初中英语说明文试题

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation.
In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Terrible weather, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus stops, people may comment about the transport system: “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people great each and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
Small talk ___.

A．is a kind of conversation with short words

B．is a greeting when people meet each other

C．is to let people disagree about something

D．is something we talk about to start a conversation

The best topic of small talk is about ___.

A．the weather

B．politics

C．Games

D．languages

The passage suggests that when we learn a language ___.

A．we should learn about the transport system of the country

B．we should only master the grammar and vocabulary

C．we should know the culture about the country

D．we should grasp the importance of the language

When we say “Great game, isn’t it?” we in fact___.

A．ask a question	B．have a conversation
C．greet each other	D．begin a small talk

What we learn from the passage is that ___.

A．different language has different grammar

B．small talk is an important part in a language

C．small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation

D．in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather.

Sometimes we feel good, such as when we get good grades or when something good happens. Sometimes we feel bad, such as when we argue（争吵） with our classmates or when the teachers criticize(批评)us. Both kinds of feelings are normal(普通的). Of course, we all enjoy good feelings, but when we feel unhappy, sometimes we don’t know what to do about it. Here is a plan that will help you when your feelings are bothering you.
1. ACCEPT your feelings. Say to yourself, "I am sad." "I am scared." "I am angry." "I am embarrassed（尴尬）." It’s all right to have these feelings.
2. RELAX and have a rest before you act. Take slow deep breaths (呼吸)and relax your body. Imagine that you are in a safe place. You could listen to some music or sing a beautiful song!
3. THINK about ways to help yourself. Thinking helps you do something smart instead of hurting yourself or making things worse.
4. DO something to help yourself. Maybe you can talk to someone, or do something you enjoy. If it doesn’t work, go back to step 3.
If you want to relax yourself, you can _________.

A．say to yourself, "I am sad."

B．listen to some music or sing a beautiful song

C．think about ways to help yourself

D．watch thrillers

If you are feeling bad, you can say to yourself that _____.

A．"I don’t want the bad feeling."

B．"I want to be happy."

C．"It’s too bad to have bad feeling."

D．"It’s nothing to have all these bad feelings."

If you can’t talk to someone, or do anything you enjoy, you can ________.

A．accept your feelings

B．relax and have a rest before you act

C．think about ways to help yourself

D．do nothing

The passage tells us ________.

A．what we can do when we feel happy

B．we can do nothing when we feel bad

C．We all enjoy good feelings, but bad feeling is unusual to us

D．what we can do when we feel unhappy

Most children like watching TV. It’s very interesting. By watching TV they can see and learn a lot and know many things about their country and the world. Of course ,they can also learn over the radio. But they can learn better and more easily on TV. Why? Because they can hear and watch at the same time. But they can’t see anything over the radio. TV helps to open children’s eyes. It helps to open their minds , too. They learn newer and better ways of doing things. Many children watch TV only on Saturday or Sunday evening. They are always busy with their lessons. But a few children watch TV every night. They go to bed very late. They can’ t have a good rest. How about you, my young friend?
A few children go to bed late because they ______

A．are busy with their lessons	B．do their homework
C．watch TV	D．listen to the radio

Children can’t see anything ______

A．in the radio

B．on the radio

C．on TV

D．by watching TV

TV helps to open children’s ______

A．eyes and minds

B．minds

C．eyes or minds

D．eyes

Why do many children watch TV only on Saturday or Sunday evening? Because ______

A．TV is not good	B．they don’t like watching TV
C．they have no time	D．they want to play football

Children can study better and more easily on TV because ______

A．they like to watch TV

B．they can hear at the same time

C．they can watch at the same time

D．they can hear and watch at the same time

The Clockwork Radio
The British inventor Trevor Baylis created this really clever ′wind-up radio′ for people from Third World countries. in some parts of the Third World countries, it’s very hard for people to get or pay for enough energy. This radio uses no batteries (电池) and does not need any electricity to run it. A clockwork generator (发电机) is put inside the radio and works as the power. When it is fully wound up (上弦), the radio can work for long periods.

The clock work product is not a new invention. The Victorians had already put it in wide use. We may find them used in toys as well. Then what is new about this clockwork radio? Baylis has used this simple but effective (高效的) way of creating electricity to both help the people of the Third World and to develop a product which is selling well in Western Europe.
Even former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandella has one of these radios and personally recommends this product to others.
What does the clockwork radio use to run it?

A．Batteries.	B．Electricity.
C．A clockwork generator.	D．Wind power.

The Third World countries are       in the world.

A．the rich countries	B．the poor countries
C．Western European	D．Victorian countries

Which sentence is true according to the passage?

A．the clockwork radio can work for only a short period of time.

B．Trevor Baylis created the world’s first clockwork product.

C．The clockwise radio is also a toy for people of the Third World.

D．Nelson Mandella owns one of the clockwork radios.

Anger is a kind of feeling. Many things can make you angry. When your teacher gives you too much homework, when your team loses an important game, when a friend borrows your favorite thing and then breaks it, you may get really angry.
Usually, your body will tell you when you are angry. For example, you breathe faster, your face turns red, and you may want to break something or hit(打) someone, but sometimes, you hide(隐藏) your anger. For example, you may hide it in your heart. The problem is that if you do this, you may get a headache or your stomach may hurt.
In fact, it’s not good to hide your anger, and it’s normal for you to get angry sometimes. But anger must be let out in the right way, without hurting others or yourself.
When you get angry, you can talk about it with other people. It’s helpful to talk about your anger with an adult, such as parents, a teacher, etc. When you talk about anger, those bad feelings can start to go away. Here are some other things you can do when you start to feel angry: talk to a good friend; count from 1 to 100; give someone a hug(拥抱); go for a bike ride; think about good things, etc.
Remember that how you act when you are angry can make everything better or worse. Don’t let your anger control you.
You may not get angry when ____.

A．there is too much homework on this weekend

B．your favorite basketball team wins the game

C．a friend breaks your favorite thing

D．your parents don’t let you watch TV

____ shows that you’re not angry.

A．Taking a faster breath	B．Getting a headache
C．Getting a stomachache	D．Wanting to protect someone

According to the passage, you can do everything when you get angry except(除了) ____.

A．go for a bike ride

B．think about good things

C．talk to a good friend

D．say bad things to the people around you

The underlined word “control” in the last paragraph means____ in Chinese.

A．控制

B．连接

C．帮助

D．失去

This passage is mainly about ____.

A．anger

B．excitement

C．happiness

D．sadness

I am a student in China now. My name is Kelly Smith. I live with my parents, two sisters and a brother in Beijing. My parents teach English in No. 6 Middle School. I study in the same school. I am happy here, because I like my new school and the classmates. They are very kind to me. They like to play with me because I look different from them. I have blue eyes and long blond hair. They often say I look like a doll (洋娃娃). Also I speak English well, so lots of students like to talk with me to improve (提高) their English.
How many people are there in Kelly’s family?
A. three B. five C. six
Kelly’s parents are _______.
A. doctors B. teachers C. farmers
Why does Kelly like her new school?
A. Because it is very big.
B. Because it is very beautiful
C. Because the classmates are kind to her.
What color are Kelly’s eyes?
A. blonde B. black C. blue
Why do students like to talk with Kelly?
A. Because Kelly is a beautiful girl.
B. Because Kelly’s English is very good.
C. Because Kelly is very interesting.

Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and one of the largest free-standing mountains in the world, and some say, the most beautiful place on the earth!
The mountain towers 15,000 feet above the plains. Mount Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and it covers an area of 60 miles long and 40 miles wide. Kilimanjaro is an extinct volcano(死火山), with 3 peaks. Kibo is the highest one in the center.
Because of Kilimanjaro’s great height, the mountain influences its own weather. Winds incoming from the Indian Ocean are stopped upward by the mountain and drop their moisture(湿气) as rain and snow. People have planted coffee, corn, and other crops on the lower slopes(斜坡).
Mount Kilimanjaro now attracts many thousands of walkers each year. Because of a temperature rise in recent years, the beautiful snow cap of Kilimanjaro is retreating(消退)fast. A research said that the white snow on the mountain might be gone in 15 years. What a pity!
The writer is worried about Mount Kilimanjaro’s ________.

A．great height

B．extinct volcano

C．rainforests

D．white snow cap

Mount Kilimanjaro is __________

A．the highest mountain in the world	B．an active volcano
C．a free-standing mountain	D．15,000 feet above the sea level

The snow on the mountain comes from ________.

A．the Indian Ocean	B．the Pacific Ocean
C．the Atlantic Ocean	D．the Red Sea

_________ influences the mountain’s own weather.

A．Rain and snow

B．Its great height

C．Crops

D．The moisture

People should _______ to stop the mountain’s snow cap from melting.

A．save the water of the Indian Ocean	B．protect the environment
C．not visit Kilimanjaro	D．not plant crops on the mountain

Every year there is the Spring Festival in China. Usually it is in January(一月)or February（二月）. It is the most important festival in China. So before it comes, everyone has to prepare things. They buy pork, beef, chicken, fruit and many other things. And they often make a special(特别的) kind of food called “dumplings”. It means “come together” in Chinese. On the day before the festival, parents buy new clothes for their children and children also buy presents for their parents. On Spring Festival’s Eve, all the family members come back to their home. This is a happy moment. They sing, dance and play cards. Others get the dinner ready. When they enjoy the meal, they give each other the best wishes for the coming year. They all have a good time.
        is the most important festival in China?

A．Mid-autumn Day	B．The Spring Festival
C．Children’s Day	D．Teachers’ Day

The Chinese usually have their Spring Festival in        .

A．January or February

B．January or March

C．summer

D．autumn

What’s the special kind of food for the Spring Festival in China?

A．Cakes.

B．Pudding.

C．Hotdog

D．Dumplings.

The food “dumplings” means “       ”.

A．be delicious

B．be hungry

C．come together

D．be happy

When they are having dinner on Spring Festival’s Eve, the Chinese    .

A．eat Candy	B．eat moon cakes
C．never drink	D．give each other the best wishes

There are many ways to find a job. It can be as easy as walking into a neighborhood store to look at its announcement(通告) board. Local stores often have areas where people can put small signs telling what kind of service they need or can provide. Such services include caring for children or cleaning houses.
Or, job searchers can look in the newspaper. Local newspapers have employment announcements placed by companies seeking(寻找) workers.
Another popular tool for finding jobs is the Internet. For example, people in four hundred and fifty cities around the world can use the Craigslist(网站名)Web site to buy objects, meet people or find a job. Craigslist says that it receives two million new job listings each month.
Another useful way to find a job is through a college or university. For example, students at the University of Texas in Austin（奥斯丁 (美国得克萨斯州首府)） can go to the Career Exploration Center to get help in finding a job. Of course, looking for a job requires knowing what kind of work you want to do. For example, there is a book called “What Color is Your Parachute (降落伞)?” by Richard Bolles. This book has been helping people choose a career (职业) since it was first published in nineteen seventy.
Some experts(专家) also help people find jobs. Susan W. Miller owns a company called California Career Services in Los Angeles. She says her company helps people find jobs by first helping them understand their strengths, goals and interests. Then she provides them with methods and resources(对策) to help them find the right job.
What is the passage mainly about?

A．Finding a job.

B．College students’ part-time jobs.

C．Craigslist Web site.

D．The relation between study and work.

It can be learned from the passage that ______.

A．companies often put job information in local shops

B．the Internet is the most popular tool for job hunters in the USA

C．Susan W. Miller’s company is helping people choose careers

D．California Career Services mainly serves university students

How many ways of finding a job are mentioned in the passage?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

For most people, the word “fashion” means “clothes”. But people may ask the question, “What clothes are in fashion?” And they use the adjective “fashionable” in the same way: 
“She was wearing a fashionable coat. His shirt was really a fashionable color.”
But of course there are fashions in many things, not only in clothes. There are fashions in holidays, in restaurants, in films and books. There are even fashions in school subjects, jobs…and in languages.
Fashions change as time goes. If you look at pictures of people or things from the past, you will see that fashions have always changed. An English house of 1750 was different from one of 1650. A fashionable man in 1780 looked very different from his grandson in 1860.
Today fashions change very quickly. Some of this is natural. We hear about things much more quickly than in the past. Newspaper, radios, telephones and television send information from one country to another in a few hours. New fashions mean that people will buy new things, so you see there is money in fashion.
From this passage we know that “fashion” means ______.

A．clothes	B．many things
C．most of the popular things	D．everything

Today fashions change very quickly because _______.

A．people read newspaper every day

B．radios send information from one country to another

C．new things that people like are often shown on TV

D．people quickly learn what is happening in the world

“There is money in fashion” means ______.

A．clothes are expensive	B．money comes from fashion
C．people like new things	D．fashions make big money

The best title for the passage is ______.

A．Fashions	B．Fashion mean clothes
C．Fashion means money	D．A fashionable

When you travel(旅游) in Hong Kong, you must be careful of the traffic(交通) rules, because the traffic keeps to the left and it’s different from that of the interior(内地) of China. Before crossing the street, you must look to the right and then to the left. If the traffic lights are red, the traffic must stop, people can go across the zebra line.（斑马线） If the traffic lights turn green , the traffic can go, and people mustn’t cross the road.
In the morning and in the evening, when people go to or come from work, the streets are very busy. The traffic is the most dangerous.
When you go somewhere by bus in Hong Kong, you have to be careful, too. Always remember the traffic keeps to the left. Have a look first, or you may go the wrong way. In Hong Kong, there are a lot of big buses with two floors. You’d better sit on the second floor. From there you can watch the city very well. How interesting !
In Hong Kong the traffic moves __________.

A．on the right

B．on the left

C．in the middle

D．in the park

When you cross the street, you must look to ____ first.

A．the front

B．the right

C．the left

D．B and C

If the traffic lights are red,  _______.

A．the people must stop	B．the traffic must stop
C．the people and the traffic must stop	D．the traffic and the people must wait

It is ______ to cross the streets in the morning and in the evening.

A．dangerous

B．interesting

C．easy

D．safe

You can see the city very well on the _____ floor of the bus.

A．first

B．second

C．third

D．fourth

Shanghai’s Maglev Train(磁悬浮列车) runs from Longyang to Pudong International Airport(国际机场). The whole trip takes about 8 minutes.
Time

First train	Longyang Road station	6:45
Airport Station	7:02
Last train	Longyang Road Station	21:40
Airport Station	21:42

Tickets

	Economy Class(普通座)	VIP
Single Trip(单程旅行)	50 yuan	100 yuan
Round Trip(往返旅行)	80 yuan	160 yuan

Children at or under 120 cm tall don’t need to buy tickets to take the train, but they cannot take the train by themselves. Children above 124 cm must buy a full-price ticket.
If you buy a round ticket, you can get on the train at Longyang Road Station or Pudong Airport Station, and get off at the other station. The return part of the ticket must be used on the same day.
How long does it take to travel from Longyang Road Station to Pudong International Airport by Shanghai Maglev Train?

A．About five minutes.	B．About six minutes.
C．About eight minutes.	D．About nine minutes.

Mr Wang will buy an Economy class ticket to Pudong International Airport with his 120 cm tall son. He should pay___________ for the trip.

A．50 yuan

B．100 yuan

C．150 yuan

D．200 yuan

The first train from Airport Station to Longyang Road Station leaves__________.

A．6:30

B．6: 45

C．7:02

D．7:20

A passage( 乘客) who buys a round trip ticket__________.

A．can take the train three times

B．must take the train back on the same day

C．can only get on the train at Longyang Road Station

D．can only get off the train at Pudong Airport Station

A boy who is 130 cm tall__________.

A．can take Shanghai Maglev Train by himself

B．doesn’t need a ticket to take the train

C．has to take the train with his parents

D．can take the train with a half-price ticket

You can’t see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes．Some of the things you see give off light of their own。The sun，the stars，a lighted lamp are the examples that can be seen by their own light．But most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own．They are just reflecting(反射)light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies．The moon，for example，doesn’t give off any light of its own．It is not 1uminous．You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of the sunlight reflects on the earth．So moonlight is only second—hand sunlight．
When you look at a book，it sends some of the light which fails on it to your eyes，and you see the book．If light could be kept out from where you’re so that there would be no light from the book to reflect．Then you couldn’t see the book even with your eyes wide open．Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you’re reading to your eyes is as short as if there were no time at time．Light reaches us from the moon，which is about 380，000 kilometres away，in only a little more than a second．
You can see the book because________．

A．your eyes are close to it	B．it reflects some of the light
C．it has light of its own	D．it is big enough to be seen

The Chinese meaning of the world“luminous”is close to_______．

A．闪光的

B．看不见的

C．发光的

D．明亮的

________has light of its own．

A．The moon

B．The earth

C．The sun

D．The satellite of Dong Fong Hong

Light travels about_________kilometers per second．

A．300，000

B．100，000

C．400，000

D．190，000

Which of the following is TRUE?

A．All the things you can see give off light．

B．Light from the book is much faster than that from the moon．

C．The moment you open your eyes，the light from the book travels to your eyes．

D．Light travels so fast that there is no time for you to read．

Read how Sofia writes a composition.

1.The weekend before she has to give it to the teacher, she sits on her own in the kitchen. First, she looks at the title and thinks a lot.	2.Then she writes a few ideas onto a piece of paper, in no particular order. She looks up a couple of words in the dictionary and writes those down.	3.Then she has a sandwich and goes to watch TV.	4.The next day she looks at what she wrote. She adds some more ideas. Then she decides how to order her ideas. She starts to write.
5.There are some words she’s not sure about so she looks them up in her dictionary.	6.When she has finished writing, she reads carefully through her composition. She crosses some things out and changes one or two sentences.	7.Then she looks back at her notes from other written work. She makes sure she hasn’t made any of the same mistakes.	8.Finally, she writes out her composition onto a clean piece of paper and puts it in her bag.

180words
What does Sofia do first before she writes the composition?

A．She looks at the title and thinks a lot.

B．She has a sandwich and goes to watch TV.

C．She writes a few ideas onto a piece of paper.

D．She looks up a couple of words in the dictionary.

When she meets some words she’s not sure,        .

A．she writes them down	B．she looks back at her notes
C．she crosses some things out	D．she looks them up in the dictionary

From the passage we can know Sofia is a        .

A．driver

B．doctor

C．student

D．parent

Helping your children to read and write at home will improve their skills and confidence—it will also make them get ready for learning in the classroom environment.
　    　 are needed by every child in every subject in every year of their life in or outside school. Students who improve their reading and writing skills will increase their vocabulary and their ability（能力）to use the English language correctly. As parents, you can play an important role in improving your children’s literacy（读写能力）. You can make a difference by listening, asking questions, giving information, and reading with your children outside school hours.
Here are 8 tips on how to help your children to read and write:
having everyday conversations with your children
trying to ask more “wh-” questions instead of easy “yes” or “no” questions
encouraging your children to talk about events you don’t know
reading to your children each night
listening to your children read
teaching your children how to use dictionaries
talking about your children’s writings
practicing filling in forms, writing letters, sending cards or emails
You can also encourage your children to join the Reading Challenge Club and discuss the books they are reading together. In the club, children must read 15 books from the Challenge book list and 5 more books chosen by themselves. There are over 1,000 books on the list. The reading must be done in one year. What’s more, it is a wonderful way to help your children to write. For example, you can encourage them to write diaries or book reviews. Remember to make positive comments as much as possible.
This passage is mainly written for __________.

A．children

B．teachers

C．parents

D．doctors

__________ is the best for the missing part in Paragraph 2.

A．“Listening and speaking skills”	B．“Reading and writing skills”
C．“Listening and writing skills”	D．“Reading and listening skills”

__________ is NOT mentioned in the 8 tips above.

A．“Listening to the radio every day ”	B．“Listening to your children read”
C．“Reading to your children each night”	D．“Talking about your children’s writings”

In the Reading Challenge Club, children have to read __________ in one year.

A．5 books

B．10 books

C．15 books

D．20 books

Parents can help children to write by encouraging them to__________.

A．draw pictures or take photos	B．listen to pop music
C．write diaries or book reviews	D．play computer games