2012年人教版英语中考模拟试题一、单项选择（共20小题，计20分）从每小题A、B、C、D中选出一个能填入句中空白处的最佳答案。16. We Chinese people are
very _______ our long history.
A. famous for
B. good at
C. proud of
D. worried about
17. Jack started to work at _______ early age because his family was very poor.
D. /
B. an
A. a
C. the
18. —Bob! Is this your dictionary?
—No, it isn't. Ask Sally. She is looking for_______.
A. his
B. hers
C. mine
D. yours
19. Look at the flowers! They are in different _______: red, yellow, pink…C. prices
A. colors
D. names
B. sizes
20. —Have you ________ read the poem If?
—Yes. I really enjoy it.
A. still
B. ever
C. yet
D. never
21. When I returned to my hometown, I was nearly lost. Almost_______ had changed.
D. everything A. nothing B. anything C. something
22. The world is becoming smaller and smaller because the Internet gets us _______.
D. farther A. less C. closer B. more
23. Lin Lin often practices English _______ chatting with her American friend.
D. with
C. for
A. in
B. by
24. —_______ will it take you from your school to the library? —About half an hour. So I'll be there by 9 o'clock.
A. How far
B. How soon
C. How long
D. How many
25. —How is your friend coming?
—I'm not sure. He _______ drive here.
A. may
B. can
C. must
D. will
26. _______ hamburgers are junk food, many children like them.
D. Although
B. Unless
C. Because A. If
27. Linda can'her is very big and tall.
t see the blackboard because the boy who sits
D. in the front of
B. beside
A. behind
C. in front of
28. —The 11th National Games will be held in Shandong in October, 2009.
—________ exciting news!
A. How
B. What
C. How an
D. What an
Dear, what time is the flight to Beijing on Saturday?
—29.
—Wait a minute. Let me _______ in the schedule (时刻表).
A. look at it
B. look for it
C. look after it
D. look it up
30. —You aren't a professional athlete, are you?
—________ . I am just a football fan.
A. Yes, I am
B. No, I'm not
C. Of course
D. Sometimes
31. This is the novel________ is written by Guo Jingming.
D. /
B. what
A. who
C. that
32. —What a beautiful watch! Is it new?
—No, I have _______ it for 2 years.
A. had
B. sold
C. borrowed
D. bought
's it like?33. —You are always talking about your pet dog. What________. —s three years oldB. ItA. It likes meat 'D. It likes playing with me
C. It's small and white
Sorry, what did you say just now?
34. —I asked ________. —B. where you have been A. when did he leave
D. how I could get to the station C. whom will you go with
35. —My parents never stop going on about (唠叨) how I should study hard.
________. —B. Nor my parents do A. So my parents do
D. So do my parents C. Nor do my parents
分）小题，计二、阅读理解（共2030阅读下列短文，然后从每小题、B、CD四个选项中选出能回答所提问题或完成、A所给句子的最佳答案。A
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed a boy ahead of him. He
had tripped (绊倒) and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with some clothes, a
baseball bat and a glove.
Mark knelt (跪) down and helped the boy pick up the things. Since they were going the
same way, he offered to carry some things for the boy.
As they walked, Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill. He loved video games,
baseball and history, but he was having trouble with some of his subjects.
They arrived at Bill's home first. Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some
人教版2020年九年级英语中考模拟试卷A卷 姓名:________ 班级:________ 成绩:________ 一、从A、B、C三个选项中选择合适的选项 (共10题；共20分) 1. （2分）He has two sons. They are Jim and Tom. Jim is Tom's brother. A . old B . older C . elder D . young 2. （2分）— Why don't you like winter in Beijing? — Because it is winter in Guangzhou. A . as cold as B . much colder than C . not so clod as D . not colder than 3. （2分）—Do you know who Mark Twain was ? —Of course .He was _______a famous American writer. A . used to be B . knew for C . known as D . known for 4. （2分）—Is the CD________？ —No, it's________． A . her; Alex B . her; Alex's C . hers; Alex D . hers; Alex's 5. （2分）Lily is a careless girl.She often_____ her homework at home. A . loses B . forgets
2019年中考英语真题试题 本试卷共七大题。考试时间120分钟，满分120分。 注意事项： 1．本考卷分试题卷和答题卡。请将答案填写在答题卡上，在试题卷上作答无效。考试结束后，将本试题卷和答题卡一并交回。 2．选择题：每小题选出答案后，请用2B铅笔把答题卡上对应题目的选项标号涂黑。 3．非选择题：请用直径0.5毫米黑色签字笔在答题卡上各题的答题区域内作答。 一、听力理解（共30分） （一）听句子，选图画。（每小题1分，共5分） 你将听到5个句子。请根据所听到的内容，选出与句子内容相符的图画选项。每个句 子读一遍。 （二）对话理解。（每小题1分，共10分） 第一节：听下面五段短对话，每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选 项中选出最佳选项。每段对话仅读一遍。 6. Where are the two speakers? A. In a restaurant. B. At a zoo. C. At a school. 7. What time of day is it? A. It’s time for breakfast. B. It’s time for lunch. C. It’s time for bed. 8. How many languages are mentioned in the conversation? A.One. B.Two. C.Three. 9. What will Kate do next? A. She’ll read her e-mail. B. She’ll tell David a joke. C. She’ll play computer games. 10. How much should the man pay? A.$ 7. B.$24. C.$31. 第二节：听下面两段长对话，每段对话后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选
人教版中考英语九年级英语介词试题和答案 一、初中英语介词 1．Look at the picture on the right! She is going _______. A. into the library B. out of the post office C. into the supermarket 【答案】C 【解析】【分析】句意：看右边的图画！她要去超级市场。A. into the library进图书馆；B. out of the post office走出邮局；C. into the supermarket进超市。根据右边的图片可以看到这名妇女正要走进超市，结合选项，故答案为C。 【点评】考查图片辨析。看懂图片，理解题意，注意熟记表示地点的名词。 2．I'll be at home __________ Sunday morning. You can phone me then. A. on B. in C. at D. to 【答案】 A 【解析】【分析】句意：在周日早上我将在家，那时你可以给我打电话。on+具体时间；in+the+morning/afternoon/evening，在早上/下午/晚上；at+时间点。Sunday morning指的是周日早上，指的是具体日期，所以用on，故选A。 【点评】考查介词辨析，注意平时识记on、in、at的区别。 3．I will go around the city of Dalian by light-rail vehicle（轻轨） subway because I haven't taken it before. A. instead of B. in the face of C. along with D. across from 【答案】 A 【解析】【分析】句意：我打算不坐地铁，坐轻轨车参观大连，因为我以前从没有坐过。 A.而不是； B.面对； C.和……一起； D.在……对面。因为原来没有坐过轻轨，所以这里是坐轻轨而不是坐地铁，故答案是A。 【点评】考查短语辨析，注意识记短语instead of的意思。 4．Humans can not make progress dreams. A. with B. without C. through D. about 【答案】 B 【解析】【分析】句意：没有了梦想，人类就不会进步。A.带着，有；B.没有；C.通过；D.关于。梦想是人类前进的动力，根据Humans can not make progress，可知人类不会进步，是因为没有梦想，应会使用介词without，故答案是B。 【点评】考查近词辨析，注意识记介词without的用法。
2008资阳市课改实验区中考英语题型示例 第一部分：听力 第一节 (一) 听下面5段对话，从题中所给的3个选项中选出与其意思相符的图片，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。听每段对话前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话读一遍。 1. What was the weather like 【答案】B 录音原文： M: How was your holiday W: Oh, it was great. We had nice weather. It was sunny every day. （二）听下面2段对话，从题中所给的三个选项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项 A B C 涂黑。听每段对话前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话读两遍。 听下面一段材料，回答第6－7小题。 6. What are Tony and Betty going to do tomorrow A. Swim in the sea. B. Visit a park. C. Collect coins. 【答案】B 7. What is the man interested in A. Coins and the sea. B. Animals and plants. C. The sea and birds. 【答案】C 录音原文： M: Hello. Tony speaking. W: This is Betty. Listen, Tony. I won’t have to work tomorrow, so I’d like to take you somewhere. M: That’s very kind of you. I’d like that. Where are we going W: We could start with Sea Park. It’s quite near here. M: What’s interesting about the park W: We can climb to the top of the hill and we can see the beautiful sea from there. M: Wonderful! It should be a nice day. W: Then we could visit the museum in the park. M: What’s on show there W: Coins. There are all kinds of coins from all times. M: I’d rather spend the day outside. W: Then, how about going to Bird Island There are all kinds of birds there, and lots of plants and flowers, too. M: That sounds interesting. I love birds. Let’s do that. 第二部分：英语知识运用 第一节单项填空 从A、B、C、D 四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项
人教版英语中考模拟试题及答案
2012年人教版中考英语模拟试题 一、单项选择（共20小题，计20分） 从每小题A、B、C、D中选出一个能填入句中空白处的最佳答案。 16. —Do you like to listen to “Mozart（莫扎特）”? —Yes. Listening to ______ is my favorite. A. songs B. music C. stories D. news 17. —Will you please ______ it to me on Friday? —What about Saturday? My computer doesn’t work well these days. A. post B. give C. e-mail D. bring 18. It’s an important decision for you, so______ your time and think it over. A. take B. waste C. kill D. save 19. —Do you think it will do us good or harm? —______. Let’s beg for God’s help. A. It’s hard to say B. I’m sure C. It’s impossible D. You are right 20. If you are weak _____ a subject, ______ and asking a teacher for advice can help. A. at; working hard B. in;
人教版2020中考英语真题试卷 A卷 一、听小对话，回答问题。（每小题1分，共计5分） (共5题；共10分) 1. （2分）What would Susan like to drink? A . Tea. B . Cold water. C . Coffee. 2. （2分）Who is sleeping at home? A . Tom's brother. B . Tom's father. C . Tom's mother. 3. （2分）What does the woman mean? A . She'll eat out with the man. B . She'll play tennis with the man. C . She'll go swimming with the man. 4. （2分）How is the weather tomorrow? A . Cloudy. B . Rainy. C . Sunny. 5. （2分）Where does the conversation probably take place? A . In a bookstore. B . In a post office. C . In a restaurant. 二、听较长对话，回答问题。（每小题2分，共计10分） (共2题；共20分) 6. （8分）听下面一段对话，回答小题。 （1）Why does Lucy look unhappy? A . Because her cat is sick. B . Because her cat is old. C . Because her cat is lost. （2）Why does Lucy look unhappy?
人教版英语中考模拟试题 二、选择填空（本大题共15小题。每小题1分） 从A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出一个可以填入空白处的最佳选项 ( )26. The boy likes music he can dance________. A. with B. from C. to D. on ( )27. She thinks the best way ________ English is ________ English magazines. A. to learn, read B. to learn, by reading C. learn, reading D. learning, read ( )28. _______ used to _______ a post office near my house. A. There; be B There; have C. It; be D. There; having ( )29. Beijing is one of the _______ in the world today. A. busiest city B. busiest cities C. busy city D. busy cities ( )30. I used to go to sleep ________ my bedroom light ________. A. with, open B. with, on C. and, open D. in, on ( )31. If I _______ you, I would give some flowers to her. A. am B. was C. was D. were ( )32. Would you like to go ________? A. anywhere relaxing B. relaxing somewhere C. somewhere relaxing D. somewhere relaxed ( )33. Why not consider________ Kunming for your next vacation ? A. visiting B. to visit C. visited D. visitor ( )34.－Do you know ________ old lady in blue? －Yes, she is a teacher of ________ university in Beijing. A. a, an B. the, an C. the, a D. an, a ( )35. Beth has a beautiful ________. Listen! She is singing beautifully. A. sound B. voice C. noise D. look ( )36. The red bike ________be Hu’s. Hers is blue. A. must B. might C. can D. can’t ( )37. -- I’m not allowed to go out on school nights. --________. A. So am I B. Neither am I C. So I do D. Will be ( )38. I don’t know if I _____ him this evening. If I ____ him, I will give the novel to him. A. will meet, will meet B. will meet, meet C. meet, will meet D. meet, meet ( )39. I prefer________ at home rather than _________ to the cinema. A. to stay, to go B. stay, go C. to stay, go D. stay, to go ( )40. —When are you going to have your hair ? —This afternoon. A. cut B. to cut C. cutting D. be cut 三、完形填空（本大题满分10分，每题1分） 阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D 四个选项中, 选出一个最佳答案 Tina Lin was not like many of her classmates. She didn’t listen to popular music. She didn’t watch many movies, and she wasn’t interested in nice clothes. When she got 41___ with her friends at a party, Tina found her friends preferred rock and pop music. When Tina 42___ if they would like to try classical music, they all looked at her strangely. “43___ music is for old people,” one of her friends said. Tina was 44___ that something was wrong with her. She decided to 45___ her father. As she entered his study, he could feel something was wrong. “Dad, am I strange?” she asked her 46___. “Of course not,” he answered, “Why do you ask that?” “Because I don’t 47___ the same things as my classmates. They want to listen to pop music. I like classical mus ic.”
中考英语强化练习题（一） 二、语言基础知识从每题A、B、c、D四个选项中．选出一个最佳答案。(20分) 16. I think you have dropped_________ "r" in writing “merry”. A. an B. a C. the D. x 17. —Can you catch what 1 said? —Sorry, I can_________ understand it. A. almost B. hardly C. nearly D. never 18. —I will go to Qingdao for a visit with my family during the long holiday of May. —. A. So do I B. So I do C. So will I D. So I will 19. Excuse me, can you tell me_________ next? A. how to do B. what should we do C. what we should do D. how we should do 20. —Do you have enough students to carry the boxes? —No, I think we need_________students. A. another B. two others C. more two D. two more 21. —Please tell me what Ii Ming looks like? —. A. He is sad B. He's all right C. He's tall D. He is high 22. —Will you go shopping together with us this Sunday, Jenny? —Yes, . A. I do B. I'd like to C. I'd love to do D. I'm busy 23. We have two rooms_________, but I can't decide_________. A. to live , to choose which one B. lived, choose which one C. to live in, which one to choose D. live, which one 24 —Dad, could you buy me a computer like this? —Of course, we can buy_________one than this, but_________it. A. a better, better than B. a popular, as good as C. a more popular, not as good as D. a cheaper, as good as
2011年人教版中考英语模拟试题及答案（一） 二、语言知识及运用(共两节，满分20分) 第一节单项选择(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分) 从16～25各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 16. —My brother and I will have a picnic next Sunday. —Enjoy ________. A. himself B. themselves C. yourself D. yourselves 17. —You look so tired, what’s wrong with you? —I ________ my history report the whole night. A. Was writing B. wrote C. had written D. am writing 18. The people will never forget what happened________ the afternoon of May, 12, 2008 in Sichuan. A. in B. at C. on D. by 19. I don’t think we can finish all the work before Friday, ________? A. do I B. can we C. can’t we D. don’t we 20. —________ useful information you have given to me! —I hope it can help. A. How B. What C. What an D. What a 21. The police man asked Mr. Smith ________. A. what did his car look like B. what was his car C. how his car looked like D. what his car looked like 22. He rushed into the fire to save the child________ it was dangerous for him to do so. A. unless B. because C. though D. so 23. The man ________ gave us a talk on science yesterday is a famous scientist. A. who B. whose C. which D. whom 24. Mandy ________ a new camera. She has taken a lot of photos with it. A. buys B. is buying C. bought D. will buy 25. Mike, please be quiet. The other classmates ________ hear very well. A. mustn’t B. shouldn’t C. needn’t D. can’t 第二节：语法选择（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分） 阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求，从26 ~ 35 各题所给的A、B、C和D 项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。 Being safe in your everyday life needs knowledge. If you remember the following information , your life will be much ___26___. Always notice the environment around you. You shouldn’t walk a lone outside . Make sure where the public phones are. If anything dangerous ___27___, you can find them ___28___ You bag should ___29___towards the front of your body instead of___30___it on your back. When a bus is full of people, it is ___31___ for a thief to take away the things in the bag on your back. If you are followed___32___ someone you don’t know, cross the street and go to the other way,
人教版中考英语真题试卷D卷 姓名:________ 班级:________ 成绩:________ 一、阅读理解（共五篇短文，共25小题，计30分。其中A~D篇每小 (共5题；共40分) 1. （8分）阅读理解 31-year-old Michael Phelps has become a phenomenon(神话) in swimming. Phelps won four golds and one silver at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. He ended his journey to the next Olympic Games and magic performance successfully. Within 12 years, from Athens to Rio, Phelps won 22 gold medals. He was one of the greatest athletes in the history of the Olympic Games. At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, he won eight gold medals. That was more than the whole Australian team could put together. He beat(打败) Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven wins in the pool at one Olympics. Phelps has put his name next to seven world records. Michael Phelps started to swim at the age of 5. Guess which stroke(动作) he first tried, the backstroke. It's because he didn't want to put his face in the water. By the age of 7, he had taken part in a lot of swimming competitions. At 11, he met Bob Bowman who saw the kid's great talent. How did Phelps become so good? He was born with the body of a swimmer. He stands 1.87 meters high and has a wide wingspan(臂展). He knows how to use his body to full advantage. His hands and feet are like paddles(踏板) in the water and he has a strong kick. But that's not all; he also has the heart and will to win. He thinks that anything is possible as long as you keep practicing. Swimming is Phelps' life. Every day he spends five hours in the water, swimming about 11 kilometers. He never takes a day off. This is a young man who knows what he wants. "If I didn't swim my best, I'd think about it at school, at dinner, and with my friends. It would drive me crazy," he said. "There are no limits(限制). The more you dream, the further you will get." （1）How many gold medals did Phelps win through his 12 years journey of Olympic Games? A . 4. B . 5. C . 8. D . 22. （2）Why did Phelps try backstroke first? A . Because he had a wide wingspan. B . Because he didn't want his face in the water. C . Because he had talent in swimming. D . Because his hands and feet were like paddles. （3）Which reason was not mentioned(提及) according to Phelps' success?
灵璧县杨疃中学九年级英语摸底考试试卷 Ⅰ..单项填空(共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分) 1. --What is Miss Gao's favorite________? --She is always in pink. Don't you know? A. colour B. book C. song D. movie 2. You __ drive your car so fast. It's very dangerous. A. wouldn't B. shouldn't C. couldn't D. mightn't 3. -- Would you like some milk? --________. A. Yes, please B. The same to you C. Help yourself D. My pleasure 4. -- ________ can you finish this English examination? -- In about one and a half hours. A. How far B. How often C. How soon D. How long 5. Smile to the world, ________ the world will smile back to you. A. nor B. but C. or D. and 6. -- I can't find David. Where is he? -- He ________ for tomorrow's competition at home. A. prepares B. is preparing C. has prepared D. prepared 7. Mrs. King put a coat ________ the sleeping girl to keep her warm. A. over B. with C. behind D. beside 8. --I am a little hungry, Mom. --There are some cakes on the plate. You can take ________. A. it B. one C. that D. this 9. I will meet Jane at the station. Please ________ what time she will arrive. A. count B. choose C. check D. catch 10. -- Tony, ________ are you in such a hurry? -- The meeting will start soon. I don't want to be late. A. where B.how C. when D. why 11. -- What was Jim wearing at the party? -- Nothing ________. He was in his usual shirt and jeans. A. special B. simple C. important D. interesting 12. -- It will be my turn. I feel a little nervous. --________ You can make it! A. Congratulations! B. Take it easy. C. kook out! D. Have a good time. 13. It is helpful to ________ a good habit of reading in language learning. A. take B. show C. develop D. match 14. The rivers will become dirtier and dirtier ______ we take action to protect them. A. since B. if C. until D. unless 15. -- Our school bus will leave at 8 o'clock tomorrow. Don't be late. -- OK. I will be there ten minutes________. A. sooner B. slower C. faster D. earlier 16. Thanks to the Internet, different kinds of information ________ in a short time. A. can be learned B. has been learned C. can learn D. has learned 17. I'm surprised to hear from her. ________, we last met ten years ago. A. On one hand B. That is to say C. Believe it or not D. In other words 18. The people in Ya'an have met lots of difficulties, but they haven't ________ hope. A. picked up B. given up C. looked for D. waited for 19. I still remember the college and the teachers ________ I visited in London years ago. A. what B. who C. that D. which 20. --TV says there will be a storm tomorrow. -- ________I planned to go climbing with my classmates. A. I hope so B. I'm afraid so C. Sounds good D. Bad luck Ⅱ.完形填空(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分) A Mr. and Mrs. Green were very worried about their son, Leo. He seemed to be dumb (哑的) 21 he was normal in every other way. Mr. and Mrs. Green tried everything to get him to 22 , but with no success. When Leo was six years old, the best doctors in the town 23 him carefully, but could find nothing wrong. And he seemed to be smart. It was just that he 24 spoke. "There might be something wrong with his 25 , and he doesn't know he's able to speak," one doctor said. "But he can read and write," said Mr. Green. "We've written him notes, telling him that he can speak." "It's certainly very 26 ," another doctor said. "Perhaps he'll be able to speak some day." 27 passed. Leo went to university. But he did not speak a 28 word. Then one day, Leo was having a meal with his parents. Without any warning, he looked up from his 29 and said, "Pass me the salt, please." Mr. and Mrs. Green were excited. "You spoke! You spoke!" they cried, "Why have you 30 so long to speak?" "I didn't have anything to say," he said. "Until now everything was perfect. But you forgot to put salt in these potatoes." 21. A. because B. when C. though D. before 22. A. speak B. walk C. play D. laugh 23. A. taught B. found C. examined D. asked 24. A. never B. often C. usually D. always 25. A. back B. hair C. face D. mind 26. A. unfair B. strange C. noisy D. quiet
Mrs Smith lives in such a big house without a child around.So she feels very ___
One evening，I was doing some __4__ on my computer while Mike was listening to music.__5__，I left my seat to get some water.A big surprise was waiting for me when I __6__ .He was using my computer to play games.I had forgotten to save the homework.Sadly，he had closed my program __7__ saving it—all I had done had disappeared! I __8__ him.He cried a lot as my mother came and beat him.My mother also asked him to leave my room at once. Then I did my homework __9__．At 10: 00 pm，I finished it.When I was going to turn off the __10__，I saw the photo of my __11__ that he had put on my table.I looked at his lovely face and remembered how __12__ he was when my mom beat him.I really felt __13__ .I went to see what he was doing.I found he was __14__ in my parents' bed.I kissed his face.He woke up，got up and said.“I'm sorry.I won't bring you any more trouble.” I was as moved and said.“From now on，my room is not only mine.It is __15__！” That very night，Mike and I shared not only the room，but the bed. ()1.A.clothes B．Food C．room D．toys ()2.A.because B．But C．or D．so ()3.A.dirty B．empty C．quiet D．tidy ()4.A.business B．Homework C．reading D．shopping ()https://www.doczj.com/doc/db8372061.html,ter B．Instead C．However D．Sometimes ()6.A.danced B．fell C．returned D．slept ()7.A.after B．by C．for D．without ()8.A agreed with B．heard from C．looked after D．shouted at ()9.A as well B．for ever C．in the end D．once again ()10.A computer B．Fan C．radio D．TV ()11.A.brother B．Cousin C．father D．grandfather ()12.A.clever B．happy C．sad D．silly ()13.A.bored B．excited C．proud D．sorry ()14.A.jumping B．Sleeping C．sitting D．singing ()15.A.his B．hers C．ours D．theirs 四、完形填空（共20小题，计30分） 阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出一个最佳答案。 A篇 What's going to happen in the future? Will robots control our planet? Will computers become smarter than us? Not likely. But here are some things that scientists say are most likely to happen in 10 to 30 years from now, according to the BBC. Digital money We used to pay with cash(现金) for everything we bought. Now when we use a credit card(信用卡) to shop online, money is spent without us seeing it. That means we are