八年级第二学期英语期末阅读练习精选

⑴ Surtsey was born in 1963.Scientists saw the birth of this island. It began at 7.30 a.m. on 14th November. A fishing boat was near Iceland. The boat moved under the captain's（船长）feet. He noticed a strange smell. He saw some black smoke. A volcano（火山）was breaking out. Red-hot rocks, fire and smoke were rushing up from the bottom（底部）of the sea.The island grew quickly. It was 10 metres high the next day and 60 metres high on 18th November. Scientists flew there to watch. It was exciting. Smoke and fire were still rushing up. Pieces of red-hot rock were flying into the air and falling into the sea. The sea was boiling and there was a strange light in the sky. Surtsey grew and grew. Then it stopped in June 1967.It was 175 metres high and 2 kilometres long. And life was already coming to Surtsey. Plants grew. Birds came. Some scientists built a house. They want to learn about this young island. A new island is like a new world.

1.Surtsey is ______.

A. an island not far from Iceland B. a new volcano
C. a fishing boat D. a place in Iceland

2.Scientists flew there ______.

A .to watch the birth of the island B. to save the fishing boat
C. to learn about the island D. to build a house

3.When did scientist fly there to watch?

A. Before the volcano broke out. B. As soon as the volcano broke out.

C. About four days after the volcano broke out.

D. After the volcano l stopped rushing up.

4.Put the following sentences in correct order.

a. The captain found the boat was moving. b. A new island appeared in the sea.

c. Fire,smoke and rocks were seen rushing up. d. A fishing boat was near Iceland.

e. The island grew quickly.

A.d-a-c-b-e 　　B.a-b-c-d-e　　C.a-b-e-c-d　　D.b-e-d-a-c

5.The best title of this article is ________.

A.A new island B. The birth of an island

C.A new world D .Scientists discovered Surtsey

⑵On Nov.18th,1908,three men went up in a balloon（气球）.They started early in London. The headman was Auguste Gaudron, and the other two men were Tannar and Maitland. They had a big balloon and they were ready for a long way.

　　Soon they heard the sea. They were carrying the usual rope（绳子）,and it was hanging down from the basket of the balloon. At the end of the rope they had tied a metal box.This could hold water ,or it could be empty. So they were able to change its weight.It was for use over the sea. They were also carrying some bags of sand.

　　After the sun rose, the balloon went higher. It went up to 3,000 metres, and the air was very cold.The water in the balloon became ice.Snow fell past the men's basket, and they could see more snow on the ground. The men tried to throw out some more sand; but it was hard. They tried to break the icy sand with their knives, but it was not easy. The work was slow and they were still falling, so they had to drop some whole bags of sand. One of them fell on an icy lake and made a black hole in the ice.

　　At last they pulled the box into the basket. It was still snowing; so they　climbed to get away from the snow. They rose to 5,100 metres! Everything became icy. They were so cold that they decided to land. They came down in Poland　heavily but safely. They had travelled 1,797 kilometres from London!

1.Three men flew in balloon ________.

A. for nearly 1,800 kilometres B .to another city

C .to visit Poland` D. more than a century ago

2.The metal box was used for ________.

A. carrying the bags of sand　　　 B. keeping drinking-water

C. carrying ropes of the basket 　D. changing weight

3.When the balloon went up higher,________.

A. the temperature of the balloon began to fall B. They saw the sun go down

C. They made a hole in the basket with their knives
D. They could see a black hole on the ground

4.The balloon landed ________.

A. in London　　B. on the sea 　　C. on a lake 　　D. in a foreign country

5.Which of the following is NOT true?________

A. The three men started their journey before the sun rose.

B .The balloon began to go up when they threw bags of sand out of the basket.

C .When they pulled the box into the basket, the balloon began to climb up.

D. The three men had to land because they felt cold.

⑶Robert is sixteen now. He’ll finish middle school in two years. His father has a shop and got much money. He hopes his son can go to university and makes him study hard. But the young man likes to play at cards. He has to go out when his parents fall asleep.

One night, when Robert came back, his father happened to see him. The old man was very angry and told his son to live upstairs. Robert has to go up and down quietly. Of course it troubles him. He thought and thought but didn’t find a way.

Last evening Robert listened carefully. And he was sure his parents went to sleep, he went out to play at cards with his friends. He won some money and was happy. And he got back, he took off his shoes and was going upstairs. He heard a noise in his parents’ bedroom. He stood behind the door and saw a man come out. He understood it was a thief (小偷). He stopped him at once. The man was very afraid and brought out all the things he stole (偷) in the room.

“Tell me how you didn’t wake my parents up,” said Robert. “Or I’ll take you to the police station!”

( ) 1. Robert’s father wants Robert ________________________.

A. to catch up with his classmates

B. to be a good helper when he finishes middle school

C. to study in a university

D. to work in his shop

( ) 2. Why does Robert have to go out at night?

A. Because his friends have no time in the daytime.

B. Because he can play at cards when his parents fall asleep.

C. Because he can’t win any money in the daytime.

D. Because his parents let him do so after they go to sleep.

( ) 3. Why do Robert’s parents ask him to live upstairs?

A. Because they are old.

B. Because Robert doesn’t like any noise.

C. Because the room upstairs is better than the one downstairs.

D. Because they can hear if Robert goes out at night.

( ) 4. Robert listened carefully because he wanted to know __________________

A. if his parents went to sleep

B. if he woke his parents up

C. if it was raining hard outside

D. if someone came in

( ) 5. Robert wanted _________________________________.

A. to stop playing at cards

B. to know how to make more money

C. to learn how he couldn’t wake his parents up

D. the thief to teach him how to steal

⑷David was in bed because he had been ill. Feeling better one morning, he sat up. Bright sunlight was going through the windows. “Mother!” he called out. “Come and see the tiny specks (微粒) in the air.” Mrs Lawson told David that what he could see was only dust (灰尘 ). He asked, “Why does it come in that narrow piece of air?” His mother said, “The dust is in the air everywhere. It comes through doors and windows, but we can only see it when strong light shows it to us. It is in the air we breathe, but luckily we have hairs inside our nose. They catch dust and stop it from going down our lungs.” David’s mother brought a duster and started to clean his dressing table. “See,” she said, “the dust comes down on the table, on our skin and clothes. When it is thick enough, we can see it clearly. Dust is made of soil, smoke from fires and even germs (细菌).” “Thanks, Mum,” said David. “I was feeling better. I think I had better breathe through a handkerchief so I don’t get any new germs!”

( ) 1. David stayed at home because ______________________.

A. he wanted to look at dust

B. he wanted to help his mother clean the house

C. he didn’t feel well

D. he didn’t need to go to school

( ) 2. We can see the dust when __________________________.

A. we are in the dark B. we are in the sun

C. it flies in the air D. strong light shows it to us

( ) 3. The underlined word “duster” most probably means __________________.

A. 面罩 B. 抹布 C. 除尘机 D. 撒粉器

( ) 4. In fact we all know the dust is _____________________.

A. only in sunlight B. everywhere of the universe

C. only on tables and clothes D. in the air

( ) 5. The best title of the passage may be ____________________.

A. “A Lesson about Dust B. David and His Mother

C. A Sad Day for David D. Dust and Health

⑸In the world ,soccer of football is the most popular sport. This is because many countries have wonderful teams for the World Cup. The World Cup is held every four years.

　　 To remember 2002 FIFA World Cup ,children from different countries and more than 60 children from Japanese schools came together and spent three weekends drawing a big picture called “Dream World Cups ”in Japan .The children drew animals, flowers and people playing soccer under a bule bright sky. They wished each football team good luck by drawing the flags of all the countries that will take part in the World Cup in Japan and South Korea.The picture was put up in a park near a playground in Yokohama .Some football teams will have games there.

　　 Are you a football fan？The World Cup makes more and more people interested in football Teenagers like playing and watching football .Many of them love some football stars so much that they get the pictures of their favourite players on the walls of their rooms. That is the way to show their love for the World Cup as children in Japan.

(　）1.If a country wants to take part in the World Cup ,she must have______.

A. many football fans B.a very good team C. many football playerD. a big playground

( ) 2.The next World Cup will be held in_______.

　　 A.2006 　　B.2007 　　C.2005 　　D.2004

( ) 3. From the passage ,in the picture children drew many things except_________.

A. people playing football B. pictures of some football stars C. a sunny skyD. flowers

( ) 4.In “Dream World Cup”,the children drew the flags of some countries______.

A. to show their love for their owe country B. to tell the people their stories

C. to show their good wishes for the football teams

D. to show their new ideas about football

( ) 5.Many teenagers owe the pictures of some football stars because______.

A. they are interested in football 　　　　　　　B. they are football fans

C. they think their favourite players are great 　　D. all of A,B and C

（6）In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist .So he invented a very simple camera . He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden. That was the first photo.

　　 The next important date in the history of photography (摄影术) was in 1837. That year, Daguere, another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room. He used a new kind of camera in a differentway. In his picture you couild see exerything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype.

　　 Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s way. Travellers brought back wondeful photos from all around the world. people took picture of famous buildings, cities and mountains.

　　 In about 1840, photography was developed.Then photographers could take picture of people and moving things. That was not simple. The photographers had to carry a lot of film and other machines. But this did not stop them, for example, some in the United Ststes worked so hard.

　　 Mathew Brady was a famous American photographers. He took many picture of gread people. The picture were unusual beause they were very lifelike(栩栩如生的).

　　 Photographers also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photod were nor just cooies of the real world. They showed and feelings, like other kinds of art.

( ) 1.The first photo taken by Niepce was a picturte of ____________

　　 A. his business 　　 　B. his house　C. his garden 　　D. his window

( ) 2.The Daguerrotype was____________.

A. a Frenchman　B. a kind of picture 　C. a kind of camera D. a photographer

( ) 3.If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840, he had to__________.

A. watch lots of films 　B. buy an expensive camera

C. stop in most cities 　D. take many films and something else with him.

( ) 4. Mathew Brady______________.

A.was very lifelike B. was famous for his unusual pictures

C. was quite strong 　　D. took many pictures of moving people

( ) 5.This passage tells us_____________.
A. how photography was developed

B. how to show your ideas and feelings in pictures

C. how to take pictures in the world

D. how to use different cameras

（7）Americans with small families own a small car or a large one. If both parents are working, they usually have two cars. When the family is large, one of the cars is sold and they will buy a van (住房汽车)

A small car can hold (four persons and a large car can hold six persons but it is very crowded . A van hold seven persons easily, so a family three children could ask their grandparents to go on a holiday travel They could all travel together.

　　 Mr.Hagen and his wife had a third child last year. This made them sell a second car and bus a van. Their children sixth and seventh seat are used to put other things, for a family of five must carry many suitcases (衣箱) when they travel. When they arrive at their grandparents’home , the suitcases are brought into the two seats can then carry the grandparents.

　　 Americans call vans motor homes. A motor home is always used for holidays. When a family are traveling to the mountains or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or to the seaside, they can live in their motor home for a few days or weeks. All the members of a big family can enjoy a happier life when they are traveling together. That is why motor homes have become very popular. In America there are many parks for motor homes.

( ) 1. From the passage, a van is also called ____________.

A. a motor car 　　　B. a motor home 　　C. a motorbike 　D. a big truck

( ) 2. Before Mr. Hagen and his wife bought a van, they__________.

A. sold their old house 　　 B. moved to their grandparents’ house

C. built a new place for a van 　　　 D. sold their second car

( ) 3. A motor home is usually owned by a family with__________.

　 A. a baby B. much money C. more than two children D. interest in vans

( ) 4. Americans usually use motor homer____________.

A. to travel with all the family members of holiday

B. to do some shopping with all the family members

C. to visit their grandparents at weekends
D. to drive their children to school every day

( ) 5. Motor homes have become popular because___________.

A. they can take people to another city when people are free

B. they can let families have a happier life when they go out for their holidays

C. some people think motor homes are cheap

D. big families can put more things in motor homes

⑻ Many places in the world need more fresh water. Every country is trying to find ways to turn salt water into fresh.

Why aren’t there many factories like the Symi factory?

In some places, the sun is not hot enough. Or it does not shine every day.

In such places, other way of heating sea water can be used. These ways cost more money, but they work faster than the sun. By boiling see water with high heat, a lot of fresh water can be made quickly.But heating is not the only way to get fresh water from salt water. Other ways are tired.

One way is freezing (冷冻). The fresh part of salt water freezes first. To get fresh water, the bits of ice are taken out.

Which way is best? The one that gives the most water for the least money. It may be a different way for each place.

Symi’s way seems very good for small, hot places. It does not make very much water at a time. But the factory is easy to build and costs little.

That’s why people in many dry places talk about Symi!

( ) 1. From the passage we know that fresh water___________________.

A. is needed in every country B. can be found in many factories

C. can be used in many ways D. is very important for factories

( ) 2. What is the writer mainly talking about in the passage?

A. Water-making factories in different countries.

B. The ways of making fresh water from sea water.

C. Hot and dry places.

D. How to make use of the sun.

( ) 3. From the passage we know the Symi factory ________________.

A. seems good but too small B. is a fresh water-making factory

C. can make much fresh water at a time D. does not need sunshine every day

( ) 4. Which is the best way for small and hot places to get fresh water?

A. Boiling or heating the sea water.B. The way in hotter and drier places.

C. The Symi’s way.D. Freezing the sea water in cold places.

( ) 5. Which of the following is not true?

A. New ways are tried to get fresh water.
B. A lot of fresh water can be made quickly by heating.

C. The best way is to get some fresh water with the least money.

D. The Symi’s way does not work in dry places.

⑼Suppose (假设) a man has a car accident. He is hurt badly and is unconscious，that is, he can’t think, speak, or hear. His family takes him to the hospital. The doctors tell the family that his brain is dead. A machine can make him breathe.

Now the patient’s family must answer some difficult questions. Should they think he is dead? Should they ask the doctors to use the machine to make him breathe? Sometimes machines can make an unconscious person breathe for years. However if his brain is dead, he will never think, speak, or hear again. Then, should his family ask the doctors not to use the machine and let him die?

Someone who is unconscious can’t say he wants to die. Can his family say this for him? Some people think this is a good idea. Some think otherwise.

Many people are hurt when machines keep a person alive. The unconscious person doesn’t know it. Machines only make the family and friends hurt longer.

( )1. The word “unconscious” means _______________________.

A. 失去知觉　　　B. 流血过多　　C. 失去双腿　　　D. 不会说话

( ) 2. When a person is badly hurt and is unconscious, he ___________________.

A . shall feel pain B. can still thinkC. doesn’t feel pain D. sometimes feel pain

( ) 3. If a person’s brain is dead, we can infer (推断) from the passage that ___________ him or her breathe for years with machines.

A. it is wise to make B. it is no use making
C. it is kind to make D. it is nice to make

( ) 4. When someone’s brain is dead, she or he ________________________.

A.will perhaps wake up again B. will perhaps wake up again by using a machine

C. may sometimes wakes up D. has no chance to wake up

( ) 5. What’s the writer’s opinion (观点)?

A. An unconscious person is clear about his condition.
B. An unconscious person knows that he will die.

C. Don’t save him if someone’s brain is dead.

D. When someone’s brain is dead, use machines to keep him breathe.

⑼Modern life is impossible without travel. The fastest way of travel is by plane. With a modern airliner (客机) you can travel in one day to places which it took a month or more to get to a hundred years ago.

Travel by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages . You can see the country you are traveling through. Modern trains have comfortable seats and dining cars. They make even a longest journey enjoyable.

Some people prefer to travel by sea when possible. There are large liners and river boats. You can visit many other countries and different places. Ships are not so fast as trains or planes, but travel by sea is a very pleasant way to spend a holiday.

Many people like to travel by car. You can make your own timetable. You can travel three or four hundred miles or only fifty or one hundred miles a day, just as you like. You can stop wherever you wish—where there is something interesting to see, at a good restaurant where you can enjoy a good meal, or at a hotel to spend the night. That is why traveling by car is popular for pleasure trips, while people usually take a train or plane when they travel on business.

( ) 1. According to this passage which is the fastest way of traveling?

A. By train. B. By sea. C. By car. D. By plane.

( ) 2. If we travel by car, we can ___________________.

A. travel only one hundred miles a dayB. make our own timetable

C. travel to a very far place in a few minutesD. make the longest journey enjoyable

( ) 3. The underlined word “They” in the passage means ________________.

A. modern trains in the country B. the travelers on the modern trains

C. the slower ways of traveling D. comfortable seats and dining cars

( ) 4. From the passage we know that people on business usually _____________.

A. take a train or a plane B. take a boat or a ship

C. go by bike or on foot D. go by plane or by bus

( ) 5. How many ways of traveling are mentioned in the passage?

A. Five. B. Three. C. Four. D. Two.

⑽Renting a color television makes more sense than buying. Here’s why:

1. The longer you rent (租), the less you pay. Each year the monthly rate is reduced. You can reach a low rate of not much more than $12 a week.

2. Service is fast and free. We can have your set installed (安装) in two days. If anything goes wrong, we’ll have it fixed the same day or lend you another set while we’re mending it. And don’t forget: service and spare parts are free!

3. If you don’t have an aerial (天线), we’ll install one for you, and that will be free, too. All you have to pay is the installation charge (安装费)!

4. You can choose from all kinds of models, and what’s more, if after a certain period of time, and you would like a new model, you can change. How’s that for service?

5. No deposit (押金) is needed. You pay only the monthly rental fee. But if you pay in advance, you can save money. Pay twelve months’ fees when you begin to hire, and we’ll give you a month’s hire without charge.

6. If you decide that you want to stop renting and buy the set you have on hire, this can be arranged—with a generous allowance (折扣) for the fees already paid.

1. From the passage we know _______________________.

A. the more you rent, the less you pay

B. the lowest weekly rental fee is much more than $12

C. the longer you rent, the less you pay

D. if you rent a TV set for a long time, service and spare parts will be free

2. What is the good of paying twelve months’ fees when you begin to hire?

A. One and a half months’ hire free of charge.

B. One month’s hire free of charge.

C. Half a month’s hire free of charge.

D. One-fourth of a month’s hire free of charge.

3. What does “pay in advance” mean?

A. You pay the rent for a period of time before you actually get the television.

B. You go ahead and pay the rent.

C. You pay the rent in front of anyone.

D. You will be the first to pay the rent.

4. If you want to rent a color television, ____________________.

A. leasing company (租赁公司) can have your set installed the same day

B. you can have a choice of sets to rent

C. leasing company will install an aerial for you free of charge

D. you must have an aerial

5. This passage is a (an) _______________________.

A. book B. report C. advertisement D. picture

⑾We have known for a long time that flowers of different plants open and close at different time of day. This is so familiar that there seems to be no need to ask the reason for it. Yet no one really understands why flowers open and close like this at particular times. The process (过程) is not as simple as we might think, as recent experiments have shown. In one study, flowers were kept in constant (连续的) darkness. We might expect that the flowers, without any information about the time of day, did not open as they normally do. In fact, they continued to open at their usual time. This suggests that they have some mysterious (神秘的) way of knowing the time. Their sense of time does not depend on information from the outside world; it is, so to speak, inside them, a kind of “inner clock”.

This discovery (发现) may not seem to be very important. However, it was later found that not just plants but also animals —including man —have this “inner clock” which controls the working of their bodies and influences (影响) their activities. Men, then, are also influenced by this mysterious power. Whether we wish it or not, it affects such things in our life as our need for sleep, our need for food.

In the past, this did not matter very much because people lived in natural condition. In the modern world, things are different; now there are spacemen, airplane pilots and, in ordinary life, a lot of people who have to work at night. It would be very useful, then, to know more about the “inner clock”. Such ordinary things as flowers might help us understand more about ourselves.

1. A recent experiment showed that ________________.

A. different flowers open and close at different times of day

B. for their opening and closing, flowers do not need information from the outside world

C. flowers are influenced by weak light even when they are in a dark room

D. flowers can be used for telling the time

2. The “inner clock” _________________________.

A. is an unimportant discovery B. is only found in animals

C. has not been understood by far D. has an effect on human life

3. Further study of the “inner clock” will be useful because ______

A. it might help us in some way

B. we do not yet understand plants and animals well enough

C. the number of spacemen and airplane pilots is fast increasing

D. we should try to live more naturally than we do now

4. Kept in constant darkness, flowers ________________________.
A. will not open or close as usual B. will not open any longer

C. will open as they do in natural conditions

D. will always remain in full blossom

5. ________________ have a mysterious power of knowing time without information from the outside world.

A. Animals including man as well as plants

B. All living things except man

C. Flowers are the only things in the world that

D. Neither animals nor plants
⑿

(A) For Sale

Chinese-made bicycle Good condition(状况)

Zhang Ying 306, dormitory(寝室)4