《2026年江苏13大市中考名卷优选38套英语》

D
The sun hung low, brushing gold over the empty area. The air buzzed(喧闹)—not with insects, but with voices, cameras, and the weight of something about to begin.
Roy’s heart beat like a drum. He looked out at the people gathering for the pancake house ground-breaking ceremony(仪式). Behind him stood the company men and the reporters. And under his feet—hidden underground—were the tiny burrows(洞穴) of the owls.
No sign marked them. No fence protected them. They asked nothing, made no sound, yet now heavy machines waited, ready to destroy(破坏) their living area.
He thought of Mullet Fingers, the wild boy who cared about animals more than himself. He thought of brave Beatrice who helped even when it was hard. Roy had tried to stay out of trouble. He liked quiet. But now, staying quiet didn’t feel right.
He stepped up to the microphone(话筒).
“Excuse me,” he said, voice shaking. “Before you dig ... you should know the truth.”
The crowd(人群) grew quiet.
“There are owls living here,” Roy said. “They’re small. They’re scared. And if you build here, you’ll destroy their homes.”
Someone in the crowd laughed. A reporter asked, “How do you know that?”
“Because I saw them. I stood right there and watched them. They live here. They belong here. And they matter.”

The manager stepped forward, “This is not your business, kid.”
Roy turned to face him. His fear turned into something else—strength.
“It’s my business. It’s everyone’s business. We can’t just destroy what we don’t see. Progress should not come at the cost of wonder,” he said.
His hands stopped shaking. People in the crowd began whispering. One mother held her child’s hand. A teacher nodded. Even the manager looked uncertain.
Roy didn’t know what would happen next. But he did what he could. He spoke the truth.
Roy used to be scared. But doing the right thing made him stronger.
Sometimes, doing what you can is enough to shift(改变) the wind.
22. Who did Roy think of before stepping up to the microphone?
A. His teacher.
B. Mullet Fingers and Beatrice.
C. The manager.
D. The newspaper reporters.
23. Why was Roy speaking to the crowd at the ceremony?
A. To raise money for wildlife.
B. To protect the owls’ living area.
C. To advertise the pancake house.
D. To welcome people from other towns.
24. What does the underlined sentence in the passage mean?
A. Extra cost should be paid to protect nature.
B. There’s nothing more important than progress.
C. Nature shouldn’t be destroyed for development.
D. People should cut the cost of creating wonders.
25. What can we learn from Roy’s story in the passage?
A. Silence sometimes speaks louder than actions.
B. Finding out the truth needs patience and wisdom.
C. Knowing yourself helps you make the right choice.
D. Standing up for nature takes courage but it’s worth it.

答案： D
文体：记叙文
文章大意：本文讲述了Roy在煎饼店奠基仪式上勇敢站出来发言，呼吁保护猫头鹰栖息地的故事。
22.B 细节理解。根据第四段中“He thought of Mullet Fingers，the wild boy who cared about animals more than himself. He thought of brave Beatrice who helped even when it was hard.”可知，Roy上台前想到的是Mullet Fingers和Beatrice两位榜样。
23.B 推理判断。根据第八段中Roy的发言“There are owls living here”和“And if you build here，you’ll destroy their homes.”可知，他发言的目的是保护猫头鹰的栖息地。
24.C 句意理解。根据画线句所在语境及全文可知，Roy是在为保护猫头鹰的栖息地而发声，反对以破坏自然为代价的发展。
25.D 推理判断。综合全文及倒数第二段“Roy used to be scared. But doing the right thing made him stronger.”可知，故事告诉我们：为自然发声需要勇气，但这是值得的。