Luke, Jay and Zach’s Winning Game

Luke really wanted his baseball team, the Wildcats, to win. It was the last game of the regular （常规的） ______. He had never been to the playoffs （季后赛）before.

The coach called the whole team together ______ the game began. He said, “It has been a great season. You should all be ______ of yourselves. Let’s give it our best effort.”

The team really was a good one. All of the teammates got along well and ______ each other. Luke’s best friend, Jay, was on the team too. They were two of the best players.

The Purple Sox were the Wildcats’ opponents. Both teams and all of their ______ were super excited about the game.

The Wildcats had a good ______. They had three runs（分）by the end of the second inning（局）and had prevented the Purple Sox from scoring. ______, by the end of the fifth inning. the Purple Sox had taken the lead and were ahead of the Wildcats by four runs. Luke and Jay were starting to ______, but they knew they had to remain positive （积极的，乐观的）.

“Don’t give up, Wildcats!” urged Jay. “We can do it!” cheered Luke. “Be proud and give it your best effort, like our coach said.” Luke ______ the team.

Over the next few innings, the Wildcats did ______ and by the bottom of the ninth inning, they were ahead of the Purple Sox by one run, but the Purple Sox had the last at bat （轮到击球）for the game. Zach was one of their ______ players. His Purple Sox teammates cheered for him. Then they started chanting. Before too long, the fans joined in on the chant too. Even the Wildcats started cheering to ______ him, because they knew how hard Zach always tried. Finally, he made it. He hit the ball, then he ran as hard as he could to the first base.

The next Purple Sox batter was up. Zach was ready to run. They might just win the game after all. But the ball was not far enough. Luke was able to catch the ball and ______ the game for the Wildcats.

When the game ended, both teams shook hands and congratulated each other. It really was a ______ for everyone. Luke, Jay and the Wildcats made the playoffs, and the Purple Sox saw their teammate Zach have his ______ hit.

And that was how the last day of the regular season ended and how the children made their day.

Tallest Indoor Rock Climbing Wall

Challenge, risk, success, pride, and teamwork—the “Pilot Rock” is a symbol of reaching new heights. It is 35 feet high, the tallest indoor rock climbing wall in New York City. “Pilot Rock” offers challenges for those from beginners to advanced （高级的）climbers! Whether it’s your own activity or as a main event of your next birthday party, climbing the “Pilot Rock” is an exciting and unusual activity to try. Guided by experienced staff, we try every means to make climbing safe for everyone.
Attention ◆Signup（报名）is first-come, first-serve. ◆There are no reservations （预定）. ◆Climbers must be wearing climbing shoes. ◆The times may change because of other activities. Please call Customer Service at 718-758-7500 with any questions about the open times.	Paths The far left of the wall is for new comers, which has a straight path up the rock wall. As you move further to the right, it is the second path, which is harder to climb with difficult holdings and turns. The third path is a true test of better body strength, only for the most experienced. The fourth path is quite different. Newcomers can make their ways slowly up to the top from the sideways with easy holdings.	Information ◆Dates &Times Friday: 5:00 p. m~9:00 p. m. Saturday: 11:00 a. m. ~9:00 p. m. Sunday: 11:00 a. m. ~6:00 p. m. ◆Price for two climbs Non-members: $12. 00 per person Members: $10. 80 per person

Have you ever wanted to be taller? Perhaps we all have wished for this, whether we’re trying to see over a crowd of people or dreaming of becoming a basketball player. Height is mainly a result of genetics (遗传), though other factors (因素) like nutrition and healthcare can also affect our height.

According to World Data, the average height for Chinese men is 1.71 meters, while for women it’s 1.59 meters. But what stops us from growing to three meters or even taller? The answer is evolution (进化), according to a study from Harvard University.

“Height is not just about height. It’s about the biological growth of an organism,” biologist Terence D. Capellini from Harvard University told Popular Science. Over millions of years, natural selection has affected the way our organs (器官) grow and therefore the way our bodies grow too. In general, the genes (基因) that are responsible for organ growth are quite active in infants (婴儿), causing them to grow quickly. But as children get older, the genes slacken. Eventually, as they enter late adolescence (青春期), the genes turn off and teenagers reach their adult height.

According to the study, about 70 to 80 percent of our height is mainly decided by the growth genes. The other factors are some environmental factors like proper nutrition and modern healthcare. An example of an environmental factor is when a child doesn’t get the nutrition he or she needs, the child is less likely to reach the average height.

Many people would like to be taller than they are, but is that necessarily good for them?

Robert Wadlow from the US was the tallest man in history. He was 2. 71 meters tall. But he suffered from several related health problems. For example, he needed leg braces (支架) to help him walk. He died at the age of 22 from an infection caused by a brace that didn’t fit him properly. Being very tall can cause high blood pressure in the legs. It can also put too much stress on the heart, according to The Guardian.

It seems that beyond having tall parents, the only way to increase your height is to eat a healthy and balanced diet, according to Forbes.

On a cold night in New York, a policeman was on duty. He walked along a quiet street and checked the shops that had closed for the night. Then he came upon a man outside a store. Before he could say a word, the man started talking.

“It’s all right, officer,” the man said. “I’m just waiting for a friend. We made a date to meet here.” He explained that he and his friend had eaten dinner at this shop exactly 20 years ago. Back then, it was a restaurant. The policeman replied that “Big Joe” Brady’s restaurant had closed down five years ago.

Then, the man lit his cigar（雪茄）. From the light, the officer could see the man better. He had a little white scar（疤）near his right eye. He was also well-dressed, with a large jewel in his necktie.

The man went on to talk about his good friend Jimmy and how they were like brothers. The day after their dinner, the man had gone west to become rich, but Jimmy had stayed behind in New York. They hadn’t seen each other since then, but had agreed to meet at the same restaurant on this very night.

“I’ll be on my way,” the policeman said. “Hope your friend comes around all right.” He then continued walking down the street.

Around 20 minutes later, another man showed up. “Is that you, Bob?” the man asked. “Is that you, Jimmy?” Bob responded. Bob was happy to be looking at his old friend again. However, he couldn’t help but notice that Jimmy seemed much taller. “I grew a bit after I was 20,” Jimmy said. “Hey, I know a place. It’s not far from here, and we can talk here.” Bob agreed, and they started walking.

When they stepped under the light of a shop, the two men turned to look at each other. Bob stopped suddenly and cried, “You can’t be Jimmy! Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change the size of a man’s nose.”

“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one,” said the tall man. “You have been under arrest（逮捕）for the last ten minutes, Bob. Also, here’s a note from Officer Jimmy.” Bob unfolded the piece of paper handed to him.

Did you know that when you surf the web, websites in some countries put secret software on your computer? The software collects a large amount of information about you and sends it to internet companies. The internet companies sell it to other businesses. Your personal information can also be gathered from social media sites. There are many ways your information can be used.

First, companies collect your information and record all your online habits. They find out where you live, what websites you visit and what you do online. With this information, they can guess other things about you. For example, they can guess if you are male or female, how old you are and what your interests are. The companies use this information to decide which ads are best for you. Two people can go to the same website, but they will see different ads. For example, someone who likes sports could see ads for trainers, and someone who likes films might see ads for a film.

Your personal information could also be sold. Some companies collect information just to sell it to other businesses. A business that collects and sells personal information is called a data broker. When data brokers sell your information, a lot of different companies will know your online habits. Then the companies will advertise products or other websites to you.

Another way your personal information can be collected is through social media. Even if you don’t use social media, a friend might post a picture or video of you with your name on it. Pictures and videos can be shared for free on social media, which is one of the great advantages. However, that same act of sharing could be a problem for your own security (安全). If someone knows too much about you, they steal your identity. Then they can buy things online and post messages while pretending (假装) to be you.

______. The law is finally changing when it comes to technology. In the European Union, for example, they have introduced the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). This rule means that internet users can now ask companies to show them what information they have about them and even make them delete it. If other countries do the same, the internet could soon be a much safer place.

Queen Elizabeth II died at the age of 96, on September 8. She was the longest-serving monarch (君主)of B    61     . Her eldest son, 73-year-old Charles, has now become king and head of state not just in the UK but in 14 other Commonwealth realms（英联邦国家). He is called King Charles Ⅲ.

The queen had a great i    62     on this island country. She took the throne in 1952 when the UK was still rebuilding after World War II. She devoted h    63     to serving her country and the Commonwealth and saw 15 British prime ministers (首相)come and go. She, who had a heart f    64     of love, supported over 600 charities. She also kept a close connection with the public. In the UK, every Christmas day, people would turn on their TVs to listen to the queen’s Christmas s    65    .

The Queen was also admired around the world. She made important contributions to promote friendly exchanges b    66     the UK and other countries. And she was the first British monarch to visit China.

After the UK had 10 days of n    67     mourning (悼念), the UK and the world said a final goodbye to Queen Elizabeth II at a state funeral (葬礼)on Monday. People across the country mourned the queen’s death. Thousands of mourners stood in deep s    68     at Westminster Hall, in memory of their beloved queen. Flags flying from landmark buildings have been half-masted (降半旗). L    69     from different countries also expressed their sincere condolences (吊唁).

“The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty the Queen, is a moment of the greatest s    70     for me and all members of my family.” King Charles III said.

76. 为了让学生尽快适应九年级的生活，Sunshine Middle School英文网站发起征文活动，帮助学生排解压力。假如你是张华，请根据下图提示，以How to deal with stress为题，选择或自拟至少四点，写一篇英语短文，给同学们提出合理建议。

How to deal with stress

As Grade 9 students, most of us are under great stress. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________