2015年北京市英语中考模拟试题专项阅读理解C篇汇编一、北京市朝阳区2015中考一模C Where did that number come from?Eleven and TwelveThe reason behind the change in number naming is that eleven comes from the German term ainlif, which translates to “one left”. Twelve follows the same rule. It comes from twalif“two left”. Why teen is used instead of lif for 13 through 19? There is something sadly lost in history.911 for US Emergency (急救) CallsEarly phones didnt use phone numbersthe operator had to connect your call by handand this led to the need for an emergency code (信号). But later phone numbers became popular, that changed. In 1967, 911 was chosen as the nationwide emergency call because it was easy to remember and could be quickly dialed (拨) on the phone.26.2 Miles in a Marathon (马拉松)The story began with an ancient Greek soldier carrying message from a battlefield (战场) in Marathon to Athens. The modern marathon was born as a flagship event in the first Olympic Games, in 1896, with a distance (距离) of about 25 miles (40 km), as long as the distance from Marathon to Athens. But race organizers for the 1908 Olympic Games in London wanted to add something special. The race began at Windsor Castle and ended at White City Stadium, with runners finishing only after passing the royal (皇室的) box. The distance was 26.2 miles (42.1 km). And since 1924 this distance has been kept in marathon.28 Days in FebruaryBefore using the Gregorian calendar that we use today, one of the first Roman calendars had only 304 days and ten months (March through December), with six months of 30 days and four of 31 days. The second king of Rome improved the old calendar. He added 50 days for January and February. To make the new months longer, he took one day from each of the 30-day months, making 56 days to divide between January and February (or 28 days each). Later January was given one more day to add up to 355 days a year, but February still had 28 days. Thats how it became the shortest month and it stayed that way ever since.48. Which language do eleven and twelve come from? A. English.B. German.C. French.D. Russian.49. When was the number 911 chosen for US emergency calls? A. In 1896.B. In 1908.C. In 1924.D. In 1967.50. The marathon distance was made longer at London Olympic Games because _. A. the British was a little weak in maths B. the British didnt like the Greek story C. the British loved the royal family very much D. the British wanted to make the race different51. How many days were there in each month after the king improved the old calendar? A. 28, 29 or 31.B. 28, 30 or 31.C. 28, 29 or 30.D. 29, 30 or 31.二、北京市顺义区2015年中考一模英语CComets(彗星) are parts of our solar system（太阳系）. Like the planets, they go around the sun.But comets are not made of solid rock like planets. A comet is a ball of dust, stones, and ice. Many people call comets dirty snowballs.The “snowball” may be only a few miles across. But when the sun heats the “snowball,” much of it is changed to gases. The gases spread out and form the comets head, which may be thousands of miles across.* * *A comet moves fast in its trip around the sun. But when we see it, the comet does not seem to move. Thats because it is so far away. The moon moves fast, but when you look at it, you cant see any motion. Thats because the moon is far away.So comets do not rush across the sky. You cannot see any motion. But if you look night after night, you can see that a comet changes position among the stars. If you watch the moon night after night, youll see that it also changes position.Each year astronomers discover new comets. Some of them are seen onlyonce. They make one trip around the sun and then go way out into space. The suns gravity（重力、引力）cannot hold them.Other comets, like Halley, keep returning. They have been captured by the sun. Halleys earliest visit was probably 3,000 years ago. It may keep returning for another 3,000 years.But every time a comet goes around the sun, the comet loses part of itself. Gases and dust are pulled out of the comet. Thats why Halley is now dimmer than it used to be. Next time it visits us, in 2062, it may be even dimmer. Each visit it may get dimmer and dimmer, until it finally disappears. 54. What is this passage mostly about?A. Comets and the sun. B. Why comets are like snowballs.C. Who discovered the first comet. D. Facts about comets.55. According to the passage, some comets have been “captured by the sun.” What does the underlined phrase mean?A. The comets are rushing into the sun. B. The comets have been brightened by the sun.C. The comets are stuck in the suns gravity. D. The comets have been burned by the suns heat.56. How does the author help the reader understand what a comet looks like?A. By telling about a famous one. B. By explaining how far away it is.C. By describing how fast it moves. D.