江苏省历年中考真题分类汇编：阅读理解 （故事阅读类）

When she was alone, Mary felt lonelier than ever. She went out of the house and ran around the garden ten times. Ben Weatherstaff was working in it.

"Spring is coming," he said to Mary. "I can smell it in the air. Soon there will be spring flowers At this moment, the robin flew toward them and landed at Mary's feet.

"He remembers me," she said.

"He knows everything that happens here," Ben said. "Only he knows what's happening in the garden that has no door into it. No one else has been inside it for ten years. "

Ben walked away to continue his work. Mary bent down and began talking to the robin. She felt happier than she had ever felt.

The robin trusted her and did not fly away. It began pecking at the ground, looking for a worm to eat. Mary looked closely at the ground. She saw something that looked like metal. She picked it up. It was dirty and rusty. She cleaned it and saw that it was a key.

"It's been in the ground for many years," she thought. "I wonder if it is the key to the garden. If it is, then I must find the door. "

Mary skipped around the garden. The robin followed her. Mary stopped skipping and spoke to the robin.

"He showed me where to find the key," she thought. "Can you show me where the door is? "

The robin sat on the top of the garden wall. It began to sing. The wall was covered with ivy. Mary pulled at a piece of the ivy. It came away from the wall. Behind the wall was a door. Mary put the key in the lock of the door and turned it. The door opened. Only seconds later, Mary was inside the secret garden.

Mary thought it was the most beautiful garden she had ever seen.

      Resting my head on Helen's shoulder, I put my arms round her waist（腰）. She drew me to her, and we rested in silence.

We hand not sat long before another person came in.

Some heavy clouds, swept from the sky by a rising wind, had left he moon bright; and her light, coming in through a window near, shone full both on us and on the coming person, Miss Temple.

"I came on purpose to find you. Jane Eyre, " said she. "I want you in my room, and as Helen Burs is with you, she may come too. "

We followed Miss Temple to her apartment. It had a good fire, and looked cheerful. Miss Temple told Helen Burns to be seated in a low arm-chair on one side of the fire place, and herself asking another, she called me to her side.

"Is it all over?" she asked. looking down at my face. "Have you cried your sadness away"

"I am afraid I never shall do that. "

"Why?"

"Because I have been wrongly accused（指责）, and you and everybody else, will think me a bad girl. "

"We shall think you what you prove yourself to be, my child. Continue to act as a good girl, and you will satisfy us. "

"Shall I, Miss Temple?"

"You will. "said Miss Temple, "You have been accused of lying when you were little. Tell us the truth, but add nothing and exaggerate（夸大）nothing. "

I made up my mind that I would be most modest and most core. Having thought for a few minutes about where to start, I told her all the story of my sad childhood.

Dr. Dolittle lived in a small town called Puddleby. Everyone in the town knew him. The dog and children ran after him.

He lived in a small house, but he had a large garden. He kept many animals in his garden. His favorite animals were Dab-Dab, a duck; Jip, a dog; Gub-Gub, a baby pig and Polynesia, a parrot. He also kept some fish, rabbits, cats, a squirrel, a cow and a baby cow, a horse, chickens and so on.

Dr. Dolittle didn't have many patients. Most people didn't like all of his animals, so when they were ill, they went to a doctor in another town.

"But you don't have any money, "his sister told him. "You need patients."

"I have a patient, " Dr. Dolittle answered, "The cat's-meat-man. He's the man who sells me meat for the cat."

"He doesn't pay you enough to live on, " his sister told him.

"Then I'll sell everything I have," he said.

And he did. He sold most of his furniture. He also sold most of his clothes. Then he had enough money to buy food for himself and his animals.

One day, the cat's-meat-man said to him, " Why don't you stop being a doctor for people and become a doctor for animals instead? I'm sure that you know a lot about animals — more than most vets. You wrote a wonderful book about cats. I'd send all the people with sick dogs or cats to you."

When the cat's-meat-man left, Polynesia, the parrot, flew onto the table. "He's right, Doctor," Polynesia said. "You should become an animal doctor."

"There are a lot of vets," Dr, Dolittle said.

"Perhaps there are a lot of vets. But you'd be the best vet of all. I'm not the only animal that can talk. All the animals can talk. Each kind of animal has its own language. I'll teach you mine if you like."

"Yes, please," Dr. Dolittle said. He opened a drawer (抽屉) and took out a notebook and pencil. "Will you teach me the parrot's ABCs first?" he asked.

Polynesia agreed to teach Dr. Dolittle parrot language. Later that day, Jip came into the room. Polynesia said, "He's talking to you, Doctor."

"I don't think he is," Dr. Dolittle said. "He's just cratching(挠) himself."

"Dogs talk with their ears, their noses, and their tails," Polynesia told him. They don't always make a noise. Do you see how he is moving his nose now?"

"Yes."

"He is telling us that it has stopped raining, and he wants to ask you a question."

Every day, Dr. Dolittle learned the languages of the animals. When people found out he was now an animal doctor, they brought their sick pets to him.

One day, a horse said to him, " You're a much better animal doctor than the vet. You knew I couldn't see well, and you made glasses for me."

The horse was very pleased. He could see very well. He told all his friends how clever Dr. Dolittle was, and they told all their friends. Soon, many animals came to see him. He had a different door for each animal, and he wrote the name of each kind of animal above each door. HORSES, COWS,...

Before long, every animal that lived in or near the town became the doctor's patient. He was very happy, and he liked his life very much.

(Adapted from The Story of Dr. Dolittle)