初中英语阅读理解

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: “I am blind, please help.” There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps(脚步) and asked: “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?” The man said: “I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way.” What he had written was: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply told people to help by putting some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they were able to enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it because he was blind. The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded people they were lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least two lessons we can learn from this simple story. The first is: Be thankful for what you have. Someone else has less. Help where you can. The second is: Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way!
What did the boy do on the street?

A．He sold his old hat.

B．He begged (乞讨) for money.

C．He was busy collecting coins.

D．He showed his good handwriting.

How did the man help the blind boy?

A．He took the boy’s sign away.

B．He gave the boy a lot of money.

C．He changed the words on the sign.

D．He asked other people to help the blind boy.

What does the underlined word "recognized" mean?

A．辨认出

B．看到

C．承认

D．注意到

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The man did nothing to help the blind boy except changing the words on the sign.

B．Before the man changed the words, the hat had been full.

C．Without the man’s help, the blind boy couldn’t get so much money.

D．The kind man was very thankful to the blind boy.

Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A kind and clever man.

B．A blind boy in the street.

C．Let’s help the disabled people.

D．Different words make a difference.

Try reading the following sentences as fast as you can. “She sells seashells by the seashore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.”
Not very easy, was it? What you’ve just read is called a tongue twister (绕口令). It is an exercise made up of sounds that are hard to pronounce in order to help people pronounce words faster and more correctly. Try the next example.
“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled pepper. Did Peter Piper pick a peck of pickled peppers? If Pete Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?”
Tongue twisters usually do not have much meaning. They are just designed to improve people’s ability (能力) to pronounce words. Although they may be very difficult, these exercises are very important to people who are trying to speak English correctly. This is because tongue twisters help people to tell the differences between similar sounds.
So if you wish to pronounce words more smoothly, you’d better try picking out some tongue twisters and practicing them.
Tongue twisters are helpful in improving              skills.

A．listening	B．pronunciation
C．writing	D．communication

The first tongue twister is hard because              .

A．it is very boring to read

B．it teaches us a lot of knowledge

C．we don’t know who “she” is

D．the sounds of “s” and “sh” are similar

The passage is probably taken from             in a school newsaper.

A．Story Time	B．Latest News
C．Study Garden	D．Lost and Found

I’m Marie. I work in a nursing home (养老院) and my job is to look after the old people. Alice is one of them. She’s a very nice old woman.
This year, Alice had a difficult time. She went to hospital twice. In November, I finally could get her back to her “home”.
Alice hoped that her daughter could come to visit her on Christmas Eve because she wanted to be with her family, like the old days. But her daughter was coming after Christmas, so she was very sad. I also felt sad because she would be alone on the holiday!
On Christmas Eve, I took her to a candlelight service (烛光礼拜) at church that night.
I didn’t take her to my church. I took her to the church in her old neighborhood. We got there early and I let her sit near the door, so people could see her when they came in. Soon some of her friends came to the church and they all talked to her and sat with her.
Alice got a lot of love from her old and new friends there. She said she loved the gift like this. That night, I thought I got the best gift: the smile on Alice’s face.
根据材料内容选择正确答案。
What did Marie think of Alice’s life this year?

A．Difficult.	B．Happy.
C．Exciting.	D．Boring.

Alice wanted to          on Christmas Eve.

A．leave hospital	B．have a party
C．stay with her daughter	D．see her old friends

Marie spent the Christmas Eve         .

A．in the nursing home	B．in a church
C．in her house	D．in a hospital

What can we learn about Alice?

A．She lived with her daughter.

B．She was in very good health.

C．She liked staying in the nursing home.

D．She was unhappy before the Christmas Eve.

What is the best title of the passage?

A．The best Candlelight Service.

B．The best Christmas gift.

C．Alice’s family.

D．Marie’s job.

Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness. Money and success don’t bring lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.
Some people believe that if they are wealthy, they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can’t be bought by money. However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government. These people value(重视) their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health. They think these can make them happy.
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 don’t 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 close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.
The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.
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. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house.
Now maybe you know how to find happiness!
The underlined word “wealthy” means “__________” in the article.

A．pleased	B．healthy
C．excited	D．rich

Some people who hold a high position in the government think they can _________.

A．get money and something they can’t buy with money

B．do what they want to do at any time

C．enjoy health which makes them work hard

D．take an active part in all kinds of activities every day

The writer thinks the secret of happiness is that people ___________.

A．think about getting a good job

B．think of presents they don’t like

C．often spend time with close friends

D．often spend time on entering the college

Many people find it happy to ___________.

A．remember the old days and troubles

B．do some meaningful things for others

C．go shopping to buy some food

D．make much money and little success

The passage mainly tells us __________.

A．how to find happiness

B．how to save happiness

C．to do something good for others

D．to value our beliefs or health

Bognor Regis is a small beautiful town in the UK. From March 12 to 17 of each year, lots of clowns (小丑) get together in the town to celebrate the International Clown Festival. The first one was in 1987.
During the festival, people can see all kinds of clowns. They are together for the clown shows. They have big feet, red noses and look really funny. They sing and dance in a strange way to make people happy. Children like this interesting festival best. Now women can take part in the clown shows and they're very popular. But in the past, only men could be clowns.
The International Clown Festival finishes on _______ every year.

A．March 12	B．March 14
C．March 15	D．March 17

The first International Clown Festival was in _______.

A．1978	B．1987
C．1879	D．1798

_______like the festival best.

A．Old people	B．Women
C．Men	D．Children

What can we learn about the festival？

A．It’s a festival only for kids

B．Clowns wear blue noses.

C．It has a history of 27 years.

D．Clowns have to dance to make people happy

What is the best title of the passage？

A．Wonderful clown shows.

B．Bognor Regis’ clown festval.

C．A beautiful town, Bognor Regis.

D．The first International Clown Festival.

Thomas Edison lit up the world with his invention of the electric light. Without him, the world might still be in the dark. However, the electric light was not his only invention. He also invented the motion picture camera and over1,200 other things. About every two weeks he created something new.
Thomas Edison was born in 1847. He attended school for only three months. His mother taught him at home, but Thomas was mostly self-educated. He started experimenting at a young age.
When he was 12 years old, he got his first job. He became a newsboy on train. He did experiments on the train in his spare time. Unluckily, his first work experience did not end well. They fired him when he accidentally set fire to the floor of the train. Then Edison worked for five years as a telegraph operator, but he continued to spend much of his time in experimenting his first  patent(专利权) in 1868 for a vote recorder run by electricity.
Thomas Edison was totally deaf in one ear and hard of hearing in the other, but he thought of his deafness as a blessing in many ways. It kept conversations short, so that he could have more time for work. He always worked 16 out of every 24 hours. Sometimes his wife had to remind him to sleep and eat.
Thomas Edison died at the age of 84. He left a great many inventions that greatly improved the quality of life all over the world.
How often did Edison make a new invention？

A．About every fourteen days.	B．About every seven days.
C．About once a week.	D．About twice a week.

The underlined world “fired” in the passage means “_＿＿＿＿”

A．Gave somebody a job.	B．Set fire to somebody.
C．Let somebody down.	D．Forced somebody to leaves his job.

Edison considered his deafness as＿＿＿＿.

A．something bad	B．a gift from God
C．a kind of ability	D．a disadvantage

Which of the following sentences is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Edison had only 8hours’rest each day after his deafness.

B．Edison got his education mostly by self-teaching.

C．Edison had his first job in 1986.

D．Edison’inventions greatly improved the quality of people’s life.

What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The function of the electric light.

B．Edison and his experiments.

C．The importance of inventions.

D．The whole life of Edison.

Kunming is the capital of Yunnan. It's a city with a long history. Kunming has a population of more than 5,000,000. Though the weather in Yunnan changes from place to place, Kunming is famous for her beautiful weather. It's neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter. That's why more and more people like to travel and even to live there. You can see that great changes have taken place here. A lot of tall buildings, cinemas and hospitals have been put up. You can cross the streets over footbridges in the city. You can buy whatever you want in shops and supermarkets in or around the city. People's lives are becoming better and better.
At weekend or on holiday, people like to relax themselves in different places and in different ways. In winter, people especially old people would like to climb the Western Hills. From the top of Hills, you can have a good look at the beautiful scenery of Kunming. Far away from the Hills, you can enjoy the Sleeping Beauty among the Hills. After supper, families take a walk along the bank of Dianchi Lake. The Golden Temple and EXPO Garden are two famous places of interest in the north of the city. EXPO Garden is known to people both at home and abroad. You can spend a whole day visiting the world-famous garden. A little farther away from the southeast of the city, a special forest welcomes you. It is not a tree forest, but a stone forest. So it is called the Stone Forest.
People in Kunming are really friendly. They often invite their friends home to try delicious food, like rice or noodles. If you want to know more about Kunming and taste her food, please visit her yourself.
What's the population of Kunming?

A．Over five million.	B．Over five thousand.
C．Over five billion.	D．Over five hundred.

.The weather in Yunnan is _______.

A．the same in different places

B．neither too hot nor too cold

C．different in different places

D．different in the same place

The Sleeping Beauty is the name of a _______.

A．Person

B．hill

C．shop

D．film star

_______ is known to people all over the world.

A．The Western Hills	B．The Stone Forest
C．The Golden Temple	D．EXPO Garden

The writer of this passage wants to _______.

A．invite tourists to Kunming	B．visit Kunming
C．taste her food	D．know more about Kunming

Whenever the sun dropped and the blue sky came up, my father and I used to climb the mountain near my house. Walking together, my father and I used to have a lot of conversations through which I learned lessons from his experiences. He always told me, “You should have goals like climbing the mountain.” Without the mountain-climbing that we both enjoyed, we couldn’t have enough time to spend together because my father was very busy. I really got a lot from mountain-climbing. It gave me time to talk with my father and to be in deep thought as well as develop my patience (耐力).
Once we climbed a very high mountain. It was so challenging for me because I was only ten years old. During the first few hours of climbing, I enjoyed the flowers and trees, and the birds’ singing, but as time passed, I got a pain in both of my legs. I wanted to quit climbing. In fact, I hated it at that moment, but my father said to me, “You can always see a beautiful sky at the top of the mountain, but you can’t see it before you reach the top. Only there at the top, can you see all of the nice things, just like in life.”
At that time, I was too young to understand his words. But later after that, I got new hope and confidence . I found myself standing at the top of the sky, which was as clear as crystal (水晶).
The passage tells us that mountain-climbing was ________ for Father and Son.

A．hard	B．enjoyable
C．painful	D．comfortable

The word “quit” in the passage means “________”.

A．carry on	B．put off
C．give up	D．pick up

Which of the following is similar in meaning to the father’s words in the second paragraph?

A．You will get all you need at the top of the mountain.

B．The sky is always as clear as crystal.

C．You can find life is full of nice things.

D．Never give up half-way.

We can infer (推断) from the last paragraph that ________.

A．the writer was very successful in his life

B．the writer didn’t reach the top of the mountain

C．though the writer was young, he could understand his father

D．the writer used to stop half-way when he climbed the mountain

The best title for the passage is“________”.

A．Reaching the Top of the Mountain

B．Enjoy the Beautiful Views

C．Conversations between Father and Son

D．Father and I

"I believe you're the right person to write an advice column（专栏）for the students called "Dear Amy!". Jenny, editor of the school newspaper, said to Andy, who finally agreed to accept the job if Jenny promised not to tell it to anyone else.
At first it wasn't too bad. Most of the letters he received were interesting and quite easy to answer. Then came a letter from a person named Joe.
"Dear Amy," it began, "I'm in real trouble. I've wanted to be a songwriter all my life, but my parents won't even let me take music lessons. I have a guitar, but they both get angry if I play. I've tried explaining, but they won't listen. I feel sad. Should I run away from home? Maybe that will make my parents agree." The letter signed（签名）"Joe".
Andy thought about this letter for a long time. Should he advise someone to run away from home? Of course not. But didn't Joe have a right to be a songwriter if he wanted to? Andy thought hard, but couldn't think out a good answer. Andy couldn't sleep. He just worried about poor Joe.
At a bar a few days later, Eleanor, a girl in Andy's Maths class, sat down next to him and asked,
"What's wrong with you? You look a little worried."
"I guess I do," said Andy.
"If you got a problem, why don't you try writing to Amy about it?" asked Eleanor.
Andy sighed (叹气); but she continued, "in fact, I guess Dear Amy is rather busy with other problems. She still hasn't answered the phony letter I wrote her last week. You'd better read it – it may even make the most hard-hearted person cry! It was signed Joe, a songwriter."
Andy might be_______.

A．a Math teacher

B．a songwriter

C．an editor of the school newspaper

D．a student in Jenny's school

The underlined word "phony" perhaps means_______.

A．unreal

B．sad

C．angry

D．impolite

Who in fact wrote the letter?

A．Joe.

B．Jenny.

C．Andy.

D．Eleanor.

How did Andy feel at Eleanor's last words?

A．Excited. .

B．Sad.

C．Surprised.

D．Worried.

Many of us don’t pay much attention to the importance of eye care. It is said that if you take care of your body, then you can surely be healthy. That is why our eyes should be given a lot of care. Natural eye care should be put in a number one place.
There are several causes leading to poor eyesight like not enough food, genes(基因) and aging. Televisions, computers and reading are also the causes of having poor eyesight. If you happen to work in front of the computer, it is best to take a break every once in a while. Something dirty can cause redness and they will make you uncomfortable. It is bad for your eyes, too. If this happens, the best way is to clean your eyes by using cold water. You must also try your best to protect your eyes from harmful things. For example, sunglasses are not just for fashion but they can also serve as a great way to protect your eye-sight from UV rays.
Eating healthy foods will do good to your eyesight. Remember that vitamin A, C and E are good for eyes. Try to eat food groups that have these vitamins. And you should do eye exercises because exercise protects your eyesight, too. If a person exercises regularly and eats the right kind of food, his eyes will stay in good condition for a long time.
All above are natural ways of eye care that help us keep healthy eyes. Being happy all the time can be helpful to a person’s eyesight, too. In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is.
__________ is the most important way to protect our eyes.

A．Natural eye care

B．Taking medicine

C．Seeing a doctor

D．Being happy all the time

All the following causes can lead to bad eyesight except__________ .

A．genes

B．height

C．reading

D．computers

What should you do if you have to work in front of the computer?

A．Eat healthy foods.

B．Clean the eyes by using cold water.

C．Wear a pair of sunglasses.

D．Have a rest after working for a while.

What do the underlined word “aging” mean?

A．doing differently

B．blaming seriously

C．becoming old

D．disagreeing with

One day a poor man was cutting a big piece of wood near a river. Suddenly his old axe (斧子) fell into the water. He felt very sad because he lost his only axe. Then all at once a beautiful fairy (仙女) came out and asked the man what the was matter.
“I have lost my axe.” he said, “It fell into the water when I was cutting the wood.”
The fairy showed him a gold axe and asked, “Is that yours?”
“No.” said the man.
The fairy then showed him a silver (银) axe and asked again, “Is this yours?”
“No.” again answered the man.
Then she showed him the old axe.
“Yes, that is mine.” called out the happy man.
“I know it well enough.” said the fairy, “I only wanted to see if you would tell me the truth, and now I’ll give you the gold axe and the silver axe besides (包括) your own one.”
根据短文内容，选择正确答案。
One day , when the poor man was cutting wood near the river ,                    .

A．He fell into the water.

B．His old axe fell into the water.

C．He met a young man .

D．He found an axe.

The poor man was unhappy because                  .

A．He lost his only axe.

B．He couldn’t keep cutting.

C．The beautiful fairy didn’t let him cut.

D．He couldn’t cut the wood.

The beautiful fairy gave the poor man a gold axe and a silver axe, but he didn’t take them. Because he               .

A．didn’t like them.

B．knew these axes were not his .

C．didn’t know they are dear (昂贵)

D．was very rich .

Finally, the poor man had             .

A．only one axe.	B．two axes.
C．three axes.	D．many axes.

The beautiful fairy helped the poor man, because the poor man was        .

A．poor.

B．brave

C．rich

D．honest.(诚实的)

Have you ever heard of the group Westlife? Maybe you have, but I’m sure many of you don’t know very much about it.
Westlife is an Irish boy band group, which was made up of 6 boys in the beginning and called IOU. The group quickly became popular with young people thanks to their song Swear It Again, which was at the top of the UK charts (排行榜) in April 1999.
Chinese fans got their first chance to see Westlife on March 6th, 2006 in Beijing. Although the four-member group has been singing pop for seven years, the young boys have all since grown up and their songs are still very popular. When they performed in Beijing, Westlife released (发行) their new album Face to Face in China. Face to Face has been at the top of the British charts for a long time. The album’s most popular song You Raise Me Up mixes traditional Irish music with pop music.
Although hip-hop is quite popular among the young, Westlife has no plans to change. They said, “Hip-hop is for the young, but pop can be enjoyed by moms who are busy cooking meals and raising the kids.
Westlife is from _________.

A．America	B．China
C．Ireland	D．Germany

The number of people in the group __________ between 1999 and 2006.

A．went from 6 to 4	B．went from 4 to 6
C．went from 5 to 4	D．didn’t change

What happened on March 6th, 2006?

A．Chinese fans fell in love with Westlife.

B．Chinese fans were first introduced to Westlife.

C．Chinese fans first heard Westlife’s songs.

D．Chinese fans could see Westlife in Beijing.

Which of the following is Not true about Westlife’s new album Face to Face?

A．Swear It Again is one of the songs in the album.

B．You Raise Me Up mixes traditional Irish music with pop music.

C．The new album came out in 2006.

D．Face to Face was popular in Britain.

What style of music does Westlife make?

A．Hip-hop music	B．Pop music
C．Rock music	D．Classical music

If we find a bird nest, we will have a good place of observing(观察)  and knowing about birds.
Birds sit on eggs and take care of their baby birds from April to June. Because the baby birds are too young to leave the nest, mothers often leave and come back to the nest during the time to look for food. So it is good to observe birds. When we observe birds, we’d better hide ourselves in a close place to the nest, and it’s better to use binoculars(双筒望远镜).
But how to make a bird nest? It’s very easy. If you want to make one, please follow these:
Making a nest: A good nest must be very fine, strong, thick and easy.
a) Each nest must have six boards. Don’t make the boards too slippery.
b) Dig a small hole in the front of the nest as a door. The “door” is from 3cm to 5cm. So the bird can fly in or out easily.
c) Make sure the rainwater doesn’t go into the nest.
d) One piece of the boards should be easy to open.
e) Please don’t forget to color the nest.
The most important thing in observing birds is to ______.

A．look for a place near the nest

B．climb trees

C．write down notes every day

D．make a bird nest

When we're watching birds, we have to ______.

A．look after the birds more often

B．use the binoculars to catch the birds

C．hide ourselves to make the birds do everything as usual

D．catch the birds at last

We should leave a hole in the front of the nest so that ______.

A．we can clean the nest

B．the birds can fly in or out

C．we can hang it easily

D．it’s easy to make

Before Christmas Mr Smith broke his right leg and had to stay in hospital. When he was there, he always asked his doctor when he could go home. He didn’t like to spend Christmas in hospital. Though the doctor did his best, Mr  Smith didn’t get better. So on Christmas Day he was still in hospital. He spent a bad day in bed thinking that he missed a lot of fun on such a happy day.
The next day the doctor told him that he might be well enough to leave hospital in time for the New Year. Mr  Smith was very happy to think that he would spend New Year’s Day outside hospital. Soon Mr  Smith left hospital and on New Year’s Eve he went to a party. He enjoyed himself there. But he drank too much. On his way home that night, he had a fall and broke his left leg. What a unlucky man he was！
Mr Smith spent Christmas Day in hospital because ______.

A．he like to

B．his wife told him to

C．he broke his left leg

D．he had to

Mr. Smith felt ______ on Christmas Day.

A．happy	B．sad
C．better	D．well

Mr Smith would have to spend New Year’s Day ______.

A．at home	B．at a party
C．in hospital	D．outside hospital

When you are feeling unhappy or forget how great you are, these are six ways to make you feel good about yourself.
1）Look in the mirror and say to yourself, “I am a special person and there’s no one in the world like me. I can do anything！”It may not sound so good, but it really works！
2）Do something nice for someone. Helping others always makes you feel good.
3）Smile！Be friendly to people you meet. Look for the good things in your friends and family.
4）Learning something new！Have you always wanted to decorate your own room or learn how to swim? Go for it！New challenges（挑战）are fun and give you a sense of accomplishment when you have finished.
5）Read and start a diary. Turn off the TV and let your imagination(想象) fly！Write down your thoughts, dreams or anything you want！Writing always helps to express(表达) your feelings.
6）Stay with your family. We all need our family time. Talk with your Mum or Dad or maybe even your cousin.
This passage may be from _________.

A．a science book	B．a story book
C．a magazine	D．school rules

According to the passage, when you are helping others, you will _________.

A．be special	B．be sure
C．feel nice	D．be remembered

What does the underlined phrase “ a sense of accomplishment” mean?

A．成就感	B．忧伤感
C．挫折感	D．信任感

The best title（标题）for the passage is __________.

A．Much trouble about You

B．Much Confidence(自信) about You

C．Much trouble about Your Friend

D．Much Confidence about Your Friend