外研版 英语初三阅读.doc

Reading Test
Name:_________ Grade:___________

Saturday，5th June
Dear Estelle，
I hope you're well and not working too hard! I've been preparing for my exams now for the last two weeks．That's why I haven't written for such a long time．
Since the beginning of this year we've been doing a project called “World Class”．Have you heard of it? Not everyone in the class could take part，but luckily I could．The school chose a “twin school” in a different area of the world．Our head teacher chose a school in Uganda, a country in Africa．They gave us someone to write to from that school．For three months，I've written to a girl called Louisa，who is the same age as me．
It's been so interesting to hear about her life．She's told me all about her school and described her daily life．I can't believe that her school doesn't have any electricity．She goes to school from eight o'clock in the morning until six o'clock in the evening．I can't believe how lucky we are here!
I love it because it's the first time I've thought about what life must be like somewhere else．I can't believe people miss classes here when everything is so easy for us．I think more people should help out with projects like this．At the weekend we're going to have a sports day to help raise money to send to the school．Perhaps one day I'll be able to go to Uganda and meet Louisa myself — who knows?
Lots of love，
Suzanne

50．Suzanne hasn't written to Estelle for long because she is _______．
A．writing to a girl B．preparing for her exams
C．busy doing a project D．choosing a “twin school”
51．Suzanne felt _______ to take part in the Project “World Class”．
A．strange B．surprised C．thankful D．lucky
52．Suzanne and her classmates will ________________ to help their twin school this weekend.
A．write letters B．send clothes C．raise money D．go to Africa

Charlie was about to climb into bed when he found there was a light on in his garden shed (工棚). Then he noticed some people who were busy stealing (偷) his things.
He called the police right away. The policeman asked: “Are there any thieves (小偷)in your house?”
Charlie replied “no” and explained what was happening.
The police said: “All patrol cars (巡逻车) have gone out, and a policeman will go to your house when one is free.”
Charlie hung up, waited 30 seconds, and then called the police again.
“Hello, I just called a short while ago because there were people stealing things from my shed. I want to let you know that they’re not a problem anymore because I’ve just shot every one of them.”
Charlie then hung up the phone. In five minutes, three patrol cars, dozens of policeman and an ambulance arrived at his house. Of course, the police caught the thieves.
One policeman said: “I thought you said that you shot every one of them!”
Charlie replied: “I thought you said there were no patrol cars free!”

50.What did Charlie notice before he climbed into bed?
A. A police car. B. Some policemen.
C. Some thieves. D. Some boys.
51. How many patrol cars came to Charlie’s house in the end?
A. Three. B. Five. C. Dozens of cars. D. No cars.
52. What happened to the thieves at last?
A. They were shot dead. B. They were caught.
C. They ran away. D. They looked shocked.

“Will you give my kite a lift?” asked my nephew to his sister. Lucy took it up and threw it into the air, but her brother didn’t pay attention and ran off, so the kite fell down. “Try again, children,” I said.
Lucy once more took up the kite. But John ran off so suddenly that the kite flew out of her hand and it fell flat as before. “Try again,” said I.
They did, and with more care, but a side wind came suddenly. As Lucy let go the kite, it was blown against some bushes and the tail was caught. Meanwhile, I went to the kite’s assistance and set the tail free from the bushes. I told them to find a more open area and then try again.
We found an open area. I threw the kite up as John ran off. It rose up and promised a high flight. But John was so pleased that he stopped short to look upward. The string became loose. The kite shook and came down to the ground. “I won’t try anymore. The kite won’t fly. ” said he angrily. I replied, “A few disappointments are not supposed to discourage us. And now try again.”
And he tried and succeeded, for the kite was carried upward on the breeze as lightly as a feather. After enjoying the sight as long as he excited, John began to roll up the string slowly. “Shall we come out tomorrow and try again.”
I smiled, “Yes, dear children. I wish to teach you the value of keeping trying. Whenever you fail, remember – TRY AGAIN!”

50. How many times did they fly the kite?
A. Five. B. Four. C. Three. D. Six.
51. How did John feel when he finally flew the kite up?
A. Angry. B. Hopeful. C. Excited. D. Worried
52. The writer wants to tell us ___________.
A. the ways of flying kites B. the pleasure of flying kites
C. the cost of making mistakes D. the importance of keeping trying

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. While he was building roads and house in the soft sand, he discovered a large stone in the middle of the sandbox.
Determined, the little boy pushed and pulled, but every time he thought he had made some progress, the stone tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy tried his best, but his only reward(回报) was to have the stone roll back, hitting his fingers.
Finally the boy cried. All that time the boy’s father watched him from his living room window. At the moment tears fell, his father came to the boy and the sandbox. Gently but surely he said,“Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had? ”Sadly the boy cried back, “But I did, Daddy, I did! I use all the strength（力量） that I had!” “No, son,” corrected the father kindly. “You didn’t use all the strength you had. You didn’t ask me.” With that the father reached down, picked up the stone and removed it from the sandbox.
Do you have “stones” in your life that need to be removed? Are you discovering that you aren’t strong enough to lift them? There is ONE who is always ready to give us the strength we need. Isn’t it funny how we try so hard to do things ourselves?

50. Who removed the stone?
A. The little boy. B. The boy’s father. C. Both the boy and his father. D. Someone who passed by.
51.The underline word “stones” in the passage means ___in life.
A. happiness B. work C. difficulties D. sadness
52. The author wants to tell us that_____.
A. we can’t do anything by ourselves B. we should learn to ask for help sometimes
C. we shouldn’t try our best to solve problems D. we should keep doing everything and never give up

　　It is reported that many middle school students are just not getting enough sleep, especially during the school week. The problems seem to get worse as they get older. Year 7 students sleep 8.4 hours on a school night, and year 9 students only 6.9 hours.
　　It is also reported that not getting enough sleep can cause problems in a student’s life. Many students fall asleep in school or while doing their homework, so it is not surprising that they get lower grades than those who get enough sleep. Scientists suggest nine hours a night for middle school students.
Of the students who feel unhappy and nervous, 73% don’t get enough sleep at night.
Why aren’t students getting enough sleep? Many students have one of the following things, like telephone, television, or computer, in their bedrooms, using them on a school night not only takes their time away from homework, but also makes it difficult for them to fall asleep. As a result, many students can’t fall asleep before 11p.m., yet they must get up early to go to school.
Scientists also suggest students should not do exciting activities for an hour before bedtime.

51. According to the report, who might get the most sleep?
　 A. Year 7 students. B. Year 8 students C. Year 9 students. D. Year 10 students.
52. How many hours of sleep do middle students need each night?
　 A .7 hours. B. 8 hours. C. 9 hours. D. 10 hours.
53. Not getting enough sleep can cause the following problems except __________.
　 A. falling asleep in class B. getting lower grade C. getting fatter and fatter D. falling asleep while doing homework

How much do you know about animals in danger? Read the short passages below.
10 million reptiles are killed every year. Their skin is used to make fashion items, like handbags and shoes.

The main reason whales are in danger is that man kills them for their meat and oils.
Orangutans live in rainforests. They want to live in peace, but people are cutting down the trees for wood and farming. This is a big problem because the trees are the orangutan’s homes. They are very difficult to find and study because they are shy animals. They are also our cousins!
There isn’t enough bamboo for pandas to eat because man has cut down nearly half the bamboo forests. Research has shown that there are only about 600 giant pandas left in the wild in the world. Most of them live in China.
Some people steal the turtle’s eggs to eat. The skin of the turtle is used to make some jewellery.
In the Far East, rhinoceros’ horns are used to make medicines. They are also used to make ornaments.
So what can you do to help protect them?
Try not to buy jewellery made from animals.
Try to keep the earth clean and free from pollution.
Tell other people about what you’ve learned.

50. Reptiles’ skin is used to make __________.
A. fashion items B. oils C. some jewellery D. ornaments
51. There are fewer homes for orangutans because _________________.
A. their eggs are stolen B. their horns are cut
C. trees in rain forests are cut down D. half the bamboo forests have been cut down
52. “________________” doesn’t belong to protecting animals.
A. Keeping the earth clean B. Eating wild animal meat
C. Stopping pollution D. Telling others not to kill animals

Now students’ English handwriting gets worse and worse. That makes their teachers feel worried. Is your English handwriting beautiful? If not, here are four steps that really work!
Use paper with lines
Using paper with lines can keep you writing straight instead of up or down when you write English words or sentences. Those lines on the paper can help you to write words in the right size. Be sure to fill the lined space completely. And make sure those capital letters are written properly.
Slow down
If your writing is hard to read, try slowing down a little. For some kids, going slower makes the handwriting clear. If you write too fast , it’s hard for you to stop where you should, and even worse, you may make more mistakes .
Hold your pencil right
When you hold your pencil the correct way, writing is much easier. Some kids press down really hard when they write. That makes the handwriting not nice. Try to be relaxed and don’t hold the pencil so hard. Let your writing appear nice and clean. If you do so, people will guess you are a student with a good habit.
Draw more pictures
Drawing can improve your handwriting. You need to use the skills to control your pencil better when you are drawing pictures. Even though you have no chance to draw at school, you can practice by yourself at home.
Handwriting is very important. Imagine you are a world-famous movie star or a well-known sports player, what do you do when your fan run up to you? Give them your autographs, of course!

50. How many pieces of good advice does the passage give us?
A. Only one. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six
51. What does the underlined word “ autographs ”mean?
A. 画册 B. 写真集 C. 书法作品 D. 亲笔签名
52. What can be the best title for this article?
A. Using Paper in Line B. Good Handwriting Needs a Good Pencil
C. No Handwriting without Drawing D. Making Your English Handwriting Perfect

A new museum about laziness has opened in Colombia’s capital, Bogota. But, you have to hurry if you want to find out about being lazy because the show lasts for only one week.
The unusual show has displays (展品) that include things, such as sofas, beds, and anything that lets you take the weight off your feet. There are also plenty of televisions for visitors to watch while they walk around in the museum.
The museum opened soon after the holiday season. The idea is for people to think about laziness, and perhaps change their behavior and lifestyle throughout the rest of the year.
The museum’s keeper, Marcela Arrieta, said she wanted people to have a rethink about laziness and decide whether it really is a bad thing. She added, “We always think about laziness as an enemy of work.” Ms. Arrieta may not be pushing for a shorter working week, but she could have a point in that we might require more free time than our jobs allow us. Avoiding the pressure (压力) of work and relaxing more may make us healthier and live longer.
Try out her advice for yourself; take the weight off your feet, put your feet up, and think about being lazy.

50. Visitors can ______ in the Museum of Laziness.
A. repair sofas B. watch TV C. buy beds D. get a job
51. What does the underlined part mean in Paragraph 2?
A. Relax yourself. B. Become excited. C. Lose weight. D. Take off your shoes.
52. The museum’s keeper thinks that ______.
A. museums are good places to visit B. work is a big enemy of life
C. people should rethink about laziness D. the unusual show is very successful

Our three-year-old daughter Becky wanted a dog. But we were too busy to buy one. One day, Becky ran in, shouting, “Mom! Come to see my dog!” Her face was red with excitement.
I followed her to the bush and found a wolf! He was hurt. Seeing me, he stood up suddenly! I could see his teeth! God! My mouth felt dry. “Don’t be afraid. That’s Mom. She loves you, too,” Becky said. Then he became friendly. It was unbelievable!
I rushed to find my husband and told him about the wolf. We should have killed the wolf, but Becky loved him. Besides, he was gentle to Becky. So we called the vet finally.
Becky named the wolf Ralph and she carried food to him every day. Later, Ralph got well. They played together in the daytime. At night, Ralph would return to the mountains. Sometimes he disappeared but came back several days later.
On Becky’s first day of school, we could see Ralph’s sadness. After the school bus left, Ralph lay by the side of the road and waited. When Becky returned, he got happy again. This continued throughout Becky’s school years.