初中英语史地常识类阅读试题

The Galapagos Islands are a special group of islands 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador． Because the islands are so far from land， they are home to many plants and animals that you can't find anywhere else， such as giant tortoises（巨龟）．The Islands are also far from each other． This has allowed different kinds of animals to develop on different islands． There are at least 12 different kinds of Galapagos tortoises．

Giant tortoises can live for more than 100 years though their living environment is sometimes bad．Over long periods of time， they've slowly changed their shells（外壳） and body styles to better fit the environment．

Hood Island is one of the Galapagos Islands． Like many other Galapagos tortoises，the number of Hood Island tortoises dropped dangerously low． Long ago， the Galapagos Islands were a favorite stopping place for the ship﹣men， who used giant tortoises as food on their trips． In 1976， the Charles Darwin Research Station （CDRS） began a program to raise their number．Several Hood Island tortoises were brought to a special area on Santa Cruz Island， and young tortoises could be raised and cared for here．At the time， Diego had been living in a zoo in California for about 30 years．When scientists realized he was a Hood Island tortoise， he was returned to take part in the program．The program was a great success．In 2020， there are nearly 2，000 Hood Island tortoises alive．Diego is believed to be responsible for about 40% of them． Now scientists believe that the Hood Island tortoises won't disappear．

   There is no longer a need for a special program for Hood Island tortoises， and Diego and 14 other tortoises have now been returned to Hood Island．

（1）What can be inferred about the Galapagos Islands？ 　　

A．	The islands are totally separate．
B．	The islands are very close to land．
C．	They're home to the same tortoises．
D．	They can change the plants' shapes．

（2）What caused number of the giant tortoises to drop greatly？ 　　

A．	Bad weather．
B．	Ocean pollution．
C．	No proper food．
D．	Certain people．

（3）How do the scientists feel now about the Hood Is land tortoises' number？ 　　

A．	Doubtful．
B．	Confident．
C．	Worried．
D．	Surprised．

（4）Why has Diego gone back to Hood Island？ 　　

A．	He's needed on the island．
B．	He has finished his task．
C．	He does not like the zoo．
D．	He is too old to work on．

The Grand Canyon（科罗拉多大峡谷） is a large river canyon in Arizona． It is over220 miles long and over a mile deep in some places． Its widest point is 18 miles wide． The canyon is considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World．

Over millions of years， the Colorado River wore away rocks as it passed through the area．Slowly， the river made the path deeper and deeper． Now， the canyon is surrounded by steep walls on either side， while the river continues to flow at the bottom of the canyon．

Besides its large size，the Grand Canyon is also known for its magnificent colors．The canyon is made of layers of rock（岩层）， and each layer of rock has a different depth and color．Geologists have identified almost 40 different layers of rock exposed by the rivers erosion．

The climate in canyon area is primarily desert， with both high and low temperatures． The upper rims of the canyon often receive snowfall．The air quality is usually very high，although dust storms and smoke from fires can change the air．

The Grand Canyon is home to a variety of plants and animals． Plants range from various species of cactus pine forests． Many types of animals live in the area，including the bald eagle，bobcats，bats and gila monsters．Six different kinds of rattlesnakes have been found in the area．

Today， the canyon is part of the Grand Canyon National Park． About five million tourists visit the park each year．

（1） 　　   （2） 　　   （3） 　　   （4） 　　   （5） 　　

South of Florida ，there are a lot of islands in the ocean． One of them is Hispaniola． Two countries share this island， Haiti makes up the western third．The Dominican Republic makes up the eastern two﹣thirds．

The Dominican Republic has an area of about 1，8000square miles and a population of about 8million． Most of these people live close to the island's coast． Most of the cities are there and so is the best farmland． Sugar sticks have been the island's most important crop for hundreds of years． Cattle（牛）are kept in the mountainous area．

Like many other tropical（热带的）islands， tourism is a very important industry for the Dominican Republic． The coastal cities depend on tourists to fill their hotels and restaurants． The natural beauty of the beaches and forests attract（吸引）tourists from home and abroad．

In the cities and towns there are many artists and craftspeople selling their works． If you like parades and costumes， go in February for Carnival（狂欢节）You will see people dancing and wearing colourful masks（面具）whether you want to join the crowds or get away from them， there is a place for you in the Dominican Republic．

58． Where is the Dominican Republic？ 　 　

A．	To the south of Hispaniola
B．	To the north of Florida
C．	In the west of Hispaniola
D．	On the east of Haiti

59． What are mainly produced near the coastal area？ 　 　

A．	Sugar sticks
B．	Cattle
C．	Paintings
D．	Masks

60． People travel to the Dominican Republic mainly to enjoy the beauty of the 　 　．

A．	farmlands
B．	beaches
C．	ocean
D．	mountains

61．What do Dominicans do on Carnival according to the passage？ 　 　

A．	Sing songs
B．	Sell drawings
C．	Dance in masks
D．	Put on short plays

The Dead Sea of China is in Daying，Sichuan Province．It was from the 150﹣million﹣year ancient underground lake，where useful minerals（矿物质）are very rich．It has 22% salt．It is similar to"the Dead Sea"in the Middle East．When the people are lying in the water they can floatand will not sink．So it is known as"the Dead Sea of China"．

The place of interest was built in 2003．It cost more than 10million yuan and it covers an area of 2000acres （英里）．In the park you can enjoy many kinds of interesting sports．When you feel tired，you can come here for surfing．When you feel too much pressure，swimming and floating are your good choices．All the activities are helpful to your health．Every year，a lot of tourists travel here from all over the country．

It is very convenient to come here．you can take a bus or a train．Of course，driving your car is also a good way．Here are different kinds of delicious food waiting for you．When you arrive，you will find the people here are so kind and friendly．

Come here，or you will miss a wonderful place to relax yourself．

56．Where is the Dead Sea of China？ 　　

A．	In Dalian，Liaoning．
B．	In Daying，Sichuan．
C．	In Datong，Shanxi．
D．	In Jinan，Shandong．

57．The underlined word"float"in Paragraph 1means 　　．

A．	潜水
B．	跳水
C．	漂浮
D．	滑翔

58．When was the Dead Sea of China built？ 　　

A．	In 2003．
B．	In 2013．
C．	In 2008．
D．	In 2016．

59．What can you do in the Dead Sea of China？ 　　

A．	Climbing．
B．	Boating．
C．	Riding．
D．	Surfing．

60．How can you get to the Dead Sea of China？ 　　

A．	By subway．
B．	By train．
C．	By air．
D．	By ship．

The first floating （漂浮的） city will be in French Polynesia． That's an island in the South Pacific Ocean． Builders hope to finish much of it by 2020．

This floating city will be near French Polynesia's shore． Its people will live by the laws of   French Polynesia． Other floating cities might be built in the open ocean． These cities could create their own laws．

The first floating city will be environmentally friendly． Its energy will be from the sun． People will drink recycled rain and seawater．

Floating cities will be safe from flooding． Built on platforms（平台）， they will rise with the sea level． They could be moved， if needed． They would allow more people to live near the ocean．At the beginning， the first floating city will be the same size as a soccer field． Gradually， it will grow into a much larger city with homes， parks， schools， shops and restaurants in it． Would you like to live in a floating city？

根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）误（F）．

（1）There will be a floating city in French Polynesia． 　　

（2）People in floating cities will live by the laws of French Polynesia． 　　

（3）The energy of the first floating city will be from the wind． 　　

（4）The floating cities could move up with the sea level． 　　

（5）At the beginning， you will find a soccer field in the first floating city． 　　

There are long rivers， and there are famous rivers．The Nile is the world's longest and most famous river． It runs 6， 650 kilometers． Crocodiles and hippos live in its waters． Pyramids built by ancient Egyptians rise along its banks．

The main branch of the Nile， the White Nile， starts just above Lake Victoria， the world's second largest fresh ﹣ water lake， in east central Africa． Then it flows to the north． At Sudan's capital， another great river called the Blue Nile joins the White Nile． Together， they form one very powerful river． Then it goes through Egypt's famous Nile Valley before reaching the Mediterranean Sea．

Ancient Egypt， the first great African civilization（文明）， started along the banks of the Nile more than 5，000 years ago． Ancient Egypt ruled the Nile Valley for thousands of years． Great pyramids and temples were built on the banks and we can still visit them today．

Without the rich farmland along the banks of Nile， there might be no ancient Egypt civilization．Every year， the Nile flooded its banks． The floodwaters covered the banks with a rich soil． The Nile's banks were easy to farm and produce crops．

The Nile also made a perfect highway for boats． The river runs north， but the wind on the river blows south． To go south， boaters put up sail to catch the wind． TO go north， they took the sails down． Ancient people traded along the river for hundreds of miles．

阅读短文，填表格，每空一词．

The Nile ﹣ the longest and most famous river in the world
Where does the Nile flow？	The White Nile is the main branch of the Nile． It starts above Lake Victoria and then （1）　_____　to the north． The Blue Nile joins the White Nile at the （2） 　______　 of Sudan． They form a powerful river． Then the Nile goes through the Nile Valley． Finally it（3） 　　the Mediterranean Sea．
The Nile's long and rich banks．	Ancient Egypt started along the banks of the Nile more than 5，000 years ago． Its people built pyramids and temples we can still visit today． Every year the Nile flooded its banks． The floodwaters covered the banks with a rich soil． Rich farmland（4） 　　this ancient civilization great． The Nile made a perfect highway for boats． To go south， boaters put up sails to catch the wind． To go north， they took the sails down． Ancient people （5） 　　and sold goods along the river for hundreds of miles．

Today， the world's diversity（多样性） of food crops is quickly decreasing． But scientists around the world are taking action． They are building seed banks． At seed banks， scientists store the seeds of many different crops．

There are now 1，400 seed banks around the world． However， some banks are in warm countries． If the electricity fails， the seeds will get too hot and die．Other seed banks are in countries troubled by war．Sometimes people damage the seed banks． If this happens， valuable seeds can be lost forever!

The organization Global Crop Diversity Trust decided they wanted to deal with this problem．So， they decided to build a global seed bank． This seed bank would contain a back﹣up， or extra copy，of all the world's seeds． Smaller seed banks would still collect and keep local seeds．But they would also send copies of their seeds to the global bank．

Scientists from the Global Crop Diversity Trust chose the cold，snowy mountains of Svalbard，Norway to build the global seed bank ﹣ the Svalbard Global Seed Vault． Organizations， farmers， or local seed banks store their extra seeds there． And the people who place their seeds in the vault are the only people who can take them out． They pay to ship their seeds to Norway， but it does not cost them any money to store their seeds． The Global Crop Diversity Trust pays for this．

Cary Flower is a scientist who heads the Global Crop Diversity Trust． He said， "If the Seed Vault simply supplies seed banks with copies of sees that those banks lost by accident， the Seed Vault will be worth way more than it cost．"

（1）Seed banks are built to 　　．

A．	research on seeds
B．	produce new seeds
C．	protect crop diversity
D．	increase the number of seeds

（2）What is the author's purpose in Paragraph 2？ 　　

A． Scientists store the seeds of many different crops at seed banks．

B． If seed banks are destroyed， valuable seeds will be lost forever．

C． Scientists want to build a global seed bank．

D． The people who place their seeds in the vault are the only people who can take them out．

（3）Compared with other seed banks， the global seed bank 　　．

A．	was built by the government
B．	is more welcomed by farmers
C．	is mainly used by great scientists
D．	can provide a good environment for seeds

（4）What can we learn about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault？ 　　

A．	It helps to pay the shipping cost．
B．	No one can take seeds out of there．
C．	There are no fees to store seeds there．
D．	It mainly receives seeds from farmers．

（5）What is Cary Fowlers attitude towards the Seed Vault？ 　　

A．	He feels it is very important．
B．	He is surprised at it．
C．	He thinks it costs too much．
D．	He is uncertain about it．

France is well known for its fine art， tasty food and romantic scenery． About 75 million visitors come here every year．

France is the largest country in Westem Europe． It has a population of over 66 million．The country is home to many famous places of interest， like the River Seine as well as the Eiffel Tower．

Many visitors also come for the country's art． Sculptor Auguste rodin and painter Claude Monet once created their great works here． If you visit France today， it is not a surprise to meet street artists in the city or come across a singer in the subway．

No visit to Paris is complete without a trip to Louvre， one of the largest and most famous museums in the world． Inside， there are 35， 000 works of art， such as the painting Mona Lisa by Da Vinci and the statue David by Michelangelo． It would take nine months to enjoy all the pieces．

Besides， French food is world﹣famous． Bread is very important in France． The best known French bread is called a baguette． They are long， delicious and taste salty． Snails are also a must ﹣﹣have here． French people eat 40， 000 tons of snails every year!

But France is not always good． Paris， the city of light， may also show its dark side to visitors．Chinese visitors feel sorry about the crowded subway in Paris．

据短文内容，请用完整句子回答下列问题

（1）Whar's France famous for？ 　　

（2）Whar's the population of France？ 　　

（3）How long does it take to engoy all the pieces in Loune？ 　　

（4）How many snails do French people eat every year？ 　　

（5）Why do Chinee visitors feel sorry about the subway in Paria？ 　　

Iceland is a northern European country with amazing natural beauty and oceans around．There are lots of volcanoes（火山）．It has a short summer which lasts from June to August．The long winter starts from September and ends next May．

Summer in Iceland is a golden season for tourists．Every year，people from all over the world come here to see the beautiful sights and enjoy the exciting whale﹣seeing（观鲸）．

In winter，when people in Iceland complete their daily work，they will have a lot of special activities to spend the long dark night．Skating．riding snow motorbikes and having parties can really make an exciting night．After all the fun，a hot bath must be the first choice to relax．There are also story telling activities for children，which can teach them to be strong and kind．The most popular stories are about Christmas in Iceland．

Because of a long cold winter，Iceland has a short growing season．Food problem was always a headache for Iceland in the past．It had to buy most of its food from other countries．Later，when farmers learned to use lights and underground heat to grow crops（庄稼）all year round in the greenhouse，things changed a lot．

  Living in such a nice environment，most people in Iceland live a happy life．According to a survey about happiness made each year in Europe，Iceland is always among the top 3．

（1）What does""It"refer to in the first paragraph？

It refers to 　　．

（2）When do visitors usually come to enjoy whale﹣seeing？

Visitors come to see the whales 　　．

（3）How can people spend an exciting night？

They can skate，ride snow motorbikes and 　　．

（4）Why does Iceland have a short growing season？

Because Iceland has a 　　．

（5）According to the passage，what kind of life do people in Iceland live？

They live a 　　life．

Goreme is a beautiful town in Turkey．It is best﹣known for its strange rock shapes and hot air balloon trips during sunrise（日出）．Here are some of the cool things visitors can do in Goreme．

Stay in a cave（ 山洞）hotel

Staying in a cave hotel is a special experience in Goreme．It makes you learn how people lived in stone caves hundreds of years ago in this area．

Taking a hot air balloon trip

Over 20 years ago，people in Goreme began to fly the first hot air balloon in the sky of this little town．Now， there are over one hundred balloons flying every day early in the morning as the sun rises．It is the best way to enjoy the amazing beauty of Goreme．

Visit the open﹣air museum

The open﹣air museum is about 15 minutes' walk away from the center of Goreme．This place is the first stop on anyone's journey to Goreme．It is made up of 7 churches（教堂）which were dug out of rocks．Among them， the Dark Church is the best protected．Recent studies show that all these churches were built between the 10th and 12th centuries．

See the magical rock shapes

These unusual rock shapes are the most beautiful part in Goreme．They are made by the strong winds and heavy rains．Their shapes look like different kinds of animals．Every year，tourists around the world come to see the amazing art made by nature．

If you want to have a cool journey to Turkey，the magical Goreme can be a better choice．

（1）Goreme is most famous for 　　．

A．	the cave hotels
B．	the open﹣air museum
C．	the Dark Church
D．	the strange rock shapes

（2）The best way to enjoy the beauty of Goreme is 　　．

A．	flying on a hot air balloon
B．	staying in a cave hotel
C．	standing before the rock shapes
D．	visiting the open﹣air museum

（3）Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage？ 　　

A．	The cave hotel is made up of 7 churches and several caves．
B．	This open﹣air museum is the first stop to visit Goreme．
C．	People began to fly the first hot air balloon 2 years ago．
D．	The magical rock shapes are made by human beings．

（4）Where do you think this passage may come from？ 　　

A．	A travel guide．
B．	A sports report．
C．	A story book．
D．	A history magazine．

Thousands of years ago， Britain was covered by thick forests， home to many animals which no longer live in the United Kingdom． There were wolves and bears， many different kinds of deer and large wild cows． There were less than four million people． They lived in small villages protected by wooden walls from the animals outside．

All this has changed， of course． Now the population of the United Kingdom has increased to sixty﹣five million． Three﹣quarters of Britain is covered with fields， towns or cities． Although 25 percent of land is countryside， new methods of farming mean that there are fewer birds and small animals living in fields than ever before． The United Kingdom is one of the few countries in the world that does not have a large wild animal that eats meat． In Scotland there are only 400 wildcats， but these are much smaller than wolves．

Some people would like to change things， however! Some organizations and writers say that Britain needs to become more natural again． They suggest that trees and plants that grew in the UK before towns and cities were built should be allowed to grow again． They even say that large wild animals which have not lived in the UK should be helped to return and live wild． They call this "rewilding"．

Not everyone agrees． In the last twenty years， over one million trees which at first grew in   Scotland have been planted and there are plans for more ﹣ but wild animals？ Some people ask if wolves will attack sheep or even humans． They are also angry that rewilding might mean an end to walking in the hills which so many people enjoy． So far there are no wolves or bears in Britain's forests ﹣ but soon there might be!

Word bank Organization            组织 Attack                     攻击 Opinion                    观点

根据材料内容选择最佳答案．

（1）What was the population of the UK thousands of years ago？ 　　

A．	About 25 million．
B．	Over 65 million．
C．	More than 61 million．
D．	Not more than four million．

（2）Why are there fewer birds and small animals in fields in the UK？ 　　

A．	Because more trees have been planted．
B．	Because there are more large wild animals．
C．	Because pollution is much worse than before．
D．	Because people use new methods of farming．

（3）Which paragraph gives opinions from "rewilding" supporters？ 　　

A．	Paragraph 1．
B．	Paragraph 2．
C．	Paragraph 3．
D．	Paragraph 4．

（4）What are some people against？ 　　

A．	Living closer to nature．
B．	Planting more and more trees．
C．	Helping large wild animals return．
D．	Building more villages and towns．

（5）What's the best title for the text？ 　　

A．	Making Britain wild again
B．	A trip to wild Britain
C．	An introduction to Britain
D．	Protecting the environment

Thang﹣ga （唐卡） is a special kind of painting． It was found only in Tibet， China． It started from the Tang dynasty （唐朝）． Thang﹣ga paintings show Tibetan people's lives． In recent years， Thang﹣ga paintings have caught the public's attention． At the same time， the Chinese government has also tried hard to protect the art．

The colors of Thang﹣ga paintings look wonderful and special． Because of the special environment of Tibet and the excellent skills of artists， the paints （颜料） used in Thang﹣ga paintings are different from other paints． They were made from minerals （矿物质） like gold and silver， as well as some plants． The paints were made by hand and the beautiful colors could last （持续） for hundreds of years．

However， with the development of technology， people now use cheaper and easily﹣made chemicals to make Thang﹣ga paints． The traditional paints used in Thang﹣ga paintings took a lot of work and they were made in many secret ways． Later people stopped making the paints and forgot about them． So the skills needed to make them were almost lost． The traditional Thang﹣ga paintings are difficult to find now．

（1）What is Thang﹣ga？ 　　

A．	A photo．
B．	A painting．
C．	A book．
D．	A story．

（2）Who has tried to protect the Thang﹣ga art？ 　　

A．	Both teachers and students．
B．	An old person．
C．	Only old people．
D．	The Chinese government．

（3）What were the Thang﹣ga paints made from？ 　　

A．	Minerals and plants．
B．	Just water．
C．	Only ink．
D．	Only a mineral．

（4）How long can the colors of Thang﹣ga paintings last for？ 　　

A．	One year．
B．	A month．
C．	Hundreds of years．
D．	A few thousand years．

（5）Are there the traditional Thang﹣ga paintings now？ 　　

A．	Yes， there are．
B．	No， there aren't．
C．	I think they disappeared．
D．	When I read it， I don't know the answer．

Friendship Day is a great day for celebrating friendship．It falls on the first Sunday of August every year．Celebrating the festival was firstly started by the US in 1935．But now thisdoesn't only happen in the US．People in other countries are interested in it，too．

The idea of spending the day with friends was spread all over the world．With more and more countries joining in the celebrations，Friendship Day soon became an international festival．

Between 1936 and 1997，Friendship Day didn't have a symbol （象征），like Santa Claus for Christmas．However，in 1997，the United Nations named Winnie the pooh as the word's Ambassador （大使） of Friendship．

The traditional celebrations include activities such as meeting with friends and exchanging （交换） cards，flowers and gifts．Some people may have parties with their friends．Some may have lunch or dinner together．Others may hang out or go to the movies with friends on this special day．These are popular among all age groups from teenagers to old people．

Although Friendship Day and its celebrations may have changed over the years，the basic idea behind the festival remains the same．People enjoy the moment they spend together and express love and care for their friends．

71．When is Friendship Day？

It is on 　 　every year．

72．What does"this"in the first paragraph refer to？

It refers to 　 　．

73．What does the fourth paragraph mainly tell us？

It's mainly about 　 　to celebrate Friendship Day．

74．What's the basic idea behind the festival？

People enjoy the moment they spend together and 　 　for their friends．

75．What does the writer think of the festival？

The writer thinks it's 　 　．

There are twenty seven bridges over the River Thames．And the Tower Bridge is the first bridge you have to pass if you go to London from the sea．It is close to the Tower of London，from which it got its name．It is a symbol （象征） of London．

The Tower Bridge was set up over the River Thames in London in 1894and is one of the finest and most famous bridges in the world．It is the only bridge over the Thames that can be raised and opened in the middle．The middle part can be raised to let the huge ships pass．It used to be raised about 50times a day，but now it is raised only 4to 5times a week．If you are lucky enough to see the bridge with its two arms open high in the air，you will never forget it．

The Tower Bridge stands just on the south side of the Tower of London．People often think they are of the same age．But in fact，the Tower of London was built a thousand years ago，while the Tower Bridge only has a history of over one hundred years．

The Tower Bridge was first painted chocolate brown．Then in 1977，it was painted red，white and blue．Its picture also appeared in the opening of the 2012Summer Olympic Games held in London．So come to visit the famous bridge．You are sure to have a wonderful experience．

41．The color of the Tower Bridge hasn't changed for more than a hundred years． 　 　

42．In 1894，the Tower Bridge was built in London． 　 　

43．The Tower of London has a much longer history than the Tower Bridge． 　 　

44．The Tower Bridge is now raised less often than in the past． 　 　

45．This passage means to introduce the Tower of London． 　 　．

Have you ever heard of Iceland？ Iceland is a European country． It used to be one of the richest countries in the world． Its total area is 103 thousand square kilometers． Summer in Iceland is very short，which lasts from June to August． Its winter starts from September and ends next May．

In 1980， Iceland started to develop its tourist industry． Forty years has passed since then． In summer，plenty of tourists from all over the world come here to have a visit． In winter，people in Iceland have to spend the long dark night． They usually have a lot of special activities． such as skating，riding snow motorbikes and having parties to have an exciting night．

Because of a long cold winter， Iceland has a short growing season． Food problem was always a headache for Iceland in the past． Now the problem is being solved．

根据短文内容完成表格，每空一词．

Iceland ﹣ a Country in（1）
Its total area	103,000（2） 　　kilometers
When Iceland started to develop its tourist industry	Forty years（3）
What people do to have an exciting night in winter	They（4） 　　，ride snow motorbikes and have parties．
Why Iceland has a short（5） 　　season	Because of a long cold winter