初中英语阅读14
初中英语阅读14A.True or False
Mike enjoyed going fishing and decided that he needed a new boat. A friend named Peter said that he knew of a boat for sale at a place called White Bay. Mike telephoned and asked why it was for sale. The woman who was selling the boat explained that it had been her husband’s. His name was Wayne and he used to go fishing a lot at night. One morning, however, another fisherman had found Wayne’s boat empty out at sea. Wayne wasn’t in the boat and people thought that he had drowned(淹死). The woman said that her husband’s body had never been found. Now she hated the boat and wanted to sell it quickly.
It was a good fishing boat but Mike bought it very cheaply. He moved the boat 100 kilometres or so to a harbour near where he lived. One Friday Mike and Peter were out in the boat a long way from the coast. It suddenly became very cloudy and the air was white, so they couldn’t see anything around them. Mike told Peter to turn off the engine and wait for the weather to get better. He said that as they were a long way from land, it was much safer to wait. The men waited but the weather didn’t improve. In fact, it got worse. At ten o’clock Mike told Peter to start the engine of the boat, but it wouldn’t start. Mike tried to use the radio, but it was broken. Then the lights went out. They were in the dark in a broken-down boat a long way out to sea.
At around 12 a.m. they decided to go to sleep. The next thing Mike knew it was morning and he could hear something noisy. Was it another boat? He opened his eyes and looked out. The noise wasn’t a boat, it was a car. Their boat was in a harbour, but not Mike’s harbour. The boat was back in White Bay where Mike had bought it. Maybe only one person could have brought the boat there safely. That was Wayne, and he was dead.
1. Mike wanted to buy a new boat because he liked fishing.
2. Wayne wasn’t in the boat when his boat was found at sea.
3. Wayne’s wife hated her husband and wanted to sell the boat quickly.
4. Mike bought the good fishing boat in a very low price.
5. They turned off the engine and waited when they met a heavy rain.
6. At ten o’clock they could use the radio to ask somebody for help.
7. Mike found their boat was back in White Bay the next morning.
B.Choose the right answer
Lill was a French girl who moved to America with her family. She dropped out of school at the age of 16. She had to work to support(供养、养活)the family. Her English was very poor. She didn’t have the confidence(自信)to knock on the door of a company to ask for a job.
One day, Lill saw a sign at a company. “Help wanted,” the sign said. She walked up to the office and knocked on the door. She was met by the office manager, Margaret Costello. In her broken English, Lill told her she was interested in the secretarial position(秘书职位), and said that she was 19. Margaret knew something wasn’t right, but decided to give the girl a chance.
Margaret sat her down at a typewriter and said, “Lill, let’s see how good you really are.” She let Lill type a single letter, and then left. Lill looked at the clock and saw that it was 11: 40 a.m. Everyone would leave for lunch at noon. She thought that she could slip away(溜走)in the crowd then. But she thought she should at least try the letter.
On her first try, she got through one line. It had five words, and she made four mistakes. She pulled the paper out and threw it away. The clock now showed 11: 45.
On her second try, Lill got through a full paragraph, but still made many mistakes. Again she pulled out the paper, threw it out and started over. This time she completed the letter, but there were still many mistakes. She looked at the clock: 11:55.
Just then, Margaret walked in. She read the letter and then said, “Lill, you did a good job.” Lill was surprised. With those simple words of encouragement(鼓励), her confidence began to grow. She thought, “Well, if she thinks it’s good, then it must be good. I think I’ll stay!”
Lill did stay at the company for 51 years, and through two world wars – all because someone gave a shy and
uncertain young girl the gift of self-confidence when she knocked on the door.
1. Lill dropped out of school at the age of 16. Here “dropped out of school” means ________.
A) left school in such a hurry B) left school without finishing studies
C) ran out of school so quickly D) came out of school with confidence
2. Lill walked up to the office in order to ________ one day.
A) find a sign at a company B) choose an office manager C) ask for a job D) look for a secretary
3. Margaret Costello ________.
A) let Lill type a single letter B) asked Lill to slip away in the crowd
C) let Lill leave for lunch D) asked Lill to look at the clock
4. Lill pulled the paper out and threw it away ________.
A) after the letter was finished B) when the clock showed 11:45
C) after Margaret came back D) when she looked at the clock: 11:55
5. Lill’s confidence began to grow ________.
A) because someone gave her the letter B) because of the sign at the company
C) because she stayed at the company for 51 years D) because of the simple words of encouragement
6. Which of the following is Not True?
A) Lill didn’t slip away, she tried to type the letter well. B) When Lill completed the letter, there were many mistakes.
C) Lill did a good job as soon as she met by the office manager.
D) The manager knew Lill wasn’t good at English, but she still gave her a chance.
7. Which is the best title for this passage?
A) Type a single letter for a company B) Find a good job of secretary
C) Open the door of confidence D) Believe the girl of honesty
C.Answer the question
Many young people want to become famous. They want to be a film star, or work on a popular musical show(音乐剧). In our dreams, these things happen easily. But what is life like for the young people who really realize their dreams?
In 2005 a new musical, Billy Elliot, opened in England. It was a great success. It told the story of a poor boy, called Billy Elliot, who lived in Scotland. He wanted to be a ballet dancer. Billy is 13 at the beginning of the story, and 17 at the end. So the show has two actors playing Billy at different ages. Three different boys take turns(轮流)at being Billy. The boys can’t work every night because of English laws about how long young people can work. The boys who play Billy beat hundreds of other boys to get the part. They have to be able to sing really well. They do not have to be able to dance, but they have to work very hard to learn! Billy Elliot has changed their lives. The boys who play Billy live in London, near the theatre, for four weeks. So they miss their family and friends. In England you have to go to school until you are 16 years old. So the boys have lessons during the day and then work in the evening. The boys spend most of their weekends practicing their singing and dancing. Every evening, one of the boys is working on the show while another boy spends all evening sitting in the theatre. So, if the boy who is acting that night hurts himself, the other boy can take over and the show doesn’t stop.
When they knew the show was a big success, the producers needed more boys. The boys already working on the show were getting older--their voices could change! So the producers looked at hundreds of boys and chose 15 to train. Many of these boys came to London and trained for a whole year before the producers decided if they wanted them. Imagine how hard that must be! Becoming a star isn’t easy. Not like in your dreams!
1. How was a new musical, Billy Elliot?
It _________________________________________________________________
2. The musical is about a poor boy named Billy Elliot, who lived in Scotland, isn’t it?
__________, _______________________________________________________
3. Why can’t the boys work every night?
They can’t work every night __________________________________________
4. What do the boys do during the day and in the evening?
They _____________________________________________________________
5. How long do the boys spend practicing their singing and dancing?
They_____________________________________________________________
6. How many boys did the producers look at and how many of them were chosen to train?
They_____________________________________________________________
7. What do you think of becoming a star?
_________________________________________________________________
D. Choose the words or expressions and complete the passage
From: [email protected]
To: tands@message. com
Subject: Remember me?
Date: June 18
Hi Sarah and Tom!
Do you remember me? I’m Judith. I used to live in number fifteen Dortling Street, just 1 the corner from you. Just before I left, you gave me your e-mail address but I haven’t mailed you before now. When I first left, I went to live with my mother because she was very ill and needed 2 to look after her. She has a sleeping disorder and if she gets up at night, she 3 forgets where she is. It was very difficult to look after her. She often had to go to the doctor. My sister is looking after her now.
I was very fortunate to get a job in London, and that’s where I’m living now. It’s very interesting 4 it has been very cold this winter. I have a job in an insurance(保险) company, working at the help desk. The people have been very friendly to me and helped me to feel at home here.
Of course I have visited all main tourist 5 like Westminster Abbey, London Bridge and Buckingham Palace. It’s wonderful to see all the places that we 6 to read about and see on television. I’ve also been to
Paris, which is not far away, and seen all the beautiful places like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. It’s very 7 to have a cup of coffee in a café in Paris. You have to pay just to sit down.
That’s enough about me. What are you doing? Are you still working at the same places? Are you still living in the same house?
I plan to come back for a vacation next month and hope that I can see you then. Please e-mail me and let me know if that is all right with you.
Love,
Judith
1. A) in B) of C) around D) under
2. A) nobody B) somebody C) anybody D) everybody
3. A) finally B) mainly C) never D) sometimes
4. A) although B) because C) unless D) when
5. A) museums B) environments C) attractions D) exhibitions
6. A) encouraged B) helped C) tried D) used
7. A) confident B) expensive C) thankful D) beautiful
E. Read the passage and fill in the blanks with proper words
Uncle Henry and Aunt May went on holidays to Alaska. Mom, Dad and I went to visit them when they got back, and they showed us the video they made there. This is my review.
The video tells the story of how they left home and f 1 to the west coast. The video shows us lots of clouds that can see out of the window of the plane. When they got to the coast, they traveled by train to a place
where they could get on a big ship. They didn’t know the name of the place. It wasn’t mentioned(提到)o 2 the video. Uncle Henry and Aunt May couldn’t remember it when I asked them.
When they got on the big ship, they sailed up the coast of Canada to Alaska. The video has many pictures of Aunt May with ice and snow, Aunt May with water, Aunt May at the front of the ship, and Aunt May with other people. We didn’t know any of the people, but we had to hear their life s 3 . Aunt May insisted on pausing(暂停)the video and telling us.
The most e 4 part was when they came close to a river that turned into a kind of waterfall into the sea. They came up r 5 close and one of the tour operators leaned over the front of the ship and tried to catch some of the water in a cup. We all wanted to know
whether she would fall into the ocean b 6 she got the water. She didn’t. Other surprising parts were when they saw a seal(海豹) sleeping on an iceberg, and when Aunt May tripped over a piece of rope and a 7 fell over. Uncle Henry kept saying, “Are you all right, dear?”
I think this is an interesting video and I like it very much.