初二英语阅读训练

Once upon a time, there lived a rich man. He had a servant (仆人). He and the servant(仆人） loved wine and good food very much. Each time the rich man left his home, the servant would drink the wine and eat up all the nice food in the house. The rich man knew what his servant did, but he had never caught his servant doing that.
One morning, when he left home, he said to the servant, “Here are two bottles of poison (毒药) and some nice food in the house. You must take of them.” With these words, he went out.
But the servant knew that the rich man had said was untrue. After the rich man was away from his home, he enjoyed a nice meal. Because he drank too much, he was drunk and fell to the ground. When the rich man came back, he couldn’t find his food and his wine. He became very angry. He woke the servant up. But the servant told his story very well. He said a cat had eaten up everything. He was afraid to be punished, so he drank the poison to kill himself.

( )1.In the story, _______ liked wine and good food very much.
A. the rich man B. the servant C. both A and B D. neither A and B
( )2.The rich man knew that it was _______ that drank the wine and ate up all the nice food.
A. the catB. himself C. nobodyD. the servant
( )3.The rich told the servant that there was poison in the two bottles, because ________.
A. there was in fact poison in the bottles
B. did not want the servant to drink his wine
C. he wanted to kill the cat
D. he wanted to kill the servant
( )4.In fact, _______ ate all the nice food and drank the wine.
A. the servant B. cat C. the rich man D. nobody
( )5.From the story, we know that the servant is very _______.
A. lazy B. bad C. clever D. kind

（二）
Most American families are smaller than the families in other countries. Most American families have one or two parents and one or two children each.
Children in the US will leave their parents’ home when they grow up. They usually live far from their parents because they want to find good jobs. They often write to their parents or telephone them. And they often go to visit their parents on holiday.
Parents usually let their children choose their own jobs. Americans think it important for young people to decide on their lives by themselves.
Children are asked to do some work around their house. And in many families, children are paid for doing some housework so that they learn how to make money for their own use.

( )6.The size of most American families is ________ that of other countries.
A. larger than B. smaller than C. as big asD. as small as
( )7.When children grow up, they leave their parents’ home to _________.
A. get married B. be free C. find good jobs D. study
( )8.They visit their parents ________.
A. on weekdays B. on weekends C. at any time D. on holiday
( )9.Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. Children have the freedom to choose their own job.
B. Parents don’t ask their children to do the housework.
C. Parents think it important for children to make their own decision.
D. When children grow up, they usually live far away from their home.
( )10.Some parents pay their children for doing housework because ___________.
A. children can learn how to make money for themselves
B. their children required them to do so
C. they are rich
D. it is required by law
（三）

Can dolphins talk? Maybe they can’t talk with words, but they talk with sounds. They show their feelings with sounds.
Dolphins travel in a group. We call a group of fish a “school”. They don’t study, but they travel together.
Dolphins talk to the other dolphins in the school. They give information. They tell when they are happy or sad or afraid. They say “welcome”when a dolphin comes back to the school. They talk when they play.
They make a few sounds above water. They make many more sounds under water. People cannot hear these sounds because they are very, very high. Scientists make tapes of the sounds and study them.
Sometimes people catch a dolphin for a large aquarium（水族馆）. People can watch the dolphins in a show. Dolphins don’t like to be away from their school in an aquarium. They are sad and lonely（孤独的）.
There are many stories about dolphins. They help people. Sometimes they save somebody’s life. Dolphin meat is good, but people don’t like to kill them. They say that dolphins bring good luck. Many people believe this.
1. Dolphins show their feelings with ___________ .
A. pictures B. words
C. water D. sounds
2. People can’t hear the dolphin’s sounds because ________ .
A. they are above the water
B. they are under the water
C. they are very high
D. they are very low
3. Which one is true according to the passage?
A. Dolphins swim together in a school because they want to study
B. They don’t study, but they travel in a group
C. Dolphins like to be away from their school on an island.
D. Dolphins like to kill people


（四）

 All my friends at school smoked. My dad smoked; he didn’t want me to smoke but my friends kept saying I was stupid. They asked when I was going to grow up. So I started when I was sixteen and after a month I couldn’t stop. But two years later I could feel what smoking was doing to me. I couldn’t run far, and I coughed every morning. I got very ill and decided to stop. It wasn’t easy, but now I’ve done it, and I feel better. Now I have money for other things.
If you smoke, you are twice as likely to die from a heart attack. And the more you smoke, the earlier the heart attack is likely to be. For example, a 50-year-old who smokes more than 20 cigarettes a day, is four times more likely to have heart disease than a non-smoker of the same age.
What does smoking do to the heart? First of all, it makes the heart beat faster and increases the blood pressure. The cigarette smoke also reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood. Consequently, the heart has to work harder, with less oxygen. Finally, your arteries will narrow faster if you smoke.
So if you want to reduce your chances of getting heart disease, the answer is easy –– not to smoke. Don’t copy your friends and other people who smoke. If you smoke, find out how to stop. Stopping isn’t easy, but you’ll be healthier, and ....

1. Who is more likely to have heart disease?
A. A smoker
B. A non-smoker
C. A 50-year-old person
2. What does the writer think of smoking?
A. It is good for his health
B. Smoking is bad for him
C. Is it neither good nor bad for his heath
3. What happens after the writer stopped smoking?
A. He becomes rich
B. He has more friends
C. He becomes healthier and has money to do other things.


 
（五）
In the USA, there are many types of restaurants. Fast food restaurants are very famous. You can find McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken in many countries around the world. You look at a menu above the counter, and say what you’d like to eat. You pay the person who serves you. You take your food and sit down or take it away. There’s no need to leave a tip.
In a coffee shop you sit at the counter or at a table. You don’t wait for the waitress to show you where to sit. She usually brings you coffee when you sit down. You tell her what you’d like to eat and she brings it to you. You pay the cashier as you leave. A diner is like a coffee shop but usually looks like a railway carriage.
In a family restaurant the atmosphere is casual, but the waitress shows you where to sit. Often the waitress tells you her name, but you don’t need to tell her yours. If you don’t eat everything, your waitress gives you a doggy bag to take your food home. You add an extra fifteen percent to the bill as a tip.
In top class restaurants, you need a reservation and you need to arrive on time. The waiter shows you where to sit. If you have wine, he may ask you to taste it. You can only refuse it if it tastes bad, not if you don’t like it. When you get your bill, check it and then add fifteen to twenty percent to it as a tip for the waiter.
 
1. There are ______ types of restaurants here.
A. three B. four C. fiveD. six
2. We should sit ______ in a coffee shop.
A. near the door B. in the corner
C. at a counterD. on the floor
3. In what kind of restaurant does the waitress often tell you her name?
A. In a top class restaurant B. In a fast food restaurant
C. In a coffee shop D. In a family restaurant
4. How much do you need to tip in a top class restaurant?
A. Ten percentB. Fifteen percent C. Thirty percent D. Forty percent