A group of swans（天鹅）flew down to a beach where a crow(乌鸦) was jumping around. The crow watched them with disdain(鄙视).
“You have no flying skills at all!” he said to the swans. “All you can do is to move your wings. Can you turn over in the air? No, that’s beyond you. Let’s have a flying competition. I’ll show you what real flying is!”
One of the swans, a strong young male, took up the challenge. The crow flew up and began to show his skills. He flew in circles, performed other flying tricks, and then came down and looked proudly at the swan.
Now it was the swan’s turn. He flew up, and began flying over the sea. The crow flew after him, making all kinds of comments(评价) about his flying. They flew on and on till they couldn’t see the land and there was nothing but water on all sides. The crow was making fewer and fewer comments. He was now so exhausted that he found it hard to stay in the air, and had to struggle to keep himself from falling into the water.
The swan pretended(假装) not to notice, and said, “Why do you keep touching the water, brother? Is that another trick?”
“No,” said the crow. He knew he had lost the competition. “I’m in trouble because of my pride! If you don’t help me, I’ll lose my life…”
The swan took pity on him, and took him on his shoulders and flew back to the beach.What’s the correct order of the following events?
a. The crow showed off its flying skills.
b. The swan felt pity for the crow and saved it.
c. The crow laughed at the swan’s flying.
d. The crow followed the swan and got into trouble.
e. The crow challenged the swans and a strong young swan accepted it.
| A．e, c, d, a, b | B．a, e, c, d, b | C．c, e, a, d, b | D．e, a, d, c, b |
What does the underlined word “exhausted” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Tired. | B．Angry. | C．Frightened. | D．Regretful. |
Why did the crow keep touching the water?
| A．It was showing another flying skill. |
| B．It was struggling to keep itself from falling into the water. |
| C．It was thirsty and wanted to drink some water. |
| D．It was enjoying itself by doing so. |
What can we infer(推断) from the passage?
| A．The crow didn’t know flying. |
| B．Flying skills were useless. |
| C．The swan saved the crow because they were good friends. |
| D．The swan was better at long-distance flying than the crow. |
What does the story tell us?
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．The early bird catches the worm. |
| C．Pride goes before a fall. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
【2013海南】Different weather makes people feel different.It influences health, intelligence(智力) and feelings.
In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States.People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times.People in these states(州) have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.
The weather can also influence intelligence.For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ(智商) of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower.The wind can help people have more intelligence.Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower.Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).
Weather also has a strong influence on people’s feelings.Winter may be a bad time for thin people.They usually feel cold during these months.They might feel unhappy during cold weather.But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer.At about 18℃, people become stronger.
Low air pressure(气压) may make people forgetful(健忘).People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days.People feel best at a temperature of about 18℃.
Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? It may be the weather’s problem.
根据短文内容，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选择最恰当的答案。What can cause problems on health？
| A．Hot and wet weather | B．A strong wind |
| C．Warm weather | D．Low air pressure |
A report shows that people may have more intelligence when ______ comes.
| A．rain | B．a strong wind |
| C．very hot weather | D．low air pressure |
According to(根据) the writer, fat people may feel bad in ______ weather.
| A．cold | B．cool | C．warm | D．hot |
The writer wants to tell us that ______.
| A．hot and cold weather influences all people in the same way |
| B．weather influences people’s behaviour |
| C．IQ changes when weather changes |
| D．people feel good on low pressure days |
Which is the best title(标题) for this passage？
| A．Hot Weather Causes Health Problems |
| B．Different Weather Makes People Feel Bad |
| C．Weather Influences Feelings |
| D．Weather Influences Health, Intelligence and Feelings |
【2013甘肃兰州】In England, some food companies across the whole country have been told to carry out urgent (紧急的) tests on all beef products. Do you know why? That’s because some food companies used horsemeat to make beef products.
There are some examples about the horsemeat matter. In January, 2013, in a number of UK supermarkets, frozen hamburgers were found to have traces of horsemeat in them. Some frozen beef products made by food company FINDUS were found to contain horsemeat. All of the beef products made by this company have been removed from sale.
The government said that there’s nothing to suggest any health risk from the products. Food minister David Heath said people should not throw away frozen meat products and carry on eating meat. The government will tell people not to eat meat if the meat is not safe.
Food safety has been an important matter all over the world. More and more countries plan to take some useful measures to ensure the safety of food.
根据以上新闻内容，回答下列问题。In England, some food companies have been told to ________urgently.
| A．stop making beef products |
| B．test all their beef products |
| C．test all their products |
| D．remove all their products from sale |
What else did some food companies use to make beef products in England according to the passage?
| A．Horsemeat. | B．Beef. | C．Fish. | D．Chicken. |
What does “traces” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．描绘 | B．追踪 | C．痕迹 | D．探索 |
What should people do with meat products according to David Heath’s suggestions?
| A．Send them back to the food companies |
| B．Throw them away. |
| C．Never eat them |
| D．Go on eating them. |
More and more countries plan to take some useful measures to ensure _______________.
| A．horsemeat out of products |
| B．the food safety |
| C．the test food |
| D．the food sale |
【2014年浙江省丽水市中考】
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
E-waste is fast becoming a serious problem around the world. This report will examine this problem and provide some possible ways to solve it.
We live in a society that is producing and using electronics(电子产品) all the time. It is often cheaper to buy new products than to repair old ones. Also, through clever advertising, companies always encourage people to change their old TVs, mobile phones and computers for the latest models. E-waste is created when we throw away old ones. In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. Sadly, just over 1,000,000 tons is recycled.
Burying(填埋) e-waste or burning it cause serious problems for the environment. Electronics have dangerous things in them. These things can then get into the ground or pollute the air when they are burnt.
In recent years, ____. However, their plans are not always managed properly. Sometimes electronics are just sent to poor countries such as Ghana. Here they are often burnt in public areas, which is very bad for people’s health. Setting up recycling centers is a good way to solve this problem. E-cycling centers could recycle the parts that can be reused and deal with the rest properly.
Another way is to make producers responsible(负责任) for their used products. This means that producers must take back old products which are no longer wanted. They should then make sure they are properly recycled or reused.
As for us, we should try to cut down on e-waste. Change electronics only when we have to. And don’t buy a product just to have the latest model.
E-waste is a serious problem in the modern world. Both producers and users must take actions and try to keep it to the smallest amount.According to the passage, it is often _______ to buy new electronics than to repair old ones.
| A．more expensive | B．more difficult |
| C．cheaper | D．worse |
In the passage the underlined word “they” refers to ______.
| A．the old products | B．the producers |
| C．the users | D．the new products |
Which of the following is the best for the blank in Paragraph 4?
| A．the e-waste problem has been solved |
| B．the e-waste problem continues growing |
| C．many countries have started recycling e-waste |
| D．people haven’t realized the e-waste problem yet |
Which sentence shows the writer’s opinion?
| A．Burning e-waste causes problems for the environment. |
| B．E-waste problem is very serious and people should take actions. |
| C．Sometimes electronics are sent to poor countries such as Ghana. |
| D．In the EU alone, about 8,700,000 tons of e-waste is produced each year. |
【2014年浙江省丽水市中考】
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
Canada is famous for its winter lifestyle, for the season lasts half the year there. A great example of this is the Quebec Winter Carnival(嘉年华). Quebec is an old city with beautiful historic building, and many agree that winter is the best time to visit. The city comes alive in the snow, especially during the winter festival. People who visit the cold city can find tons of things to do that will make winter seem perfect.
The Carnival has a magical ice palace made with 9,000 tons of snow, a boat race on the St. Lawrence River, and two night parades(游行) with funny people and colorful cars. Other interesting things include a 122-meter ice slide, and a large football game. There is also an exciting dogsled race that runs through six kilometers of the city’s streets. With more than 20 teams in the game, the dogsled race is noisy, fun and full of great cheer. Even better, artists from around the world come to enter the snow sculpture(雕塑) competition. It is amazing how these artists can bring snow to life. The Quebec Winter Carnival has everything for the whole family and more. It is surely a great way to experience winter at its fullest.
Another famous winter festival is on the other side of the world in China. Known as the City of Ice, Harbin is the capital city of Heilongjiang Province, which is next to Siberia. In the winter, it is very cold, and temperatures there can drop to 30℃ below zero. Even so, the cold weather makes the city the right place for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival. The festival is held every year.According to the passage, many people think ______ is the best time to visit Quebec.
| A．spring | B．summer |
| C．autumn | D．winter |
The Quebec Winter Carnival includes ______.
①a dogsled race
②a winter swimming
③two night parades
④a snow fight
⑤a boat race
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ |
| C．①③⑤ | D．③④⑤ |
Which of the following is TRUE about Harbin?
| A．It is known as the City of Ice. |
| B．It’s famous for its four seasons. |
| C．It is in Northern China, next to Quebec. |
| D．It holds an exciting festival every month. |
The writer will probably write about ______ in the next part of the article.
| A．the Quebec Winter Carnival |
| B．the introduction of Heilongjiang Province |
| C．the snow sculpture competition in Quebec |
| D．the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival |
【2014年浙江省丽水市中考】
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
A 2-year-od boy is being described as a hero after using Face Time to save his mother after she was badly hurt.
According to a report from KGUN, Laura was trying to stop a fight between two dogs when one of the dogs bit(咬) part of her middle finger almost completely off.
Laura tried to call 911 herself, but she said her hands were too badly hurt to make the call. “ I asked my daughters to call 911, and they’re four, and they were quite afraid to even touch the phone, because it was covered in my blood(血),” Laura told KGUN.
The mother continued to lose a lot of blood and thought she would go into a deep sleep—until her 2-year-old son Bentley came up with a dishcloth from the kitchen. After cleaning some of the bold off his mother’s iPhone, Bentley continued to use Face Time to call Laura’s friend Connie.
“All I could see was his little forehead. I said ‘Hi Bentley’ and it was quiet for a little bit. Then I heard Laura shouting,” Connie told KGUN.
Connie then called 911, and Bentley unlocked the door to let firefighters into the house.
Laura told KGUN she is very thankful for her little hero and has since taught all of her children how to call 911.Laura was badly hurt when she was _______.
| A．opening the door |
| B．cooking in the kitchen |
| C．making a phone call |
| D．trying to stop a dog fight |
Through Face Time _______ learned about the accident and called 911 at last.
| A．Laura’s son | B．Laura’s daughter |
| C．Laura’s friend | D．Laura’s husband |
The passage is probably taken from _______.
| A．a newspaper | B．a poster |
| C．a science magazine | D．a guidebook |