Although English is not as old as Chinese, it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always making up new words, and we are often able to know where most come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may really know where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called “hamburgers”, especially when they are not made with ham(火腿)? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburg. They didn’t speak good English, but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what they were. The Germans didn’t understand the question and answered, “We come from Hamburg.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of bread with beef in them and started selling them. Such bread came to be called “hamburgers”. Today, “Hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. This reason, for most English words, can be found in any large English dictionary.English is spoken by many people around the world every day, but English is ______.
| A．as old as Chinese | B．older than Chinese |
| C．younger than Chinese | D．older than German |
Hamburg is ______.
| A．a kind of food | B．a round piece of beef |
| C．the name of a country | D．a city in Germany |
According to the story, the word “hamburger” comes from ______.
| A．English speakers because they’re always making up new words |
| B．the round piece of beef which those people from Hamburg ate |
| C．English because Germans don’t speak good English |
| D．a large English dictionary |
. Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Few Americans like hamburgers. |
| B．Hamburgers are made with ham. |
| C．Hamburgers were first sold a century ago. |
| D．Hamburgers were some people. |
. Which of the following can be found in any large dictionary?
| A．Where Germans came from. |
| B．Where all the new words came from. |
| C．The reason why a new word has a certain meaning. |
| D．Why English is spoken all over the world. |
【浙江省台州市2015年中考英语试题】阅读理解（本题有15小题，每小题2分，共计30分）
阅读下面材料，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
“Am I my brother’s keeper?” The question comes from the Bible(圣经). In the Bible, Cain kills his brother Abel. When God asks Cain where Abel is, he replies, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” by which he means, “Am I responsible (有责任心的) for my brother—his safety and health?” The answer, of course, is “Yes, you are.”
This sense of responsibility for others is basic to all good societies. And also it is basic to what we call “civil(文明的) society”. China is now working on building a civil society and the high schools in Shanghai want students to take part in that through volunteering. They are supposed to do sixty class hours of volunteer work before graduation. This is something new in China, but it is not new in other countries.
In the Canadian province of Ontario, high school students are required to do forty hours of volunteering. In some American states, the volunteering requirement is one hundred hours. These students spend about an hour a week during the school year and summer vacations, helping the poor, the sick and the old. They also teach young children to read and help to clean up the environment. And studies have shown that this volunteering experience influences students a lot after graduation.
Some of you may be thinking, “Gee, sixty class hours is a lot. How can I find the time?” In fact, if you finish it in three years, you only need to do the work about three class hours a month. And the time is well spent if it helps you realize that “being your brother’s keeper” makes you a better person and makes society a better place for everyone. A Shanghai high school student should finish class hours of volunteer work before graduation.
| A．thirty | B．forty | C．sixty | D．one hundred |
The underlined word “that” in Paragraph 2 refers to “ ”.
| A．building a civil society | B．reading the Bible |
| C．doing the volunteer work | D．playing more sports |
According to the writer, “being your brother’s keeper” means “ ”.
| A．being a good school student |
| B．being responsible for others |
| C．taking good care of your brother |
| D．doing volunteer work with your brother |
The main purpose of the writing is to .
| A．tell students where to do volunteer work |
| B．give advice on how to be a good volunteer |
| C．encourage students to do more volunteer work |
| D．introduce volunteer work in different countries |
【浙江省台州市2015年中考英语试题】阅读理解（本题有15小题，每小题2分，共计30分）
阅读下面材料，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A
The World with Its Countries
The world with its countries,
Mountains and seas,
People and creatures(动物)
Flowers and trees,
The fish in the waters,
The birds in the air
Are calling to ask us
All to take care.
These are our treasures,
A gift from above,
We should say thank you
With a care that shows love
For the blue of the ocean,
The clearness of the ,
The wonders of the forests
And the valleys(山谷) so fair.
The song of the sky bird,
The warmth of the sun,
The rushing of clear streams(溪流)
And new life begun
Are gifts we should cherish(珍惜)
So join in the call
To try to protect them
For the future of all.The writing is a (an) .
| A．ad | B．letter | C．diary | D．poem |
The writing tells us we need to .
| A．protect our earth | B．save the time |
| C．look after ourselves | D．help each other |
The following word “ ” is the best for .
| A．hair | B．air | C．fun | D．sun |
【山东省菏泽市2015年中考英语试题】阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
C
Parents can be very important teachers in our lives. However, they are not always the best teachers. Parents may be too close to their children emotionally (感情上). Sometimes they can only see their children through the eyes of a protector. For example, a teacher might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience. However, it might seem too dangerous to a parent.
Another problem is that parents may expect their children’s interests to be similar to their own. If they love science, they may try to force (强迫) their child to love science too. But what if (要是……又怎样) their child’s true love is art, or writing, or car repair?
Parents usually want to pass on their values to their children. But should children always believe what their parents do? When children are young, they believe that their parents are always right. But when they get older, they will have different ways of thinking.
The most important thing to realize is that we all have many teachers in our lives. Our parents teach us, our teachers teach us, and our friends teach us. Books and newspapers and televisions also teach us. All of them are valuable. ________ might see a trip to a big city as a valuable experience, according to the passage.
| A．A parent |
| B．A teacher |
| C．Either a teacher or a parent |
| D．Neither a teacher nor a parent |
Parents may hope that their children have the same ________ as their own, according to the passage.
| A．looks | B．interests | C．habits | D．jobs in the future |
The underlined phrase “pass on” in the 4th paragraph means “________” .
| A．路过 | B．继承 | C．传递 | D．领悟 |
When children get older, they ________.
| A．don’t believe their parents any more |
| B．should always believe what their parents do |
| C．believe that their parents are always right |
| D．begin to have their own ways of thinking |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Never grow up! |
| B．Believe your parents forever. |
| C．Are parents always the best teachers? |
| D．How many teachers can we have in our lives? |
【山东省菏泽市2015年中考英语试题】阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
B
Do you dream of being a reporter? Are you a good English writer who loves the news? We’re looking for 100 students from around the world. They will join the BBC Kid Reporter team for the 2015–2016 school year.
In the past, BBC Kid Reporters have:
★ Interviewed leaders and other people.
★ Written news stories for BBC For Kids.
★ Talked about their work on television.
Next year our team will continue to report local news stories for BBC For Kids magazine and bbcforkids.com.
How to Enter
Visitwww.bbcforkids.comand fill in the entry form (报名表). Be sure to read the rules and share them with your parents, who must sign (签名) your form. Entries must be done by June 19, 2015. You must be OVER 13 years of age. Good luck!100 studentsfromaround ________will join the BBC Kid Reporter team.
| A．the world | B．the nation |
| C．the UK | D．the USA |
In the past, BBC Kid Reporters have ________.
| A．made a lot of movies |
| B．read letters to British kids |
| C．given speeches in the USA |
| D．interviewed leaders and other people |
Next year the team will go on to report local news stories for ________.
| A．Chinese newspapers |
| B．American televisions |
| C．British middle schools |
| D．BBC For Kids magazine and bbcforkids.com |
What will you do first of all to enter the BBC Kid Reporter team?
| A．Visit the website and fill in the entry form. |
| B．Read the rules and share them with your parents. |
| C．Ask your parents to sign your entry form. |
| D．Do your entry on June 19, 2015. |
How old must you be to join the BBC Kid Reporter team?
| A．12 years old. | B．10 years old or so. |
| C．More than 13 years old. | D．Less than 13 years old. |
【湖南省张家界市2015年中考英语试题】阅读技能（共20小题，满分45分）
阅读下面的材料，从A、B、C三个选项中，选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳选项。
C
Fun in the Carribbean from the Big Apple
With us you can sail(航海)right from New York City on a vacation in the Eastern Carribbean.Our 8-day cruise visits San Juan,St.John and Virgin Gorda.
With cruises from April to October,you have lots of opportunities to sail,swim,sightsee and shop in lots of wonderful places.Plus we offer an exclusive(独家的)6-day cruise from New York City to Bermuda.Ready for an unforgettable vacation?Let the fun begin.A cruise means a trip mainly _____.
A. by planeB. by shipC. on footThe cruise will start from______.
A. New York CityB. Bermuda C. St.JohnDuring the cruise,you can do the following EXCEPT_____.
A. swimming B. shoppingC. skatingIf you want to visit Bermuda,you can take ______.
A. the 6-day cruise
B. the 8-day cruise
C. the 7-month cruiseThe Big Apple is ______.
A. a delicious fruit
B. a travel agency(旅行社)
C. a popular cellphone(手机）