Joyce was born in a poor family. Next Friday would be her mother’s birthday. Joyce wanted to buy something for her mother, but she had no money. As an 8-year-old girl, she couldn’t do part-time jobs. What could she do to make enough money for her mother’s birthday present?
Suddenly she had an idea. Usually, she would go straight to school, but this morning, she didn’t. She walked along the streets, picking up cardboard（纸板）, plastic（塑料）bottles and cans（易拉罐）. When it was time for school, she hid them in the backyard and ran to school as quickly as possible.
Eight days later, she decided to sell all the things she had collected because the next day was her mother’s birthday. She had to sell them and buy a birthday present for her mother. In the shop, she bought a beautiful hair pin for her mother.
When her mother got the present, she said with tears in her eyes,“This is the best present I’ve ever received.”How old was Joyce?
A. Seven. B. Eight. C. Nine. Why couldn’t Joyce buy a present for her mother at first?
A. Because she had no money.
B. Because she didn’t know what her mother liked.
C. Because she didn’t love her mother at all.What was Joyce’s idea?
A. Doing part-time jobs.
B. Collecting waste things and selling them.
C. Asking her best friend for help.How long did Joyce collect the waste things?
A. A week. B. A month. C. More than a week. How did Joyce’s mother feel when she got the present?
A. Very sad. B. Very happy and moved. C. Very surprised.
【2015年江苏省苏州市中考英语试题】阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was Christmas Eve. When everyone went to bed, Bunny couldn’t fall asleep. He still couldn’t think of what he wanted as a special Christmas present. He wondered how Santa — Father Christmas would know what to bring him if he didn’t know himself.从第一自然段可知，他还在想着他可以得到什么圣诞礼物。他想知道如果圣诞老人不认识他又怎样知道他要什么礼物。
As he was sitting up in bed, Bunny heard a big noise on the roof(屋顶) and a sound downstairs. It was Santa Claus, he realized. Bunny jumped out of bed and ran down the hall to the stairs. He hoped to take a look at the old man before Santa left for his next stop.
By the time Bunny was at the bottom of the stairs, everything was silent again. Lots of presents were put under the Christmas tree, but Santa was gone. A little disappointed(失望的), Bunny turned to climb back upstairs when he heard a cry.
“Hello,” said Bunny. “Is somebody there?”
He was answered by another cry. Bunny looked around the big pile of presents to see what was making the noise. Right under the tree was a funny looking brown animal with big feet and sad eyes. It also had antlers(鹿角) on its head. Bunny almost mistook it for a dog.
“Are you a reindeer?” asked Bunny.
“Yes,” replied the brown animal with antlers. “My name is Ralph.”
“And you were pulling Santa’s sled(雪橇)?”
“I was until I got air-sick,” replied Ralph. “Santa had to leave me here and go on with the other seven reindeer.”
“Isn’t it a bit unusual for a reindeer to get air-sick? I mean, isn’t flying what reindeer are famous for?”
“Not me, I’m afraid. It makes me scared. I always feel sick when it comes to flying,” replied Ralph. “But everyone wanted me to pull Santa’s sled, so when it was my turn I gave it a try. I’m afraid I just wasn’t cut out for the job. Now I’m stuck here and I don’t know how to get back to the North Pole.”
“Well, if you like, you can stay with us as a friend,” said Bunny. As he made the offer, Bunny suddenly realized the special present he wanted from Santa was a new friend!Why couldn’t Bunny fall asleep on Christmas Eve?
| A．He wanted to take a close look at Santa Claus. |
| B．He was waiting for his special present from his father. |
| C．He was thinking about what present to get from Santa. |
| D．He was woken up by a noise on the roof of his house. |
The underlined phrase “cut out” probably means .
| A．suitable | B．famous | C．ready | D．bad |
What can we learn from the article?
| A．Ralph is a brown dog with antlers. |
| B．Ralph is afraid of flying in the air. |
| C．Bunny got a sled as a Christmas present. |
| D．Bunny sent Ralph back to the North Pole. |
This article seems to tell us that .
| A．Santa lives in the South Pole with his reindeer |
| B．Santa usually puts Christmas presents on the roofs |
| C．Santa uses dogs to bring children presents on Christmas Eve |
| D．Santa knows what presents children want without being told |
【2015年江苏省苏州市中考英语试题】阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
| From: Wendy and Jack Brown Date: September 22, 2014 To: 8th and 9th graders at R.L.S. Junior School Subject: Bonjour! Bonjour! (That means hello in French.) We hope you all had a great summer. Ours was a lot of fun. We have seen so many new things and met so many wonderful people. The French gave us a warm welcome and helped us get used to living here soon. We have so many things to share with all of you. We are going to send you more emails, but here are the best parts of our holiday in France so far. We had a fantastic time seeing the Tour de France this summer. It is the most famous bicycle race in the world. The riders travel more than two thousand miles in about a month! We got a quick look at the riders as they sped past! After the race, our family rented bikes, and rode along part of the route that the cyclists used. A few of you asked whether the French really eat snails(蜗牛). The answer is yes. We went out to dinner the other day, and our parents ordered some. We each tried one and it didn’t taste too bad. The snails, called escargots, are served with lots of butter. They feel a little rubbery when you bite into them, but they don’t really have much taste. Mum’s favourite food here is the French pastries. Dad loves the red wine. Our favourite is the fresh bread from the shop down the street. We went to visit the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago. We went all the way to the top. It was a sunny day, so we could see for miles and miles into the distance. Dad doesn’t like heights, so he stayed at the bottom of the tower and took pictures from the ground. We miss all of you a lot. Write back to us and let us know what is new at home. Au revoir! (Can you guess what that means in French?) Wendy and Jack Brown |
What do the Browns think of French people?
| A．Friendly. | B．Funny. | C．Welcome. | D．Popular. |
Jack’s favourite food in France is .
| A．tasty snails | B．French pastries | C．fresh bread | D．red wine |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the email?
| A．Wendy and Jack got used to the life in France soon. |
| B．Tour de France is the best-known bicycle race in the world. |
| C．The Browns have seen many wonderful things in France. |
| D．The Browns went to the top of the Eiffel Tower together. |
Wendy and Jack wrote this email to .
| A．tell a story about riding bicycles in France |
| B．tell a story about their experiences in France |
| C．advise the readers to try escargots in France |
| D．advise the readers to visit France in summer |
【2015浙江省杭州市中考英语试题】阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项。
Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.
Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.
Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.
You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries. They found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame（责备）themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.
For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don’t forget---if you are shy, you are not the only one. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Happiness. | B．Shyness. | C．Kindness. | D．loneliness. |
What does the underlined word “genetic”in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Passed down from parents. | B．Learned from friends. |
| C．Taught by teachers. | D．Made up by brothers. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Most little babies are born shy and quiet. |
| B．If you are shy now, you will be shy forever. |
| C．Many shy children have older brothers and sisters. |
| D．Most Israeli people are shy of expressing opinions. |
We can learn from the passage that _______ may cause shyness.
| A．genetics, grown--ups and birthplace |
| B．genetics, family size and birthplace |
| C．family size, grown--ups and failure |
| D．genetics, family size and freedom |
Scientists suggest that shy people can get over their shyness by______.
| A．blaming their failure on outside reasons |
| B．trying new things and practicing conversation |
| C．getting themselves away from their shy parents |
| D．trying to understand reasons for their shyness |
Which of the following shows the structure（结构）of the passage? (P=Paragraph)
【2015浙江省杭州市中考英语试题】阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项。
The following is a QUIZ(自测) from a magazine.
| Questions |
1 Point |
2 Points |
3 Points |
| Where do you live? |
in a village |
in a town |
in a city |
| How do you go to work/ school? |
by walking/ bicycle |
by train/ bus/ subway |
by driving a small car |
| How many times a year do you fly on airplanes? |
1 |
2 |
3 |
| How many hours of electricity do you use each day(e.g. watching TV, keeping lights on)? |
0-6 hours |
6-12 hours |
12-18 hours |
| How often do you recycle? |
almost always |
often |
sometimes |
| Total Points |
Result |
| 7 |
Less pollution than the average(平均) person |
| 8-10 |
As much pollution as the average person |
| 11-13 |
A little more pollution than the average person |
| 14-14 |
A lot more pollution than the average person |
Which of the following makes the least pollution?
| A．Living pretty well in a big city. |
| B．Flying on planes only twice a year. |
| C．Almost always recycling used things. |
| D．Using 15 hours of electricity each day. |
How many points does the average person get?
| A．7 points. | B．8-10 points. | C．11-13 points. | D．14-15 points. |
Tom lives in a city, goes to work by subway, flies on airplanes once a year, uses 15 hours of electricity a day, an sometimes recycles used things. How many points does he get?
| A．11 points. | B．12 points. | C．13 points. | D．14 points. |
Which of following would be the best title for the quiz?
| A．Where Do You Live? |
| B．What Do You Recycle? |
| C．Why Do We Travel? |
| D．How Green Are You? |
【山东省泰安市2015年中考英语试题】 阅读理解
On school nights, lots of kids have to do their reading before they are allowed to watch TV. Pretty soon, you might get to do both at the same time, in true Harry Potter style.
Several companies are racing to produce electronic paper and ink, complete with colors and moving imagines(图像). One idea would be to create a newspaper like The Daily Project in the Harry Potter books. Its pages would hold video clips of baseball games instead of just black-and-white photos.
Electronic paper is not a new idea. A company in Massachusetts called E ink, for example, has been working for years on such a technology. Little electricity determines(决定)whether each microsphere(灌球)looks black or white at any given time. Together, microspheres make up words and imagines. The techniques seems promising for creating still imagines that can be changed when needed, but the process(进程)is too slow for good videos.
Scientists in the Netherlands now report a new type of e-paper technology. By using layers(层) of oil, the requirements. They can also make images which change fast enough to meet standard video requirements. They can also make brilliant colors,. So far, however, each image is smaller than the fingernail.
For now, reading and watching TV will have to return two separate activities. Keep your eyes open, though, in the future, TV watching and reading might be part of the same work.According to the passage, kids soon can .
| A．be allowed to watch TV |
| B．watch TV while doing their homework |
| C．watch Harry Potter on TV |
| D．be allowed to read a newspaper |
Several companies are racing to .
| A．Make the Harry Potter TV program |
| B．create a newspaper like the The Daily Project |
| C．provide baseball games for kids |
| D．produce electronic paper with colors and moving images |
What determines the black and white color of each microsphere?
| A．Images | B．Electricity | C．Oil and ink | D．Fingernail |
Which of the following in NOT true?
| A．Electronic paper is not a new idea. |
| B．Microspheres make up words and images . |
| C．Now TV watching and reading is part of the same work. |
| D．Scientists use layers of oil in a new research. |
From the last paragraph, we know that .
| A．scientists are still working on the new technology |
| B．kids love to red while watching TV |
| C．parents may be against this new idea |
| D．teachers may not teach students any more |