《2025年英语拓展听力与阅读中考特辑》

A horse fair is an interesting place. There were young horses from the country, little Welsh ponies and many beautiful horses too. But there were also a lot of poor, thin horses, tired from hard work. I was very sad to see them.
At the horse fair there was a man with a gentle voice and kind, grey eyes. He offered 23 pounds for me, but they refused. Then a man with a very loud voice came. I was afraid he was going to buy me, but he walked off. Then the grey-eyed man came back again and said, "I'll give 24 pounds for him."
"Done," said the salesman. "He's a quality horse and if you want him for cab(出租马车) work, he's a bargain."
Half an hour later, we set off for London, along country roads, until we came to that great city. There were streets to the right, and streets to the left. We went into one of the small streets, then into a very narrow street, with small, old houses.
My owner stopped at a house. The door opened, and a woman, a little girl and a boy, came out.
"Is he gentle, father?"
"Yes. Dolly, as gentle as a kitten; you can pat him."
Dolly, the little girl patted my shoulder without fear. It felt so good. They led me into a comfortable, clean stable, and after a delicious meal I lay down to sleep, thinking "I'm going to be very happy here".
My new owner's name is Jerry. His wife was called Polly and they had two children, Harry and Dolly. The next morning, they came to see me. I loved it when they patted me and spoke in gentle voices.
"Let's call him Jack, after the old horse, shall we, Harry?" said Dolly.
"Yes, let's," said Harry.
The first week of my life as Jack, the London cab horse was very hard. The noise and the people and the traffic on the streets scared me. But Jerry was a very good driver and that helped a lot. Jerry soon found that I was ready to work hard and do my best. And he didn't whip(鞭打) me.
He kept us very clean, and gave us as much food as we wanted. But the best thing was that we had Sundays off.
(Adapted from Black Beauty by Anna Sewell)
( )12. A horse fair is a place for ______.
AA. people to sell and buy horses
B. horses to learn new skills
C. people to learn to ride horses
D. horses to meet new friends
( )13. What did the salesman mean by saying "he's a bargain"?
BA. The buyer is a good driver.
B. The horse is well worth the price.
C. The buyer is gentle and kind.
D. The horse is as gentle as a kitten.
( )14. Living and working in London with Jerry's family, "I" felt ______.
BA. sad and helpless
B. challenged but satisfied
C. tired and afraid
D. curious but impatient
( )15. What can be a suitable title for the passage?
DA. The experiences of visiting a horse fair
B. The chance of having a new owner
C. The disadvantages of working in London
D. The start of a London-cab-horse life

答案： 12. A
13. B
14. B
15. D