中考英語閱讀理解專項訓練（二）

（閱讀21）

I was quiet close to my grandmother， Julia。 We lived with her and then she lived with us。 She was a very nice person， both kind and patient。 She taught me to read and write when I was young and helped me to be interested in stories and poems。

In my mind， my grandmother was a great tailor。 She made clothes or toys better than anything you can buy in a shop today。 She always made clothes for family and friends。

My grandmother was also a hard worker both at home and at work。 I can still remember the difficult time when we were very poor。 At that time， my grandmother was already sixty years old but she worked in a hospital for a long time every day—not in the office but doing the cleaning outside and taking care of me at the same time while my mom was at work！

My brother and sister also love her。 We will never forget our grandmother。 She is really important in our lives and is always there for all of us in one way or another。 I am proud to be her grandson。

1。 The writer’s grandmother taught him to_____ when he was young。

A。 read and write B。 sing and dance

C。 draw and sing D。 play and learn

2。 His grandmother always made______ for family and friends。

A。 cakes B。 cards C。 meals D。 clothes。

3。 While his mom was_____， his grandmother took care of him。

A。 at home B。 at work C。 out of work D。 in hospital

4。 At the age of 60， his grandmother _____ in a hospital for a long time every day。

A。 mode fine toys B。 worked in the office

C。 did the cleaning D。 stayed with his mother

（閱讀22）

Jerry Balkwin， 30 years old， restaurant。 He lived in a flat about one mile north of the restaurant。 He walked to and from work。 When it was raining， he took the bus。

Jerry loved gangster（匪徒） movies。 When a new one came out， he would go to the theater and watch the new movie three or four times。 Then， when it went to video， Jerry would buy the video at Barney’s Video Store。 Jerry had a home over 1，000 gangster videos。 Old ones， new ones； color， black and white； English， Spanish， Japanese —— he loved them all。 He could tell you the name of the movie， the director， the stars， and the story。

Jerry finally decided that he would own a gun， just like the gangsters。 So he saved his money for a couple of years。 Then he went to the gun club to practice shooting。 He was in the club for only 10 minutes when he accidentally dropped his gun。 The gun went off， and the bullet（子彈） went into Jerry’s right knee。

Jerry now walks with a walking stick， just like some gangsters。

1。 What was Jerry Baldwin？

A。 The boss of a restaurant。 B。 The manager of a cinema。

C。 The owner of a video shop。 D。 The head of a shooting club。

2。 Jerry Baldwin had a large collection of

EXCEPT

_____ones。

A。 Spanish B。 Japanese C。 Russian D。 English

3。 How did Jerry Baldwin get a gun？

A。 He bought it for himself。 B。 He borrowed it from the club。

C。 He made it on his own。 D。 He got it to from the gangster。

4。 Jerry Baldwin dropped his gun mainly because of his ______。

A。 illness B。 anger C。 carelessness D。 eyesight

5。 From the passage， we learn that Jerry ______ in the end。

A。 lost his interest in movies B。 turned out to be a real gangster

C。 had his own shooting club D。 couldn’t walk in a normal way

（閱讀23）

A school bus is one that is used to take children to and from school。

In the USA， about 450，000 school buses take more than 25 million children to and from school。 The yellow school bus is a US icon（象徵）。Yellow became the color of school buses in the USA in 1939。 Dr。 Frank got the good idea。 He said it was easy for people to see yellow buses and the black letters on them in early morning or late afternoon。 That would make children safer。

There are not many school buses in Britain， and they are not yellow。 They have trackers（追蹤器）on them， so kids are being tracked while they travel to and from school by bus。 The trackers let parents know where the school bus is and whether their kids are on the bus。

Kindergarten（幼兒園）is a difficult time for some kids。 It’s the first time for them to go away from their parents。 To make kids love their school， Japanese kindergartens and schools have colorful buses。 The buses can easily make children want to take them—and then， go to school。 Even some parents want to take them， too！

School buses are becoming more and more popular in China now。 It saves a lot of time for students to take a school bus。 It’s said that there will be 3，000 yellow school buses on the road by the end of this year in Chongqing。

1。 According to Dr。 Frank， ______school buses are safer for the students。

A。 yellow B。 black C。 white D。 colorful

2。 Children in Japan may easily _______by taking the school bus。

A。 save time B。 love their school C。 play games D。 do their homework

3。 Chinese students will save a lot of time to _______ to school。

A。 walk B。 take a taxi C。 ride a bike D。 take a school bus

4。 This passage is mainly about ________。

A。 school buses B。 school life C。 popular colors D。 students’ safety

（閱讀24）

A

punctual

person is in the habit of doing a thing at the correct time and is never late for anything。

An unpunctual man never does what he has to do at the right time。 He is always in a hurry and in the end loses both time and his good name。 A lost thing may be found again， but lost time can never be got back。 Time is more useful than material thing。 In fact， time is life itself。 An unpunctual man is always wasting his most important things as well as others’。 An unpunctual person is always saying unhappily that he finds no time to answer letters or return calls。 But the man who really has much to do is very careful of his time。 He knows that he can not finish all his work unless be carefully does every piece of work。

Being unpunctual is the sign of disrespect（不尊重）towards others。 If a person is invited to dinner and arrives later than the time when he should be there， he keeps all the other guests（客人）waiting for him。 Usually this will be thought as a great disrespect to the host and all the other guests。

Not like a punctual person， an unpunctual one can’t do his duty wonderfully， whether it is public or personal。 Imagine how it would be if those who should do important tasks failed to be on time。 A man who is known to be often unpunctual is never believed by his friends or fellow men。

1。 The Chinese meaning of the word “

punctual

” in the passage is probably “____________”。

A。 聽話的 B。守時的 C。守紀律的 D。能幹的

2。 Which of the following is

TRUE

according to the passage？

A。 An unpunctual person often has more time。

B。 An unpunctual person has more work to do。

C。 A punctual person often has a busy life。

D。 A punctual person often does his work wonderfully。

3。 When you are invited to dinner， you’d better arrive there ________。

A。 in a hurry B。 after the host C。 at the decided time D。 before other guests

4。 From the passage， we learn that an unpunctual man usually ________in the end。

A。 saves time for others B。 leaves his family and friends

C。 gets his chances and knowledge D。 loses his time and good name

（閱讀25）

When you see the girl for the first time， you may think she is a boy。 She is very outgoing（外向）。 Who is she？ Wang Meng， the Chinese top skater。

On the evening of February 26th， 2010， Wang Meng first got to the finishing line in 1 minute and 29。213 seconds in the women’s 1000 meters short track speed skating final （短道速滑決賽） at the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games （溫哥華冬奧會）。 After she succeeded in the 500-meter and 3000-meter races， she won her third gold

medal this time。 With this one China won four gold medals in the women’s short track speed skating。 That helped China first win the team gold

medal in Winter Olympics history。

Just before the final race Wang

Meng caught a bad cold and coughed terribly。 With the words of “You can， you can do！” she won at last。 She said， “I really feel these three gold medals belong to my team， to China。 It was with the help of my team that I won the prize。”

Though Wang Meng is only twenty-four， she has been the most successful Chinese skater。 Chinese are proud of her and her team。 We hope she will be faster in Sochi Olympics in 2014。

1。 China won _______ gold medals in the women’s short track speed skating。

A。 2 B。 3 C。 4 D。 5

2。 It took Wang Meng 1 minutes and 29。213 seconds to finish the ______ short track speed skating final。

A。 women’s 1000 B。 men’s 1000 C。 women’s 500 D。 men’s 500

3。 In Wang Meng’s opinion， _______ made her win the prize at last。

A。 a strong body B。 a bad cold C。 her team’s help D。 much exercise

4。 Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage？

A。 Wang Meng is very outgoing like a boy。

B。 Wang Meng is the most successful Chinese skater。

C。 Chinese people are proud of Wang Meng and her team。

D。 China has got the team gold medal twice in Winter Olympics history。

（閱讀26）

One morning， Wu Liang discovered that her classroom had changed。 She found that the desks were no longer in rows， but pushed together to make eight bigger desks。 She was too excited about it for the first two days and she couldn’t listen to the teachers carefully。 But soon she and her classmates got used to this new classroom arrangement （安排）。 “Now our class is quieter，” said Wu。 “What’s more， we can come up with our own ideas and learn more through discussion。 It’s a better way to study。”

Li Yu liked it， too。 He said， “Group members first discuss， and then show ourselves in front of the whole class。 It makes us believe in ourselves。” It was part of a reform （改革） at Li’s school。 The school made this reform because they wanted to provide students with easier ways to study and more chances to discuss。 “Our school hopes it can improve students’ abilities to study by themselves and work in groups，” said Zhang Ming， an English teacher。

However， the reform has demanded （要求） more fro

m teachers。 Now they have only 15 minutes to give the lesson which should be taught in 45 minutes before。 It is difficult to teach in such a short time。 The teachers have to find better ways to teach more

effectively。

The reform demands more， but I’m sure it is helpful，” added Zhang Ming。

1。 After the new classroom arrangement it was easier for Wu Liang and her classmates to ______ in class。

A。 discuss with each other B。 sit in the classroom

C。 push desks together D。 teach a lesson

2。 The school made the reform in order to provide students with _______ to study。

A。 noisier classes B。 easier ways C。 more seats D。 fewer chances

3。 The Chinese meaning of the word “effectively” in this passage is _________。

A。簡單地 B。 明確地 C。 有效地 D。 認真地

4。 The best title of this passage may be “________”。

A。 Students’ Friendship

B。 Teachers’ Hope

C。 Discussion in Class

D。 New Look in Class

（閱讀27）

Do you still get free plastic bags from the supermarkets？ Things have changed。

China has banned （禁止） free plastic bags at shops and supermarkets， and people have to pay for using plastic bags。 The rule started on June 1。 It came because our country tried to make litter less。 Making super-thin （超薄） plastic bags has also been banned。

The Chinese once used about 3，000，000，000 plastic shopping bags a day， and they have caused pollution of the environment。 The bags have become a main cause of plastic pollution because they are easy to break and people throw them away here and there。 So the Chinese people are encouraged to bring theft own bags for shopping。

What kind of shopping bag is the best to bring？ Some students in Chongqing have a good idea。 They make their own shopping bags。 They use old clothes to make cloth bags， and send them to their parents as presents。 They also ask theft parents and friends to use cloth bags instead of plastic ones。 They think it is their duty to protect the environment。

1。 People in China have to _____ now。

A。 throw plastic bags here and there

B。 collect plastic bags in the street

C。 pay for using plastic bags at shops and supermarkets

D。 use free plastic bags at shops and supermarkets

2。 China made this rule because plastic bags were bad for the ______

A。 environment B。 litter C。 shops D。 supermarkets

3。 The Chinese people are encouraged to bring _____ for shopping。

A。 no bags B。 free plastic bags C。 their own bags D。 super-thin plastic bags

4。 Some students in Chongqing ______

A。 ask their parents to make cloth bags B。 make cloth bags themselves

C。 pick up plastic bags everywhere D。 buy cloth bags for their parents

5。 What’s the main idea of this article ？

A。 Making super-thin plastic bags has been banned in China。

B。 The bags have become a main cause of plastic pollution。

C。 Some students in Chongqing begin to make their own shopping bags。

D。 To protect the environment， free plastic bags have been banned in China。

（閱讀28）

I am my mother’s third child。 When I was born， her doctor gently explained to her that my left arm was missing， below the elbow。 Then he gave her some advice： “Don’t treat her any differently from the other girls。 Demand more。” And she did！

My mother had to work to support our family。 There were five girls in our family and we all had to help out。 Once when I was about

seven， I came out of the kitchen and said， “Mum， I can’t peel potatoes。 I only have one hand。”

“You get back to peel those potatoes， and don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again！”Of course I could peel potatoes—with my good hand， while holding them down with my other arm。 There was always a way， and Mom knew it。 “If you try hard enough，” she’d say， “you can do anything。”Once in the second grade， our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bars（單槓）。 When it was my turn， I shook my head。 Some kids laughed。 I went home crying。

After work the next afternoon， Mom took me back to the school playground。

“Now， pull up with your right arm，” she advised。 She stood by as I practiced， and she praised me when I made progress。

I’ll never forget the praised time when I was crossing the bars。 The kids were standing there with their mouths open。

It was the way with everything。 When I fear I can’t deal with things， I see Mom’s smile again。 She had the heart to face anything。 And she taught me I could， too。

1。Which of the following about the writer is TRUE？

A。 Her mother took better care of her than of her sister。

B。 She was born without the left hand。

C。 She had five sisters in her family。

D。 She never wrote at school。

2。From this reading， we know that_______

A。 the writer’s mother was a housewife at home

B。 the writer had to race across the monkey bars once a year at school

C。 the writer’s mother was asked to school to teach her to race across the monkey bars

D。 the writer had a strict but patient mother

3。The sentence “The kids were standing there with their mouths open。” shows that_______。

A。 the kids were hungry B。 there was something wrong with their mouths。

C。 the kids felt very surprised。 D。 the kids wanted to open their mouths to say “Ah…”

4。The writer’s mum asked her to peel potatoes because_______。

A。 her mum was too busy cooking and had no time to do it herself

B。 her mum wanted to teach her a lesson because she had told a lie。

C。 her mum was teaching her to learn to solve problems in her own way

D。 her sisters couldn’t help her mum do the housework

5。This reading mainly tells us_______。

A。 the writer had a hard childhood

B。 how the writer learned to peel potatoes and cross the monkey bars。

C。 it is Mom’s encouragement that helped the writer learn and get over difficulties

D。 the writer had an able mot

her

（閱讀29）

Height is just one of the thousands of features your genes（基因）decide。 In fact， because you have two parents， your genes provide you a height that usually lands somewhere between the height of each parent。 If both your parents are tall， then most probably you will be tall， too， but if you have questions about how tall you’re going to be， ask your doctor if he or she can help you find it out。

But genes don’t decide everything。 For example， eating an unhealthy diet can keep you from growing to your full potential。 Getting plenty of sleep and enough exercise will help you grow to the expected height。

No doubt（懷疑）you’re wondering how fast you should grow。 It depends。 There’s no perfect or right answer。 Generally speaking， kids grow about 2 inches（6 centimeters） a year between age 3 and the time when they start puberty（when your body starts changing and becoming more grown up）。

Your doctor will know how your growth has been going over the years。 Six centimeters here and 2 inches there are not nearly as important as the height you’re at now， how you’ve been growing up to this point， and what other changes your body may be going through。

Don’t be scared if you seem to have grown a lot in a very short time。 Everyone has a growth spurt（高峰） during puberty。 The age for starting puberty is about 10 for girls and about 11 for boys。 But it can be earlier or later——between 7 and 13 for girls and 9and 15 for boys。

You’ll usually begin to notice that you’re growing faster about a year or so after your body starts to show the first changes of puberty。

1。 The Chinese for the word “puberty” is ________。

A 童年時期 B。 嬰幼兒時期

C。 習慣養成期 D。 青春期

2。 If you want to know how fast and how tall you should grow， _______。

A。 You should have enough exercise B。 You can ask doctors for help。

C。 You should protect the environment D。 You can record your growth during puberty

3。 This passage is mainly about ________。

A。 how the genes work in your body B。 when is the time you grow fast

C。 why you look like your parents D。 how you grow to a certain height

4。 After reading this passage， we can explain _______。

A。 how good it is to be a doctor B。 how much sleep time we need

C。 why genes can’t decide everything D。 what healthy diet is

5。 Which is NOT mentioned in the passage？

A。 Your height most probably depends on how high your parents are。

B。 Girls’ age for starting puberty is usually earlier than that for boys’。

C。 The time showing the first changes of puberty is never n

oticed。

D。 You may be scared sometimes when you grow too fast。

（閱讀30）

How could we tell time if there were no watches or clocks anywhere in the world？

The sun was probably the world’s first “clock”， except in the far north， where the Eskimos （愛斯基摩人） live。 There， it’s dark most of the winter， and light most of the summer。 But in most of the world， people have used the sun for a clock。Even today， if you don’t have a clock that shows time， you still know that when the sun shines， it’s day， and when it’s dark， it’s night。 The sun can not only tell you whether it’s day or night but also it’s morning， noon， or afternoon。 When the sun is almost directly overhead， it’s noon。

People who live near the sea from the tides。 In the daytime， for about six hours， the water rises higher and higher on the beach。 And then it about six hours。 The same thing happens again at night。 There are two high tidesand two low tides every 24 hours。

Seamen on a ship learn how to tell time by looking at the moon

and the stars。 The whole sky is their clock。

In some places in the world the wind comes up at about the same

time every day or changes direction or stops blowing。 In these places

the wind can be the clock。

A sand clock is an even better clock。 If you had fine dry sand in a

glass shaped like the one in the the sand will take another hour to go back

again。

1。 From the passage we can know there are _____ ways to tell time besides the clock and watch。

A。 3 B。 4 C。 5 D。 7

2。 The Eskimos in the far north can’t use the sun for a clock because ______。

A。 they know very little about the sun

B。 the sun there never goes down in winter

C。 it’s too cold for them to go out to watch the sun

D。 it has long dark winters and long light summers

3。 The underlined word “tide” in the passage means _______。

A。 洋流 B。 潮汐 C。 海嘯 D。 波浪

4。 In which page of the newspaper can you most probably read this passage？

A。 News。 B。 Science。 C。 Advertisement D。 Sports。

5。 What’s the best title for the passage？

A。 Different Ways to Tell Time B。 How the Clock Was Invented

C。 The Development of the Clock D。 A Useful Machine to Tell Time

（閱讀31）

Little Tommy was doing very badly in math。 His parents had tried everything—tutors （家庭教師）， cards， special learning centers—in short， everything they could think of。 Finally they took Tommy to a catholic （天主教的） school。

After the first day， little Tommy came home with a very serious look on his face。 He didn’t kiss his mother hello。 Instead， he went straight to his room and started studying。 Books and papers were spread （鋪開） out all over the room and little Tommy was hard at work。 His mother was surprised。 She called him down to dinner and as soon as he finished eating，he went back to his room， without a word。 In no time he was back hitting the books as hard as before。 This went on for some time， day after day while the mother tried to understand what was happening。

Finally， little Tommy brought home his report card。 He quietly put it on the table and went up to his room and hit the books。 His mom looked at it and to her surprise， little Tommy got an A in math。 She could no longer hold her curiosity （好奇心）。 She went to his room and asked， “Son， what was it？ Was it the nuns （修女）？”

Little Tommy looked at her and shook his head， “No。 ”

“Well then，” she asked again。 “WHAT was it？”

Little Tommy looked at her and said， “Well， on the first day of school， when I saw that man nailed （釘） to the plus sign （加號）， I knew they weren’t joking。 ”

1。 Why did Tommy’s parents send him to a catholic school？

A。 Because he could eat well there。

B。 Because he could earn more about nuns。

C。 Because his parents wanted him to do better in his math。

D。 Because his parents didn’t want him to learn math any more。

2。 Tommy’s mother felt surprised that his son _______。

A。 was still the same as usual B。 ate so much at dinner

C。 kissed her hello after school D。 worked hard but said little

3。 “Hitting the books” means “_______” in Chinese。

A。 用功 B。 捶書 C。 發洩 D。 振作

4。 The last sentence in the passage shows that _______。

A。 Tommy felt sorry for the mail B。 Tommy was afraid of being nailed

C。 Tommy didn’t like the plus sign D。 Tommy liked playing jokes on others

5。 From the passage， we can infer （推斷） that _______。

A。 teachers should be strict with their students

B。 mistaking （誤解） might do good sometimes

C。 a catholic school is much better than other ones

D。 nuns are good at helping children with their math

（閱讀32）

When my family moved to America from a small village in Guangdong， China， we brought not only our luggage， but also our village rules， customs and culture。 One of the rules is that young people should always respect（尊敬） elders。 Unluckily， this rule led to my very first embarrassment in the United States。

I had a part-time job as a waiter in a Chinese restaurant。 One time， when I was serving food to a middle-aged couple， the wife asked me how the food could be served so quickly。 I told her that I had made sure they got their food quickly because I always respect the elderly。 As soon as I said that， her face showed great displeasure。My manager，who happened to hear what I said， took me aside and gave me a long lecture about how sensitive（敏感） Americans are and how they dislike the description “old”。 I then walked back to the table and apologized to the wife。 After the couple heard my reason， they understood that the problem was caused by cultural differences， so they laughed and were no longer angry。

In my village in China， people are proud of being old。 Not so many people live to be seventy or eighty， and people who reach such an age have the most knowledge and experience。 Young people always respect older people because they know they can learn from their rich experience。

However， in the United States， people think “growing old” is a problem since “old” shows that a person is going to retire or that the body is not working well。 Here many people try to keep themselves away from growing old by doing exercises or jogging， and women put on makeup， hoping to look young。 When I told the couple in the restaurant that I respect the elderly， they got angry because this caused them to feel they had failed to stay young。 I had told them something they didn’t want to hear。

After that，I changed the way I had been with older people。It is not that I don’t respect them any more； I still respect them， but now I don’t show my feelings through words。

1。 Jack brought the couple their food very fast because _______。

A。 the manager asked him to do so B。 he respected the elderly

C。 the couple wanted him to do so D。 he wanted more pay

2。 When Jack called the couple “elderly”， they became _______。

A。 nervous B。 satisfied C。 unhappy D。 excited

3。 In Jack’s hometown， _______。

A。 people dislike being called “old” B。 people are proud of being old

C。 many people reach the age of seventy or eighty

D。 the elderly are the first to get food in restaurants

4。 After this experience， Jack _______。

A。 lost his job in the restaurant B。 made friends with the couple

C。 no longer respected the elderly D。 changed his way with older people

5。 Which of the following is TRUE？

A。 The more Jack explained， the angrier the couple got。

B。 Jack wanted to show his feelings through words after his experience。

C。 The manager went back to the table and apologized to the couple。

D。 From this experience， Jack learned more about American culture。

（閱讀33）

Linda Evans was my best friend—like the sister I never had。 We did everything together： piano lessons， movies， swimming， horseback riding。

When I was 13， my family moved away。 Linda and I kept in touch through letters， and we saw each other on special time—like my wedding （婚禮） and Linda’s。 Soon we were busy with children and moving to new homes， and we wrote less often。 One day a card that I sent came back， stamped “Address （地址） Unknown。 ” I had no idea how to find Linda。

Over the years， I missed Linda very much。 I wanted to share （分享） happiness of my children and then grandchildren。 And I needed to share my sadness when my brother and then mother died。There was an empty place in my heart that only a friend like Linda could fill。

One day I was reading a newspaper when I noticed a photo of a young woman wholooked very much like Linda and whose last name was Wagman— Linda’s married name。 “There must be thousands of Wagmans，” I thought， but J still wrote to her。

She called as soon as she got my letter。 “Mrs Tobin！” she said excitedly，“Linda Evans Wagman is my mother。 ”

Minutes later I heard a voice that I knew very much， even after 40 years， laughed and cried and caught up on each other’s lives。 Now the empty place in my heart is filled。 And there’s one thing that Linda and I know for sure： We won’t lose each other again！

1。 The writer went to piano lessons with Linda Evans _______。

A。 at the age of 13 B。 before she got married

C。 after they moved to new homes D。 before the writer’s family moved away

2。 They didn’t often write to each other because they _______。

A。 got married B。 had little time to do so

C。 didn’t like writing letters D。 could see each other on special time

3。 There was an empty place in the writer’s heart be­cause she _______。

A。 was in trouble B。 didn’t know Linda’s address

C。 received the card that she sent D。 didn’t have a friend like Linda to share her happiness or sadness

4。 The writer was happy when she _______。

A。 read the newspaper B。 heard Linda’s voice on the phone

C。 met a young woman who looked a lot like Linda

D。 wrote to the woman whose last name was Wagman

5。 They haven’t kept in touch _______。

A。 for about 40 years B。 for about 27 years

C。 since they got married D。 since the writer’s family moved away

（閱讀34）

A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a

Christmas present。 On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office， a street urchin（頑童） was walking around the shining car。 “Is this your car， sir？” he asked。

Paul answered， “Yes， my brother gave it to me for Christmas。”The boy was surprised。 “You mean your brother gave it to you and it did cost you nothing？ Sir， I wish…” He hesitated（猶豫）。 Paul thought of course he knew what the boy wanted， but what the boy said surprised him greatly。“I wish，”the boy went on，“that I could be a brother like that。”Paul looked at the boy in surprise， and then he said again，“Would you like to take a ride in my car？” “Oh yes， I’d love to，” the boy answered。

After a short ride， the boy turned and with his eyes shining， said， “Sir， would you mind driving in front of my house？”

Paul smiled a little。 He thought he knew what the boy wanted。 He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car。 But Paul was wrong again。 “Will you stop where those two steps are？” the boy asked。

He ran up to the steps。 Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back， but he was not coming fast。 He was carrying his little crippled（殘疾的） brother。 He sat down on the step and pointed to the car。

“There he is， Buddy， just like I told you upstairs。 His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn’t cost him a cent。And some day I’m going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I’ve been trying to tell you about。”

Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car。 The shining-eyed elder brother climbed in beside him and the three began an unforgettable holiday ride。

1。 The street urchin was very surprised when _______。

A。 he met Paul B。 Paul told him about the car

C。 Paul received an expensive car D。 he was walking around the car

2。 From the story we can see the urchin _______。

A。 wished to give his brother a car B。 wanted Paul’s brother to give him a car

C。 wished he could have a brother like Paul’s D。 wished Paul could be a brother like that

3。 The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ______。

A。 to show he had a rich friend B。 to show his neighbors the big car

C。 to let his brother ride in the car D。 to tell his brother about his wish

4。 We can find from the story that _______。

A。 the urchin wished Paul to give his car to Buddy

B。 the urchin wished to have a rich brother

C。 the urchin had a deep love for his brother

D。 the urchin’s wish came true in the end

5。 The best name of the story is _______。

A。 A Christmas Present B。 Paul， a Kind-hearted Person

C。 A Brother Like That D。 An Unforgettable Holiday Ride

（閱讀35）

Last Friday a storm swept through two villages in the New Territories， destroying （摧毀） fourteen homes。 Seven others were so badly damaged （破壞） that their owners had to

leave them， and fifteen others had broken windows or broken roofs。One person was killed， several were badly hurt and taken to hospital， and a number of other people received smaller hurt。 Altogether over two hundred people were homeless after the storm。

A farmer， Mr。 Tan， said that the storm began early in the morning and lasted for over an hour。

“I was eating with my wife and children，” he said， “When we heard a loud noise。 A few minutes later our house fell down on top of us。 We tried our best to climb out but then I saw that one of my children was missing。 I went back inside and found him， safe but very frightened。”

Mrs。 Woo Mei Fong said that her husband had just left for work when she felt that her house was moving。 She ran outside at once with her children。

“There was no time to take anything，” she said， “A few minutes later， the roof came down。”

Soldiers helped to take people out of the flooded （水淹的） area and the welfare department （福利機構） brought them food， clothes and shelter。

1。 How many homes altogether （總共） were damaged in the storm？

A。 Fourteen B。 Twenty-one C。 Twenty-nine D。 Thirty-six

2。 Where was Mr。 Tan when the storm first began？

A。 He was in bed。 B。 He was inside the house。 C。 He was outside the house。 D。 He was on the roof。

3。 Mrs。 Woo and her family didn’t get hurt because _________。

A。 her husband knew there would be a storm

B。 they were all outside the house when the storm became worse

C。 she felt the house was moving

D。 the welfare department helped her

4。 The underlined word “shelter” in this passage means ______。

A。 something to eat B。 something to wear C。 somewhere to study D。 somewhere to stay

5。 Which of he following may be the best title for this passage？

A。 A Terrible Storm B。 A Lucky Woman C。 Good Soldiers D。 Clever People

（閱讀36）

We know the mosquito very well。 Mosquitoes fly everywhere。 They can be found almost all over the world， and there are more than 2，500 kinds of them。

No one likes the mosquito。 But the mosquito may decide that she loves you。 She？ Yes， she。 It’s true that male mosquito doesn’t bite（咬） and only the female mosquito bitesbecause she needs blood to lay eggs。She is always looking for things or people she wants to bite。 If she likes what she finds， she bites。 But if she doesn’t like your blood， she will turn to someone else for more delicious blood。 Next time a mosquito bites you， just remember you are chosen。 You’re different from the others！

If the mosquito likes you， she lands on your body without letting you know。She bites you so quickly and quietly that you may not feel anything different。 After she bites， you will have an itch（癢） on your body because she puts something from her mouth together with your blood。 By the time the itching begins， and she has flown away。

And then what happens？ Well， after her delicious dinner， the mosquito feels tired。 She just wants to find a place to have a good rest。 There， on a leaf or a wall， she begins to lay eggs， hundreds of eggs。

1。 “Mosquito” means _______ in Chinese。

A。 蒼蠅 B。 蜻蜓 C。 跳蚤 D。 蚊子

2。 We know mosquitoes very well because ___________。

A。 they can be found easily B。 they fly here and there

C。 there are many kinds of them D。 they can fly

3。 If the mosquito doesn’t bite you， it will ________。

A。 get angry with you B。 be afraid of you

C。 make a lot of noise D。 choose another one

4。 The mosquito bites you _________。

A。 when you’re asleep B。 because you have chosen it

C。 too quickly to let you know D。 but she doesn’t like you

5。 Which of the following sentences is wrong？

A。 The itching begins after the mosquito bites you。

B。 You feel terrible when the mosquito bites you。

C。 Mosquitoes use blood to lay eggs。

D。 All the mosquitoes don’t like to bite people for blood。

（閱讀37）

Shlander is a man from space。 He thinks the people and things on the earth are very strange。 He is now writing a letter to his friend at home。 Here is part of his letter。 Read it and answer the questions。

Now I am in a strange world。 It is very nice。 There are many new things here。There are many earth monsters here， too。 The earth monsters look very funny。 They have just one head， two arms and two legs。 They have thin black strings on their heads。Some earth monsters have brown or yellow strings。 The earth monsters have a hole in their face。 Every day， they put nice things and balls from the trees into the hole。 They put water into the hole， too。 The earth monsters do not walk very fast。 They move from place to pace in tin boxes。

At night， the earth monsters like to look at a square window box。 This box has very small earth monsters in it。

1。 Shlander thinks the people and things on the earth are very ________。

A。 strange B。 nice C。 different D。 beautiful

2。 Shlander thinks man on the earth is ________。

A。 a monkey B。 a earth monster C。 a tin box D。 a strange world

3。 The earth monster doesn’t have ________。

A。 heads， arms and legs B。 brown or yellow strings on its head

C。 a hole on its face D。 a swing on its body

4。 The earth monsters don’t put ________ on their holes。

A。 nice things B。 balls C。 fire D。 water

5。 The square window box is ________。

A。 a car or a bus B。 a very small earth monster C。 a TV set D。 a radio

（閱讀38）

Alfred Nobel， the great Swedish inventor and industrialist， was born in Stockholm on October 21， 1833， but moved to Russia with his parents in 1842， where his father， Immanuel， made a strong position for himself in the engineering industry。

Immanuel Nobel invented landmine and made a lot of money from the government during the Crimean War， but went bankrupt soon after。 Then，the family returned to Swedenin 1859，where Alfred began his own study of explosives in his father’s lab。He had never been to schoolor university but had taught himself， and by the time he was twenty， he became a skillful chemist and excellent linguist， speaking Swedish， Russian， German， French and English。 He built up over 80 companies in 20 different countries。 He was always searching for a meaning to life。 He spent much time and money working on how to end the wars， and the peace between nations， until his death in Italy in 1896。 His famous last will， in which he left money to provide prizes for outstanding work in physics， chemistry， physiology， medicine， literature and peace， is a memorial to his interests and ideas。And so， the man is remembered and respected long after his death。

1。 Where was Alfred Nobel born？ He was born in ________。

A。 Sweden B。 Stockholm C。 Russia D。 Moscow

2。 What did Immanuel Nobel invented during the Crimean War？

A。 The engineering industry。 B。 A strong position。

C。 Landmine。 D。 Study of explosives。

3。 Why did Alfred Nobel return to Sweden ？ Because his father ________。

A。 went bankrupt B。 was put in prison C。 was ill D。 died

4。 How many companies did Alfred Nobel build up？ He built up ________ companies in different countries。

A。 20 B。 40 C。 60 D。 80

5。 What was Alfred Nobel always searing for？ ________。

A。 More time and more money B。 A meaning to life

C。 How to end the war D。 The peace between nations

（閱讀39）

This is a song millions of Americans will hear this New Year’s Eve。It is called Auld Lang Syne （《友誼地久天長》）。 It is the traditional music played during the New Year’s celebration。 Auld Lang Syne is an old Scottish poem。 It tells about the need to remember old friends。

The words “auld lang syne” mean “old long since”。 No one knows who wrote the poem first。 However， a version by Scottish poet Robert Bums was published （出版） in 1796。 The words and music we know today first appeared in a songbook three years later。

The song is played in the United States mainly on New Year’s Eve。 The version（譯文）you are hearing today is by the Washington Saxophone Quartet。 As we end our program with Auld Lang Syne。 I would like to wish all of our radio friends a very Happy New Year！ This is Buddy Thomas。 （from www。zkenglish。com）

1。 Where is this passage from？

A。 A newspaper。 B。 A magazine。 C。 A TV program。 D。 A radio program。

2。 Who is introducing Auld Lang Syne to us？

A。 Robert Bums。 B。 The Washington Saxophone Quartet。

C。 Buddy Thomas。 D。 The passage doesn’t tell us。

3。 When is Auld Lang Syne mainly played in the USA according to the passage？

A。 On New Year’s Eve。 B。 On Christmas Eve。 C。 On weekends。 D。 On holidays。

4。 When did the words and music of Auld Lang Syne we know today first appear？

A。 In 1790。 B。 In 1793。 C。 In 1796。 D。 In 1799。

5。 What’s Auld Lang Syne about？

A。 It’s about the history of Scotland。 B。 It’s about an old Scottish poet。

C。 It’s about the need to remember old friends。 D。 It’s about the wishes to the radio friends。

（閱讀40）

“Cool” is a word with many meanings。 Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold。 As the world has changed， the word has had many different meanings。 “Cool” can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything。

When you see a famous car in the street， maybe you will say， “It’s cool。” You may think， “He’s so cool，”when you see your favourite footballer。 We all maximize （擴大） the meaning of “cool”。You can use it instead of many words such as “new”or“surprising”。 Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used。 A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall （瀑布） they had visited。 On one student’s paper was just the one sentence， “It’s so cool。” Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt。

But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏） of words。 Without “cool”，some people have no words to show the same meaning。 So it is quite important to keep some credibility（可信性）。 Can you think of many other words that make your life as colourful as the word “cool”？ I can。 And I think they are also very cool。

1。 We know that the word “cool” has had ______。

A。 only one meaning B。 no meanings

C。 many different meanings D。 the same meaning

2。 In the passage， the word “express” means “______。”

A。 see B。 show C。 know D。 feel

3。 If you are ______ something， you may say， “It’s cool。”

A。 interested in B。 angry about C。 afraid of D。 unhappy with

4。 The writer takes an example to show he is ______ the way the word is used。

A。 pleased with B。 strange to C。 worried about D。 careful with

5。 In the passage， the writer suggests（暗示） that the word “cool” ______。

A。 can be used instead of many words B。 usually means something interesting

C。 can make your life colourful D。 may not be as cool as it seems