中考英语阅读B篇

中考英语阅读B篇

阅读B篇 ‎01 ‎ B. Two Beautiful Cherry Gardens When you think about the things that make millions of visitors interested in Washington, D.C., each year, you probably think about the White House in USA. But have you ever thought about the living things that are also a major tourist attraction?‎ Many Americans and international tourists make a special visit to Washington, D.C., in the spring to see the blooming pink and white Japanese cherry trees. The trees were originally planted as a gift from the people of Tokyo, Japan, in 1912. In 1910, a previous donation of 2,000 cherry trees had been destroyed because of the insect problem. Each spring, the National Cherry Blossom Festival, a two-week-long celebration, attracts tens of thousands of visitors from around the world to see the magnificent trees in full bloom. ‎ Have you ever seen these magnificent blossoms? ‎ Located in Haidian District, Beijing, Yuyuantan Park is easy to get to with many convenient traffic choices. Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is to its eastern gate, China Central Radio and Television Tower to its west, Navy General Hospital to its north and China Millennium Monument to its south. With 1,820 meters wide from west to east and 1,106 meters long from north to south, Yuyuantan Park covers an area of 136.69 hectares and the water surface spans an area of 61 hectares.‎ Back in Jin Dynasty (1115-1234), Yuyuantan Park was already a famous scenic spot. Today, celebrated for its "Cherry Blossom Festival" every spring, Yuyuantan Park attracts tourists from all over the world. The cherry trees were also planted as a gift from the people of Japan. ‎ I guess you must have been there for many times and have got hundreds of beautiful photos, have you?‎ ‎50. How many cherry trees were destroyed years ago in Washington D.C.?‎ A. 1912. B. 2000. C. 1820. D. 1106.‎ ‎51. Where is Yuyuantan Park?‎ A. Diaoyutai State Guesthouse is to its western gate.‎ ‎ B. China Central Radio and Television Tower is to its east.‎ ‎ C. Navy General Hospital and Haidian are to its north.‎ ‎ D. China Millennium Monument is to its south.‎ ‎52. The cherry trees in Washington D.C. and Yuyuantan Park are both _____ according to the passage.‎ A. famous of the Cherry Blossom Festival B. planted twice because of the insect problem C. blooming in colors as white, pink and red D. blooming in each spring and summer time ‎02 ‎ My daughter is a single parent, whose life is very hard because she has three young sons. She plans her money carefully and manages to get something expensive that many people can buy easily.‎ When her eldest son, David wanted a bicycle so that he could do an after-school job, the family saved up and soon he was the proud owner of a good second-hand bicycle. One afternoon my daughter asked David to go shopping. He rode his bicycle, but carelessly left it outside the shop without putting on the lock. When David came out of the shop, it was gone. He walked home in tears and then, together with his angry mother, went to the local police station to report the theft.‎ Imagine their joy when they arrived at the station, a car parked out front had David’s bike in the boot (后备箱). The driver told my daughter how he’d seen a group of kids go for the bike once my grandson had gone inside the shop. The driver had called out to them to leave the bike alone. Instead, one of the kids in the group had jumped on the bicycle and ridden it away while the others followed.‎ The driver got in his car, drove after them and brought the stolen bike back. He was happy to be able to return it to my grandson together with a lesson about the mistake of failing to use the bike lock. Then, in all the excitement, he drove away without even giving his name or telephone number.‎ ‎50. How is the writer’s daughter’s life?‎ A. Very busy. B. Very hard. C. Very simple. D. Very hopeless.‎ ‎51. David lost his bike because ______.‎ A. many people stole things B. the lock was broken C. bikes were needed by all D. he was too careless ‎ ‎52. Who helped David find his lost bike? ‎ A. His mother. B. A driver. C. His grandmother. D. A policeman. ‎ ‎03 ‎ Gordon’s hobby may seem strange to us. He likes building model ships inside old bottles.‎ Gordon has always loved ships, especially sailing ships from the old days. His interest was made many years ago when he visited a museum in Ottawa, Canada, where model ships in bottles were displayed(展示). Gordon regarded it as a wonderful show. At the same time an idea came to his mind. How did the craftsman(手艺人) get the ship through the narrow neck of the bottle? Gordon decided to make a research.‎ He found an old craftsman who was glad to teach him the basic skills. First, Gordon takes an old bottle. Then he puts in a layer of paint, carefully shaped and painted to look like the sea. Next, he builds the ship. To get the ship through the neck of the bottle, Gordon folds(折叠) down the masts(桅杆). Once the ship is inside the bottle, he takes a long, thin tool to raise the masts.‎ Gordon has completed more than one hundred models. His aim is to build up aircraft carriers (航空母舰) , buses, cars, airplanes, houses, and many other kinds of models inside the bottles. This will be more challenging(挑战), as he will have to build actually inside the bottle. His hobby certainly needs time, patience and a steady (平稳的)hand. ‎ ‎50. Gordon became interested in _________________.‎ ‎ A. sailing a ship in the sea B. putting a ship in a bottle ‎ C. collecting old sailing ships D. going on a holiday by ship ‎51. Which of the following is the second step according to the third paragraph?‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎52. What can we learn from the passage?‎ ‎ A. Gordon got the idea from a show in Canada.‎ ‎ B. Gordon learnt the basic skills from a seaman.‎ ‎ C. Gordon has made less than 100 models so far.‎ ‎ D. Gordon will use a smaller bottle in the future.‎ ‎04 ‎ Pieter Bruegel was a famous artist who lived in Europe five hundred years ago. He is well known for a painting called Children’s Games. People like this painting because it is full of fun. It shows how children in Pieter’s time enjoyed themselves in different ways. In all, there are about eighty games being played in the painting. ‎ Children’s Games shows a busy street scene in a town long ago. The street is a wide and open space. There are no cars, so there is plenty of room to play. There are about two hundred children in the painting. Some play in groups and others play alone. They seem to be enjoying their freedom in the fresh air and their games. Some of the games are still played today. ‎ The games in the painting do not require children to spend money on extra materials(材料). Instead, they use simple everyday objects like hats and sticks. A game might need a rope, some chalk, a hoop, a spinning top, or even a barrel. Some games are played without any toys at all. For example, one scene in the painting shows children turning somersaults(翻筋斗) inside the fence. ‎ Even though Pieter Bruegel lived a long time ago, children today can learn an important lesson from what he painted. The painting shows us how little we need in order to enjoy ourselves. All children really need is one another. It’s not the toys or games that are found in the stores that create fun. Using our imagination can do this for us. ‎ ‎50. The painting shows about ______ games.‎ A. 500 B. 200 C. 80 D. 60‎ ‎51. The children in the painting are playing ______.‎ A. in the street B. in the house C. on the grass D. at the school ‎52. From the painting we learn that ______.‎ A. children today need to take more lessons ‎ B. children can create fun by using imagination C. children need more toys to enjoy themselves D. children spend much money on everyday objects ‎ ‎05 ‎ During his life Dr James Naismith worked as a doctor, taught P.E and wrote several books. While he never thought it very important, Dr Naismith is today best known for one thing. He was the inventor of basketball. ‎ Dr James Naismith was born in Canada in 1861 and his first job was at a special sports school in the USA. One day the school leader told James he was having a problem with the students. Because of heavy snow, the students could not go outside. He told James that they needed a sport that the boys could play indoors. He gave the teacher two weeks to think of something. ‎ It was on the very last day that James came up with his idea. The “birth of basketball” is said to be on December 21, 1891, when two teams from the school played the first game. It was quite different from the basketball games of today. It had 9 players on each team and they used football instead of basketball. Soon after, the game changed to 5 players on each side, using special “basketballs” through nets. ‎ Although Dr Naismith did not live to see basketball is so popular today, in 1936, just three years before his death, basketball became an Olympic sport at the Games in Berlin. ‎ ‎50. Dr James Naismith didn’t _______________ ‎ ‎   A. work as a doctor at a hospital.     B. write some books in life. ‎ ‎   C.  teach P.E in school in the USA D. take part in the Olympic Games. ‎ ‎51. In which season did Dr Naismith invent basketball? ‎ ‎   A. Winter.     B. Autumn. C.  Summer.   D. Spring.    ‎ ‎52. How many players were in each team during the game at the beginning?‎ ‎ A. 5 B. 9 C. 10 D. 12‎ ‎06 ‎ ‎“You know, these cups bring to mind a story I heard,” Mary said to her friends in her home.‎ She poured some tea. There were four of them and there were four completely different cups on the table.‎ ‎“I heard there was a teacher who took all his students for tea. They were surprised that all the cups on the table were different. They all took a cup and started drinking their tea, each looking at the cups of the others. The teacher said: “Do you notice your behavior? You are all looking at each other’s teacup and some of you even envy (羡慕) the finer cups of others.‎ ‎“I put the different cups here on purpose. Life is like this tea. You all have the same thing in your cups – tea. And yet you cannot truly enjoy it in your envy of another’s cup. You forget to enjoy your own life when you envy someone else’s life.‎ So now, taste your own tea. Does it matter from which cup it came from?”‎ Mary finished telling her story and her friends all sat in silence for a while, enjoying their tea. And it really did not matter one bit from which teacup they drank. 209 w ‎ ‎50.Mary used _____ to invite her friends to tea. ‎ A. four same cups B. four different cups ‎ C. many same cups D. many different cups ‎ ‎51. Mary _____ while her friends were drinking the tea. ‎ A. told them a story B. continued making tea ‎ C. enjoyed her tea D. brought out more teacups ‎52. After the story, Mary’s friends _____. ‎ A. discussed its meaning B. asked for more tea C. seemed to realize its lesson D. left her house silently ‎07 ‎ A Native American and his friend were in downtown New York City, walking near Times Square in Manhattan. It was during the noon lunch hour and the streets were filled with the noise of people and cars. Suddenly, the Native American said, “I hear a cricket (蟋蟀).”‎ His friend said, “What? You must be crazy. You couldn’t possibly hear a cricket in all of this noise!” “No, I’m sure of it,” the Native American said, “I heard a cricket.” “That’s crazy,” said the friend.‎ The Native American listened carefully for a moment, and then walked across the street to a big wall. There they saw bushes (灌木). He looked into the bushes, and sure enough, he found a small cricket. His friend was quite amazed. “That’s unbelievable,” said his friend. “You must have superhuman ears!”‎ ‎“No,” said the Native American. “My ears are not different from yours. It all depends on what you’re listening for.” “But that can’t be!” said the friend. “I could never hear a cricket in this noise.”‎ ‎“Yes, it’s true,” came the reply. “It depends on what is really important to you. Here, let me show you.” He reached into his pocket, pulled out a few coins, and dropped them on the sidewalk. And then, with the noise of the crowded street still in their ears, they noticed every head within 20 feet turn and look to see if the money was theirs.‎ ‎“See what I mean?” asked the Native American. “It all depends on what’s important to you.”‎ ‎50．The Native American was ______ with his friend when he heard a cricket. ‎ A. taking a walk B. watching people walking C. looking for crickets D. looking for important things ‎51. His friends felt _____ after they found the cricket.‎ ‎ A. unsure B. crazy C. relaxed D. amazed ‎52. The writer wants to tell _______. ‎ A. people pay more attention to what is important to them B. people wonder what is important to them C. people can hear different sounds D. people believe what they heard ‎08 ‎ My class will put on a short play in English at the end of the year. Yesterday our English teacher gave us copies of the play. ‎ ‎“Choose a character in the play that you’d like to be,” she told us. “This afternoon you learn a few lines of this part for homework. Then tomorrow you can say those lines in front of the class. I’ll ‎ decide who plays each part.”‎ I wanted to have one of the bigger parts in the play, so I choose the part of the king. He has a lot of lines to say. I learned them by heart. ‎ This morning in our English lesson we had to say our lines. I acted the part of the king. When I said my lines, I put a lot of expression into my acting. I thought I acted really well. ‎ Everyone in the class read a part and then the teacher decided who would play each part.‎ Many of the students in my class couldn’t act at all. They couldn’t even read without making lots of mistakes. I was sure that I would get a big part in the play.‎ However, the teacher gave me the part of a soldier. He has only one line. It is, “Yes, sir!”‎ I was very disappointed. At the end of the lesson I went up to her and asked her why I had such a small part.‎ ‎“You put too much expression in your acting,” she said. “Good acting is not big acting. It is acting the audience can believe in.”‎ I think I know what she means.‎ ‎50. What did the boy want to do in the play? ‎ A. To get a small acting part. B. To organize the play ‎ C. To get a large acting part. D. To work the lights.‎ ‎51. How did the writer feel when he got the part of a soldier? ‎ A. Bored. B. Sad. C. Disappointed. D. Excited.‎ ‎52. Why didn’t the teacher give him the part of the kings? ‎ A. He did not act correctly. B. He did not know the lines. ‎ C. He was not handsome. D. He was too short. ‎ ‎09 ‎ Dou Kou, a Chinese boy, is called “the youngest writer in the world”. He has written three books till now. Dou Kou was born in Jiangsu in 1994. When he was 7 months old, his parents started working in over 30 different cities, such as Xi’an and Shenzhen. This kind of life gave him things to think and write about. When he was 9 months old, he could speak and at the age of one, he could say five to six hundred words. At three, he could look up words in the dictionary. At four, his father taught him how to learn by himself. His parents like reading very much. So does he. At the age of 5, he began writing fairy tales. At the age of 6, he wrote a novel about his life in different cities with his parents. His fairy tales are all from his life. One day, he found many mice in the house. The mice ate their food and they also hurt his mother’s hand. So he thought, “If we give mice the stomach of cows, they will eat grass and they will be helpful to people.” This was his first fairy tales Change Stomach for Mice. Now he studies well in a middle school. He has written his third book, the novel called Eyes of Children. He says, “I am not different from other children. I just wrote several books.”‎ ‎( ) 51. How many books has Dou Kou written?‎ A. Three.                 B. Four. C. Five.   D. Six.‎ ‎( ) 52. Dou Kou began to use a dictionary __________.‎ A. when he wrote fairy tales    ‎ B. after he went to school         ‎ C. before his father taught him how to learn something D. after his mother taught him how to learn something ‎( ) 53. Which is the best title?‎ ‎  A. Three Books by a Child                B. How to Write a Fairy Tales C. How Clever the Boy is D. Dou Kou, the Youngest Writer ‎10 ‎ You can probably all ride a bike well. I’m an exception (例外). I started riding a bike when I was 3 years old. It was a tiny toy bike with four wheels. I loved it very much and rode it every day. When I was 5, my cousin gave me a pink bike. It was a true bicycle with just two wheels! At the time, my parents were too busy to teach me how to ride it. So I had to learn to ride by myself. I practiced hard on weekends and during vacations, although I still didn’t know how to make turns. One summer vacation, I borrowed an old bike and rode it with my friends on a country road. We sang and practiced our riding skills. Suddenly, a small boy ran into the road. I was shocked and couldn’t control the bike at all. My bike ran into the boy and he fell. He didn’t get very seriously hurt, but his grandma was too angry to accept my apology. My cousin appeared five minutes later and saved me from the mess. But the experience frightened me: I no longer dared to ride a bike. Then, last year, free bikes were offered to children. My mother tried to teach me how to ride. But the traffic made me so nervous that I had to ride really slowly. But I’m not going to give up. One day, believe me, you’d see me riding a bike in a big street. ‎ ‎50. When did the writer begin to ride a bike?    ‎ ‎ A. Two years old.  B. Three years old.      C. Five years old.   D. Seven years old.  ‎ ‎51. Who taught the writer to ride a bike when he was five?     A. His father.   B. His mother.   C. His cousin.   D. No one. 52. Why did the writer say “I no longer dared to ride a bike”?     A. Because his parents didn’t allow him to ride a bike.     B. Because he didn’t have bikes any longer.     C. Because he hit a small boy and was very frightened.     D. Because he was afraid of that small boy’s grandma.‎ ‎11 ‎ OK, so you think you’re green, do you? I know you: you live in a modern city, don’t you? You keep your bottles and take them to the bottle bank. You have a black bin and a green bin, one for common waste and one for recyclable (循环的)waste. Your car uses lead-free petrol. You use the same plastic bag every time you go to the supermarket. Maybe you even cycle to work from time to time. You are playing your part; you understands well; you are green and environment-friendly. Well, I’ve got news for you: ‎ YOU ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH! ‎ ‎● If you don’t believe me, look at these facts. ‎ Trust me, they’re from a BBC website. ‎ ‎● Every person in the UK throws away their own body weight in rubbish every seven weeks. ‎ ‎● Every year, each dustbin has enough unused energy for 500 hot baths, 3,500 hot showers or 5,000‎ hours of television. ‎ ‎● Every UK house produces over one ton of rubbish every year. ‎ ‎● At Christmas over 83 square kilometres of wrapping paper is thrown in the bin. ‎ Do you need to do more? No? OK, here are two more facts. ‎ ‎● Recycling just one plastic bottle saves enough energy to power a light bulb for six hours. ‎ ‎● Collecting dustbins and cleaning streets cost ￡1.6 billion per year. ‎ Surely you must believe me now. You need to do more . The good news is that there is something else you can do. ‎ ‎50. Every person in the UK throws away ___________ every seven weeks. ‎ A. one ton of rubbish B. two tons of rubbish C. their own body weight in rubbish D. two bodies weight in rubbish ‎51. At Christmas over ________ square kilometres of wrapping paper is thrown in the bin . ‎ ‎ A. 83 B. 500 C. 3,500 D. 5,000‎ ‎52. _______________ cost ￡0.8 billion half a year . ‎ A. Recycling just one plastic bottle B. Collecting dustbins and cleaning streets C. Throwing away common rubbish D. Believing what the writer says ‎ ‎ ‎12 ‎ For Sparky, school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He didn’t do much better in sports. Although he played for the school’s golf team, he lost the only important match of the season.‎ Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates…everyone knew it. Sparky never asked a classmate to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being refused.‎ ‎ However, one thing was important to Sparky – drawing. He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he sent some cartoons to the editors of the Yearbook. Although the cartoons were turned down, Sparky was so confident about his ability that he decided to become an artist.‎ After completing high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork, and the subject for a cartoon was suggested. Sparky spent a great deal of time on it. Finally, the reply came from Disney Studios. He had been rejected（拒绝）once again. Another loss for the loser. ‎ So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography（自传）in cartoons. He described his childhood – a little boy loser and underachiever. The cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had little success in school and whose work was rejected again and again was Charles Schulz. He created the Peanuts comic strip（连环漫画）and little cartoon character – Charlie Brown. ‎ ‎50. We can know that Sparky was ________ from the first paragraph. ‎ A. a top student B. an artist C. a good player D. a failure ‎ ‎51. Sparky never asked a classmate to go out because he ______.‎ A. had never been invited B. didn’t like making friends ‎ C. didn’t want to be refused D. was afraid of making mistakes ‎52. What’s Sparky’s success according to the passage? ‎ A. He was good at golf playing.‎ B. He wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios.‎ C. He drew some cartoons for the Yearbook.‎ D. His Peanuts comic strip became world famous.‎ ‎13 ‎ ‎ ‎ Alex Centre Hotel It’s 300 meters away from the centre square. It has many modern and large rooms. It also has a business centre, meeting rooms, a car park and several restaurants.‎ Youth Hotel It provides more than a hundred rooms. The rooms are not big but clean. No noise can be heard from the streets. There is an outdoor barbecue that everyone loves.‎ Holiday Village It’s built in a beautiful valley. You can have your own house with a small garden. The restaurant in it has delicious food and all kinds of wine, ready for you in the evening, but it may cost much.‎ Fishermen’s Home It’s built by the sea. You don’t need to spend much staying here. Walking along the beach, you can see many fish. You can go fishing on the boat, too. Of course, you can enjoy seafood with your friends in the restaurant.‎ Holiday Inn It’s great for its value. It is lying at the foot of the mountain. It provides basic conditions, but the rooms are clean and big enough for a dance. It has a nice swimming pool. ‎ Karin’s Hotel It’s on an island. It is famous for its wonderful natural views, nice rooms and its service. Staying here can make your trip a pleasant one.‎ 请阅读以下个人信息，并按他们的需求找到匹配的酒店。‎ ‎50. Mr. & Mrs. Smith live in a noisy street. They are going to the beach for a weekend. They dream of eating seafood by the sea and spending a quiet night. They also hope the hotel rooms are not so expensive. ‎ ‎ A. Holiday Inn B. Holiday Village ‎ C. Fishermen’s Home D. Alex Centre Hotel ‎51. Jack is a businessman. He’s going to organize a meeting for business. He is looking for a modern hotel with good service in the centre of the city.‎ ‎ A. Holiday Inn B. Holiday Village ‎ C. Fishermen’s Home D. Alex Centre Hotel ‎52. Jim and Susan plan a trip after their wedding. They want to choose a hotel with natural environment, comfortable rooms and good service. They don’t like going swimming or fishing.‎ A. Holiday Inn B. Karin’s Hotel ‎ C. Holiday Village D. Fishermen’s Home ‎14 ‎ The other day, I decided to teach my son about the power (力量) of small acts of kindness. He ‎ had won some candies in a prize machine in the local supermarket, so I asked him if he would like to share his candies with others. He was hesitant (犹豫的) because he is a shy little boy, but he said yes after I encouraged him a bit.‎ ‎ A father and his child passed by us. I went to the father and asked if my son could give his daughter some candies that he had won. The father looked at me in a strange way and was unsure what to say. I explained that I was teaching my son about the power of kindness. At last, he said it was OK.‎ ‎ We went to his daughter, but to my surprise, the little girl wouldn’t accept the candies! My son was rather embarrassed (尴尬), and then he said lowly to me, “We go to the same school, Mom.” And I suddenly remembered I had seen the little girl before in my son’s school. ‎ ‎ When we left the supermarket, I explained to my son that people in the world today were not so open to kindness, and I told him not to be embarrassed. “They may have been unfriendly, but I’m sure we left them moved in some way. And the young girl will remember you as the boy with a kind heart when she meets you at school!” I said and he nodded.‎ ‎47. What did the boy feel when the little girl refused his candies?‎ A. Angry. B. Disappointed. C. Surprised. D. Embarrassed.‎ ‎48. After reading the passage, we learn that ____.‎ A. the little girl was very shy B. the little girl’s father was unfriendly ‎ C. the little boy and little girl were in the same school D. the little girl felt sad because she didn’t win any candies ‎49. By saying the words in the last paragraph, the writer mainly wants to ____.‎ A. tell us that it’s not good to live in the past B. tell us that people are not friendly today C. tell her son not to be afraid to meet the little girl D. make her son understand that his kindness will be remembered ‎15 ‎ Teenager Callie Rogers was “jumping and screaming” when she realized she had become the National Lottery’s (彩票) youngest ever millionaire (百万富翁). The 16-year-old, from Cockermouth, Cumbria, described the moment when she realized that she had won the £1,875,000 prize on Saturday. ‎ Callie told reporters at the meeting organized by the lottery that she was dog-sitting for a friend when the draw (抽奖) took place. She said she rushed home to check the numbers — 1, 10, 17, 23, 29, and 35 — which were based on her family birthdays. Callie was one of eight winners sharing the £15,000,000 prize. And she said she was looking forward to taking her first holiday in Australia. ‎ She said: “Hopefully I will help my family have a better life.” But Callie, who left school in December last year, said becoming a millionaire would mean a different future. She said she was going to go traveling for two years, and then would like to become a social worker. ‎ One of the first things she hopes to buy is a new computer for her mother. Callie, who will be 17 in December, is going to treat herself as well, and said she wanted to buy a Peugeot 206 when she learnt to drive. She said: “My brother also wants a motorbike and my sister wants a piano.”‎ Callie had been working since leaving school at a number of jobs, as a shop assistant, a ‎ waitress, and at the Community Center, and she was happy to take a break. ‎ ‎50. What prize did Callie win?‎ A. £1,875,000. B. £15,000,000. C. A holiday in Australia. D. A Peugeot 206.‎ ‎51. Callie chose the lottery numbers according to ______.‎ A. her telephone number B. her family birthdays ‎ C. the ages of her family D. her friends’ birthdays ‎52. What will Callie probably do after winning the prize?‎ A. She will go traveling for a year.‎ B. She will continue her education.‎ C. She will buy a new computer for her grandmother.‎ D. She will buy the gifts that her brother and sister want.‎ ‎16 ‎ One cold day, Mariko and her dad were walking to the store. ‎ ‎“I’m tired of winter,” said Mariko.‎ ‎ Dad waved at their neighbor. “I bet Mr. Hill wishes spring would come too.” Mariko looked up to see Mr. Hill in his window. He waved, and she waved back.‎ ‎ “Mr. Hill loves his garden,” said Mariko. Mr. Hill had the prettiest spring flower garden. It was full of tulips and daffodils(水仙花).‎ ‎ Dad nodded. “Yes, he does. And since he is old, it is hard for him to go outside in winter. The streets are too icy.”‎ ‎ At the store, Mariko helped dad choose milk, bread, and carrots.‎ ‎ “You may choose a treat for yourself, Mariko,” said dad.‎ ‎ Mariko thought an apple would taste good. But suddenly something else caught her eye.‎ ‎ She pulled on dad’s sleeve(衣袖). “Oh, Dad, look, daffodils!”‎ ‎ Dad smiled. “Is that the treat you want?”‎ ‎ Mariko nodded.‎ ‎ Mariko couldn’t stop looking at her daffodils all the way home. But when she got to Mr. Hill’s house, she stopped. She looked up at the window.‎ ‎ “Wait here, dad, please,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”‎ ‎ Mariko rang the doorbell.‎ ‎ When Mr. Hill came to the door, Mariko held out the daffodils.‎ ‎ Mr. Hill’s face lit up like the sun. “What a wonderful winter surprise!” he cried. “You have brought me spring!”‎ ‎52. It’s hard for Mr. Hill to go outside in winter because .‎ A. there are many people in the streets B. the streets are too icy C. he has to look after his flowers D. he likes working in his garden ‎53. Mariko gave the daffodils to her at last.‎ A. father B. teacher C. mother D. neighbor ‎54. From the passage we can know Mariko .‎ ‎ A. wants to please her father B. is kind and thinks of others C. doesn’t like winter at all D. likes pretty things like flowers ‎ ‎ ‎17 ‎ When he was a schoolboy, Adrian Hayes read with fascination about the expeditions of the polar explorers. Now he has taken himself to three of the most deserted places on Earth: the North Pole, the South Pole and the top of Mount Everest（珠穆朗玛峰）. He is the 15th person to do so ─ and the fastest so far, taking 19 months.‎ First he went to Mount Everest. He reached the top on May 25, 2006. Then in early 2007 Mr. Hayes left his home for the second and most difficult of the three expeditions — the journey to the North Pole. It took 50 days for him and two companions to trek 482 miles in temperatures as low as -60°C.‎ For most, that journey alone would be enough. However, Mr. Hayes had one more to complete. On November 12, he set out as part of a team of five and walked 702 miles to the South Pole.‎ Just before reaching the South Pole, he said, “Most explorers have taken several years to have completed the challenge, but I am very lucky to have been able to do it within 19 months.”‎ Mr. Hayes said he had mixed emotions about ending his journey. “There is a little bit of sadness,” he added. “You become accustomed to the environment and get into a routine. However, it is exciting to near the end of what has been a difficult task.” ‎ ‎50. How long does it take Adrian to climb to the three most deserted places on Earth? ‎ A. 3 years. B. 4 years. C. 19 months. D. 50 days ‎ ‎51. In which order did Mr. Hayes go to the three places? ‎ ‎ ① the North Pole ② the South Pole ③ Mount Everest ‎ A. ①②③ B. ②①③ C. ③②① D. ③①②‎ ‎52. When Mr. Hayes got to the South Pole, he felt _____ ‎ ‎ A. sad and exhausted B. excited but a bit sad ‎ C. excited and tired D. regretful and worried