初中英语阅读理解

Looking at the undone homework on his desk always makes David Grey feel uncomfortable. More often than not, David leaves his homework behind and surfs the Internet or watches TV instead, waiting until the last minute." But the longer 1 wait," says David, aged 15, "the more I worry."

   Everyone procrastinates (拖延) because they want to feel good now. The way to do that is to avoid the task. You can procrastinate on nearly anything, even enjoyable tasks such as planning a vacation. "Some people procrastinate cleaning. Some people procrastinate by cleaning," says Professor Peter Stone. Research has shown that the top tasks young people procrastinate are studying and going to bed." One big cause for procrastination is that people are afraid of failure, of not meeting others' expectations," Stone adds.

   Some people believe that procrastination will make them thrive. But researchers disagree. "I did a study several years ago, asking procrastinators to finish a task in a certain period of time," says Stone. "They did worse than non-procrastinators: they made more mistakes and they took longer. But they thought they did better." No matter what the cause is, procrastination is usually not going to be good for you. For example, bedtime procrastination can lead to sleeplessness, which in turn can cause many other health problems.

   For those who need some drives to stop procrastinating, the best advice might be to take action first. If you've been procrastinating on forming a habit of exercise, just put on your walking shoes. A little bit of progress will get you moving.

   Next, find something to help you remember to take action. If you want to go to bed at 10:30 pm, you might set a timed dimmer switch (渐暗开关) at 10 pm. When the lights are dimmer, you'll start going to bed. It works for most people.

   Finally, reward yourself every time you make progress. For example, after you've run 3 km, enjoy your favourite ice-cream. But be careful: it won't work the other way around.

37. What can be the best title of this passage?

A．	A day of a procrastinator
B．	Procrastination: yes or no?
C．	Say goodbye to procrastination
D．	Want to feel good now? Procrastinate!

38. What is the main reason for people's procrastination?

A．	They want to avoid doing hard work.
B．	They fear to lose and let others down.
C．	They need to finish the top tasks first.
D．	They plan to do the enjoyable tasks last.

39. The underlined word "thrive" in paragraph 3 most probably means ________.

A．	think faster	B．	work more successfully
C．	give up more easily	D．	worry too much

40. What should David do if he wants to stop procrastinating on a writing task?

A．	Put on some soft music to help think actively.
B．	Enjoy a favourite ice-cream, and then start writing.
C．	Search the Internet for enough ideas before starting.
D．	Pick up a pen and write down possible starting sentences.

Making a Scarecrow    How would you like your very own scarecrow (稻草人)? You can make one out of some old boards. You can use it to scare away birds in your garden. You can also put a scarecrow near your front door to give visitors a big surprise!      Here are what you will need: ●   a grown-up helper ●   seven boards (each 10 cm wide): one 160 cm long;   three 50 cm long; one 30 cm long; two 60 cm long ●   a hammer and nails; safety pins; a pen ●   a shirt with long sleeves ●   a long skirt ●   gloves and boots ●   a hat and a pillow Step1: Lay the boards on the ground. Make the shape according      to the picture. You will have two arm pieces left over.      You will add them later. Step 2: Ask a grown-up to nail the pieces together. Step 3: Put the shirt on. Ask a grown-up to nail one arm      piece to the shoulder. Let the sleeve fall down so that it      covers the board. Pin the glove to the sleeve. Do the      same with the other arm. Step 4: Put on the skirt. Step 5: Stick the pillow on top as the head. Draw eyes, a nose and a mouth on it. Step 6: Stand the body up and put it where you want. Step 7: Put the hat on and then put the boots under the skit so it looks like it has feet.

34. This passage is most probably written for ________.

A．	young kids	B．	parents
C．	gown-up helpers	D．	teachers

35. A scarecrow can be used to ________.

A．	catch birds	B．	surprise your guests
C．	drive dogs away	D．	show visitors the way

36. Which shows the correct steps to make a scarecrow?

A．	a. Prepare all that you need.
B．	b. Let the body stand where you want.
C．	c. Dress up the body and make a head for it.
D．	d. Put the hat on and put the boots under the skirt.
E．	e. Nail the body parts together according to the picture.

A．

a-e-C-b-d

B．

a-e-b-c-d

C．

e-C-b-d-a

D．

e-a-C-d-b

The top-selling album (唱片), Songs of the Humpback Whale, was made public in 1970. This collection of nature recordings changed the way many people thought about whales, and it helped save thousands of whales' lives.

   The album might never have been made without a sound engineer named Frank Watlington. In the 1960s, Watlington was making underwater recordings when he noticed some strange, deep sounds. He realized they were coming from whales. Watlington played the recordings for a pair of scientists named Roger and Katy Payne. When they listened, they fell in love with these beautiful voices at once.

   Katy Payne studied music as well as animals, and she was greatly surprised by how the whales communicated using sounds like an opera (歌剧) singer. She also noticed another interesting fact: the sounds had clear patterns. According to scientists, an animal sound with a repeating pattern is called a song. Some scientists even compared these singing animals to musicians.

   The Paynes thought that other people should also hear the beauty of the whales' songs. So

Roger I made the recordings into an album. Al the time when the album came out, whales were often caught, killed and traded for money. Some kinds were even in danger of dying out. Most people had never thought that whales could communicate through songs. But after hearing the album, they began to think differently.

   The album led people to take action to save whales. Musicians began using whale songs in their music, and whales were included in movies and television shows. In 1982, a ban to stop deep-sea whaling was made. Before it, in the 1950s and 1960s, more than fifty thousand whales per year were killed. After it, the number went down below two thousand.

   It might seem impossible that just one album could help save the lives of so many whales. But this album told people secrets about whales that had long been hidden under the sea. It allowed whales to finally share their songs with the human world.

30. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．	To call on people to save whales.
B．	To tell how a good album was made.
C．	To show that whales are born singers.
D．	To introduce an album and its stories.

31. Who first found the special voices of the whales?

A．	A song recorder.
B．	An opera singer.
C．	A sound engineer.
D．	An animal scientist.

32. What fact about the whales surprised Katy Payne?

A．	They could talk with scientists.
B．	They could sing like an opera singer.
C．	They could repeat interesting sounds.
D．	They could communicate through songs.

33. Which is one of the values of the album?

A．	It successfully stopped deep-sea whaling.
B．	It helped people understand whales better.
C．	It made some music and movie stars popular,
D．	It encouraged musicians to work with scientists.

Amy walked toward Miss Brown's backyard, where she was planting roses. Last week, Amy and her parents just moved into the house next door,

   The old woman looked up, "Why the long face, Amy?"

   "There aren't any kids around to play with," said Amy. "I have nothing to do."

   Miss Brown smiled, "You sound just like a girl who used to live here."

   "Really? Who?"

   "Her name is Rachel," said Miss Brown."Too bad you two young girls couldn't have lived here at the same time."

   "What did Rachel do when she was bored?" asked Amy.

   "She planted a flower garden," answered Miss Brown.

   Amy looked at Miss Brown's roses. "Could I, too?"

   Miss Brown handed Amy some tools and roses. "This will get you started."

   "Thanks," said Amy.

   Amy worked hard the whole afternoon in her garden. When she saw the lovely roses planted, she smiled. Still, it was too bad that Rachel wasn't there.

   The next day, Amy watered her roses and walked to Miss Brown's backyard, where she sat reading. "What else did Rachel do?" asked Amy.

   "She wrote poems in her flower garden," Miss Brown answered. "One of her poems even won a prize in a school competition."

   Amy closed her eyes."How good it would feel, but I don't know how to write poems," she said. Miss Brown smiled, "The best way is to read poems first." She handed Amy her book. "Thanks," said Amy.

   Amy lay on her stomach next to her roses and read. Then she started to write. That night she had a poem that might not be a prizewinner but sounded good enough. Still, it was too bad that Rachel wasn't there.

   The third day, Amy watered her flowers, wrote a new poem, and then walked to Miss Brown again."What else did Rachel do?" asked Amy, "She played in the attic (阁楼). Come with me," Miss Brown invited. "Thanks!" said Amy.

   "Make yourself at home," Miss Brown said and left Amy to search alone there. Then Amy found a trophy (奖杯) with these words --- First Prize in Poetry. Rachel Brown. 1937.

   Slowly, a smile spread across her face. Amy ran back to Miss Brown, "I wonder if Rachel would like to write poems in my flower garden." Miss Brown smiled, "I think she would love to."

26. Why was Amy unhappy at first?

A．	She couldn't meet Rachel.
B．	She didn't like the new house.
C．	She didn't have any friends there.
D．	She was left alone to Miss Brown.

27. What did Miss Brown do to help Amy?

A．	She told Amy to stay alone.
B．	She worked and read with Amy.
C．	She showed Rachel's poems to Amy.
D．	She suggested some activities to Amy.

28. What did Amy find out about Rachel in the attic?

A．	Who she really is.	B．	Her secret hobby.
C．	How old she is now.	D．	Her prizewinning poem.

29. Which is the main lesson of the story?

A．	Having shared interests is important to a real friendship.
B．	Working in the garden is the best way to fight loneliness.
C．	Parents should think twice before moving to a new place.
D．	It is difficult for children to make friends with grown-ups.

How would you feel if you received a large amount of money all at once？

    That's exactly what happened to Nkosikho Mbele，a worker at a gas station in South Africa.His sudden luck was brought about by an act of kindness he did for a young woman﹣Monet，a company manager.

    One day.Monet stopped at the gas station to refuel（加油）.But when Nkosikho was about to serve her，she realized she didn't have any money or cards on her.She immediately tried to stop him.Knowing about her trouble，Nkosikho decided to pay her gas bill of about R100 （＄ 7）to make sure that she could travel across the highway with enough gas.

    "Madam.I'll pay for you so that you won't run out of gas on the road.Whenever you are near here again，you can just give me back the money，" Nkosikho said.As for him，the R100 was almost all be made in a day.He had to support a big family.He needed the money very much.He wasn't even sure if Monet would come back to return his money，but he still volunteered to help her.

    Several days later，Monet came back with his money and a box of chocolate.She was so thankful that she also posted their story on the Internet.Great changes took place.Nkosikho became famous in his town.Many people were moved by his act and offered to raise money for him.Nkosikho received around ＄ 24，000 as much as about his salary（薪水） of eight years.His boss also heard of his kind act and decided to give him a rise in salary.

    "I feel like I'm dreaming.My life has been turned﹣upside down，" Nkosikho said thankfully.As normal people，we can bring a great change to life by doing a small good thing.

（1）Why did Monet try to stop Nkosikho refueling？ 　 　

（2）What was Nkosikho's life like before he met Monet？ 　 　

（3）What else did Monet do to show her thanks besides returning the money？ 　 　

（4）List two changes in Nkosikho's life after his act of kindness. 　 　

（5）What can we learn from the story？ 　 　

Go，commonly known in China as weiqi.is a board game for two players.To win，one player must use black or white playing pieces，named stones，to surround （包围） more areas.

   The game was invented in China more than 2，500 years ago.It's one of the four Chinese traditional fine arts，along with playing guqin，writing and painting，so it owns a wide fan base in China.Now it is also popular in other parts of the world.

  In Germany.the Berlin Go Association （协会） has worked together with the China Cultural Center to host The China Cup，which sees about 50 to 100 players each year.As the cooperation（合作） between China and Germany deepens，many Go training courses are offered.and sometimes professional players from China are invited to give talks to German Go lovers.

  Andreas Urban，the chairman（主席） of Berlin Go Association，discovered a book on Go accidentally. "I tried to understand the rules，but I couldn't." said Urban.Schreiber，the vice chairman，was introduced to the game 16 years ago by a classmate. "The first time I played Go.I even couldn't understand the rules，" he said.But both of them found the game more and more interesting after practice. "I advise children to learn Go.They can learn that there is always someone stronger and it's OK to lose.They can also learn how to improve from their mistakes and say tomorrow will be better than today，" said Schreiber.

   To the experienced players，Go can be very addictive（使人入迷的），as it is not just for fun，but also has a deeper cultural ground.When two players meet on the Go board，they follow the same rules，but may carry completely different methods.One of the best ways to improve is to play against someone who's stronger，as well as from different cultural backgrounds.This kind of cross﹣cultural communication helps the development of Go.

（1）What does Paragraph One mainly tell us？ 　 　

A．	The basic rules of playing Go.
B．	The materials from which Go is made.
C．	The useful skills of playing Go.
D．	The number of players a Go team has.

（2）How often does Berlin host The China Cup？ 　 　

A．	Once a year.
B．	Twice a year.
C．	Three times a year.
D．	Four times a year.

（3）Schreiber advises children to learn Go because 　 　.

A．	it's easy for children to play it well
B．	few children can face failure bravely
C．	children can learn a lot from playing it
D．	it's the best way to win for their country

（4）What similar experience did Schreiber and Urban have？ 　 　

A．	They found it difficult to learn Go.
B．	They learned Go by accident at first.
C．	They learned Go from their classmates.
D．	They didn't know Go rules well at first.

（5）What can we learn from the passage？ 　 　

A．	Go is one of the four traditional fine arts in Germany.
B．	Players can't carry the same method when playing Go.
C．	Cross﹣cultural communication plays a part in Go development.
D．	Playing with stronger players is the best way to improve yourself.

Sophia is a most famous robot.She comes from Hanson Robotics，and David Hanson.head of Hanson Robotics，is her creator.He has been developing robots in the past 25 years.He believes realistic﹣looking robots will be able to connect with people and help industries such as healthcare and education.

   Sophia has many abilities.She can copy human facial expressions，hold conversations and recognizepeople by their looks or voices.She can also speak，joke，sing and even make music.Now，the next step is to make her an artist.Hanson is so excited about this idea.He imagines Sophia as a creative artwork and she herself can create art as well.

   In March，a digital （数字的） artwork Sophia created with an Italian artist，Andrea Bonaceto，was sold for ＄ 688.888.The digital work is titled "Sophia Instantiation".It's a 12﹣second video which shows Bonaceto's portrait （肖像） changing into Sophia's digital painting.Along with it is the physical artwork painted by Sophia.

   The buyer，a digital artwork collector and artist，later sent Sophia a photo of his painted arm.The robot then added that photo to her knowledge and painted more on top of her artwork.Sophia described the work as the first digital artwork cooperated （合作） between an AI and an artwork collector.

   Sophia's artwork is part of a growing trend（趋势）.More and more digital artworks are on sale now.For example，a digital artwork by an artist，Beeple，was sold for nearly ＄ 70 million，becoming the most expensive digital artwork ever sold.

（1）What do we know about Hanson？ 　 　

A．	He is interested in painting.
B．	He makes little money from Sophia.
C．	He created the robot Sophia.
D．	He spent 25 years developing Sophia.

（2）What does the underlined word "recognize" in Paragraph Two mean？ 　 　

A．	Punish.
B．	Meet.
C．	Comfort.
D．	Know.

（3）Why did Sophia think her artwork was cooperated between an AI and a collector？ 　 　

A．	Because the collector taught her how to paint.
B．	Because she copied the painting of the collector.
C．	Because she added the collector's painting to hers.
D．	Because all her works were collected by the collector.

（4）What can we infer（推断） from the last paragraph？ 　 　

A．	Sophia's artwork costs the most.
B．	Beeple must be a very famous artist.
C．	No one can afford digital artworks.
D．	Digital artworks are all made by robots.

（5）What can be the best title for the passage？ 　 　

A．	Sophia，a Robot Artist.
B．	David Hanson.Creator of Sophia.
C．	Digital Artworks，Popular Again.
D．	Hanson Robotics，Sophia's Company.

          

Tallest Indoor Rock Climbing Wall

Challenge，risk，success，pride，and teamwork-the "Pilot Rock" is a symbol of reaching new heights. It is 35 feet high，the tallest indoor rock climbing wall in New York City.    "Pilot Rock" offers challenges for those from beginners to advanced（高级的） climbers!    Whether it's your own activity or as a main event of your next birthday party，climbing the "Pilot Rock" is a thrilling and unusual activity to try.    Guided by experienced staff，we try every means to make climbing safe for everyone.
Attention ωSign up（报名） is first﹣come，first﹣serve. ωThere are no reservations（预定）. ωClimbers must be wearing climbing shoes. ωThe times may change because of other activities. Please call Customer Service at 718﹣758﹣7500 with any questions About the open times.	Paths（路线） The far left of the wall is for newcomers，which has a straight path up the rock wall. As you move further to the right，it is the second path，which is harder to climb with difficult holdings and turns. The third path is a true test of better body strength，only for the most experienced. The fourth path is quite different.Newcomers can make their ways slowly up to the top from the sideways with easy holdings.	Information ωDates & Times Friday： 5：00 p.m. -9：00 p.m. Saturday： 11：00 a.m. -9：00 p.m. Sunday： 11：00 a.m. -6：00 p.m. ωPrice for two climbs Non﹣members： ＄ 12.00 per person Members： ＄ 10.80 per person

（1）What is special about the "Pilot Rock"？ 　 　

A．	Members are asked to wear the same kind of climbing shoes.
B．	It's the only rock climbing wall with experienced guide staff.
C．	Most people choose to climb the "Pilot Rock" on their birthdays.
D．	It's taller than any other indoor rock climbing wall in New York City.

（2）How can you know whether the open times will change or not？ 　 　

A．	A By doing other activities.
B．	By calling 718﹣758﹣7500.
C．	By making a reservation.
D．	By reading the introduction.

（3）Which path is challenging for advanced climbers？ 　 　

A．	The left path.
B．	The second path.
C．	The third path.
D．	The fourth path.

（4）As a member，how much should you pay for six climbs？ 　 　

A．	＄ 32.40.
B．	＄ 36.00.
C．	＄ 61.80.
D．	＄ 72.00.

（5）The passage above may be 　 　.

A．	A a notice
B．	a plan
C．	a sign
D．	a porter

阅读下面的短文，按要求完成后面各个小题。

    One afternoon a student was taking a walk with his teacher. As they went along，they saw a pair of old shoes lying in the path. They belonged to a farmer，who was working in the nearby field.

    The student said， （4）"Let's hide his shoes and wait to see what he will do. "

    "We should never make fun of the poor!" answered the teacher， "Why not put a coin in each shoe，and then we will hide ourselves and watch？" The student did so and they both hid themselves behind the trees. When the poor man finished his work，he came to the path where he had left his shoes.

    （5）他把他的脚放进了其中的一只鞋子里。To his surprise，he found a coin in it，so he looked at the coin again and again. He then looked around，but no person could be seen. He put the money into his pocket and continued to put on the other shoe. His surprise was doubled on finding the other coin. He couldn't control his feelings. He fell to his knees，looked up to the sky and expressed his thanks. He said the coins would help his poor family and save his hungry children.

    The student stood there deeply moved. The teacher said， "Are you feeling much happier than hiding the shoes？"

根据短文内容用简要答语回答下面三个问题。

（1）Whom did the old shoes belong to？ 　   　

（2）How many coins did the farmer in the story find？ 　   　

（3）How did the farmer feel after he got the help？ 　   　

将短文中划线的两个句子翻译成中文或英文。

（4）　   　

（5）　   　

Thanks to a TV show，Fu Sheng is no longer a stranger to us. He is a scholar （学者） who lived during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC. Thanks to this scholar，we have the chance to enjoy the great book Shangshu，one of the "five classics" of Confucianism （儒学） .

The TV show is named China in the Classics （典籍里的中国） . The wonderful program was presentedby CCTV. In its first episode （集） ，Fu Sheng's story was turned into a stage show. After watching it，people not only showed great interest，but also were deeply moved by him. He lived a simple life and made his efforts to protect and pass on a country's culture.

The art director of the show is Tian Qinxin. It was not an easy task for him to turn an ancient classic into a one﹣hour stage show that connects with the people of today. However，he made it and the show received high praise from people.

The TV show tells one classic Chinese book of ancient times in teach episode，letting rich history shake hands with modern expressions. It is enjoyed by young people and makes classics "alive".

"Through the classics，we can see the foundations （基础） of modern China，" said Tian. "No matter how the human history has developed，they still have a great influence on us. The classics remind us not to forget out past and explain where our cultural confidence （ 自信） comes from. "

（1）From Paragraph 1，we can know 　    　.

A．	a TV show makes us know Fu Sheng
B．	many people have ever read Shangshu
C．	Shangshu tells Fu Sheng's lifetime story

（2）What is the Chinese meaning of the underlined word "presented" in the sentence？ 　    　

A．	出版.
B．	播出.
C．	观看.

（3）Fu Sheng tried his best to 　    　in his life.

A．	live a rich life
B．	make himself famous
C．	pass on a county's culture

（4）Which of the following is true according to the passage？ 　    　

A．	Young people are not interested in the TV show.
B．	The TV show has nothing to do with modern life.
C．	It was difficult for the art director to put on the TV show.

（5）What's the purpose of writing the last paragraph？ 　    　

A．	To require people to watch CCTV.
B．	To encourage people to learn classics.
C．	To advise people to take part in stage shows.

If you're ever wondering what you can prepare for a seal's birthday，maybe you can try a cake made of ice and fish.

Yulelogs is a lovely grey seal. Recently，he celebrated his 31st birthday. All his human friends wanted to make it a day to remember. On this special day，the seal got a large ice fish cake as a birthday gift.

Yulelogs once lived in a marine park （海洋公园） in the north of England when he was just a baby. Later the park closed and he was put into the wild. However，after living with humans for years，Yulelogs was not ready to take care of himself. But he had good luck and was saved by an organization in England in 1993. He has lived there happily since then.

Normally，male （雄性的） grey seals live to be around 25 years old in the wild，but under the good care of the organization，Yulelogs just turned 31. This birthday was a big milestone （里程碑）for him and the organization as well.

To mark the milestone，workers there surprised him with a special gift ﹣a large ice cake filled with delicious fish. Yulelogs was excited to see the cake，and he was there to show his joy. "Yulelogs really loved his birthday cake，" a worker said. "It's also a challenge for him as it requires a bit of thinking on how to get the fish out of the cake!"

（1）Why was Yulelogs put into the wild？

A．	He liked living in the wild.
B．	The park that he once lived in closed.
C．	He was ready to take care of himself.

（2）What's the right order of what happened to the seal？

①He was put into the wild.

②He was saved by an organization.

③He lived in a marine park.

A．	①②③
B．	②③①
C．	③①②

（3）What can we infer （推断） from the passage？

A．	The birthday cake was made of ice and fish.
B．	Yulelogs may not have lived so long without the help of human.
C．	The seal's 31st birthday was a milestone for him and the organization.

（4）What can be the best title of the passage？

A．	A seal's birthday party.
B．	A marine park for seals.
C．	A special birthday cake for a seal.

（5）The material is probably from 　   　.

A．	a biological magazine
B．	a travel guide
C．	a science fiction

Here are some signs in our daily life. We should pay attention to them in public places.

（1）The first sign tells us that we can not 　    　in the area.

A．	walk dogs
B．	talk about dogs
C．	play with children

（2）Which sign might we see at a gas （汽油） station？ 　    　

A．
B．
C．

（3）What does the third sign mean？ 　    　

A．	There is no water.
B．	The water is not safe.
C．	We should save water.

（4）When we see the fourth sign，we should not 　    　.

A．	talk loudly
B．	stop walking
C．	enter the area

（5）What can we learn from the signs above？ 　    　

A．	Children can't play with dogs.
B．	Smoking is not allowed anywhere.
C．	We should follow rules in our daily life.

阅读下面的短文，判断下列句子是否与短文内容相符，符合的写（A），不符合的写（B）。

Beidou is China's first global navigation satellite system （全球卫星导航系统）. More than 120 countries and regions are using the Beidou system.

It started its full﹣scale （全面的） work on July 31，2020. With as many as 59 satellites，Beidou has "bright eyes". These satellites fly around the earth. They can "see" rivers，forests and mountains. They can "see" houses and schools on the earth. Of course，they can "see" you，too! From space，they can tell where you are on the ground，with a difference of no more than 10 meters.

Beidou can help people find the way，even when it's on the dark sea. It can look for mines （矿产） in deep mountains. It can give orders to driverless cars. Last summer，when Chinese people fought the flood （洪水） in the South，Beidou helped measure （测量） the rise and fall of the flood water.

What's more，when people are in danger and there is no mobile phone signal （信号） ，they can use Beidou to send a 1，200﹣word message to ask for help.

All in all，Beidou is there to keep us safe and make our life convenient.

（1）Beidou's satellites fly around the moon. 　    　

（2）Everything can be seen by Beidou except you. 　    　

（3）People can find the way with the help of Beidou. 　    　

（4）Beidou can't look for mines but can help people fight floods. 　    　

（5）If your mobile phone has no signal，you can use Beidou to ask for help. 　    　

In 1882, builders began work on a large church in Barcelona, Spain. Today, more than 130 years later, it's still not finished! But that doesn't stop two million tourists visiting it every year.

The Sagrada Familia church, with its many all towers, is the most famous work of the architect Antoni Gaudi. Born in 1852, Gaudi grew up in Catalonia in the northeast of Spain. When he was a young man, he loved to ride or take long walks in the country. When he became an architect, he used this love of nature to create some very unusual buildings. Many of them look as if they have been shaped by wind or water, like rocks in the natural world.

Many of Gaudi's buildings are brown or grey, like the earth. But he is also famous for his bright colors. He often used broken pieces of glass or tile to create beautiful mosaics. There are many examples of these in the Park Guell, a park he designed in Barcelona. There's a long seat in the shape of a sea snake and a large lizard fountain. Gaudi also created two houses in the park that look like cakes! Barcelona has many examples of Gaudi's strange and wonderful buildings, and many people visit the city just to see them.

When Gaudi died in 1926, only a quarter of the building work of Sagrada Familia was complete. At that time, there was little money to continue building. Then Spain went to war. Work began again in the 1950s. But the unique and complicated design of the building has made the work slow and expensive. In 2013, it was still half-finished. Many people hope that it will be completed in 2026, a hundred years after Antoni Gaudi's death. But there's still a very long way to go.

( )27 ． What does " them " in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．

Rocks.

B．

All towers.

C．

Long walks.

D．

Unusual buildings.

( )28 ． According to the passage, what is True about the Sagrada Familia church?

A．	It took builders over 130 years to complete it.
B．	It is one of the most well-known works by Antoni Gaudi.
C．	The work is slow and dear because of its special design.
D．	The church is sure to be finished in the year of 2026.

( )29 ． Which words best describe Antoni Gaudi?

A．	Wise and humorous.	B．	Talented and creative.
C．	Skillful and kind-hearted.	D．	Confident and famous.

( )30 ． What is the best title of the passage?

A．	Antoni Gaudi, a great architect.	B．	Barcelona, a wonderful city to visit.
C．	The Sagrada Familia church.	D．	Wonderful buildings by Antoni Gaudi.

Imagine a vegetable garden that everyone can reach ： one you don't have to bend down to weed, that can follow the sun around in a small backyard and that won't take up too much space. "Impossible!" you say think-again! A group of people living in suburb came up with a creative way to garden in small space.

They all love growing vegetables but not everyone could do that when they just had conventional vegetable garden. To solve the problem, they added a movable vegetable patch ( 小块菜地 ). They turned an old hospital bed into a garden on wheels. The bed can be raised and lowered so everyone, including people in wheelchairs, can enjoy working in the garden. Their local greengrocer provided some containers, where they planted their vegetables. This perfect garden can be easily wheeled around to follow the sun!

It is a great activity for Michelle, Marianne, Shelly, Jimmy and Ashley, who have a disability and are supported in their homes by people employed by the Department of Human Services. The garden is a joy to everyone and provides the vegetables for a lot of cheap and nutritious meals. "Our garden is coming along well," says Michelle.

"We've been eating lots of salad items lettuce, cucumbers, spring onions. Everyone loves them. Unfortunately, the strawberries were a failure. I think it was a bit too hot in the pots for them. We have plans for a potato crop next year, grown on newspapers and covered with straw and sheep manure. It is a very 'no-dig' way to grow them."

( )23 ． What does the underlined word " conventional " in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．

Traditional.

B．

Special.

C．

Real.

D．

Large.

( )24 ． What is the most obvious advantage of the new garden?

A．	It can save energy.	B．	It is environmentally friendly.
C．	It is quite cheap.	D．	It can be easily offered.

( )25 ． Why may disabled people especially love the new garden?

A．	Because it offers a new career to them.
B．	Because it brings them a lot of pleasure.
C．	Because it encourages them to help other people.
D．	Because it helps them make some money.

( )26 ． What can we learn from the passage?

A．	People need to get more fresh and cheap vegetables.
B．	It's a joy for people to be in close touch with creative gardens.
C．	People want to make the best use of waste and old materials.
D．	It's necessary for disabled people to eat vegetables planted by themselves.