了对了,差点忘了每个假期的经典诵读,我非常认真的背诵,到现在为止,我已经背了39首了。

当然,除了这些丰富的课外活动,我还没有忘记认真的书写暑假作业,还有老师布置的其他作业。

在这个暑假中,有一个人我不得不提,这个人就是我的妈妈。妈妈在这暑假中参加了职业技能大赛,为了这次比赛,妈妈经常晚上练习到很晚。就说简笔画这一项,妈妈认为这是她的弱项,就不停地练习。我偷偷地数过,她光一个晚上画的大象就用了16张纸。功夫不负有心人,她终于以第二名的成绩进入了管理局的比赛。为了能有更好的成绩,妈妈还在忙碌着。有一次,我问妈妈:“妈妈,你不累吗?”妈妈笑眯眯的回答:“累!但是我很快乐,人就是要活得充实一些,只要心情好,累也不觉得累。”我有些似懂非懂,但是妈妈对待事情的那种认真劲还是让我很佩服。

开心的暑假生活结束了,我即将迎来更加开心的学校生活,一想到这些,我都忍不住笑出声来了。

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篇11:初中生期末考试作文题目大全

全文共 708 字

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马上要期末考试了,下面是小编整理的初中生期末考试作文题目大全,欢迎阅读。

1.题目:考试,我想对你说

2.题目:一次难忘的实践

要求:每个同学在生活中,无论是在家庭、学校里,还是在社会上都有过自己的实践,请选择难忘的一次,写一篇 记叙文。

3.题目:当我面对______的时候

要求:在题目的横线上填上恰当的词语(如“挫折、荣誉、失败、成功”等),使题目完整。内容要健康,有真情实感。

4.题目:我眼中的________

要求:先将题目补充完整(可以写人、事、物,如“母亲、考试、大海”等)。文体不限,可综合运用多种表达方式。

5.题目:_________,感觉真好

感觉就是简单的心理过程。平时,当你帮助别人的时候,得到别人理解的时候,孝敬父母的时候,取得成功的时候……你的感觉往往是非常好的。请以“帮助别人(或得到理解……),感觉真好”为题,写一篇作文。

要求:选好你要写的那一方面内容,填在题目的横线上。要写出亲身经历,写出自己真实的心理感受。以记叙为主,恰当运用议论、抒情等表达方式。

6.题目:渴望得到__________

世上谁没有追求?谁没有向往?谁没有渴望得到的事物?也许有人渴望得到理解、爱护、肯定、温暖……也许有人渴望得到一本好书、一台电脑、一张邮票、一个足球……也许渴望得到……把它写出来吧。

7.题目:我的课余生活

要求:以记叙为主,可灵活运用多种表达方式。

8.题目:从这以后,我盼望长大(从这以后,我害怕长大)

要求:任选一题,要写出真情实感

9.题目:为自己竖起大拇指

提示:“竖起大拇指”常用来表示鼓励、夸奖、赞美、自豪,也可以用来表示有决心、有信心、有志气。

10.题目:初中生活的酸甜苦辣

要求:要有真情实感,文体不限。

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篇12:初中英语作文题目

全文共 591 字

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When the autumn comes, the weather will become cool and people can feel the

wind. In my hometown, there will be a famous contest, which is to fly kites.

People come to the field and bring their kites. What a lively scene. The

children are very active and excited. They run to the ground for many times, so

as to make their kites flying higher and higher. It has become a tradition. Some

people even will prepare for a long time. They want to prove that they are the

strong ones. It gives people a good chance to communicate with each other. I

like the atmosphere and enjoy the time with my friends.

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篇13:假期打工初中英语作文

全文共 913 字

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中学生应该在假期打工吗?你的看法呢?今天,小简老师选择的中考英语写作话题是:假期打工

【预测话题】假期打工

【预测题目】

暑假就要到了。很多学生打算在假期打工锻炼自己,可是有些家长不同意。他们认为打工既耽误学习,又不太安全。请你以“Should teenagers be allowed to have part-time jobs?"为题写一篇80词左右的短文,谈谈你的看法。

Should teenagers be allowed to have part-time jobs?

【参考范文】

Should teenagers be allowed to have part-time jobs?

Summer holiday is coming. Many students plan to have part-time jobs. But some parents disagree. They think it wastes the students’ time and it isn’t safe as well.

In my opinion, teenagers should be allowed to do some part-time jobs. Firstly, they can experience different lives and get more knowledge outside school. Meanwhile, after learning about the difficulty of making a living, they will cherish what they have now. What’s more, teenagers should have chances to make decisions by themselves.

Of course, safety is the most important. Teenagers should learn to protect themselves when doing part-time jobs.

[假期打工初中英语作文

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篇14:初中英语满分

全文共 575 字

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People always say that we are lacking of the eyes of realizing the beauty

in life. I can’t agree with it anymore. Last week, I woke up very early in the

morning, so I decided to take a walk. The street was very quiet and there were

many old people dancing in the square. Without many cars, I realized the city

looked so clean and beautiful. Some coffee shops decorates so well, which

attrated my eyes. The city was coverd by the green trees, which made it a green

city. I liked this feeling so much. At this moment, I found the city was so

lovely, I just ingored its beauty usually.

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篇15:寒假生活初中英语

全文共 1431 字

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When I was a girl,I was very bad.I often drew pictures on the English book and laughed loudly with my classmates.I never listened to my English teacher carefully.Of course,my English was very bad.

When I was in Grade 5,my mother sent me to an English school.My English was still very bad there and I didnt stand up when the teacher let us stand up and dance.But to my surprise,that English teacher called Angela didnt hate me and she still gave me another chance.One day,Angela found me and said:"Janice,you are very good,I trust that you can study English very well and you can be a good ***e on,my clever Janice,study English carefully from now on.Can you do it"Angela looked at me and I looked her>She looked like mysister who smiled at me.

I was moved by Angela.I said to her:"Yes,of course.I promise to study English well forever."

From that day on,I study English carefully and my English started improving.Now,my English is very well.

"Why do you study English well?"my classmates often ask me.My answer is:Angela.Yes,Angelas trust made me study English well.Thank you,Angela.

当我还是个小女孩的时候,我很不好,我经常在英语书上画画,和我的同学一起大声笑,我从来没有听过我的英语老师,当然,我的英语很差。

当我在5年级的时候,我妈妈送我去英语学校,我的英语还是很不错的,我没有站起来的时候,老师让我们站起来跳舞。但让我吃惊的是,英语老师叫安吉拉不恨我,她还是给了我一个机会。有一天,安吉拉找到我,说:“珍妮丝,你很好,我相信你能学好英语,你可以成为一个好的***,我聪明的珍妮丝,好好学英语了。你能做的”安吉拉看着我,我看着她她像我妹妹他对我笑了笑。

我被安吉拉感动了,我对她说:“是的,当然,我保证永远学英语。”

从那天起,我认真学习英语,我的英语水平提高了。现在,我的英语很好。

“你为什么学英语?”我的同学经常问我,我的回答是:安吉拉,是的,安吉拉的信任让我学好英语,谢谢你,安吉拉。

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篇16:初中英语日记大全

全文共 2914 字

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1. Today is very hot; I just have to stay at home all day. I watched TV after finishing my homework. The program was called animal planet. It was wonderful. It was about the beautiful nature and animals on the earth.

I enjoyed very much and learned a lot from it. I also ate water melon, which was great.

2. Today is hotter. I wanted to stay at home, but my father told me to do some exercises. He asked me to go shopping. I bought some food and drinks, and some vegetables. My mother praised me. I was hot and sweaty, but I was happy then.

3. Today is rainy. I went out with my friends. We went to the shopping mall, restaurant, and cinema. It was an exciting and amazing day. I bought many things I like, had a good meal and nice talk with my friends, and enjoyed a very interesting movie.

4. Today is hot again. My father is free. I asked him if we could go swimming, and he agreed. We went to the swimming pool. There were many people. I like swimming, though I am not very good at it. My father taught me a lot. He is very kind and patient. We enjoyed there very much. It is really a fruitful day.

5.Today is cloudy, but still very hot. I stayed at home, finished my home work and watched a movie, which is called illusionist. It is difficult to understand at the beginning, but I got to know it and enjoyed later then. It is a story happened in the 19th century in Europe, which is about love, trick and ambition among a magician, his lover in his childhood and the lover’s husband. You could only know it at the very end of the story.

6. Today is sunny and hot. I do nothing but surf on the internet, chatting with my friends, playing computer games and listening to the music. It is boring somehow. However, I found some nice music. I like pop music, folk song, rock music and light music. I downloaded them to my MP3 and enjoyed it when I resting on the bed.

7. Today I went out with my friends because it is not so hot. We went shopping, chat together, and had nice drinks and creams. Summer holiday is long, but the happy time is always short and memorable.

8. Today I went to see my grandparents with my mother. They are healthy and kind. We had a wonderful meal there. They usually do exercise in the early morning and have a walk after dinner. I should do more exercises, which is good to my health. Maybe I should lose some weight.

9. Today I only played cards and chess on the internet. I won a lot, which made me very happy. Internet is very useful and enjoyable. People could connect to each other by it, though I thought people communicate to each other less than before in reality. A coin has two sides.

10. Today I started to read a book called “The pride and the prejudice”, which is a famous novel. It is very interesting. It is delightful that the two couples get married as their wishes at last. However, it is difficult for me to describe the details to you. I think you should read it by yourself.

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篇17:我的假期初中英语

全文共 1004 字

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Frame, again to the winter vacation, our winter vacation life rich and colorful, I went to my grandmas favorite winter holiday, my grandmas yard is very big, there are evergreen camphor tree, there are beautiful chrysanthemum, there is a very quiet this season is the big turtle hibernation, the most to the earth, that which kinds of vegetable s, if point of snow is better to play again, but this holiday not snow, but Im not lost, there is so much mud, I can play together and sister mud, do play "ceramic".

Although it is winter, but it doesnt feel cold, we are happy to prepare, small shovel, wood, water. We first caught a big put dirt, prepared the wood, and together with a small amount of water, we were mixed with two small pieces of wood, but it is not only trouble but also slow, so we cut out mixed up with the hand, make both of our hands red with cold, also dirty, but is permeated with a smile of joy on his face. I accidentally put mud on the face, the elder sister smile I was a big cat.

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篇18:初中作文题目

全文共 844 字

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你会在一件你想要做但却不敢做的事情上犹豫不决,因为你很害怕失败,你会成功的迈出第一步,接着往下迈入正轨,你第一次想要跟轨道连接时往往不是那么容易,你会遇到很多阻挡你的困难,而你在一次次的失败过后最后会登上成功的顶峰。

刚刚步入初中阶段的我对于新的同学,新的老师,新的生活显得格外不适应,跟之前我对美好初中生活的想象大相径庭,每天繁重的学习任务,堆成山的作业,还有突如其来的月考,让本来就不自律的我显得更加叛逆,这种消极情绪一直困扰着我,我甚至萌发了想要辍学的念头。

可是这件事情却让我原本枯燥乏味的生活变得有意义起来,让我开始对人生充满期望

那天下午数学老师抱着满是红色笔迹的卷子快步走进了教室,一叠卷子被愤怒的老师重重砸在了讲桌上,这次不及格的还是那几位同学,为什么每次都没有-点反思?老师锐利的目光射向了我,可是我的内心确却没有任何感触,心中还是像湖水一般平静,不以为意。

回到家后,我便随意将成绩单一丢,悠闲的看起了电视,根本不把这次的考试名词放在心上,母亲也便不再理会我,晚饭时,母亲特意把我喜欢的菜往我这边挪了挪,在那一瞬间,我的心咯噔了一下,

母亲什么时候有了这么多的白发?我的瞳孔逐渐放大,饭后母亲出去遛弯,我并没有去,一人在家竟哭了起来,那一刻,我感觉自己好没用,凭我现在的成绩,当母亲需要我时,我除了眼泪,一无所有,我对不起母亲,更对不起自己,从那一刻开始,我下定决心要好好学习,为了不让以后的自己因为现在的碌碌无为而感到后悔,这次我要赢!

从那之后,我便和我的那群狐朋狗友断绝了联系,上课不再走神,作业多次被评为优等,周围的同学为我的改变而感到吃惊,当第二次月考我考了班级第4,同学们向我投来羡慕赞许的目光,老师看着我的试卷逐渐露出了笑容时,我才相信我竟然真的做到了。

回到家后我骄傲地向妈妈展示了我的成绩单,妈妈的脸上终于露出了满意的微笑,那--瞬间,我感觉自己又可以了,我的努力没有白费。

七月盛夏,瓦蓝天空中没有一丝云彩,火热的太阳炙烤着大地。街道。上映照着一个女孩蹦跳的影子。

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篇19:初中英语作文:谈谈习惯

全文共 738 字

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Habits, whether good or bad, are gradually formed. When a person doesa certain thing again and again, he‘ll be obliged to do it in the same way by some unseen force. Thus habit is formed. Once a habit is formed, it is difficult and sometimes almost impossible to get rid of it. It is.therefore very important that we should take care in the formation of habits. Good habits have many advantages. Going to bed early and getting up early makes us healthy. Diligence helps to succeed. Honesty helps:: win the respeet and trust of others.

If we form bad habits, such as rudeness, laziness, lying and stealing, we might be mined by them. We ought to keep away from bad habits and try to acquire habits good for ourselves and others.

[初中英语作文:谈谈习惯

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篇20:怀念的英语作文初中

全文共 2558 字

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When memory began for me, my grandfather was past sixty-a great tall man

with thick hair becoming gray. He had black eyes and a straight nose which ended

in a slightly flattened tip. Once he explained seriously to me that he got that

flattened tip as a small child when he fell down and stepped on his nose.

The little marks of laughter at the corners of his eyes were the prodnct of

a kindly and humorous nature. The years of work which had bent his shoulders had

never dulled his humour nor his love of a joke.

Everywhere he went, "Gramp" made friends easily. At the end of half an hour

you felt you had known him all your life. I soon learned that he hated to give

orders , but that when he had to, he tried to make his orders sound like

suggestions.

One July morning, as he was leaving to go to the cornfield, he said :

"Edwin, you can pick up the potatoes in the field today if you want to do that.

" Then he drove away with his horses.

The day passed, and I did not have any desire to pick up potatoes. Evening

came and the potatoes were still in the field. Gramp, dusty and tired, led the

horses to get their drink.

"How many bags of potatoes were there?" Gramp inquired. "I dont know.

"

"How many potatoes did you pick up?"

"I didnt pick any. " "Not any! Why not?"

"You said I could pick, them up if I wanted to. You didnt say I had to.

"

In the next few minutes I learned a lesson I would not forget: when Gramp

said I could if I wanted to, he meant that I should want to.

Gram hated cruelty and injustice. The injustices of history, even those of

a thousand years before, angered her as much as the injustices of her own

day.

She also had a deep love of beauty. When she was almost seventy-five, and

had gone to live with one of her daughters, she spent a delightful morning

washing dishes because, as she said, the beautiful patterns on the dishes gave

her pleasure. The bird, the flowers, the clouds-all that was beautiful around

her- pleased her. She was like the father of the French painter, Millet, who

used to gather grass and show it to his son , saying , "See how beautif ul this

is ! "

In a pioneer society it is the harder qualities of mind and character that

are of value. The softer virtues are considered unnecessary. Men and women

struggling daily to earn a living are unable, even for a moment, to forget the

business of preserving their lives. Only unusual people, like my grandparents,

manage to keep the softer qualities in a world of daily struggle.

Such were the two people with whom I spent the months from June to

September in the wonderful days of summer and youth.

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