北斗星-中考英语真题阅读 Topic 15 Literature and the Arts 文学与艺术

Topic Fifteen Literature and the Arts 文学与艺术
话说中考
本话题是文学与艺术，使学生了解我国及世界不同地区的文学与艺术领域的特色、发展及创新等情况，并能尊重和接受不同的文学与艺术。中考阅读理解对本话题考查是通过阅读小短文理解大意，从短文中分析、整理出文学或艺术的历史、特色、新闻人物、发展创新及走向。目的是陶冶学生情操，提升文化素养以及培养学生欣赏和发展文学与艺术的能力。这就要求学生在日常生活中多关注当代文学与艺术的发展动向，多涉足文学与艺术领域，亲身去感受文学与艺术的魅力。
走近中考(四川乐山·2009)
If you are a teenage boy，and you want to succeed in life，you'd better read this great book．From Boys to Men by an American writer，Michael Gurian，tells teenage boys that they are living through the best years of their lives．There is no reason for them not to love life．
You may think that only your body is growing at the moment．But the book says your mind is growing，too．The book tells teenage boys that they need to help their bodies and minds grow．To do this，they should stop spending their time playing computer games and should start playing sports．Sports，the book says，keep you healthy and teach you important life skills．They teach you how to be a leader and how to work as part of a team．
The book also tells boys how to love life if they're being bullied(被欺负)．It says boys have to stop being scared(害怕的) of such bullies．It is the only way they can become more successful people．
To become the man you want to be，you have to think for yourself and believe in yourself．But，most importantly，the book says，you must always dream of success．Never be happy with what you've got，and always want more．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．From Boys to Men is _______．
A．a Chinese magazine
B．a piece of music
C．an American book
( ) 2．Michael Gurian tells teenage boys to _______．
A．play games with other boys
B．learn to repair machines
C．love their life
( ) 3．The book tells us that _______．
A．our bodies and minds grow at the same time
B．our bodies are much stronger than our minds
C．our minds grow faster than our bodies
( ) 4．The book says that sports can _______．
A．teach you how to keep healthy
B．teach you important life skills
C．A and B
( ) 5．The writer of this passage wishes us to _______．
A．read From Boys to Men
B．help him sell the book soon
C．send the book to others
解析
本文主要介绍了 From Boys to Men 这本书的内容。书中告诫青少年要热爱生活，为他们的成长提出了很好的建议。
1．C 由开头 you'd better read this great book．From Boys to Men by an American writer，可知。
2．C 语句理解题。根据 There is no reason for them not to love life．可知是告诫他们热爱生活。
3．A 根据第二段第二句 But the book says your mind is growing，too．可知。
4．C 由第二段倒数第二句 Sports，the book says，keep you healthy and teach you important life skills．可知 A 和 B 都对。
5．A 由短文第一段第一句可知作者的写作意图是“希望人们去读这本书”。
话题专练
一
Life is like the four seasons．Now I am very old，but when I was young，it was the spring of my life．I was born，I played a lot，and then I started school．I learned many new things．Like a flower，I grew bigger every day．There were happy days and sorrowful days：some days the sun shone，and some days it didn't．
In my twenties，I had a good job．I was strong and happy．Then I married(结婚) and had a child．In those days，I didn't have much time to think．Every day I was busy and worked very hard．And so，I started to get some white hairs．The summer of my life passed quickly．
Then the days got shorter．Leaves fell from the trees．My child was a university student，and then an engineer．My home was much quieter．I started walking more slowly．One day I stopped working．I had more time．I understood this was my autumn，a beautiful time when the trees change color and give us delicious fruits．
But the days kept getting shorter and colder．Winter has come．I am older and weaker．I know I do not have many days left，but I will enjoy them to the end．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．The writer started walking more slowly in the _______ of his life．
A．spring B．summer C．autumn D．winter
( ) 2．According to the passage，which of the following ages is during the summer of his life
A．15． B．33． C．62． D．87．
( ) 3．What does the word "sorrowful" mean in this passage
A．Sad． B．Exciting． C．Wonderful． D．Pleasant．
( ) 4．Which of the following is true
A．The writer was an engineer．
B．The writer had a garden with flowers．
C．The writer was always happy as a child．
D．The writer now is old and weak，but still he enjoys his life．
( ) 5．The best title of the passage can be _______．
A．Four Seasons
B．My Life
C．Four Seasons in a Year
D．Four Seasons in My Life
答案：
1．C 细节判断题。根据每个阶段的描述，可知是在秋季。
2．B 根据一年四季划分年龄段可得出答案。
3．A 由下文“一些天，太阳照耀(露出笑脸)；一些天，太阳不出来(阴天)”可推出此处表达心情“不高兴的”。
4．D 可用排除法。根据短文大意，可知只有 D 正确。
5．D 纵观全文内容可知最佳标题是“我生命中的四季”。
二
The program "China Year in Russia(俄罗斯)" has ended，but the cultural ties between the two countries grow stronger．"Chinese fever(中国热)" continues in Russia．
Fifty-year-old Wei Dehan has been studying Chinese culture for thirty years．He was among the first Russians to open a Chinese teahouse in Moscow．That was in 1995．He also taught Chinese language and Tai chi(太极)．During "China Year in Russia"，he set up a magazine introducing Chinese culture．It's popular with local readers．
In Russia，young people who can speak Chinese are popular．Young people who are able to speak Chinese language find jobs easily．Some 15-thousand people attend Chinese language classes in Russia．The Confucius Institute(孔子学院)，the world-wide Chinese language and culture education center，has been set up in thirteen of Russia's universities and colleges．
Besides the language，Chinese way of life is becoming a common factor(因素) in the daily lives of Russian people．Green tea，Chinese food and Tai chi become popular．
Russian newspapers and magazines praised(称赞) "China Year in Russia" as a timely event．They said that the program deepened(加深) understanding between the people of the two countries．It also opens the way for further cultural exchanges．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．How long has Wei Dehan been learning Chinese culture
A．For 50 years．
B．For 30 years．
C．Since 1995．
( ) 2．During "China Year in Russia"，Wei Dehan _______．
A．opened a Chinese teahouse in Moscow
B．taught Chinese language and Taichi
C．set up a magazine introducing Chinese culture
( ) 3．_______ become popular in Russia．
A．Green tea，Chinese food and TaiChi
B．Chinese language
C．Both A and B
( ) 4．"China Year in Russia" _______．
A．deepened(加深) understanding between the people of the two countries
B．opens the way for further cultural exchanges
C．A and B
( ) 5．Which of the following sentences is not true
A．Wei Dehan was the only Russian to open a Chinese teahouse in Moscow．
B．The Confucius Institute has been set up in thirteen of Russia's universities and colleges．
C．Young people in Russia who are able to speak Chinese language find jobs easily．
答案：
1．B 根据第二段第一句可知。
2．C 由第二段倒数第二句可知，其他两项活动均在此之前。
3．C 词义理解题。由第四段中 besides 为“除了……外，还有(包括除去部分)”可知。
4．C 根据最后一段可知“俄罗斯中国年”活动的意义和作用。
5．A 细节判断题。由第二段 He was among the first Russians to open a Chinese teahouse in Moscow．可知他不是唯一的，他只是其中一位。
三
As young students，you have many dreams．These dreams can be very big，such as winning the Nobel Prize；they can also be small，such as becoming one of the best students in your class．
Once you find a dream，what do you do with it Do you ever try to make your dream real
Andrew Matthews，an Australian writer，tells us that making your dreams real is life's biggest challenge．You may think you're not very good at some school subjects，or that it's impossible for you to become a writer．Those kinds of ideas stop you from realizing your dream．
In fact，everyone can realize his dream．The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is．Don't let it leave your heart．Keep telling yourself what you want every day and then your dream will come true faster．You should know that a big dream is，in fact，made up of many small dreams．
You must also never give up your dream．There will be difficulties on the road to your dreams．But the biggest difficulty comes from yourself．You need to decide what is the most important．Studying instead of watching TV will help you to get better exam results，while saving five yuan instead of buying an ice cream means you can buy a new book．
As you get closer to your dream，it may change a little．This is good as you have the chance to learn something more useful and find new hobbies．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．Which of the following isn't mentioned in this passage
A．You may think you're not good at some school subjects．
B．Making your dreams real is life's biggest challenge．
C．You must never give up your dream．
D．Listening to English more can help you realize your dream．
( ) 2．If we have dreams in our hearts and work hard，our dreams _______．
A．can't be realized
B．can be very small
C．will come true
D．can be very big
( ) 3．How do you make your dream come true faster
A．Remember what your dream is．
B．Don't let your dream leave your heart．
C．Keep telling yourself what you want every day．
D．A，B and C．
( ) 4．To make your dream real，the first thing you must do is _______．
A．to remember what your dream is
B．to decide what is the most important
C．to learn something more useful and find new hobbies
D．to get better exam results
( ) 5．The best title(标题) of this passage is _______．
A．How to Become a Writer
B．How to Make Your Dream Real
C．A Big Dream Is Made Up of Small Dreams
D．Everyone Can Realize His Dream
答案：
1．D 可用排除法。A 和 B 在第三段提及，答案 C 在第五段第一句可提及。
2．C 根据第四段 your dream will come true faster．可知。
3．D 由整个第四段可知。
4．T 根据第四段第二句 The first thing you must do is to remember what your dream is．可知。
5．B 纵观全文不难看出短文的最好标题应是：如何实现自己的梦想。
四
As we know，there are differences between western culture and Chinese culture．We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used．Let's look at the words about animals and plants．Most expressions in Chinese about the dog，for example，"a homeless dog"，"a mad dog"，"a running dog" and "a dog catching a mouse"，have negative meanings．
But in western countries，dogs are thought to be honest and good friends of humans．In English，people use the dog to describe positive actions．For example，"you are a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person．And "every dog has its day" means each person has good luck sometimes．To describe a person's serious illness，they say "sick as a dog"．The word "dog-tired" means very tired．However，Chinese love cats very much．But in western culture，"cat" is often used to describe a woman who is cruel．
The rose is regarded as a symbol of love in both China and some western countries．People think the rose means love，peace，courage and friendship．And the rose is the national flower of England，America and many other countries．
The words about plants and animals are used in positive or negative ways in different cultures．We can learn about many differences in cultures by comparing how some words are used．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．"You are a lucky dog" means "_______"．
A．Everybody in the world is lucky
B．Each person lives his own way of life
C．You are a lucky person
D．Everybody has a time in life to be lucky
( ) 2．Western people usually use "cat" to refer to "_______"．
A．a tired person
B．a brave man
C．a homeless person
D．an unkind woman
( ) 3．In English，people use ________ to describe positive actions．
A．the dog
B．the cat
C．the rose
D．the words
( ) 4．Which of the following is true according to the passage ________
A．Words show differences in culture．
B．Chinese people prefer dogs to cats．
C．Western people think cats to be good friends．
D．Rose is the national flower of all western countries．
( ) 5．What's the best title for the passage ________
A．Negative or Positive
B．Different Countries Have Different Culture
C．Rose Means the Same in Chinese and English
D．What Dog and Cat Mean in English and Chinese
答案：
1．C 细节判断题。根据句子 "you are a lucky dog" means you are a lucky person．可知。
2．D 词义理解题。由“in western culture，"cat" is often used to describe a woman who is cruel．”中 cruel 词义“残暴的”可知。
3．A 由“In English，people use the dog to describe positive actions．”可知。
4．A 由“We can see differences when we pay attention to the way words are used．”可知。
5．B 纵观全文，比较了中西方的文化，主要说明了不同国家具有不同的文化。
五
Everyone loves Johnny Cash's music．I think he is one of those greatest American song writers．It took me a long time to realize how great Johnny Cash's music was．In my family，the first person who listened to Johnny Cash was my dad．
That all changed when I met my first girlfriend．She liked all the old country stars，including Willie Nelson，Merle Haggard，and Bill Monroe．Whether it was country，bluegrass，or Western music，she could not get enough of it．She loved Johnny Cash's music best．
I hated the music that she listened to．At first，I pretended(假装) to like Johnny Cash's music just to humor her，but soon it started to grow on me．I guessed that I'd never give it a chance．But honestly，once I started listening to the music of the man，it blew my mind．I had never heard anything like it．
I got my heart broken by that girl，and it was a long time before I could listen to anything that she had played for me．However，I was drawn back to the music of Johnny Cash．I have been listening to Johnny Cash until now．And it is almost always on my play list．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．According to the passage，the writer _______ before he met his first girlfriend．
A．liked Johnny Cash's music
B．didn't like Johnny Cash's music
C．liked all the old country stars
D．didn't like all the old country stars
( ) 2．Who was the first person that listened to Johnny Cash in the family
A．The writer himself．
B．The writer's first girlfriend．
C．The writer's father．
D．The writer's mother．
( ) 3．At first，the writer disliked Johnny Cash's music，didn't he
A．Yes，he did．
B．Yes，he didn't．
C．No，he did．
D．No，he didn't．
( ) 4．The writer's girlfriend liked _______ best．
A．Willie Nelson
B．Western music
C．Johnny Cash's music
D．Bill Monroe
( ) 5．We can know _______ from the passage．
A．the writer married his first girl friend
B．the writer hated Johnny Cash's music at last
C．at first，the writer pretended to like Johnny Cash's music just to humor his girlfriend
D．Johnny Cash is a great singer
答案：
1．B 由第三段句子 At first，I pretended(假装) to like Johnny Cash's music 可知。
2．C 由第一段最后一句 In my family，the first person who listened to Johnny Cash was my dad．可知。
3．A 此题结合考查反意疑问句的答语。根据第三段开头可知他不喜欢，故用肯定回答。
4．C 由第二段最后一句 She loved Johnny Cash's music best．可知。
5．C 纵观全文，我们在最后一段首句可知作者与女友分手了；并可看出作者最后喜欢上了 Johnny Cash's music；在首段第二句也知 Johnny Cash 是位词作家，非歌手。
六
My grandfather is an eighty-year-old man．He changed，and he often says that life used to be better．
Families aren't families the way they used to be．A lot of families have broken down．If husband and wife have problems with their marriage，they no longer stay together．And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children，but now everyone's working．No one has time to look after children at home．
And the cars! No one walks any more：everyone drives．We used to walk five miles to school every day，even in winter．But now they don't．And in school the children don't have to think any more．In math class，for example，we used to add，subtract，multiply and divide in our heads．Kids don't use their heads any more；instead，they use calculators(计算器)．
Most families have computers now．In the past we didn't have computers．We didn't even have lights．My mother used to spend all day cooking in the kitchen．But now nobody eats at home and cooks food any more．
And people don't talk to each other any more．They are too busy to talk，too busy to eat，too busy to think...
Life used to be simple，but it isn't any more．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．My grandfather thinks the life _______．
A．is better than it used to be
B．is worse than it used to be
C．is as good as it used to be
D．is as bad as it used to be
( ) 2．In the past _______．
A．mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children
B．no one has time to look after children at home
C．nobody eats at home and cooks food
D．kids don't use their heads，instead，they use calculators
( ) 3．What changes have happened to some families
① There are lights at home．
② People like to eat at home and cook food．
③ Lots of families have computers．
④ Lots of couples live apart because of some problems．
A．①②④ B．②③④ C．①②③ D．①③④
( ) 4．Which is TRUE according to the passage
A．People have too much time to talk with each other．
B．Life now is very simple．
C．Many families have broken down because of problems between husbands and wives．
D．Mothers stay at home and look after their children now．
( ) 5．The best title for this passage is _______．
A．How Life Used to Be
B．The Better Life
C．The Changes in Our Life
D．Hard-working Students
答案：
1．B 根据此句“he often says that life used to be better．”可以看出他认为过去生活更好。
2．A 由“And mothers used to stay at home and take care of their children”可知，其他选项都是现在的生活情况。
3．D 推断题。根据文中描述的变化可知 ①③④，而 ② 根据“now nobody eats at home and cooks food any more．”可知错误。
4．C 根据短文大意可知只有选项 C 正确，其他选项都与文意相反。
5．C 纵观全文内容可以看出主要是描述生活的变化。
七
Why do people wear clothes The answer will probably be "To make me warm and to cover my body"．That's why people wear clothes，but people also want to look attractive and appear successful to others．
If people only wore clothes for warmth and to cover their bodies，most clothes would be simple and cheap．In many countries，however，clothes are sometimes very expensive．The main reason for this is not the cost of the materials or the cost of making clothes．The clothes are expensive because of fashion．
Successful businessmen，for example，often wear very expensive suits，shirts and ties．So they pay thousands of dollars for a suit and hundreds of dollars for a tie．It's still just a suit and a tie but they pay these prices because of the famous designer．
Fashion is constantly(持续不断地) changing．It means that people who want to be fashionable have to buy new clothes every few months，even if last month's clothes have only been worn once or twice．Some people have boxes full of clothes，but some of these clothes have never been worn．These clothes are no longer in fashion though they are still new．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．People wear clothes to _______．
A．keep warm
B．cover the body
C．look attractive and appear successful to others
D．all of above
( ) 2．Clothes are sometimes very expensive _______．
A．because of the materials
B．because of fashion
C．because of the cost of making clothes
D．all of the above
( ) 3．Successful businessmen pay thousands of dollars for a suit and a tie because of _______．
A．the materials
B．fashion
C．the famous designer
D．the cost of making clothes
( ) 4．Some of these clothes have never been worn because _______．
A．they are new
B．they are out of style
C．they are old
D．they are very expensive
( ) 5．Which of the following sentences is NOT true
A．Fashion is constantly changing．
B．Some people have boxes full of clothes．
C．People buy new clothes every few months because the clothes have been worn once or twice．
D．Successful businessmen often wear very expensive suits，shirts and ties．
答案：
1．D 根据文中第一段可得出结论。
2．D 由文中第二段可以看出前三个选项都是原因。
3．C 由第三段最后一句“they pay these prices because of the famous designer．”可知。
4．B 语义理解题。由文中最后一句中“no longer in fashion”可知是“过时；不时髦”。
5．C 由“It means that people who want to be fashionable have to buy new clothes every few months”可知此句不正确。
八
Two people sit down to play Go(围棋)．One of the players is an old man．He is now 89 years old．He has spent all of his life playing this game．The other person is a young woman．She has been playing Go for only three years．Before this，the woman was an expert at playing computer games．Now she plays Go the same way she played computers — by becoming a machine herself．
They will play many games，until they know who the winner is．The woman shows no feeling but thinking about all the possible ways of placing her next stone．The old man，on the other hand，looks at the movements of her hands and of her face．This has always helped him to win．
He wins the first three games．She wins the next game，and the man is surprised．He has never lost to a woman．The old man worries about the way the young woman is playing the game．He can't read her face；he doesn't understand her way of playing．"The way I think about the game，" says the woman，"is that it is a step for getting what I want．" Again，the old man is surprised．For him，the game is a way of life itself，and not a model of life．
"There is no more beauty any longer．Everything is science and rules．Everything is about winning．Nothing is about playing，" he says．
They can't agree with each other；but it is not necessary．
"Change is a necessary part of life，" thinks the man．
"Playing is as important as winning，" thinks the woman．
They start to play their final game．
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
( ) 1．According to the passage，the Go games are played by _______．
A．two Go beginners
B．two Go lovers
C．father and daughter
D．husband and wife
( ) 2．Before the woman plays Go，she was _______．
A．a computer game player
B．a computer science teacher
C．a computer engineer
D．a computer store owner
( ) 3．Which of the following is true according to the passage
A．The old man loses the third game to the woman．
B．The old man wins all the games against the woman．
C．The woman has her own way of playing Go．
D．The woman is very slow in learning how to play Go．
( ) 4．From the passage we can know _______．
A．the old man doesn't care who the winner is
B．the woman pays no attention to the steps
C．the old man learns something from the woman
D．the woman loses the last game to the old man
( ) 5．What is the best title of the passage
A．An Old Go Player
B．A Strange Woman
C．A Boring Game
D．Winning or Playing
答案：
1．B 从短文开头部分及后面可以看出两人是围棋爱好者。
2．A 由 Before this，the woman was an expert at playing computer games．可知。
3．C 此题可用排除法。选项 A、B 根据第三段第一、二句可知不正确；D 也与文意不符。
4．C 从文中可以看出“老人不关心输赢；女人不注意棋步；女人最后输给了老人”都与短文不符。
5．D 纵观全文可以看出老人与女人的观点应是短文的主题。
九
What is happiness I often think about this question．If I ask what it is，some people will laugh at me because they think it is an easy question．I often ask them，"What is happiness " Some of them say to me，"You're foolish．The answer to this easy question is to have a lot of money．"When I get this answer，I don't feel glad．Some will ask me again，"Why " I will say，"Well，having a lot of money isn't a bad thing．At the present time，some people begin to find jobs to make a living．They all want to be the second，the third，the fourth，even the fifth Bill Gates．Maybe they're 2．millionaires now，but are they happy I don't think so．If they want to be another Bill Gates，3．they must spend more time on their jobs and take less care of their families or other things．Though they have a lot of money，I don't think they have a happy life．"
If you want to be a person with a lot of happiness，then try to do like this：
Be a kind，helpful and friendly person．
Be a person with a lot of smiles．
Well，4．the more work，the more rewards．Let's begin to work hard now．Try to be a good person，and then you will not feel sorry for yourself when you are old．5 我认为它对每个人来说是最幸福的。
Working hard is good．But don't forget your friends and your family after work．Spend more time with them and you'll have more happiness．
根据短文内容完成下列各题。
1．When the writer asks what happiness is，why do some people laugh at him
_____________________________________________________________．
2．The word "millionaire" in Chinese means ________．
A．商人 B．医生 C．明星 D．百万富翁
3．将画线部分译成汉语。
________________________________________
4．将画线部分译成汉语。
________________________________________
5．将画线部分译成英语。
________________________________________
答案：
1．Because they think it is an easy question．问题是问人们嘲笑“我”的原因，故根据“some people will laugh at me because they think it is an easy question．”得出结论。
2．D 根据前面提到幸福是有钱，又提到了比尔·盖茨，故可判断是“百万富翁”。
3．他们必须在工作上花费更多的时间，在家庭或其他事情上花很少的时间。 这里关键是要注意 spend 和 take 的用法。
4．劳动越多，回报越多。 此处关键是译好 the more... the more...，其意思为“越……越……”。
5．I think it's the best happiness for everyone．这里是“最幸福的”，故用最高级。