初中英语科普知识类阅读试题

Do you know what makes lightning（闪电）？Why does lightning strike（击打）？

Lightning strikes happen when ice and water in clouds rub（摩擦）together， and cause atmospheric（大气层的）changes． When this happens， it creates a static charge（静电）．Lightning can strike inside the cloud， between two clouds or between a cloud and Earth． It's the last kind of strike that is the most dangerous for humans．

Lightning can be very dangerous． Every year， lightning kills people because it can start big fires or because it reaches a temperature of 28， 000 C． About l， 000people are hit by lightning every year in the United States， and about 100of them die as a result．

Lightning makes people shocked， and it happens all over the world! Scientists think that there are more than three million lightning strikes every day in the world﹣that's thirty strikes every second（秒）． An American mant Roy Sullivan， who worked in a park， survivedfrom the most lightning strikes． Between 1942and 1983， he was hit seven times! And he keeps the highest world record．

Lightning is sure not something to play with． When lightning strikes， it's best to stay inside a large building． To stay safe， do not stand under trees， on hills or near water． Also， do not lie down on the ground， or the electricity may go through you and cause a heart problem．

（1）Lightning strikes 　 C 　．

A．	happen thirty times each day
B．	happen when there are big fires
C．	can reach a very high temperature
D．	can kill all those who work in a park

（2）What does the underlined word " survived" mean in Chinese？ 　 A 　

A．	幸存
B．	选择
C．	遇难
D．	失忆

（3）How many people hit by lightning die every year in America？ 　 C 　

A．	About 1000people．
B．	About 28，000people．
C．	About one tenth of people．
D．	About one fourth of people．

（4）Where's the safest place to stay when lightning strikes？ 　 D 　

A．	Under a tree．
B．	Near a river．
C．	On the top of a hill．
D．	Inside a building．

Imagine a perfect day： the weather is good and everything seems fine． When， suddenly， your mobile phone loses its signal， the television has no programs， and you can't get online with your computer．

What has happened？ These are just the types of problems a solar storm（太阳风 暴）might cause． You may not think of storms as putting our society in danger． But today， a solar storm is as serious as other bad events， such as earthquakes．

A solar storm is caused by solar flares（太阳耀斑）： large explosions（爆炸）near the sun that can give off lots of energy． The strong energy can stop the satellite systems（卫星系统）that control our computers， telecom networks and so on． These storms can even cause the power to go out for weeks or months．

In the past few months， scientists have recorded some of the strongest sun flares in years． The most recent one happened around Valentine's Day， 2011． It caused radio and satellite signals to go down in some northern cities in China．

"Solar flare activity is going to be much worse than what we've seen in the past． We're not talking about a few cities losing power， it could be half of the country， maybe more．" SolarStorm Warning．com， a US website about space weather， warned．

Scientists say that little can be done to predict such a storm． Governments around the world are trying to work together before the next storm， although they are not sure when that may happen．

根据短文内容，选择最佳选项，并在答题卡上将选定的答案字母标号涂黑．

（1）According to the passage， a solar storm can cause many problems EXCEPT that 　　．

A．	earthquakes happen
B．	mobile phones have no signals
C．	people cannot get online
D．	the power may go out

（2）According to the passage， solar flares are 　　．

A．	telecom networks
B．	solar storms
C．	large explosions near the sun
D．	US websites

（3）From the passage， the right order of the following is 　　．

a．solar flares give off lots of energy

b．people can't get online with their computers

c．solar storms happen

d．satellite systems are stopped

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

（4）The writer wrote the passage mainly to 　　．

A．call for scientists to predict when the next solar storm will happen

B．tell people how to solve the problems caused by solar storms

C．introduce what solar storms are to people

D．ask people to work to prevent the solar storm from happening

（5）In Paragraph 1， the underlined word "signal" means 　　．

A．	电池
B．	标志
C．	力量
D．	信号

Some cool inventions are listed in Science Magazine's 25best inventions of 2018． They are "making the world better， smarter and in some cases a little more fun"， according to the magazine's website． Do you want to lean more about some of the inventions？ Let's find out．

   ● Spark

Spark is a new type of drones （飞行器） made by a Chinese company （公司） in Shenzhen called DJI． It can help people take photos and videos． Spark might be the smallest drone ever made． When folded， it is as small as a can of cola （可乐罐）． The coolest part is that users can control the small drone just by using hand gestures（手势）． For example， if you wave （挥动） your hand from left to right， the drone will fly in the same direction． When you want it to land， you just put your hand out． The drone will come to you and land on your hand．

   ● Social Robot

Robots may not be good communicators． But Jibo， made by US company Jibo Inc， may be different． With a big， round head and round， fat body， Jibo looks like a cartoon character． As soon as you say， "Hey， Jibo．" It will giggle（咯咯地笑）， dance and turn to face you． When it talks to you， it moves its head and body naturally to communicate with you． Although it has no eyes or mouth， Jibo uses animated icons （生动的表情）， such as a smile icon， to show emotions． Right now Jibo can only do some basic things， like taking photos or reading the news to you． But it may learn to do more in the future．

根据短文内容，选择最佳选项，将其标号在答题卡上涂黑．

（1）According to the passage， we know 　　．

A．	Spark might be bigger than any other drones．
B．	Spark is controlled by using hand gestures．
C．	Spark can only fly towards the same direction．
D．	Spark is created by a US company．

（2）Jibo is 　　．

A．	a robot
B．	a drone
C．	a wheel
D．	the name of a magazine

（3）What can we know about Jibo？ 　　

A．	It has a round head and a thin body．
B．	It looks like a cartoon character．
C．	It can do lots of difficult work．
D．	It has two eyes and a mouth．

（4）What do the two inventions have in common？ 　　

A．	Both of them are made by Chinese companies．
B．	Both of them have big bodies．
C．	Both of them can fly in the sky．
D．	Both of them can help us take photos．

The idea that red means stop and green means go has influenced our lives in more ways than just traffic signals（信号）．We have been taught from a young age that the color red means danger and green means it's okay to move forward．But why were those colors chosen for traffic lights in the first place？For something we have to look at every day，why couldn't they have been prettier colors？

Well，it's important to know that before traffic lights for cars，there were traffic signals for trains．At first，railway companies used red to mean stop，white to mean go，and green to mean warn．As you could imagine，trains ran into a few problems with white meaning go．For example，one train mistook a bright star for a white light and something unexpected happened．Because of that，railway companies finally moved green meaning go and used yellow to mean warn．And it's been that way ever since．

Red has always been a color that mean danger，long before cars were even around．This most likely started because it's the color with the longest wavelength（波长） so it can be seen somewhere farther than

other colors．

But，believe it or not，yellow was once used to mean stop．Back in the 1900s，some stop signs were yellow because it was too hard to see a red sign in a poorly lit area．Finally，highly reflective materials（高反射材料） were developed and red stop signs were born．Since yellow can be seen well at all times of the day，school zones，some traffic signs，and school buses continue to be printed yellow．

So next time you are impatiently waiting at a traffic light，don't get so mad at them，they've certainly come a long way．

根据材料内容选择最佳答案．

56．What were traffic signals for before traffic lights for cars？ 　　

A．	Trains
B．	Boats．
C．	Planes
D．	Bicycles

57．Which of the following colors meant go at first？ 　　

A．	Red．
B．	Yellow．
C．	White．
D．	Green．

58．Why does red mean danger？ 　　

A．	Because it's the brightest color．
B．	Because it can be seen far away．
C．	Because railway companies say so．
D．	Because it has the shortest wavelength．

59．Why are school buses painted yellow？ 　　

A．	Because yellow is a prettier color．
B．	Because yellow once meat danger．
C．	Because yellow can be seen well in daytime．
D．	Because yellow means it's OK to go forward．

60．What does the text mainly tell us？ 　　

A．	How important traffic lights are．
B．	Which color has the longest wavelength．
C．	What red，yellow and green can be used for．
D．	Why traffic lights are red，yellow and green．

Have you ever had trouble sleeping in a new place？

Lots of people do．And now researchers from Brown University in Rhode Island think they know why．They found that one﹣half of the brain"remains more awake"than the otherhalf when people are trying to sleep in a new place．

The sleep findings were reported in Current Biology by Brown University．In their report，the researchers said many people report they have a harder time sleeping the first night at a hotel or other places outside their home．They call it"first﹣night influence"．"In Japan they say，"If you change your bed，you can't sleep，'"said Yuka Sasaki，one of the report's writers．"You don't sleep very well in a new place．We all know about it．"

The researchers measured brain waves （测量脑波） for 35volunteers over two nights in a laboratory．The two nights were a week apart （间隔）．They found during the first night the left half of the brain was more active than the right half．This was during the first deep﹣sleep period，the researchers said．

Sasaki said a lot of questions remain．

Researchers did not keep measuring brain waves all night long．So，they don't know if the left half keeps"watch"all night，or whether it"works in shifts （轮换） with the right half later in the night"．They also do not know why the brain activity，at least during the first period of deep sleep，is always on the left half．

For some，this research may be calming．It is good to know that our brain is"looking out for us"in a new place．But it may not help with sleep．That brain activity，at least according to this new research，makes it harder to get the sleep people need to wake up well rested in the morning．

根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内．

51．How many times did the researchers measure brain waves for 35volunteers？ 　　

A．	Once．
B．	Twice．
C．	Three times．
D．	Four times．

52．The researchers found 　　during the first deep﹣sleep period．

A．	the brain waves remained the same
B．	the brain activity helped with sleep
C．	the right half of the brain kept"watch"
D．	the left half of the brain was more active

53．Which of the following is one of the questions that remain？ 　　

A．	Whether the new bed keeps you from sleeping．
B．	How you have trouble sleeping in a new place．
C．	Why the brain activity is always on the left half．
D．	What people can do when they can't sleep well．

54．The underlined word"calming"has the closest meaning to" 　　"．

A．	pleasing
B．	different
C．	serious
D．	strange

55．What is the text mainly about？ 　　

A．	What we will have to do to sleep well．
B．	How researchers measure brain waves．
C．	Who doesn't sleep well in a new place．
D．	Why it's harder to sleep in a new place．

Someday in the future we may not need to have money in our pockets．Is life easier when people don't need to carry any money at all？Is money heavy to carry？Is it safe to carry money？Maybe in the future each of us will have only one small credit card（信用卡）．We will use it instead of money to buy all the things．

Of course we may still have some of the same problems with cards we now have with money．For example，we lose money from time to time．Maybe we will lose the cards．Maybe someone will take the cards．Someone may even make a card that looks like our cards．Since we can't buy anything without our cards，the credit cards may be no better than money．

Is there something easier to use than credit cards？Each of us has a thumbprint（拇指指纹）．No two thumbprints are the same．Maybe someday the government will keep people's thumbprints with a number．When you want to buy something，you will put your thumb on a machine or a computer．Each store or business will possesone．Everyone's thumbprints will be in the computer．It will be difficult to lose our thumbprints!It will be difficult for someone to steal it or to make one like it．

（1）The writer probably agrees that credit cards are 　　to carry than money．

A．	heavier
B．	easier
C．	more difficult

（2）What may be a problem with credit cards in the future？ 　　

A．	We may lose the cards from time to time．
B．	We won't be able to make enough cards．
C．	We may not know how to use the cards．

（3）Someday the government may keep people's thumbprints with a 　　．

A．	sign
B．	note
C．	number

（4）The underlined word"posses"probably means" 　　"in English．

A．	lend
B．	have
C．	sell

（5）In the writer's opinion，it'll be the best way to buy things with 　　in the future．

A．	money
B．	credit cards
C．	thumbprints．

B

You Can Make a Windsock（风筒）Have you ever seen a windsock blowing in the wind？Well，you can make one of your own!This is a fun project that you can do with things you may

have．You just need to follow a few easy steps．

You will need：

●one piece of heavy colored paper

●five ribbons

●strong tape

●a string

●a pencil

What to do：

    Step 1：Draw pictures on the paper．You can write your name on it．Do anything that will make it

                 special to you．

    Step 2：Make the paper into the shape of a tube．Hold one of the shorter edges（边缘） over the

                 other．Then make them together with the tape at each end and in the middle．

    Step 3：Use a pencil to make a hole into both sides of the tube．The holes should be only on one end

                 of the tube．Pull the string through both holes．Then tie the ends of the string together．

    Step 4：Now make five holes around the top of the other end of the tube．Put a ribbon through each

                 of the holes．Tie a knot in the ends．Make sure the knots are bigger than the holes．

Now your windsock is ready to use，but how does it work？The shape of the tube plays an important part．Wind blows through the tube and makes it fly and dance around．Hold the windsock up in the air by its string and run around．It will fly behind you．You can also hang it outside and watch it dance around

on its own!

（1）You draw pictures on the paper to make the windsock 　　．

A．	fun
B．	heavy
C．	strong
D．	special

（2）Which of these things do you need for Step 2？ 　　

A．	Tape．
B．	Ribbons．
C．	A pencil．
D．	A string．

（3）What do you do after you put ribbons through the holes in the tube？ 　　

A．	Make holes in the tube．
B．	Tape the tube together．
C．	Tie knots in the ribbons．
D．	Put a string through the hole．

（4）What is probably the most important to make a windsock work？ 　　

A．	Its shape．
B．	Its size．
C．	The color of the paper．
D．	The number of the holes．

（5）What is the main purpose of this article？ 　　

A．	To tell an interesting story．
B．	To explain how to do something．
C．	To teach an important lesson．
D．	To show what a windsock is like．

阅读理解
Today almost everyone knows computers and the Internet. If I ask you “What is the most important in your life?” maybe you will say “Computers and the Internet.”
The first computer was made in 1946. it was very big but it worked slowly. Today computers are getting smaller and smaller. But they work faster and faster. What can computers do? A writer has said, “People can’t live without computers today.”
The Internet came a little later than computers. It is about twenty-five years later than computers. But now it can be found almost everywhere. We can use it to read books, writer letters, do shopping, play computer games or make friends.
Many students like the Internet very much. They often go into the Internet as soon as they are free. They make friends on the Internet and maybe they have never seen these friends. They don’t know their real names, ages, and even sex. They are so interested in making the “unreal friends” that they can’t put their hearts into study. Many of them can’t catch up with others on many subjects because of that.
We can use computers and the Internet to learn more about the world. But at the same time, we should remember that not all the things can be done by computers and the Internet.
The Internet can not be used for______.

A．studying

B．shopping

C．thinking

D．playing

When the computer was invented, it was______.

A．large and worked quickly	B．small and worked slowly
C．large but worked slowly	D．small but worked quickly

The Internet was born in about________.

A．1960

B．1970

C．1980

D．1985

Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Few students like going into the Internet.

B．Students use the Internet to make “unreal friends.”

C．These “Unreal friends” often meet each other

D．Students know the friends on the Internet very well

What does the writer think of the Internet?

A．It is wonderful

B．It can make students study harder

C．It is not good for students

D．It is helpful, but we can’t do everything on it.

阅读理解
“ Cool ” is a word with many meanings. Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold. As the world has changed, the word has had many different meanings.
“ Cool ” can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything.
When you see a famous car in the street, maybe you will say, “It’s cool . ” You may think, “He’s so cool，”when you see your favourite footballer.
We all maximize（扩大）the meaning of “cool”. You can use it instead of many words such as “ new ”or “ surprising ”. Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used. A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall （瀑布）they had visited. On one student’s paper was just the one sentence, “It’s so cool. ” Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt.
But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏）of words. Without “cool”, some people have no words to show the same meaning. So it is quite important to keep some credibility （可信性）. Can you think of many other words that make your life as colourful as the word “cool”? I can . And I think they are also very cool .
We know that the word “ cool ” has had _________

A．only one meaning	B．no meanings
C．many different meanings	D．the same meaning

In the passage, the word “ express ” means “________”

A．see

B．show

C．know

D．feel

If you are _____________ something, you may say, “It’s cool。”

A．interested in	B．angry about
C．afraid of	D．unhappy with

The writer takes an example to show he is _________ the way the word is used.

A．pleased with	B．strange to
C．worried about	D．careful with

In the passage, the writer suggests（暗示）that the word “ cool ” _______

A．can be used instead of many words

B．usually means something interesting

C．can make your life colorful

D．may not be as cool as it seems