一、中考英语阅读理解汇编1．阅读短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. In another place or time, the death of single crop species （物种）might not have been so important. But in Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost solely on the potato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine（饥荒）. Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again, but on a much wider scale.Over the centuries, farmers have discovered thousands of different species of food crops. Each species has special qualities. Some can be grown in very hot or cold climates. Others are not affected by certain diseases. However, you won't find many of these species in your local supermarket. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only species of plants and farming only species of animals that are easy to produce in large numbers. For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice: now fewer than 100 are grown there. In China, 90 percent of the wheat varieties grown just a century ago have disappeared. Scientists believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world's food varieties to disappear.One solution to this problem is to collect and store the seeds （种子） as many different plant varieties as we can before they disappear. The idea was first suggested by Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov. In the 1920s and 1930s, he collected around 400,000 seeds from five contients. More recently, others are continuing the work he began.In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to protect historic plant varieties, like the seeds her great –grandfather brought to the U.S. from Germany more than a hundred years ago. She and her husband started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds.More importantly, the people at Heritage Farm don't just store the seeds; they plant them. By doing this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace that haven't been grown for years. These food species are not just special in terms of appearance or taste. They also offer farmers food solutions for the future, from the past.（1）What is this passage mainly about?A. The need to protect different food species.B. How to increase the number of food species.C. The fact that many food species are dying out.D. How to prevent food species from disappearing.（2）Why are some scientists worried that such a famine could happen again?A. Because people depend on certain species of food crops.B. Because the same deadly disease may attack crops again.C. Because the world's population is larger than that in 1845.D. Because farmers grow the same potatoes as those in the past.（3）The following sentence would best be placed at the end of ________.Meanwhile, thousands of other species are dying out.A. Paragraph 1B. Paragraph 2C. Paragraph 3D. Paragraph 4（4）What can we learn from the passage?A. The disease spread very quickly and killed thousands of people in Ireland.B. Around 80 percent of the rice varieties in the Philippines have disappeared.C. People have been storing seeds to save plane varieties for less than 100 years.D. Heritage Farm is the first place in the U.S. for people to store and trade seeds.【答案】（1）D（2）A（3）B（4）A【解析】【分析】主要讲了人们发现方法来阻止食物物种消失。
（1）主旨题。
根据全文可知主要讲了人们发现方法来阻止食物物种消失，故选D。
（2）细节题。
根据in 1845, people depended almost solely on the potato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine（饥荒）. Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again, but on a much wider scale.可知人们依赖单一的土豆或者食物，所以科学家担心饥荒再次来临，故选A。
（3）推断题。
根据第二段However, you won't find many of these species in your local supermarket.在超市里不能发现这些物种，因为一些正在灭绝，故选B。
（4）细节题。
根据But in Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost solely on the potato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine（饥荒）.可知疾病迅速蔓延，给爱尔兰的人们带去了饥荒，故选A。
【点评】考查阅读理解。
本文涉及细节题、推断题和主旨题三种常考题型，细节题要注意从文中寻找答案；推断题需要联系上下文，推断出需要的信息；主旨题需要通读全文，了解大意之后找出中心思想。
2．阅读短文，判断正误。
People send birthday greetings by using cards in both eastern and western countries. It is not known when and where exactly the tradition of sending birthday cards began. It is believed that it began in England in the early nineteenth century. In those days people sent birthday cards when they couldn't wish somebody a happy birthday in person.In 1840 the first stamp was used in Britain and sending birthday cards became easier, cheaper and more popular. The development of color printing processes （工艺流程） in the 1930s also helped to increase sales of birthday cards.Today cards are often given with a present, even when people can express their wishes face to face. In recent times e-cards have also become popular. Many people are starting to use e-cards instead of traditional cards because they are free, environmentally friendly and easy to arrive. Sowill e-cards take place of paper cards completely in ten or twenty years? Probably not. For example, for kids and old people, they don't use e-cads very often.If our birthday is coming soon, do you wish that at least one person could congratulate you with a beautiful card then?（1）People send birthday cards in different counties.（2）The tradition of sending birthday cards began in France in the early 18th century.（3）Sending birthday cards became more popular after the stamps were used.（4）We are sure that e-cards will take paper cards' place completely in twenty years.（5）Kids and old people often use e-cards.【答案】（1）1（2）0（3）1（4）0（5）0【解析】【分析】大意：不同的国家的人们通过送生日卡片来向表达生日问候，送生日卡片始于19世纪英国。