“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can carry on, one day something good will happen.”
After graduating from college in 1932, I decided to try for a job in radio, then work my way up to sports announcer(播音员). I took the bus to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station. But I was refused every time. In one studio, a nice lady told me that big stations didn’t want to accept inexperienced persons. “Go to the countryside and find a small station that’ll give you a chance,” she said.
I returned home, Dixon in Illinois. While there were no radio-announcing jobs in Dixon, my father said Smith Ward had opened a store and wanted a local sportsman to manage its sports department. Since I had played high school football in Dixon, I applied(申请). The job sounded just right for me. But I still failed in the interview. At that moment, mom’s words came to my mind: “Everything happens for the best.” Dad offered me a car to look for a job. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport in Iowa. The program director, named Peter MacArthur, told me they had already hired an announcer.
As I left his office, I felt sad. I asked aloud, “How can a man become a sports announcer if he can’t get a job in a radio station?”
I was waiting for the lift when I heard MacArthur calling, “What did you say about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he made me stand before a microphone and asked me to broadcast an imaginary game. As a result, I did a wonderful job and was told to broadcast Saturday’s game!
On my way home, I thought of my mother’s words again: “Everything happens for the best if you carry on. One day something good will happen.”After the writer graduated from college, he tried to look for a job in at first.
| A．Chicago | B．Dixon |
| C．Davenport | D．Illinois |
The writer couldn’t find a job in Dixon because .
| A．he had played high school football |
| B．he did not pass the interview |
| C．he had no working experience |
| D．he had no interest in the job |
Which sentence below is TRUE?
| A．In all, the writer went to three cities to look for the job. |
| B．The writer took the train to different places to look for the job. |
| C．The writer gave up finally when he was refused again and again. |
| D．MacArthur gave the writer a chance to broadcast Saturday’s game directly. |
The passage mainly tells us that .
| A．it is hard to find a job |
| B．mother’s help is necessary |
| C．we should hope for the best |
| D．life is full of disappointment |
【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 |
【2014年四川省乐山市中考】
What should you take in with you when you take an exam? Pen, pencil, eraser, ruler…, and don’t forget a bottle of water!
According to a study at the British Psychological ( 心理学的) Society Annual Conference held in London, students who bring water into exams may improve their grades by up to 10 percent.
Scientists at the University of East London and the University of Westminster, UK, did a study on 447 students. The students were studying for different degrees (学历) at the University of East London. Only 25 percent of them entered the exam hall with something to drink.
Scientists then compared their exam results with their normal schoolwork grades. They found that all those who had brought drinks with them got better grades by between 2 and 10 percent.
It is unclear why drinking water improves exam results. But scientists say having enough water in our bodies and not feeling thirsty could have a helpful effect on our brains. Drinking water may also cut down on anxiety ( 焦虑), which has a bad effect on exam performances, according to Chris Pawson, PhD, of the University of East London.
“Whatever the explanation, it is clear that students should try hard to stay hydrated (含水的)with water during exams,” he said.
So next time, when you are going to have a big exam, try bringing a bottle of water with you.Who knows – it may help you pass the exam!How much may the students improve their grades most if they bring water into exams?
| A．By2%. | B．By8%. | C．By10%. | D．By25%. |
How many students in the study got better grades?
| A．About112 students who brought drinks or water into their exams. |
| B．All the447 students who come from the University of East London. |
| C．About300 students who took part in the study. |
| D．About10 percent of the students who studied different subjects. |
The underlined phrase “cut down on” probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．bring | C．reduce | D．change |
According to the passage, how does water help students in exams?
a. It is good for their brains.
b. It makes students smarter.
c. It helps students stay cool.
d. It helps students stay awake.
| A．a b | B．a c | C．b c | D．c d |
Where can you probably read the article?
| A．Fashion magazine. | B．Text book. |
| C．Travel guide. | D．Newspaper. |
【2014年上海市中考】
Answer the questions (根据短文内容回答问题) (12 分)
Chris is not a traditional explorer（探险者）- he usually works in an office for a large organization. Yet his job can sometimes be just as exciting and dangerous as being an explorer.
Chris works for MSF, an organization also known as Doctors Without Borders (无国界医生). MSF sends trained doctors all over the world to help people after a war or a disaster. Chris is a doctor from France who has travelled to many places to organize programmes that help people.
At the moment, there are over 27,000 trained medical staff taking part in MSF projects and tasks. The organization received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. All kinds of doctors can volunteer for MSF. They need to be prepared to go almost anywhere in the world and, of course, they should expect difficult conditions. Doctors with experience in tropical（热带的）diseases are especially useful because most of MSF’s work is in Africa. When MSF accepts a doctor for a task, he has to go for at least six months. When doctors have completed a few tasks, they might be sent on an emergency task following a disaster, such as an earthquake.
But why would a doctor leave a comfortable life and a good salary to join MSF? According to Chris, the experience you gain is a great help in your career. Besides, just like the explorers of the past, you need to keep an open mind and learn to mix well with the people you meet. Most importantly, at the end of each task, you have made a real difference to people’s lives.Does Chris work for a large organization?
When does MSF send trained doctors all over the world to help people?
How many medical staff are taking part in MSF projects and tasks?
What kind of doctors are greatly needed in Africa?
According to Chris, why is his work important to other people?
Why is an MSF doctor’s job exciting and dangerous?