牛津深圳版英语八上Unit 4 主题阅读

八年级上Unit 4 主题阅读一、完型填空。

（20%）The safety pin (安全别针) is one of the simplest _____1___ever. And this great idea also saved a man named Walter Hunt from a life of loneliness (孤独).Walter Hunt loved a girl and wanted to marry her. But her father didn’t accept ___2___Hunt had no job __3___money. Her father told Hunt that he could marry her if he earned 1,000 dollars within 10___4___. Hunt ____5__ that he would do it.When Hunt got home, he began to ___6___ very hard. How could he earn 1,000 dollars in 10 days? At that time, a thousand dollars was a lot of money.Many days passed. Finally, on the ___7___day, Hunt ____8____ an idea. He noticed that a lot of Americans pinned ribbons to their shirts around Easter time. Every time somebody hugged someone else at church or at family gatherings, the pins would prick (刺) them. The pins would fall off very ___9___.Hunt thought of the first safety pin. It would keep the ribbons on people’s shirts and it also wouldn’t prick them. What a great idea!On the 10th day, Hunt sold the idea __10___1,000 dollars. At the very last moment, the safety pin saved Hunt from a life of loneliness.( ) 1. A. machines B. magazines C. experiences D. inventions ( ) 2. A. and B. so C. because D. but( ) 3. A. and B. or C. but D. except( ) 4. A. days B. weeks C. years D. hours ( ) 5. A. realized B. challenged C. ordered D. promised( ) 6. A. earn B. do C. think D. look( ) 7. A. caught up with B. thought over C. came up with D. controlled ( ) 8. A. hard B. difficult C. easily D. early( ) 9. A. lunch B. supper C. morning D. evening( ) 10. A. at B. for C. with D. from二、阅读理解。

(60%)AWHEN you use a computer, do you think about the mouse? This little plastic tool makes using computers so much easier. It has a history that goes back nearly 50 years.In 1963, American computer pioneer Douglas Engelbart invented a prototype (原型) mouse. On April 27, 1981, the first computer system with a mouse and Windows interface (界面) appeared. This design plays an important part in the personal computing world even today.The invention of the mouse was the beginning of a new age. Before the mouse, computer users had to use complex (复杂的) tools and difficult code (编码) to connect with their computers.Some say developments like the touch screen iPad will mean the end of the mouse, but others believe the mouse will be around for a while longer.“It’s easy to learn, and you don’t need to take your eyes off the screen to use it. These are t he reasons for its long life,” says Ken Perlin, a professor at New York University.Scientists are now working on adding new things to the mouse. Recently, they made “soft mouse”, made from a soft plastic material. Using it is like touching a cat, so some computer users have started calling it a “cat”.There is an Internet saying: One day the “cat” may eat the “mouse”.根据上文内容判断正（A）误（B）( ) 1. The mouse was first invented by an American in 1963.( ) 2. Before the mouse, people had to use difficult tools and code to connect with their computers.( ) 3. The touch screen iPad will surely end the use of the mouse.( ) 4. Scientists have now invented a “soft mouse” made from cloth.( ) 5. One day the cats will eat up all the mice.BLAST week, the US magazine Time picked its 50 best inventions of the year. Some of them are very interesting. Let's take a look.1.The car that you can eatThis race car is a special one. It is made of different kinds of food. It has pieces of carrot in its steering wheel (方向盘) and potato in its side mirrors. And it runs on chocolate and vegetable oil. England's University of Warwick developed the car. They want race cars to be eco-friendly.2.Spider web silk (丝)Spiders can make a kind of strong silk. They use the silk to make webs. But some fashion designers want to use spider silk to make clothes. Working together, Simon Peers from Britain and Nicholas Godley from the US made a 3.4-meter-long spider-silk cloth (布)! Making it wasn't easy. The work took four years, half a million dollars and more than a million spiders.3. Bicycle vending machine(自动售货机)Have you used a vending machine? You choose an item (物品) you want, put in your money and hit a button (按钮). Then the food or drink you choose will come out. Pep Torres invented a vending machine in Spain that asks you for more than just money. A fixed bicycle is connected (连接) to the vending machine. People have to ride the bike for a certain distance to get what they want. Pep wants people to exercise before eating and drinking.You can look at the whole list of “the 50 best inventions of 2008” at Time's website: /time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1934027,00.html( )6. Who picked its 50 best inventions of the year last week?A.AmericaB. the United NationC. the US presidentD. Time ( )7. Which of the following is not true about the car?A.It is a race car.B.It is made of steel and iron.C.It can be eaten.D.It runs on chocolate and vegetable oil.( )8. How long did Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley spend making the spider-silk cloth? A. A million years B. 3.4 years C. 4 years D. 14 years( )9. Why did Pep Torres invented a vending machine connected to a fixed bicycle?A.Because he wanted to make more money.B.Because he wanted to sell his bicycles.C.Because he wanted people to exercise before eating and drinking.D.Because he liked riding bicycles.( )10. If you want to know more about the 50 best inventions of 2008, what should you do?A.You can go to the US.B.You can look at it on the internet.C.You can look it up in an encyclopedia.D.You can buy a newspaper.CHOW do you keep cool during summer? Air conditioning (空调) or electric fans are good tools in modern society. But before that, people could only use fans.Over 3,000 years ago, first fans began to be used. They were made of feathers (羽毛), bamboo or silk. They came in different shapes, including round and square.Later, with the invention of paper, folding (可折叠的) paper fans became popular during the Song Dynasty. There are usually beautiful pictures on fans. Some are landscapes (风景). Others are flowers and animals. Moreover, many great people including Su Dongpo, a poet of the SongDynasty, and Tang Yin, scholar and painter of the Ming Dynasty, once painted their masterpieces (杰作) on fans. This made fans not only useful tools in daily life but also great artworks.Therefore, with its value of beauty, people take fans as a symbol of status (地位). That’s why in old China, emperors (皇帝) and scholars (学者) often held fans.Today, fans are also great collectors’ items and gifts. On the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, folding fans were given to leaders and officials of other countries, as well as other audience. While they were waving fans to get cool, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.( )11. The first fans was made of the following except_________before Song Dynasty?A.FeatherB. paperC. bambooD. silk( )12. What made fans become great artworks?A.The invention of paper.B.Emperors and scholars used fans.C.Many great people painted their masterpieces on fans.D.Fans can be folded.( )13. What is Tang Yin?A. A poet of the Song Dynasty.B.An Emperor in Ming Dynasty.C. A painter in Qing Dynasty.D. A scholar and painter in Ming Dynasty.( )14. Who can get folding fans on the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games?A.AthletesB.leaders and officials of other countriesC.Other aucience.D.Both B and C.( )15. Which of the following is NOT true?A.Today, many people collect fans and send them as presents.B.In old China, emperors and scholars often held fans to get cool.C.Fans came in different shapes.D.Folding paper fans became popular during the Song Dynasty.DWHEN talking about inventors, who do you first think of? Forget Thomas Edison. Meet the teenage inventors at the 24th Jiangsu Adolescents Science & Technology Innovation Contest (青少年科技创新大赛).Wang Xingyu, 14, from Kunshan No 2 Middle School, invented “a safe line” in the zebra crossing (斑马线). Wang often sees people running through the red light. So he thought of an idea.“I put a spray tube (喷管) in the zebra crossing. When the light changes to red and someone crosses, it sprays water. If the light is green, it will not work,” said Wang.But does it waste water? “There’s a water channel (管道) on the ground, so the water will be co llected and used again,” he said.Zong Hangchen, 15, from Nantong Special Education Middle School, also got his invention idea from daily experience.Zong’s eyes can only feel a little light. When he walks on the sidewalk for the blind, he often comes across obstacles. Once he even hurt his nose.To help himself and the blind, Zong made something that has radar (雷达) and a loudspeaker.Users tie radar on their knees and wear the loudspeaker around their necks. When they meet obstacles, the radar will see them and the loudspeaker will make a sound to tell the users.Chen Huijuan, an official from Jiangsu Association for Science and Technology, was surprised at these inventions.“Though some ideas are simple, the creations are very good,” he said. “Get ins piration (灵感) from small things in life and you can be an inventor too.”( )16. What does the underlined ‘obstacles’ mean?A.熟人B.障碍物C.导盲犬D.警察( )17. Why does Wang Xingyu invent “a safe line” in the zebra crossing?A.Because he is an inventor.B.Because he can only feel a little light.C.Because he wants people to obey traffic rules.D.Because he likes running through the red light.( )18. Which of the following statement is true about Zong Hangchen?A.He is from Kunshan No 2 Middle School.B.He got his invention idea from daily experience.C.He is an official from Jiangsu Association for Science and Technology.D.He cannot hear anything.( )19. What did Chen Huijuan feel about these inventions?A.He thought these ideas are stupid.B.He was shocked at these ideas and encouraged teens to be an inventor.C.He thought these creations value nothing.D.He wanted to be an inventor as well.( )20. What can we learn from Wang and Zong？A.Getting inspiration from small things in life.B.Walking on the sidewalk for the blind.C.Running through the red light when crossing the road.D.Helping the blind when we are in the street.三、短文填空。