【深圳】初中英语八年级上学期期末复习【题型专练】：阅读理解（2）

Different people sing different songs. But there is a song all of us can sing. It is our national anthem(国歌)— March of the Volunteers(《义勇军进行曲》).

On 1st September,2017, our country passed the National Anthem Law(《国歌法》). That is to say all Chinese must respect the song. It also tells how we should sing or play the song. According to the law, we can't make jokes about the song. We can't change the songs words or music.

We should also be serious in singing the song. At the flag-raising ceremony, we should stand up straight until the end of the song. In addition, don't talk with others or walk away.

Maybe there are many differences between going to school in Britain and going to school in your country. In Britain school starts between 8: 30 and 9: 00 and finishes at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. It is a long day but there are no lessons on Saturdays. Children usually have lunch at school. School meals are not very expensive and are quite good. But some children don't like them and bring sandwiches or go home.

In Britain, school holidays are different from those in other countries. They are shorter at Christmas and Easter but much longer in the summer. The school year starts in the first week in September and ends in the third or fourth week of July.

Children start primary school when they are five years old. They stay there until they are 11. Then they usually go to a secondary school. Children cannot leave school before they are 16. At this age most students take public exams. Students who continue their studies go into the sixth form. If their school doesn't have a sixth form, they change schools or go to a college. Students need two years in the sixth form, and they take more public exams. In some parts of Britain, students go to middle school at the age of 8 and then go to secondary schools when they are 12 or 13.

The most important holiday in spring, especially for Christians (基督徒), is Easter. This Christian holiday is not on the same date every year, but it's always on a Sunday. It can be any Sunday between March 22 and April 25. Many people celebrate Easter by buying new clothes. Children celebrate by hunting for colored eggs that their parents have hidden around the house. People also give Easter baskets filled with candy and other goodies to one。

But the holiday is more than new clothes and good things to eat. On Easter, many people go to church to celebrate Jesus' resurrection (复活) from the dead.

Most people color them. Some people hide them. Others just eat them. But no matter what one does with Easter eggs, they are an important Easter tradition throughout the Western world.

People from many different cultures celebrate Easter. In both America and Belgium, children look for Easter eggs hidden on lawns and in bushes. In America, children believe the eggs are hidden by the Easter bunny (复活节兔子). But in Belgium, the hidden eggs are supposed to have fallen from church bells. In Bulgaria, red Easter eggs are lucky in churches. Bulgarian families also hit these Easter eggs together to see whose is the strongest. The winner looks forward to good fortune that year. Still dozens of other Easter traditions exist in parts of Austria, for example, children sing from door to door and are rewarded with colorful eggs.

    The listening test is one of the most important parts of the English exam. Here are some tips for you.

    Before you start to listen, you need to relax. Don't be stressed out. And try to read the questions. These questions usually help you understand the conversation or the passage.

    Then listen carefully to the first sentence. It usually tells you the main idea of the passage. While you're listening, try to do some thinking and take some notes, such as

    What happened?

    When, where, and how?

    What does the speaker want to tell us?

    In this way, you may understand the passage better.

    Please remember not to think about one or two words for a long time. When you hear some words you don't know, don t spend too much time on them. Very often, you'll find out what they mean later when you go on with the listening.

    Calabash brothers(葫芦娃兄弟) live in the Calabash Mountain with their grandfather. They are all very brave. They wear different clothes. The red calabash is the other six brothers 'elder brother. He is powerful. His body can be bigger or smaller. But he doesn't have his own ideas. The orange calabash has enhanced hearing and sight. He can see and hear far places clearly. The yellow calabash's body is very strong. Nothing can injure(伤害)him, but he is arrogant(傲慢的). The green calabash is the god of fire. He can eat fire and make fire. The cyan(青色的) calabash can drink water and make flood. The blue calabash is the cleverest of all. Nobody can find him when he makes himself invisible. And the purple calabash has a magic gourd(葫芦). The gourd can absorb(吸收) everything.

    One day a pangolin(穿山甲) broke the cave and two monsters came out.

    They were Monster Scorpion(蝎子精) and Monster Snake. The calabash brothers must fight with them and save the world. Unluckily, their grandfather who helped them beat the monster, was killed by the monsters finally.