初三英语阅读理解练习Passage 25

初三英语阅读理解练习Passage 25 Passage 25 I was filled with uncertainties and worries until my grandfather told me to stand tall. It was no ___1___ I wasn’t looking forward to entering ninth grade. High school is well-known for being a place for serious competitions, where everyone seems to be ___2___ physical changes and love self-esteem (自尊). For me, ___3___ was my greatest problem. I had always felt no confidence and out of places as one of the taller members of my class, standing a head ___4___ the other girls. My grandfather would watch me grow ___5___ uncomfortable, but he didn’t laugh at my self-consciousness (不自在) or try to comfort me. Instead, he would give me advice. “Stand straight and tall,” he’d say, ___6___ I unsuccessfully tried to make myself smaller and shorter. And each time, I would carefully ___7___ his words. Even at age 15, I understood that his advice was about more than just inches. My grandfather joined the army to fight for his country when German soldiers ___8___ his hometown of Tarnow in Poland. “Stand straight, stand tall,” meant something else back then. After the war, he left for America. ___9___ in a new country, he was frightened about his future. Walking into the crowded and noisy streets of New York, “Stand straight, and stand tall,” he would tell himself. Thanks to the help of a very ___10___ friend, he got a job in a jewelry (珠宝) shop on a busy street. Within months, my grandfather was selling jewelry as if he’d been doing it his whole life. I am so proud to be one of those children who carry on ___11___ family name. My grandfather’s unusual and special experiences have changed the way I think about my own life. His advice to me has become much more than a challenge to ___12____ my posture (姿势). It tells me to be proud of who I am. 1. A. reason B. wonder C. guess D. question 2. A. showing up B. starting with C. going through D. making out 3. A. height B. appearance C. shape D. shyness 4. A. of B. above C. over D. among 5. A. increasingly B. slowly C. greatly D. surprisingly 6. A. before B. when C. after D. since 7. A. follow B. understand C. listen to D. catch 8. A. stayed B. broke C. took D. beat 9. A. All alone B. Without money C. Full of hopes D. Being homesick 10. A. interesting B. amazing C. caring D. tiring 11. A. my B. his C. our D. their 12. A. form B. build C. improve D. choose Passage 26 I grew up poor---living with my wonderful mother. We had little money, but plenty of love and attention. I was ___1___ and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, he could still afford a dream. My dream was athletics. When I was sixteen, I started playing baseball. I could throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fast ball and ___2___ anything that moved on the field. I was also ___3___: My high school coach was John, who believed in me and, more importantly, taught me how to believe in myself. He ___4___ me the difference between having a dream and remaining true to that dream. One unusual ___5___ with Coach John changed my life forever. A friend helped me to find a summer job. This meant a chance for money in my pocket money for a new bike, new clothes and the ___6___ of saving for a house for my mother. Then I realized I would have to ___7___ up summer baseball and that meant I would have to tell John I wouldn’t be playing. When I told John, he was ___8___ as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “You don’t have too many playing days in your life. You can’ t afford to waste them.” I stood before him with my head ___9___, trying to think of the ___10___ that would explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth facing his disappointment in me. “How much are you going to make at this job, son?” he asked. “3.5 dollars an hour,” I replied. “Well,” he asked, “is $3.5 an hour the price of a dream?” That simple question made me understand the difference between ___11___ something right now and having a goal. I decided myself to play sports that summer and within the year I was taken on by the Pittsburgh Pirates to play baseball, and was ___12___ a $20,000 contact (agreement). In the same year, I bought my mother the house of my dream. 1. A. happy B. popular C. famous D. honest 2. A. kick B. play C. pass D. hit 3. A. right B. shy C. lucky D. comfortable 4. A. gave B. taught C. brought D. asked 5. A. accident B. interview C. problem D. experience 6. A. view B. idea C. start D. purpose 7. A. put B. take C. give D. pick 8. A. mad B. helpful C. frightened D. shameful 9. A. moving B. nodding C. shaking D. hanging 10. A. questions B. choices C. words D. ways 11. A. wanting B. changing C. dreaming D. saying 12. A. paid B. got C. offered D. allowed Passage 27 My father died when I was a few months old. After his death, my mother moved back to Louisville, Kentucky, where ___1___ had grown up. We lived in a small house with her older sister, Marion, and their mother. This was a time when being a single ___2___ was still considered unusual. When I was small, there was a children’s book called The Happy Family, and it was a real piece of work. Dad worked all day long at the office, Mom cooked in the kitchen, and brother and sister always had friends sleeping over. The image of the family in this book was typical of the time. It looked ___3___ like my family, but luckily that wasn’t the way I heard it. The way my Aunt Marion read it to me made the story really ___4___. Kind-hearted and open-minded, my aunt was the one who played baseball with me, who took me horseback riding, who took me to the father-son dinners and who gave me lessons on how to drive. Believing that anything ___5___ was probably good for me, she ___6___ to get a loan so that I could go to Africa to work as a volunteer, which was my most important experience. As a young girl, Aunt Marion always planned to have a large number of children of her own, but she never got married. This ___7___ that she was free to spend all her time taking care of me. Many people say we have a lot in common. She always ___8___ me to do my best. She never ___9___ to make me believe that I could do anything with my life that I wanted, if I only tried hard enough. For more than sixty years, Aunt Marion didn’t and still don’t think of herself. ___10___ she is forced to come up to the front, my aunt will stand in the back in family photos, and she doesn’t think that her efforts have made much ___11___. I honour my aunt, who taught me the things my ___12___ couldn’t, so every June for the past 40 years, in growing thankfulness to my Aunt Marion, I’ve sent her a Father’ s Day card. 1. A. I B. she C. he D. we 2. A. man B. family C. parent D. child 3. A. nothing B. anything C. everything D. something 4. A. surprising B. boring C. sad D. funny 5. A. interesting B. pleasant C. impossible D. unusual 6. A. decided B. afforded C. offered D. prepared 7. A. said B. meant C. proved D. showed 8. A. allowed B. expected C. invited D. forced 9. A. hoped B. agreed C. stopped D. failed 10. A. Unless B. Although C. Since D. Before 11. A. difference B. progress C. trouble D. sense 12. A. teachers B. mother C. father D. friends Passage 28 It was a cold morning, and Eduardo Ortega received a large envelope. In it was his dream. But he was too nervous to ___1___ it. He put the envelope into his ___2___ and caught the school bus. Eduardo arrived at ___3___ with the envelope. He walked past his classmates and sat down in the school library. He took a deep breath drew the envelope out of his pocket and carefully opened it. As he read the words, “Congratulations… ___4___ have been accepted,” he was already in tears. He remembered the long hours working in the fields, picking strawberries and beans. During those years, Eduardo was much more than a child ___5___. After work every day, his tired friends drank coffee or slept. Eduardo went to the evening school. He studied, read, and wrote poems and short stories. Although he ___6___ many classes, he became the best student. When he was thirteen ,Eduardo ___7___ one of his dreams --- to fly on an airplane for the first time. He wrote a poem that won a prize --- a trip to San Francisco. As he flew, he promised himself to become a pilot. He loved to ___8___. Even though Eduardo worked to help his family, his father ___9___ encouraged him to go to school. So, while he worked, he also studied. Many days, he thought it was ___10___, too tired to read his books. But his father just smiled and told him he could ___11___ it. So, now, Eduardo knew his dream of becoming a pilot was not ___12___. He knew that it was his father’s dream, too. He would soon become a pilot, flying every day to all the exciting places in the world. 1. A. answer B. know C. open D. write 2. A. car B. pocket C. desk D. mailbox 3. A. school B. home C. the airport D. the post office 4. A. I B. we C. you D. they 5. A. worker B. writer C. waiter D. pilot 6. A. watched B. missed C. took D. left 7. A. realized B. found C. wanted D. thought 8. A. study B. jump C. fly D. work 9. A. also B. still C. sometimes D. always 10. A. hopeless B. careless C. uninteresting D. unimportant 11. A. take B. stop C. work D. make 12. A. made B. needed C. lost D. given Passage 29 In the depths of my memory, many things I did with my father still live. These things come to represent, in fact, what I call ___1___ and love. I don’t remember my father ever getting into a swimming tool. But he did ___2___ the water. Any kind of ___3___ ride seemed to give him pleasure. ___4___ he loved to fish; sometimes he took me along. But I never really liked being on the water, the way my father did. I liked being in the water, moving through it, ___5___ it all around me. I was not a strong swimmer, or one who learned to swim early, for I had my ___6___. But I loved being in the swimming pool close to my father’s office and ___7___ those summer days with my father, who would come by on a break. I needed him to see what I could do. My father would stand there in his suit, the only person not in swimsuit. After swimming, I would go ___8___ his office and sit on the wooden chair in front of his big desk, where he let me ___9___ anything I found in his top desk drawer. Sometimes, if I was left alone at his desk while he worked in the lab, an assistant or a student might come in and tell me perhaps I shouldn’t be playing with his office things. But my father always ___10___ and said easily, “Oh, no, it’s fine.” Sometimes he handed me coins and told me to get ___11___ an ice cream. A poet once said, “We look at life once, in childhood, the rest is ___12___.” And I think it is not only what we “look at once, in childhood” that determines (决定) our memories, but who, in that childhood, look at us. 1. A. desire B. joy C. anger D. worry 2. A. avoid B. refuse C. praise D. love 3. A. boat B. bus C. train D. bike 4. A. But B. Then C. And D. Still 5. A. having B. leaving C. making D. getting 6. A. hopes B. faiths (信仰) C. rights D. fears 7. A. spending B. saving C. wasting D. ruining (毁坏，摧残) 8. A. away from B. out of C. by D. inside 9. A. put up B. break down C. play with D. work out 10. A. stood up B. set out C. showed up D. turned out 11. A. the student B. the assistant C. myself D. himself 12. A. memory B. wealth C. experience D. practice Passage 30 One day the bathroom door had slammed on Timmy’s finger. The doctor asked if we had found the tip of Timmy’s finger. He said there was a small chance of ___1___ it if we could get it to him quickly. Pulling myself out of a daze, I ran back to the bathroom. ___2___, it had already turned blue. I knew from the look on the doctor’s face that it was too late. I felt helpless, unable to take the pain away from my little boy. Then a(n) ___3___ came to me. I whispered in his ear, “Timmy, did you know that lizards grow their tails ___4___ and little boys can grow their fingers back too?” Timmy’s soft green eyes grew wide with ___%___. “They can?” he asked, obviously surprised by the thought, “And ___6___?” I told him, “Inside your head you have a little voice telling your finger how much you love it and how much you ___7___ it.” I could see Timmy’s little face focused in deep concentration. Then I continued, “Now just say, grow for me finger, grow. I love you and I need you.” A few days later, Timmy said to me quietly, “I’m talking to my finger every day, ___8___ it well.” Weeks later, with a joyful burst of ___9___, Timmy ran towards me. “See,” he said, “It’s growing back really good!” A year later, Timmy’s finger grew back and became well again just as any finger ___10___ be. Timmy remains forever in my heart as a constant reminder of the ___11___ of miracles. He also inspires me to ___12___ beyond the accepted knowledge of the times, and to remember that all things are possible if you truly believe. 1. A. putting B. losing C. keeping D. saving 2. A. Strangely B. Clearly C. Possibly D. Unfortunately 3. A. idea B. plan C. dream D. answer 4. A. long B. short C. back D. up 5. A. interest B. pleasure C. wonder D. excitement 6. A. how B. why C. when D. where 7. A. thank B. give C. need D. help 8. A. getting B. making C. wishing D. knowing 9. A. hope B. energy C. speed D. mind 10. A. could B. should C. might D. would 11. A. chance B. strength C. importance D. possibility 12. A. work B. reach C. look D. think Passage 31 Mike was a young college student, but he thought he went to a wrong college, and every day he stayed away from school and drank a lot instead of ___1___. So he was becoming more and more demoralized (消沉，泄气). But he was never ___2___ from Professor Yang’s classes about medical plants. He liked the ___3___. Besides, Yang’ s classes were so interesting that he always listened ___4___ regardless of (不管) other students paying attention or not in class. Once he put a note in the homework he handed in, saying “Professor, it is said that today’s ___5___ are cheaper than potatoes. Do you agree?” Mike didn’t know ___6___ he took the action. It might be considered to his trust to the professor or to his effort to free from his depression (抑郁) and try to find ___7___ out. That day Professor Yang sent for him after class. When he came he found the professor at the table on which were four dishes and one soup. They drank heartily over the dishes. When they became half drunk, the professor ___8___ a small potato that was sprouting (发芽) and said to the young man, “Do you know how much it costs? It’s small and not fresh. Besides, it is poisonous (有毒的). ___9___ will take it even if it’s given without any money.” He ___10___ it into the rubbish bin. The professor then showed him another potato that must weigh more than 500g. “This potato is not only large and fresh but also free of pollution. It costs 12 yuan each kilogram.” The young man was ___11___ by what he had heard. The professor put the big potato into his hand and said, “___12___ such a potato. Don’t forget there are potatoes and potatoes!” 1. A. working B. learning C. studying D. knowing 2. A. far B. absent C. different D. free 3. A. course B. subject C. lesson D. class 4. A. clearly B. quietly C. slowly D. carefully 5. A. students B. colleges C. professors D. schools 6. A. how B. why C. where D. when 7. A. an idea B. an answer C. a way D. a chance 8. A. found B. produced C. passed D. made 9. A. Somebody B. Everybody C. Anybody D. Nobody 10. A. dropped B. threw C. placed D. put 11. A. moved B. worried C. excited D. amazed 12. A. Be B. Have C. Remember D. Get Passage 32 In America, where labor costs are so high, “do-it-yourself” is a way of life. Many people repair own cars, build their own garages, even rebuild their own houses. Soon many of them will also be writing their own books. In Hollywood there is a company that publishes children’s books with the help of computers. Although other book companies also publish that way, this company is not like the others. It allows the reader to become the leading character in the stories with the help of computers. Here is how they do it. Let us suppose the child is named Jenny. She lives in New York, and has a dog named Hody. The computer uses this information to make up a story with pictures. The story is then printed up. A child who receives such a book might say, Children like the me-books because they like to see in print their own names and the names of their friends and their pets. But more important, in this way readers are much more interested in reading the stories. Me-books are helping a child to learn how to r 1. In America, people do most things themselves because ________. A. they can do better than others B. it is expensive to hire labor C. they don’t like to be helped D. they don’t trust others 2. “Me-Books Publishing Company” is named by ________. A. Jenny B. a reader C. a child D. itself 3. The difference of this company from the others is that ________. A. it publishes books only for young children and their pets B. it publishes books only about young children and their pets C. it uses computers to make up stories about young children D. it makes the young readers the leading characters in the story 4. “Me-Books” are those ________. A. written by themselves B. telling stories about the reader himself C. kept by the readers themselves D. published with the help of computers Passage 33 “You don?t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great.” I believe it is thought normal in today’s society to just let life happen to us. I also believe that we sometimes damage our well-planned thoughts about success because it is easier to just carry on as usual rather than „ try? with the possibility of failure in mind. The main reason why most people never get moving is because they have no real idea about what they want. Without a certain result already set in your mind, it is really difficult to get going, and even if you do, your motivation (动力) may soon disappear and you give up before too long. Why not consider what is really important in your life? Write down what excites you, what would truly make you happy and what problems you have. At the end of the week, take a careful look at the notes you have taken. You will soon begin to see a clearer picture of what direction you should be heading. Knowledge is useless without action. You can read every book on any subject but your life will stay the same if you do not use that knowledge. This may seem clear but the reason why the self-help industry is thriving (繁荣的) is because people read and read and read but never use the information provided. Knowledge is fantastic but it is not life changing until used. I love to read personal development material to keep a positive attitude towards my life, but l also realize that if I don?t set goals to achieve, then l will always be a talk the talk person who is great at giving advice but useless at realizing it. If you have no plans of practicing what you say, then it may he best to keep your mouth closed. Do yon want to know who you are? Don?t ask. Act! Action will explain you. Whatever Be whatever yon want to be and whatever you can be. Always remember the only limits we have are the ones we create for ourselves. Life is not what we think, it is what we experience when we act upon the thoughts we entertain. 1. In Paragraph Two, the writer wants to ________. A. tell us what people need to get success B. show us what people set in their mind C. inform us why people should practice D. explain why people stop going ahead 2. The underlined phrase “living up to” probably means ________. A. matching B. showing C. wasting D. losing 3. What is the best title for the passage? A. See a Clear Picture of Life B. Get Started to Be Great. C. Set Goals to Achieve D. Act upon Thoughts Passage 34 When did you last see a polar bear(北极熊)? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3?,and the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60.Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February. Doctors don?t agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body?s temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter. The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循环系统)because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming. The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, "When I go 飘走)." 1. The members of the Polar Bear Club _______. A. should be easy to make friends with B. must swim outdoors at least 10 times in the four cold months C. must agree to swim outdoors from October through February D. must reach the age of 60 2. Which of the following sentences is true according to the passage? A. Doctors encourage people to take part in cold-water swimming actively. B. Doctors point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming. C. Doctors believe swimming is helpful both in winter and in summer. D. Doctors have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. 3. What is this passage mainly about? A. A group of cold-water swimming lovers. B. The polar Bears’ life in New York. C. Doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming. D. The requirements of the Polar Bear Club.