初中英语社会文化类阅读阅读理解

What will the world of the future be like？ There are plenty of people who are happy to give their opinion of what we will be doing in 2050． Here are two predictions about the world of tomorrow．

When we dream about the future， many like to think of owning a personal flying car． The advantages are obvious． This technology would allow total freedom of movement． We could fly at 480 km per hour， avoiding traffic lights and busy roads．

However， some people believe there will be problems with traffic control． If the cars become popular， there is likely to be air traffic jam． Another big problem is mechanical failure． What will happen if the cars stop working？ These are problems we must expect if flying cars become a reality．

Three﹣dimensional printing is another new technology with exciting possibilities． 3D printers are used to build an object with liquid plastic．They build the object layer by layer until it is complete． Car companies already use 3D printers to make life﹣size models of car parts， and medical companies use the technology to make man﹣made body parts． As we move into the future， 3D printing will revolutionize the way we shop， the way we manufacture and the way we treat sick people． The disadvantage is that such equipment will be extremely expensive．

So in the future， we might be able to fly to work or print out new shoes.Although there are some problems to solve before this will be possible， we can certainly dream of a world where technology makes life easier and safer for millions of people．

（1）What is the passage mainly about？ 　　

A．	Environmental protection．
B．	The world of tomorrow．
C．	Advantages of technology．

（2）What do we learn from the passage？ 　　

A．	Some people think technology development may bring new problems．
B．	3D printing can bring great changes to our life and its equipment is cheap．
C．	The flying cars won't bring air traffic jam even when they become popular．

（3）What is the correct structure of the passage？ （P _I＝Paragraph1） 　　

A．
B．
C．

（4）What does the underlined word "they" refer to？ 　　

A．	Car companies．
B．	3D printers
C．	Body parts．

（5）We can infer that the writer 　　about the future life with technology？

A．	doesn't care
B．	feels hopeful
C．	feels disappointed

Many people love travelling to different countries， but if you plan to go abroad， you should know how to behave in different situations around the world．

Most travellers enjoy meeting new people， but sometimes you can be rude without saying anything． In Russia， you should never shake hands in a doorway， and if you're travelling in Thailand， never touch people's heads or point your feet at people． When the Japanese meet new people， they like giving business cards﹣﹣but you should read the card carefully， not just put it in your pocket．

In most countries in Europe people expect a lot of eye contact when you talk to them， but in many Asian countries a lot of eye contact seems unfriendly．And in South America people usually stand quite close to each other when they talk， but in countries like the USA you need to give people more personal space． Also， it's rude to interruptJapanese people while they are talking to you． You must wait until they finish before you start speaking．

In restaurants in China you can leave a bit of food on your plate， it's OK to start smoking before other people finish eating， which you mustn't do in the UK． When in India， remember to eat with your right hand． Also avoid leaving empty bottles on the dinner table in Russia﹣﹣that's bad luck．

When you're travelling in Asia， if someone invites you to his or her home， don' t forget to take off your shoes when you arrive． And if you visit an Arab family's home， don' t admire anything valuable because your host will feel he should give it to you as a present．

With so much to think about， it's not surprising that many people prefer going on holiday in their own countries﹣﹣or you might just decide to stay at home!

（1）Which of the following statements is TRUE？ 　　

A． We can admire anything valuable in an Arab family's home．

B． In China， people cannot smoke before other people finish eating．

C． In Russia， it's impolite to shake hands with people in a doorway．

（2）What does the underlined word"interrupt "mean in Chinese？ 　　

A．	跟随
B．	打断
C．	附和

（3）What is the correct order of the subheadings（ 小标题）from Paragraph 2 to Paragraph 5？ 　　

①Eating out

②In the home

③Body language

④Face﹣to﹣ face communication

A．	②③④①
B．	④①②③
C．	③④①②

（4）What does the writer want to tell us？ 　　

A．	Practice makes perfect．
B．	Where there is a will， there is a way．
C．	When in Rome． do as the Romans do．

（5）What is the best title for the passage？ 　　

A．	A Culture Shock
B．	Table Manners
C．	Public Rules

（Teresa Lopez， from Cali， Colombia）

Where I'm from， we're pretty relaxed（1）      time． We don't like to rush around． So we don't mind if people are a little late sometimes． If you tell a friend you're going to their house for dinner， its OK if you arrive a bit late． We like to enjoy our time slowly． We value the time we spend with our family and friends in our everyday lives． We often just drop by our friend's homes if we have time． We don't usually have to make plans to meet our friends．When we see each other， it's polite for boys to slake hands and for girls to kiss each other on the side of the face． We often just walk around the town center， seeing as many of our friends as we can!

（Marc LeBlanc， from Lausanne， Switzerland）

In Switzerland， it's very important to be on time． We are the capital of clocks and watches，after all! If someone invites you to meet him or her at noon， then you're expected to be there at noon． If you're even 15minutes late，（3）你的朋友可能会发疯，So I make an effort to be on time when I meet my friends． I always leave the house early to avoid heavy traffic because I think it's impolite to keep others（2） ．Also， we never visit a friend's house without calling first We almost always make plans to see friends． We usually plan to do some interesting things， or go somewhere together．

根据短文内容完成下列各题．

请在答题卡上把你的答案写在相对应的题号后的指定区域内

（1）在（1）和（2）处填上适当的词（1）（2）．

（2）写出原文We often just drop by our friends' homes if we have time．的同义句．

We often just drop by our friends' homes if we．

（3）将文中（3）处句子翻译成英语．

（4）在文中找出daily的同义词，central的名词．

（5）In which country is it OK to be 15minutes late for dinner？

　                                                        　

The Chongyang Festival is a traditional Chinese festival． It is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar（阴历） month． It's also called the Double Ninth Festival．

The festival started as early as the Warring States Period （475﹣221BC）． It has a history of more than 1， 700years． Among the numbers from zero to nine， nine is the highest odd number（奇数）． People believe that two "ninths" meeting together stand for a long life． So it is a special holiday for Chinese people to show love and respect for their elders． They hold many kinds of activities in honor of old people to wish them good health and a long life．

The festival comes during the golden time of fall． On the day， people traditionally drink Chrysanthemum（菊花）wine， eat Double﹣Ninth Cakes and climb mountains． They also carry a kind of plant， its name is dogwood， People in ancient times believed that the plant could drive away evil（邪恶的） spirits and prevent them from catching an illness in winter．

   Answer the questions according to the passage．

（1）When is the Double ninth Festival？ 　　

（2）Does the Double Ninth Festival have a history of 1， 700years？ 　　

（3）What do two "ninths" meeting together stand for？ 　　

（4）Who do people celebrate the Double Ninth Festival for？ 　　

（5）What do people traditionally drink and eat on the festival？ 　　

Americans love pets． Many pet owners treat their pets as a part of the family． They treat their pets as their children﹣﹣﹣sometimes even better．

In America， there are more families with pets than those with children． 43percent of U．S． homes have pets． Some of the pets are exotic， such as monkeys， snakes， butterflies and even wolves． Those animals come from other countries， especially China， Thailand， South Africa and so on． More common pets include fish， mice and birds． However， their favorites are cats and dogs． They sometimes have strong feelings about whether dogs or eats make better pets． "Dog people" and "cat people" often have friendly arguments about that．

People can get many benefits from pets． Pets stay with people， make people happy and help people get rid of loneliness． Therefore， most of Americans like pets． They think pets should be treated well． At least 75animal welfare（福利）organizations have been set up in America． They provide care and good services for homeless animals． Some pets can help people live a better life． For example， researchers（研究者） have discovered that getting on with animals can help lower（降低） a person's blood pressure． Dogs can offer protection from strange visitors． Cats can play games with the children． Some kinds of pets can provide love for their owners． In fact， to keep a pet can help a young couple have the responsibility to raise children． Pets are as basic to U．S． culture as hot dogs or apple pies． To Americans， pets are not just property（财产）， but a part of the family．

（1）The underlined word " exotic" in the passage means " 　　" in Chinese．

A．	本国的
B．	异国的
C．	当地的

（2）Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage？ 　　

A．	57%o of U．S． homes don't have pet
B．	In the U． S． the families with children are fewer than those with pets．
C．	Fish， mice and birds are the most popular pets in the U．S．

（3）Most Americans like keeping pets because 　　．

A．	they treat their pets even better than their children
B．	there are at least 75animal welfare organizations in the U．S．
C．	pets can bring many benefits to people

（4）How can some pets help people live a better life？ 　　

A．	Getting on with animals can help lower animals' blood pressure
B．	Dogs can protect their owners from strange visitors．
C．	Hot dogs and apple pies are a part of the family in the U．S．

（5）What is the main idea of the passage？ 　　

A．	Americans like keeping pets．
B．	Dog people often argue with "cat people"
C．	Young couples should keep pets in the U．S

Dragon Head Raising Day：time for a haircut

China is a country with many colorful days and festivals．The Dragon Head Raising Day （Longtaitou） is one of them．

This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar （阴历）．It stands for （代表） the start of spring and farming．This year，the day fell on March 10．

The dragon is important in Chinese culture．We Chinese people call ourselves the"descendants （传人） of the dragon"．Therefore，people celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons．

On the day in ancient times，people put ashes （灰） in the kitchen．This was to"lead the dragon into the house"．People believed that with the help of the dragon，they could have a good harvest （收成） in autumn．

Also，people eat special foods on that day．The foods are usually named after dragons．For example，people eat"dragon whisker （细须）"noodles and dumplings called"dragon teeth"．

Today，many customs have faded away （消退）．But one that has remained is the cutting of hair．It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother's brothers．So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day．

（1）The Dragon Head Raising Day is one of the 　　festivals．

A．	English
B．	French
C．	Chinese
D．	American

（2） 　　was the Dragon Head Raising Day this year．

A．	March 10
B．	February 2
C．	March 4
D．	March 8

（3）On the day in ancient times，why did people put ashes in the kitchen？ 　　

A．	Because the dragon liked the ashes．
B．	Because the ashes stood for the harvest．
C．	Because the ashes led the dragon into the house．
D．	Because the ashes could bring good luck．

（4）One custom that has remained is 　　according to the passage．

A．	the cutting of hair
B．	the dragon boating
C．	to eat Zongzi
D．	to eat mooncakes

（5）Which of the following is not true？ 　　

A．	The Dragon Head Raising Day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar．
B．	The dragon is important in Chinese culture．
C．	People eat"dragon whisker"noodles and dumplings called"dragon teeth"on the Dragon Head Raising Day．
D．	The Dragon Head Raising Day stands for the start of spring and harvest．

Living in a different culture can be a both exciting and challenging（挑战性的）experience．You have to learn different cultures and try to get used to them．Let's share some cultural differences between China and the US to help understand each other．

Privacy（隐私）﹣Chinese people talk about subjects such as ages and income（收入），which Americans think is not polite．

Families﹣In China，elders are traditionally treated with respect（尊重）．In America，the goal of the family is to encourage independence（独立），especially that of the children．Unlike the Chinese，few elder Americans live with their children．

Friends﹣Chinese people have different understanding of"friends"．In China，"friendship"means a lifelong relationship between friends who think it's their duty to give each other any help．Americans always call people they meet friends．

Money﹣The Chinese like saving money．They are always careful when they are planning to spend money．It is different in America，where far fewer families are saving money．

Education﹣Chinese people value education and jobs more than Americans do，who pay more attention to good nature instead．

根据短文内容回答下列各题（每小题10分，共10分）请在答题卡上把你的答案写在相对应的题号后的指定区域内．

（1）Who often talk about ages and income，Chinese people or Americans？ 　　

（2）In China，many elders live with their children，don't they？ 　　

（3）Do Americans have the same understanding of "friends" as Chinese people？ 　　

（4）What do Chinese people value more than Americans do？ 　　

（5）What does the passage mainly talk about？ 　　

English is becoming more and more popular in China．It can be used in every field，such as on some signs and restaurant menus．But there are some problems when people use it．Perhaps you've seen the English letters "WC" in your city．They show public toilets．But do you know it is far from native（地道的） English？In fact，foreigners from English﹣speaking countries seldom use the letters．

Workers in our city are changing "WC" signs all over the city．The government is spending much money changing all the bad English on signs and restaurant menus．Many other places in China are following our steps．

"WC，or water closet，is old﹣fashioned English．It sounds dirty to me．"says Nancy，a young woman from the US．The old sign will become "Gents/Men" and "Ladies/Women"． "I see much poor English in everyday life，and not only on signs，"she says，"I know what they mean，but they are Chinglish，not real English．For example，when someone says to me "My hometown is Guizhou Province"，I know he or she should say "My hometown is in Guizhou Province"．Hometown is a smaller place in a province．The common mistakes that Nancy picked up include "Not Entry"，which should be "No Entry"，"Direction of Airport" should be changed to "To the Airport"．And it is "Room Rate"，not "Room Price"．And remember to "Keep off the Grass" rather than "Care of the Green"．

The next time you walk on the street or eat in the restaurant，you can go and see if the expressions are right．

（1）Who seldom uses letters of "WC"according to the passage？ 　　

A．	Chinese students．
B．	Foreigners from other countries．
C．	Teachers in China．
D．	English﹣speaking foreigners．

（2）What's the attitude（态度）of the govemment towards the bad English on signs？ 　　

A．	It's native．
B．	It should be changed．
C．	It doesn't matter．
D．	It can be used on signs．

（3）When Nancy sees much poor English in everyday life， 　　．

A．	she thinks it should be corrected
B．	she thinks it is dirty
C．	she thinks it is proper
D．	she likes to use it

（4）Which of the following signs is Right？ 　　

A．	Not Entry
B．	Room Price
C．	To the Airport
D．	Care of the Green

（5）What is the main idea of the passage？ 　　

A．	Chinglish on menus．
B．	Money spent on Chinglish．
C．	Usages of native English．
D．	Letters of "WC"．

Project Hope is an education program to help students． It builds schools in the poorest parts Of China and it helps poor families afford an education for their children．

Since Project Hope started in 1989， it has done very well． By 2012， Project Hope had raised 8.73 billion yuan． With this money， it has aided 4.5 million children to go to schools and it has built 18002 Hope Primary Schools．

Project Hope has made important contributions to both education and the health of children．For more than 20 years， Project Hope has encouraged the moral development and modern thinking of students． As a result， the students in Hope schools respect their teachers， aid the poor，and help one another． Project Hope is the best﹣known and most successful education program in China．Without Project Hope， there is a risk that many children would have an unhappy future．

（1）Project Hope is a medical care program to help students． 　　

（2）Project Hope started 30 years ago． 　　

（3）By 2012， Project Hope had raised 8.73 million yuan． 　　

（4）Project Hope has only made important contributions to the education of children． 　　

（5）Without Project Hope， there is a risk that a lot of children would have an unhappy future． 　　 ___

As we all know， the "rice bowl" culture of China has influenced some Asian countries such as Japan， Korea and Vietnam since we started to use chopsticks while eating food．

Chopsticks are usually two long thin pieces of wood or bamboo． They can also be made of plastic， animal bone or metal． （1） The most important thing is that chopsticks are agreatinvention inChina．

Five thousand years ago people usually cooked their food in large pots， using twigs（小树枝）to remove it． （2） 　　the population grew， people began cutting food into small pieces． （4） Food in small pieces could be eaten easily with twigs by people．And twigs were gradually changed into chopsticks．

Some people think that the famous scholar Confucius living from about 551 BC to 479 BC pushed the development of chopsticks． Confucius believed that using chopsticks instead of knives would remind people to stay away from killing and violence at table．

We enjoy our delicious food with our family members or friends while feeling the peaceful and people﹣loving world by using chopsticks at table anytime．

（1）请将（1）处下划线的句子译成中文： 　　

（2）在（2）空处填入一个使语意连贯的连词： 　　

（3）What materials can be used to make chopsticks？ 　　

（4）请将（4）处被动语态的句子转化为主动语态的句子． 　　

（5）What is a possible title for this passage？ 　　

There are many holidays and festivals in China． One of them is International Labor Day． It's on May 1st． People enjoy a one﹣day holiday． They often go shopping or traveling．

The Dragon Boat Festival is on lunar May 5th． On this day， people have dragon boat races in many places and eat zongzi to remember Qu Yuan． People can enjoy a one﹣day holiday， too．

October 1st is National Day of the PRC． It is a very important holiday． All the people in the country celebrate the birthday of China on this day， In Beijing， Many people go to Tian'anmen Square to watch the national flag rise．

Festival	Date	Activities
Labor Day	On （1） 　　1st．	Go shopping or（2） 　　．
Dragon（3） 　　Festival	On （4） 　　May 5th．	Have dragon boat races．
National Day	On October 1st．	Watch the national flag （5） 　　．

This year is the Year of the Cock．Just like other Chinese zodiacs（生肖） the cock means a lot．Do you want to know more about it？Read on．

☆Cock in Chinese culture

In ancient times，there were no clocks．The cock （old people it

was time to get up and start to work．So hard﹣working ancient

Chinese people were big fans of the cock．

Traditionally，people thought the cock was a bird that could avoid evil （邪恶的） things．The story says once cocks make their morning calls，all the evil things at night will leave．

The cock is popular with people for its courage．In ancient China，a lot of people liked to watch cockfighting （斗鸡） because the game was exciting．

The pronunciation of"cock"in Putonghua is the same as that of"chance"and"good luck'

☆What it means to be a cock

Those who are born in the Year of the Cock are said to be active．"They like to be the center of attention and always look beautiful"，the China Highlight website noted．

☆Big events in the Year of the Cock

On January 20，Donald Trump became the 45th president of the United States．

☆In the first half of 2017，China launched （发射）its first cargo spacecraft （货运飞船）

Tianzhou﹣l，to dock （对接） with Tiangong﹣2．

☆On July 1，1997，Hong Kong returned to China.2017marks the 20th year of its return．

☆At the end of 2017，China will launch its fifth lunar probe （月球探测），Chang'e﹣5．

36．The cock could 　　people in ancient times．

A．	wake up
B．	lift up
C．	fight with
D．	talk with

37．Chinese people like the cock for 　　 reasons

A．	two
B．	three
C．	four
D．	five

38．The people born in the Year of the Cock may be 　　

A．	shy
B．	quiet
C．	brave
D．	active

39．One event in 2017is that 　　

A．	Tiangong﹣2was launched
B．	China will launch Chang e﹣5
C．	Hong Kong returned to China
D．	Trump became the new president of the UK

40．The best title of the passage may be 　　

A．	The Culture of the Cock
B．	Big Events in the Year of the Cock
C．	Talk about Cocks in the Year of the Cock
D．	Different Zodiacs，Different People．

No matter which yurt（蒙古包）you happen to visit，you will find that as soon as the Mongolian（蒙古的）people hear your footsteps，they will go out and gives you a big welcome．To show the welcome，they will place their right hands on their chests（胸部）and bow down lightly．With "How are you？"，they let you in．Usually，the host will let men guests sit on the left and women guests on the right，while he himself sits in the middle．When you take your seats，milk tea and different kinds of milk products will be served at once．After a while，a special course will be ready for you，which is finger mutton（羊肉）．It is eaten with hands and knives instead of chopsticks．At the same time，the host will give you a had a（a long piece of silk as a greeting gift）and a cup of local wine（酒）．

All the people on the grassland，men and women，old and young， can sing folk songs．When they toast their guests，they will sing folk songs to show their kindness and welcome．They will also play a kind of musical instrument．People call it a horse﹣head﹣shaped instrument because of its shape．

76．Where do the men guests sit in the yurt？

　　

77．When does the host serve his guests milk tea and milk products？

　　

78．Is finger mutton eaten with knives or chopsticks？

　　

79．Why do Mongolians sing and play the instrument while toasting

their guests？

　　

80．What does the musical instrument look like？

　　

In ancient times，the phoenix（凤凰）was a small bird．Its feathers（羽毛）were very common but it was very hard﹣working，unlike other birds flying around for fun when they were full．It kept working，picking fruits and storing them in a cave（洞穴）．

Other birds looked down on what the phoenix did because they believed there was enough food in the forest．They thought it stupid to make efforts to collect food every day．The phoenix didn't care what others thought．It went on working hard day and night．

One year，a serious drought（旱灾）happened．All the grass and woods dried up and died．There were no fruits left on the trees．Birds flew around for food but could find nothing．As the birds were dying of hunger，the phoenix hurried there and led them to the cave．It shared the

dry fruits with all the other birds，helping them go through the drought．All of them were happy and moved．

After the drought，to thank the phoenix，all the other birds pulled their most beautiful feathers and made shining clothes for it．They all made it the king of the birds．From then on，the phoenix had the most beautiful feathers in the world，and the birds flew together to celebrate its birthday．They flew around the phoenix，singing and dancing，making the best wishes for it．This is the story of A Hundred Birds Paying Homage（致敬）to the Phoenix．

31．The phoenix was 　　while other birds were flying around for fun．

A．	having a party
B．	storing feathers
C．	picking fruits
D．	making clothes

32．Other birds didn't 　　the phoenix at first．

A．	understand
B．	know
C．	notice
D．	doubt

33．When the drought happened，the phoenix 　　．

A．flew around for food

B．was dying of hunger

C．was happy and moved

D．shared food with others a

34．On the phoenix's birthday，the birds 　　while making the best wishes for it．

A．	brought presents
B．	ate delicious food
C．	sang and danced
D．	made shining clothes

35．The story tells us people will pay homage to the person who is 　　

A．	smart，patient and beautiful
B．	common，healthy and strong
C．	wise，kind and hard﹣working
D．	polite，happy and successful

Habits in Russia

There is an old saying that says when in Rome， do as the Romans do． I learned the meaning of this when I stayed in Russia as a visiting scholar（学者）．

One day I invited some of my Chinese friends to a famous local restaurant in Moscow． My guests and I were excited about our meeting． We had a lively talk until the waiter told me that we were too loud． We lowered（降低）our voices．（38） 　　The waiter came over to us two more times with the same message．

How bad an impression（印象）we must have left on the local people! In China，it's natural and important for a host（主人）to make a lively atmosphere（气氛）． However， in Russia and Western countries， having a meal in a public place means you must keep your voice low． You need to be polite to others．

I felt bad about this．（39） 　　

（40） 　　    My Russian friend Andrey always looks around and thinks for a while before leaving home． I asked him why he did this． "Aha，" Andrey said， "In Russia， people always spend about a minute going over things and plans in their minds before leaving home．（41） 　　   "

Finding the differences between cultures is so much fun． I like to keep my eyes and mind open．

A．	But this didn't last long．
B．	Russians have their own special habits， too．
C．	Russian people are usually careful and polite．
D．	So they won't leave anything necessary behind．
E．	Luckily， people usually do not pay much attention to that in Russia．

F． Even though we tried our best， it's very difficult to fight against habits．