One cannot discuss Chinese music without mentioning the guqin，one of the four arts-along with game of go，calligraphy（书法）and painting.It first appeared over 3，000 years ago and stands for China's solo musical instrument tradition.
At first，the guqin had only five strings（弓玄），meaning the five elements（元素）of metal，wood，water，fire and earth.Later，in Zhou Dynasty，King Wen of Zhou added a sixth string for his son.King Wu of Zhou，added a seventh string to encourage his army to fight with the Shang.
Ambiencewas important in playing the guqin.Usually，it was practiced in a quiet setting and never for public performance.Ancient artists enjoyed performing by a stream in the mountains.The sound of the guqin mixed with the echoes（回音）from the mountains，until the musician felt he was at one with nature.Playing it in snow was also an enjoyable activity for ancient artists，who believed the instrument was the purest of its kind in the world.Also，a night with moonlight was considered wonderful for playing the guqin.Wang Wei（701-761），a highly talented man of the Tang Dynasty，liked playing it in a bamboo forest on nights with moonlight most.
Guqin pieces are usually three to eight minutes long，with the longest being Guangling Verse，which is 22 minutes long.Other famous pieces include Plum Blossoms in Three Movements，Wild Geese Landing on the Sandbank and Eighteen Songs of a Nomad Flute.
Nowadays，there are fewer than one thousand well﹣trained guqin players and perhaps no more than fifty living masters.The original number of several thousand pieces has greatly reduced to only one hundred works by today.The guqin and its music was added to the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity（人类非物质文化遗产）in 2003.
（1）Today，the guqin has strings.
| A． |
four |
| B． |
five |
| C． |
six |
| D． |
seven |
（2）What's the meaning of the underlined word "Ambience" in Paragraph 3？
| A． |
演奏技巧. |
| B． |
环境氛围. |
| C． |
天气状况. |
| D． |
弹奏曲目. |
（3）According to the passage，playing the guqin is a right choice.
| A． |
at a quiet restaurant |
| B． |
at a welcome party |
| C． |
in a peaceful yard with flowers |
| D． |
on a dark night with rainstorm |
（4）According to the passage，which of the following is TRUE？
| A． |
The guqin has a history of less than 3000 years. |
| B． |
The strings mean metal，wood，water，fire and stone. |
| C． |
The longest guqin piece is Guangling Verse. |
| D． |
The guqin is very popular and many people can play it. |
（5）What does the passage mainly talk about？
| A． |
The guqin and its music. |
| B． |
The guqin and its players. |
| C． |
Four Chinese traditional arts. |
| D． |
The development of guqin music. |
【四川省资阳市2015年中考英语试题】阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的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。
Dear Mom,
I’m sorry that I can’t go back home for Mother’s Day next week. On that day, I’ll have to go to an important meeting for my boss, who helps me a lot with my work and life here. But I’ll find time to see you at home soon.
Mom, thank you for everything you’ve done for Tim and me. After Dad died ten years ago, you had to work in a supermarket in the daytime and in a restaurant at night. But you always gave us two your love and care. Though you don’t have to work now, I still remember your coming home and feeling tired many evenings.
Tim is going to finish his studies next month. He said he would move back from school and look for a job near home. I’m glad you won’t live by yourself anymore. Let’s plan to take a trip in the near future. It’s been years since the three of us took a trip together.
Happy Mother’s Day! I love you, Mom.
Best wishes,
John John can’t go home on Mother’s Day because he has to _________.
| A．meet his boss |
| B．take a trip |
| C．attend a meeting |
| D．go to a party |
What can we learn about John’s mother?
| A．She lives by herself now. |
| B．She still works day and night. |
| C．She will make a plan to save money. |
| D．She used to be too busy to care for her children. |
What do we know from the letter?
| A．John has two brothers. |
| B．John is unhappy with his boss. |
| C．Tim will finish his studies soon. |
| D．Tim will leave home for his job soon. |
Which is true according to the letter?
| A．John’s father died at work. |
| B．Tim will look for a teaching job. |
| C．John bought a gift for his mother. |
| D．John hopes to take a trip with his family. |
【山东省德州市二O一五年初中学业水平考试英语试题】阅读下列短文，然后从每小题ABCD中选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳答案。
Emergencies(紧急情况)don’t happen very often. But when they do, you want to get help first. No one wants to spend time looking up the phone numbers.
In 1568, the Untied States government wanted one number that people could call for emergencies. They decided that 911 was easy to remember and people could dial it quickly. The very first 911 call was made on February 16, 1968. in Alibama. Today, 911 is used for emergencies in most parts of the United States and many parts of Canada.
Other countries may use other numbers. In Great Britain, it’s 959. If you’re not sure which emergency number is used in your area, check your phone book.
When to call
Never call 911 as a joke or just to see what might happen. The only time you should call 911
When in an emergency call
When you dial the 911 operator(接线员)，it’s always OK to give out your information. Speak slowly and clearly when you explain what’s happening. What happened? Where are you? Who needs help?
Don’t hang up(挂断)！
If you have to call 911, do not hang up until the operator tells you it’s OK to do so, That way, you can be sure that the operator has all the information to offer help fast.
A dog named Faith dialed 911 when her owner who was in a wheelchair fell and needed help. She had been taught to use a speed—dial(快递拨号)function.The emergency number 911 was first used in ____ in the USA.
A. 1958 B. 1968 C. 1978 D. 1999Why was 911 chose to be the emergency call?
| A．Because other countries also used the number. |
| B．Because it was suggested by the phone company. |
| C．Because it was simple and easy to remember and dial. |
| D．Because it was also used in many parts of Canada. |
People can’t call 911 when ____.
| A．a bus hits a boy badly |
| B．a girl feels bored |
| C．an old lady falls off the stairs, unable to stand up |
| D．some people can’t get out of a burning building |
Which is the right thing to do?
| A．Wait for the operator’s words to end the call. |
| B．Tell the operator what his happened and hang up. |
| C．Test if your phone can get through to 911. |
| D．Tell the operator everything as quickly as possible. |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．911 is an emergency number almost throughout the United States. |
| B．We haven’t got a worldwide universal(通用的)emergency number yet. |
| C．Usually phone books list emergency call numbers. |
| D．The dog Faith pressed the three numbers 9—1—1. |
【山东省德州市二O一五年初中学业水平考试英语试题】阅读下列短文，然后从每小题ABCD中选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳答案。
Four years ago when I was a boy of 11, I got into the biggest trouble as a kid. It was a Saturday morning. Both my parents were out, leaving me and my 10—month—old sister became alone. Anyway, my sister was still asleep in her room. In fact I had the house to myself. I decided to do some drawing. Soon I gave up. Nothing was on TV, so I felt bored and touched the candles on the shelp…I had an idea! What would happen if I see fire to some kitchen paper? Well, of course it went on fire, but it wasn’t the tiny flame(火箭)I’d expected, and I couldn’t blow it out. I threw it on the floor, and then luckily got my dad’s boots(靴子)and stamped it out.
I thought I was safe until there was a HCGE hole in my room. When my mum came home later, she smelt the smoke immediately. She dropped the shopping bag, luckily for me, over the hole. I thought this meant she would never see it. However, after running round the house checking for a fire, she of course picked up the bag and saw the hole. Next I was grounded(关禁闭)and in trouble for months. Even though, the hole was still there, reminding me of what I did.How old was the writer when he wrote the passage?
| A．11 years old. | B．13 years old. | C．15 years old. | D．17 years old. |
The underlined words “stamp out” in the first paragraph mean ____.
| A．吹灭 | B．扑灭 | C．杀灭 | D．浇灭 |
Put the sentences in the right order according to the passage.
①The boy set fire to some kitchen paper.
②The boy did some drawing.
③The boy was grounded.
④The boy stamped the fire out.
⑤His mother checked for a fire.
| A．②④③①⑤ | B．②①④⑤③ | C．②①④③⑤ | D．①③④②⑤ |
Who put out the fire at last?
| A．The writer. | B．The writer and his sister. |
| C．The writer’s mother. | D．The writer’s father. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．It’s difficult to put out a fire. |
| B．The boy didn’t look after his sister. |
| C．The boy made a big trouble when he was 11. |
| D．Don’t leave children home alone while shopping. |
【浙江省宁波市2015年中考英语试题】阅读理解
Dear Boarding Students，
At this time of school year，we can feel some students begin to experience excitement as the summer
vacation comes. But some others still don't want to start packing. I once again ask for your attention as we
will have summer camps for the new students. There is much work to be done in packing and cleaning-up，especially during exam week.
Each student will get a task list and each task has a deadline（期限）．The dorm（寝室）teachers will work with each student each night to make sure you are getting the tasks done on time. It would be helpful if your parents encourage you to do a little packing and cleaning from now on. It means you can take the posters off the wall，pack up winter clothes，return all borrowed books to the library，etc. Spending twenty minutes a day on your tasks will make the last week of the term very easy，and you can spend more time on the important preparation for exams. If you plan to travel home，I'd like to remind you to take some of your belongings with you.
The coming weekend is a“closed weekend”．During that time no one is allowed to leave school. After packing we need to prepare the dorms for moving out，and store（储藏）students' large belongings.
The last exam is on Thursday and all students leave after their exam. The dorm will remain open until 5 p. m. on Friday for those students that could not get a ride or flight. Please let us know if you need transportation to the airport.
Thank you again for all your attention during the last，busy month of school. As always，you，welcome to call or email me with any questions.
Peter Margio
Director of Campus Life
453-757-2630
pmargioC baylinschool. comThis email is from Director of Campus Life to .
| A．dorm teachers |
| B．boarding students |
| C．parents and students· |
| D．parents of boarding students |
Which of the following is the best for the blank（空白处）in Paragraph 2?
| A．It's better to break the huge task into smaller parts. |
| B．It's better to take the posters off the wall. |
| C．It's better to invite parents to pack up winter clothes． |
| D．It's better to return all borrowed books to the library. |
The underlined word“belongings”in Paragraph 2 means“ ”in Chinese.
| A．体育器材 | B．生活手册 | C．随身物品 | D．交通工具 |
Boarding students should_______ according to the passage.
| A．remember to store their small backpacks |
| B．go shopping with their parents |
| C．leave school during the “closed weekend” |
| D．all leave after their exam on Thursday |
【浙江省宁波市2015年中考英语试题】阅读下列材料，然后从A,B,C,D四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。
The flight was tiring,but here I am at last,in Sydney!look!Here we are at last!The Sydney Opera House!It looks like shells!It’s wonderful and amazing!And I’m taking the plane to New Zealand on Tuesday.I’ll post again from there.
Paris is beautiful!We went on a great city tour.We also took a boat ride on the River Seine.And it’s nicer to just sit at a street cafe and watch the world go by.But to tell you a secret.Frank’s disappointed because no one can understand his French!
We’re staying at a farm in Utah.There is nearly nothing!It’s too quiet.Every morning,we get up really early,and we ride the horses.Then it’s breakfast and more riding—not my idea of fun!So,today I walked to a little town near the farm where they actually have Internet!Next week,we’re shopping in New York.I can’t wait!Where is Jessy writing from?
| A．Sydney. | B．New Zealand. | C．Paris. | D．Utah. |
What did Donna and Frank do during their travelling?
| A．They visited museums. |
| B．They took a boat ride． |
| C．They sat at a street park. |
| D．They watched movies in the cinema. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to Anna's Moments（朋友圈）？
| A．It is too noisy around the farm. |
| B．Her idea of fun is horse riding. |
| C．She is going to London next week． |
| D．She cannot use Internet at the farm. |