初中英语说明文阅读理解

Antifreeze is a liquid(液体) that is added to water to keep it from freezing． When water freezes and turns to ice，it expands(膨胀)．The force of water expanding is so great that it will break the hardest metal．Water is used in car engines(发动机) to keep them cool while they run，and if this water is allowed to freeze in winter it can break the iron block of the engine．That is why antifreeze is necessary．
Water freezes at 0℃；the usual kind of antifreeze will not freeze until the temperature is－40℃．A mixture(混合物) of five parts of water and four parts of antifreeze will prevent freezing at－18℃；four parts of water and five parts of antifreeze reduce this to －22℃．
Alcohol is a kind of good antifreeze，but when the air is running it becomes hot and the alcohol boils away，so it must be changed very often．Most people use antifreeze that does not boil away when the engine is running．There are several chemicals that do this．One of the most popular is called ethylene glycol．
people use ________ to keep car engines cool．

A．antifreeze

B．water

C．alcohol

D．ethylene glycol.

The usual kind of antifreeze freezes at ________．

A．0℃

B．－18℃

C．－22℃

D．－40℃

We use antifreeze in order to ________．

A．keep alcohol in water

B．stop ice from becoming water

C．make the freezing point of water lower

D．raise the freezing point of water

Besides alcohol，________ is another kind of popular antifreeze．

A．water

B．ethylene glycol

C．any chemical

D．any mixture

The text is written to ________．

A．tell us what antifreeze is

B．make people buy antifreeze

C．tell us that cars need antifreeze

D．show us how to protect car engines

A sign is another kind of language. Here are some of them that you see on the roads.

Number One is a sign with the number thirty on it. When drivers see this sign, they must not go at more than thirty kilometers an hour. We see this sign when we are getting near a town. Number Two is a sign that we’re near a crossing. We must drive carefully. Number Three is a sign that there is a bend (拐弯) in the road. Again, we must drive slowly and carefully. It is not safe to go around a bend very fast. Number Four is a sign that there is another road coming in from the right. There is a junction (交叉) at this place. Number Five is a sign that there is a hill and Number Six is a sign that the road gets narrow. Drivers must go slowly and carefully. Number Seven has the word “SCHOOL” on it. This is a sign that there is a school at the side of the street or the road. Perhaps there are children going to or leaving school. So drivers must look carefully and go slowly. Number Eight is a sign with the letter “P” on it. The letter “P” means “Parking”. At some places, there are the signs “No parking” or “No waiting”. If a driver leaves his car near one of these signs, a policeman may come and write down the number of his car.
At the places where you see Sign 1, ____________.

A．you are already out of a town

B．you still have thirty kilometers to go

C．there must be many houses and buildings not far away

D．there must be a town thirty kilometers away

A driver can leave his car ___________.

A．near a sign with “P” on it in the daytime

B．near a sign with “No parking” on it

C．near a sign with “No waiting” if there’re no policemen there

D．near Sign 8 at any time

People put these signs on the roads to ____________.

A．make driving even safer

B．show drivers the way

C．stop cars going too fast

D．learn another kind of language

Some people think only school children do not agree with their parents, however, it is not true.
Communication is a problem for parents and children of all ages. If it’s hard for you to communicate with your parents, don’t worry about it. Here are some advice for you to bridge the generation gap (代沟).
Don’t argue with your parents. Don’t get to your parents when you are angry. Your parents probably won’t consider your ideas if you are shouting at them. And you can’t express yourself well if you are angry. Go someplace to cool off. Make sure you understand why you are unhappy. Then think about what you want to say to your parents. If you don’t think you can speak to them at the moment, try writing a letter.
Try to reach a compromise (和解). Perhaps you and your parents disagree on something. You can keep your disagreement and try your best to accept each other. Michael’s mother didn’t agree with him about buying a motorcycle. They argued over it. But they finally came to a compromise. Michael bought the motorcycle, but only drove it on certain days.
Of course, your parents might refuse to compromise on something. In these situations, it is especially important to show love and respect (尊敬) to them. Showing respect will keep your relationship strong.
Talk about your values. The values of your parents are probably different from those of your own. Tell your parents what you care about, and why. Understanding your values might help them see your purposes in life.
A good relationship with your parents can make you a better and happier person. It is worth having a try!
According to the passage who have a communication problem?

A．parents and other people

B．only school kids and their parents

C．teachers and their students

D．parents and children of all ages

How many pieces of advice does the writer give us to bridge the generation gap?

A．5.

B．4.

C．3.

D．2.

The underlined word “bridge” in the passage means “______”.

A．建立

B．消除

C．通过

D．到达

If the values of your parents are different from those of yours, you’d better ______.

A．argue with them

B．keep away from them

C．agree with them all the time

D．tell your parents what you care about

The best title for the passage is______.

A．How to bridge the generation gap

B．How to deal with family problems

C．How to be good parents

D．How to be a good child

Many students ask for advice about improving their English. There are three basic questions.
The first question is about real English. Li Hao from Hubei wrote, “I enjoy watching English films and listening to real English songs. But it takes a long time. What do you think?”
This is a great way to learn English! Talk about the film or song with your friends, and guess the meaning of the new words. Just enjoy yourself!
The second question is about speaking. Sam, from Suzhou wrote. “Our school has a foreign teacher. But I'm shy and can’t speak to her. What should I do?”
When I visit China, lots of people in the street say, “Hello! How are you? Where are you from? Do you like China?” These are good questions to start a talk. Many people are shy when they speak English, so before you begin, take a deep breath and smile! Smiling always helps.
The third question is about vocabulary. Oliver, from Anhui wrote, “I want to remember all the new words. I write them down, but I forget them quickly. What should I do?”
Try to remember eight or ten words a day. Write them on pieces of paper and place them in your bedroom. Say the words when you see them, and change them every day. And when you’re  shopping, how about counting the English words, or saying the English names for everything you see?
How many basic questions do the students often ask?

A．Two.

B．Three

C．Four.

D．Five.

What should you do if you are shy to speak English?

A．Watch English films.

B．Write down the words first.

C．Listen to real English songs.

D．Take a deep breath and smile before you begin.

What is Oliver's problem?

A．He’s too shy to talk with others.

B．He’s not able to count English words.

C．He can’t remember new words.

D．He doesn't know what real English is.

What’s the best title of this passage?

A．How to learn English

B．Talking about English films

C．Advice about English writing

D．The way of beginning an English talk

Which isn’t a good way to learn English?

A．Listening to English songs

B．Practicing English with a foreigner in the street

C．Sitting in your bedroom to remember words

D．Saying the English names for everything you see

New York is one of the last large American cities to have some of its policemen on horseback. The New York police have 170 horses working in certain parts of the city. The horses are expensive to feed, but it is even more expensive to look after them. Because the horses must walk on the streets, they need special horseshoes. In fact , they need more than 8,000 of them each year. Every police horse in New York gets new shoes every month. Keeping these shoes in good repair is the job of six blacksmiths. There are only about thirty-five of these blacksmiths in the whole United States.
The cost of shoing a horse is between twenty dollars and thirty-five dollars, and it takes a good blacksmith two or three hours to do the job.
A blacksmith’s job is not an easy one. He must be able to shape a shoe from a piece of metal and then fit it to the horse’s foot. The blacksmith must bend over all the time when he is fitting the shoe and must hold the weight of the horse’s leg while he works. Clearly, a blacksmith must be very storng. But even more important, he must be able to deal with horses---for before the blacksmith can begin his work, he has to get the horse to lift its leg.
One of the blacksmiths in New York is James Corbin. He came to the country from Ireland in 1948. He not only makes horseshoes for the police but also works for a group of horse owners near the city. Corbin became interested in blacksmithing because his father did it, and,as the puts it, “It’s a good way to make a living.”
According to the reading passage, a blacksmith must be likely a______ man.

A．clever

B．rich

C．strong

D．lucky

James Corbin became a blacksmith because he__________.

A．was interested in horses	B．was needed by the policemen
C．drew a picture of the horseshoe	D．had a make a living

In the reading passage “to shape a shoe” is to__________.

A．fit it on the horse’s foot

B．use it for two or three hours

C．make the from of a horseshoe from a piece of metal

D．draw a picture of the shoe

The best title for the passage is “__________”.

A．Policemen on Horseback	B．Blacksmiths and Horseshoeing
C．James Corbin, a Blacksmith	D．Horseshoeing is a Good Way to Make a Living

Which of the following is true?

A．Only a few large American cities have some policemen on horseback.

B．New York is the only city in America to have some policemen on horseback.

C．Policemen on horseback enjoy travelling around the United States.

D．Policemen on horseback are less expensive than those in cars.

When you are reading something in English, you may often meet with a new word. What’s the best way to know it?
You may look it up in the English-Chinese dictionary. It will tell you a lot about the word: the pronunciation, the Chinese meaning and how to use the word. But how can you know where the word is thousands of English words? How to find it in the dictionary both quickly and correctly?
First, all the English words are arranged(安排) in the letter order. In the dictionary you can first see the words beginning with letter A, then B, C, D…. That means, if there are two words “desert” and “pull”, “desert” will be certainly before “pull”. Then if there are two words both beginning with the same letter, you may look at the second letter. Then the third, the fourth… For example, “pardon” is before “plough”, “judge” before “just”, etc.
Do you understand how to look up in the dictionary?
The dictionary will be your good friend. I hope you’ll use it as often as possible in your English study.
This passage is about______.

A．new words in writing

B．different dictionaries

C．the best way of reading

D．using an English-Chinese dictionary

In the dictionary you may not find_______.

A．how to pronounce the word

B．the spelling of the word

C．who used the word first

D．how to use the word

In an English-Chinese dictionary, the last word______.

A．begins with Z	B．begins with A
C．is a short one	D．is not often used

Which group of words is in the right order in an English-Chinese dictionary?

A．perhaps, produce, plenty

B．straight, subject, surprise

C．century, center, business

D．foreign, entrance, headache

In the passage the writer tries to tell us that_______.

A．we have to use a dictionary when we read something in English

B．an English-Chinese dictionary can tell us everything about a word

C．an English-Chinese dictionary can help us a lot in our English study

D．all English-Chinese dictionary are the same

Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy, but few know how to find happiness. Money and success alone do not bring lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness. Here are a few ways to help you be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future—for example, getting into college or getting a good job-that we fail to enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have several close friends tend(有……打算) to live happier and healthier lives.
The second secret to leading a happy life is to be active. Many people experience this, dancing or playing a sport. You can forget about your problems, and only think about the activity.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone.
Title;

What happiness depends on?	Happiness depends on ______
_ to be happy ,	To enjoy_____in life.
To be active.
_.
Conclusion	Happiness is important for everyone and we make happiness by ourselves.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the nine o’clock Mystery Hour. Today we’ll show you two British stories. We hope you’ll enjoy them.
About 900 years ago two green children arrived in a small village in south England. Their eyes and skin were green and they spoke a strange language. They were very tired and weak, so the people of the village looked after them. The boy died a year later, but the girl grew strong and lived the rest of her life there. And her skin color turned back to normal day by day. Scientists say that sometimes of people don’t have enough food to eat for a long time, their skin goes very pale and can turn green.
Loch Ness is the largest lake in Scotland. It’s a very deep and cold lake. For hundreds of years, people have talked about a monster(怪物) called Nessie which lives in the lake. About seventy years ago, two people saw something moving in the lake. They said that the animal was playing and rolling around in the water. Since then many people say they have seen the monster. Their descriptions are always the same. It looks like a dinosaur, with a very long neck and a small head. It has a big bump(肿块)on its back. People have tried to photograph the animal, but the pictures have not been very clear. Scientists don’t know whether there is a monster or not. Some say it may be a whale or a very large fish. Some think it’s a snake. Others say there’s nothing at all— nothing but people’s imagination. Maybe we’ll never know what’s in Loch Ness.
What kind of story is talked about in this program?

A．Romantic stories.

B．Mysteries.

C．Horror stories.

D．Comedies.

Where did the stories happen?
        

A．

B．

C．

D．

Which sentence is TRUE about the two green children?

A．They both enjoyed a long and happy life.

B．The girl’s eyes and skin were green all her life.

C．At first they spoke the same language as people in the small village did.

D．Maybe they hadn’t eaten enough for long before they reached the village.

What does Nessie look like according to some witnesses? 

What can we learn from the second story?

A．Scientists are still not sure whether there is a monster or not in Loch Ness.

B．Loch Ness is very deep and warm lake in Scotland.

C．People have taken very clear pictures of Nessie.

D．In fact Nessie is a whale or a snake.

根据短文内容,选择正确答案.
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 can get really angry. Usually, your body tells you when you are angry. For example, you breathe(呼吸) 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 important 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(成年人,大人), such as a parent, 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
________ shows that you are not angry.
A. Taking a faster breath
B. Getting a headache
C. 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. say bad things to the people around you
The underlined(画线的) word “control” in the last paragraph（段）means _______ in Chinese.

A．控制

B．连接

C．帮助

D．失去

This passage is mainly(主要) about _________.
A. anger    B. excitement    C. happiness

Choose the best answer（根据短文内容，选择最恰当的答案)
Newcastle is beginning to draw tourists from all corners of Europe. It’s one of the fastest developing cities in the United Kingdom. It is said most visitors come here to see the famous soccer team play. The mood of the locals is often changed by the success or failures of the local team.
Newcastle’s most popular place is the Gate. It’s in the center of the city and has many attractions including bars, restaurants, sports bars, pubs and so on. During a home game it becomes a real home to happiness.
Culture and local history lovers can make their dreams come true by taking one of the local city tour buses. They come and leave every few minutes and stop at all the important historical sites in the city. Also the seats and the environment on the buses are comfortable. It’s the best way to see the city without tiring yourself out or getting cold. Places such as the Hancock Museum and Millennium Bridge are must-see attractions. But be careful if you’re short of time, Newcastle is a big place. So you should be prepared to kill a few hours on one of these buses.
If you want to watch the local team play soccer in the St. James Park, remember to book a ticket as early as possible. The locals are crazy soccer fans, and you’ll find it hard to get a ticket if you don’t wait in the queue early.                                                                                 
As you can see, Newcastle is a fantastic city with so much to be offered and so many things to see. You’re sure to have a wonderful time here!                                   
From the passage we know Newcastle is most famous for its_______.

A．soccer team

B．city restaurants

C．rich culture

D．historical sites

If you want to learn about the history and culture of Newcastle, you_____.

A．can go to the Gate	B．can take a city tour
C．must go to St James Park	D．must drive a car

The underlined word “They” in Para 3 refers to ______.

A．history lovers	B．historical sites
C．city tour buses	D．culture lovers

Which place is not in Newcastle? ______

A．St. James Park	B．The Hancock Museum
C．the Gate	D．the Tower Bridge

What can we learn from the passage?

A．Tourists will enjoy delicious food and have a good time in the Gate.

B．It’s usually easy to get a ticket for a local soccer team play.

C．Many world famous soccer matches are held in Newcastle every year.

D．Newcastle is a very small city with many famous attractions.

The author wrote this passage mainly in order to_______.

A．introduce the culture and history of Newcastle

B．tell people the popularity of soccer teams in Newcastle

C．introduce the characters of people in Newcastle

D．encourage people to visit Newcastle

Biodiversity(生物多样性), or biological diversity, is a wide-ranging concept that covers all the different kinds of plant and animal species present on earth. Environmentalists believe that many millions of species exist. As all these living organisms are dependent on each other in some way, biodiversity is desirable. Any loss to the planet is actually a loss for mankind as well, and it is our responsibility to try and save Earth’s biodiversity.
Biodiversity has a vital role to play in the evolution（演变）of species. Species become extinct, but new species evolve, and this is how a balance is maintained. This may sound pretty simple, but it takes millions of years for changes to take place.
Biodiversity is also very important to the stability of food webs. Damage to them can mean disaster for an entire ecosystem. The extinction of a single animal species can put huge pressure on the numerous other species dependent on it.
Biodiversity also has an important role to play in human society. Apart from being the most intelligent species on earth, human beings are also the most dependent. We depend on nature to meet our basic needs. When we change the balance of nature to create our cities and bring about our technical advances, we knowing or unknowing cause great damage to the ecosystem. This must be understood, and the damages must be reversed（颠倒）in any way they can to ensure that the balance of the ecosystem is maintained.
We learn from the first paragraph that_________.
A biodiversity can be seen
B all living species are found on earth.
C people everywhere are aware of the importance of biodiversity
D the loss of any species can affect humans
Why can change in food webs lead to disaster?
A Because it can make people suffer from disease
B Because it can put huge pressure on some species
C Because it takes a long time for such changes to take place
D Because it will damage ninety-nine percent of species
What does the underlined word probably mean?
A 画线  B Peace  C Strength  D Variety
We learn from the last paragraph that __________.
A humans are as independent as they are intelligent
B the balance of the ecosystem is easily maintained
C nature has given us a lot
D nature is taking revenge on us
Which of the following may be the best title for this passage?
A Food Webs are Closely Related to Biodiversity.
B Biodiversity Plays a Very Important Role in Evolution
C How Biodiversity Affects Human Society.
D Understanding Biodiversity and Its Importance.

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.