初中趣味英语阅读

Passage 9

A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.

“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.

“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what's t he matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”

The vet looked over the cow. "She’s certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."

He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better."

“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.

The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ll make it."

The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.

“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.

“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”

“Oh?” the vet said, "Why?"

“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”

“And?” the vet asked.

“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.

1. In the story, the vet must be _________.

A. the farmer's friend

B. a milk factory

C. a hospital for cows

D. a doctor for animals

2.The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______

A. couldn't lie down

B. didn't eat the pills

C. couldn't make any noise

D. was ill

3.What medicine did the vet give the farmer?

A. Bottle of pills.

B. A long tube.

C. Two pills.

D. A small box.

4.The vet taught the farmer how _________.

A. to blow the tube

B. to make the cow take the pills

C. to take the medicine

D. to put the tube in his mouth

5.Which of the following is true?

A. The farmer ate the pills himself.

B. The cow got better after taking the medicine.

C. The vet came to help the farmer change the cow the next day.

D. The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day. Passage 9答案:1-5 DDCBA

Passage 10

Several years ago, a television reporter was talking to three of the most

important people in America. One was a very rich banker, another owned one of the largest companies in the world, and the third owned many buildings in the center of New York.

The reporter was talking to them about being important.

“How do we know if someone is really important?” the reporter asked the banker.

The banker thought for a few moments and then said, “I think anybody who is invited to the White House to meet the President of the United States is really important.”

The reporter then turned to the owner of the very large company. “Do you agree with that?” she asked.

The man shook his head, “No. I think the President invites a lot of people to the White Ho use. You’d only be important if while you were visiting the President, there was a telephone call from the president of another country, and the President of the US said he was too busy to answer it.”

The reporter turned to the third man. “Do you think so?”

“No, I don’t.” he said. “I don’t think that makes the visitor important. That makes the President important.”

“Then what would make the visitor important?” the reporter and the other two men asked.

“Oh, I think if the visitor to the White House was talking to the

President and the phone rang, and the President picked up the receiver, listened and then said, ‘it’s for you.’”

1.This story happened in _______.

A. England

B. America

C. Japan

D. Australia

2.There are _______ in this passage.

A. two men and two women

B. three men and one woman

C. three women and one man

D. four women

3.The banker thought _______.

A. he was really important because he was a rich banker

B. the visitor to the White House was really important

C. the visitor who met the President of the United States in the White

House was really important.

D. the reporter was really important

4.The owner of the very large company thought _______.

A. she was really important because she owned one of the largest companies

B. the banker was really important.

C. the owner of many buildings in the center of New York was really important

D. the visitor would be really important if while he was visiting the President, the President would not answer any telephone call

5.The owner of many buildings thought _______.

A. he was really important because he owned many buildings in the

center of New York

B. the owner of the very large company was really important

C. the visitor was really important if he talking to the President and the

President received a telephone call for the visitor

D. the person who worked in the White House was really important Passage 10答案:1-5 BBCDC

Passage 11

Henry was an office worker in a big city. He worked very hard and enjoyed traveling in his holidays. He usually went to the seaside, but one year he saw an advertisement in a newspaper. “Enjoy country life. Spend a few weeks at West Hill Farm. Good food. Fresh air. Horse riding. Walking. Fishing. Cheap and interesting.”

“This sounds a good idea,” he thought. “I’ll spend a month at West Hill Farm. I think I can enjoy horse riding, walking and fishing. They’ll make a change from sittin g by the seaside and swimming.” He wrote to the farmer. In the letter he said that he would like to spend all of July there.

Then on the first of July, he left for West Hill Farm.

But four days later, he returned home.

“What was wrong with West Hill Farm?” his best friend, Ed, asked him. “Didn’t you enjoy country life?”

“Country life was very good,” Henry said. “But there was another problem.”

“Oh. What?”

“Well,” he said, “the first day I was there a sheep died, and we had roast mutton for dinner.”

“What's wrong with that?” Ed asked. “Fresh meat is the best.”

“I know, but on the second day a cow died, and we had roast beef for dinner.”

“Lucky you!”

“You don't understand,” Henry said. “On the third day a pig died and we had roast pork for dinner.”

“A different meat every day,” Ed said loudly, “ and you are complaining!”

“Let me finish,” Henry said. “On the fourth day the farmer died, and I didn't dare (敢) stay for dinner!”

1.How did Henry find out about the farm?

A. He saw it in a newspaper advertisement.

B. His best friend told him.

C. He wrote to the farmer.

D. Maybe he learned it from the radio.

2. Henry came back home several days later because ________.

A. he didn't like the country life at all

B. the farmer wasn’t friendly to him

C. his holiday was over

D. he thought he might have to eat the farmer

3. “…and you are complaining!”, the word “complain” means

______.

A.夸奖

B.解释

C.抱怨

D.故弄玄虚

4.Which of the following sentences is true?

A. Ed could eat a different kind of meat every day.

B. Henry thought he could enjoy a change.

C. Henry couldn't think of anything else to do, so he went to the farm.

D. The farmer died because of the bad meat he ate.

5.Which is the best title for the passage?

A. What a beautiful farm!

B. Have a good time.

C.A short holiday

D. Henry and the farmer.

Passage 11答案:1-5 A DCBC

Passage 12

Ellen Parker was worried about her health. She could not walk very quickly and it was difficult for her to climb stairs. She was soon out of breath (气喘吁吁).

“I suppose I had better go to the doctor,”she thought.

She went to the doctor and told him her problem.

“I’m not surpr ised at all,”he said. “It’s obvious what your problem is.”

He looked her over then gave her some advice.

“If you don’t do what I say, Mrs. Parker,”he said, “you will have a heart att ack. It could kill you.”

Ellen Parker was very worried as she left the d octor’s. She knew that she had to take his advice but that it would not be easy and it would take time. The next day she went shopping. The first shop she went into was a butcher’s shop (肉铺).

“I’d like ten pounds of steak (牛排), please,”she said.

“Certainly, madam,”the butcher replied and went into the cold room and found a large piece of steak. He brought the huge piece of meat back into the shop and put it on the scale (秤).

“That’s just under ten pounds,”he said.

“That big enough,”Mrs. Parker said.

The butcher worked out the price.

“At $ 4.99 a pound that will be $49.50, please. Would you like me to cut it up into smaller pieces for you?”

“Oh, I don’t want to buy the meat,”Mrs. Parker said.

“If you don’t want to buy it,”the butcher replied angrily, “why did you ask me to get it for you?”

“My doctor told me that I am over-weight and I have to lose ten pounds.

I wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.”

1. Why did Ellen Parker visit the doctor?

A. She had had a heart attack.

B. She had a problem with her health.

C. She was unhappy about her weight.

D. She could not sleep well.

2. What did the doctor advise her to do?

A. To lose weight.

B. To eat more meat.

C. To come and see him again.

D. To look after her heart.

3. Why did Ellen Parker ask for ten pounds of steak?

A. She wanted to buy some for dinner.

B. She wanted to lose weight.

C. Her doctor had told her to eat steak.

D. She wanted to see what ten pounds of meat looked like.

4. What was Ellen Parker's real problem?

A. She ate too much steak.

B. She weighed too much.

C. The doctor did not know.

D. She could not walk very quickly.

5. What did the doctor think might happen to Ellen?

A. She might put on more weight.

B. She might stop eating too much.

C. She might have a heart attack.

D. She might go to another doctor.

Passage 12答案:1-5 BADBC

Passage 5 Shave Me First

A barber was in his shop, busily cutting a man's hair,

when a handsome young stranger came in. He had a small

boy with him. They sat down together and waited until the

barber had finished. Then the young man told the barber to

shave him and to cut the small boy's hair.

The barber said,“Do you want me to cut the boy's hair first, or to shave you?”

“Oh, shave me.”said the young man.“Then I'll go down the road and have a glass of wine while you're cutting the boy's hair.”

The young man sat down in the barber's chair, and the barber began to shave him.

When he had finished, the young man got up and said,“I'll go down the road now and have my wine while you're cutting the boy's hair.”

“All right, but I won't take long.”the barber warned him. The young man went out, the small boy obediently sat down in the barber's chair,and the barber began to cut his hair.

As he had said, he soon finished, and then the boy sat down and waited. At the end of half an hour, when the young man had still not

come back, the barber said to the boy,“It is a pity that your daddy's taking such a long time. Where is he likely to be now?”

“I can't guess,”answered the small boy.“And that man wasn't my daddy. I've never seen him before in my life.

I was playing in the street this morning, and he came up to me and asked me whether I'd like to have my hair cut without having to pay anything. I said I would, because my hair was rather long, so he brought me here.”

译文:先给我刮脸

一个理发师在自己的理发店里,正忙着给一个男人剪发,就在这时,一个英俊年轻的陌生男人走了进来。他领着一个小男孩。他们坐下一直等到理发师剪完。然后这个年轻人让理发师给他刮刮脸,给小男孩理个发。

理发师问到,“你是想让我先给男孩理发,还是先给你刮脸?”

“先给我刮脸。”年轻人说到。“然后在你给男孩理发时我去喝点红酒。”

年轻人坐在椅子上,理发师开始给他刮脸。

当给他刮完脸后,年轻人站了起来,说到,“你给这个孩子理发,我去喝点

酒。”

“好的,我一会就剪完了。”理发师提醒他。年轻人出去了。小男孩乖乖地坐在椅子上。理发师开始给他剪发。

正如理发师所说,他很快就给男孩理完了发,然后小男孩就坐下等。半个小时过去了,年轻人还是没有回来,于是理发师对小男孩说到,“你爸爸出去这么长时间,他有可能在哪里呢?”

“我猜不出,”小男孩回答到。“那个人不是我爸爸。

我以前从未见过他。今天早晨我在街上玩,他走过来问我

是否想不花钱理个发。我说想,因为我的头发的确太长了。

于是他就把我带到这儿来了。”

Passage 6At the Waxworks Exhibition

One rainy Saturday afternoon, Nancy and Smith were

wondering what to do, when suddenly Smith had an idea.

“I know,”he said enthusiastically,“I'll take you to a place

my father used to take me to when I was a boy. No, don't ask

questions; just get your umbrella and get into the car.”

Half an hour later they stopped outside a large building and

Nancy laughed.

“Oh, it's the waxworks exhibition. Do you know, I've never

been here before?”

And Smith said,“Oh, we used to come here often when I

was little. There used to be a lot of famous people inside, all made of wax, but I suppose they've changed most of them

now.”

While Smith was buying the tickets at the pay-desk, Nancy

looked round.

“Did your mother use to come too?”she asked.

“Not very often.”Smith told her.“She used to stay at home and look after babies. Come on, up these stai rs.”

At the top of the stairs stood an attendant, holding some

catalogues. Nancy went up to her, opening her handbag,

while Smith watched her.

“How much are the catalogues, please?”Nancy asked; but the girl didn't answer. And she didn't realize that she had

been talking to a waxwork until she heard Smith laughing

behind her.

译文:在蜡像馆

在一个阴雨的星期六下午,Nancy和Smith无所事事,突然,Smith想到了一个主意。

“我知道,”他热心地说到,“我要带你到一个我小的时候爸爸经常带我去的

地方。不,你什么问题也别问,带上雨伞,上车。”

半小时后,他们停在了一个大的建筑物外边,Nancy 笑了起来。

“哦,蜡像馆,你知道吗?我还从没有来过呢。”

Smith说道,“我小的时候经常来这里。过去里面有很多腊制的名人。但我想大部分都变了。”

当Smith在买票时,Nancy四处张望。

“你妈妈以前常来这里吗?她问到。

“不经常来” Smith告诉她。“她经常待在家里照看小孩。快点,上台

阶。”

台阶上站着一个服务生,手里拿着目录册。Nancy走到她面前,打开手提

袋,Smith在一边看着Nancy。

“请问,目录册多少钱?”Nancy问到,但是女孩没有回答。直到听到Smith在她身后大笑起来,Nancy才意识到自己是在跟一个蜡制的人说话。

Passage 3

Sam had a dog. Its name was Tod. It was very helpful, but it ate too much.. So he didn't like it. He wanted to kill Tod. He tied Tod in a bag and put it in the small boat. He rowed the boat to the middle of a big river. Just as he threw the poor animal into the river, the boat began to sink. Both began Sam and Tod fell into the river.

Tod was able to swim, but Sam couldn't. The dog bit the rope and broke it. It tried its best to swim to save Sam. The man was saved, so

he was very thankful to the dog .He didn't want to kill the dog any more. From then on, he gave the dog as much food as it wanted.

译文

萨姆有一只狗。他的名字叫Tod。它很有用,但是它食量很大。所以萨姆不喜

欢他。萨姆想杀Tod。萨姆把Tod绑在一个袋子里,把它带上船。他把船划到一条

大河的中央。就在他把这可怜的动物扔下河的时候,船开始下沉,萨姆和Tod都掉进河里面了。

Tod会游泳,但是萨姆不会。狗把绳子咬断。它经过试验这是游泳去救萨姆就

好的方法。萨姆获救了,所以萨姆很感激Tod。他一点也不想杀它了。从那以后,小

狗想要多少粮食萨姆给多少。

Passage 4

Father's Things

When Tom Howard was seventeen years old he was as tall as his father, so he began to borrow Mr. Howard's clothes when he wanted to go out with his friends in the evening.

Mr. Howard did not like this, and he always got very angry when he found his son wearing any of his things.

One evening when Tom came downstairs to go out, his father stopped him in the hall. He looked at Tom's clothes very carefully.

Then he said angrily, "Isn't that one of my ties, Tom?"

"Yes, Father, it is," answered Tom.

"And that shirt's mine too."

"Yes, that's yours too," answered Tom.

"And you're wearing my belt!" said Mr. Howard.

"Yes, I am, Father," answered Tom. "You don't want your trousers to fall down, do you?"

译文:

父亲的东西

汤姆.霍德华十七岁的时候,长得和父亲一样高了,于是当他晚上和朋友一起出去时,就开始借父亲的衣服穿。

霍德华先生可不喜欢这样,当他发现他的儿子穿他的衣服时,总是非常生气。

一天晚上,汤姆下楼准备出去,父亲在门厅里拦住了他。他细细打量着汤姆的穿着。

然后他气呼呼地说:“汤姆,那不是我的一条领带吗?”

汤姆回答说:“是的,父亲,是你的领带。”

“还有那衬衫也是我的。”

“是的,衬衫也是你的。”汤姆回答说。

“还有呢,你连皮带也用我的。”霍德华先生说。

“是的,父亲,”汤姆回答说,“你不愿意让你的裤子掉下来吧?”

Passage 1 Do You Know My Work?

One night a hotel caught fire, and the people who were staying in it ran out in their night clothes.

Two men stood outside and looked at the fire.

“Before I came out,” said one,“I ran into some of the rooms and found a lot of money. People don't think of money when they're afraid. When anyone leaves paper money in a fire, the fire burns it. So I took all the bills that I could find.No one will be poorer because I took them.”

“You don't know my work,” said the other.

“What is your work?”

“I'm a policeman.

“Oh!” cried the first man. He thought quickly and said,“And do you know my work?”“No,”said the policeman.

“I'm a writer. I'm a lways telling stories about things that never happened.”

译文:

你知道我是干什么的吗?