B(2025·苏州工业园区西安交通大学苏州附属初级中学期中)
The Chinese pingfeng (folding screen) is a piece of traditional Chinese furniture(家具). It dates back to the Han Dynasty. Pingfeng means "keeping away from wind", which tells us its use right from the start.
As time passes, it has been made into different sizes with colourful paintings. On screens usually is a dragon. It means light, growth, and water that gives life. It also stands for nobility(高贵) and power. The peacock(孔雀), a beautiful bird, can be seen on screens too. It's a symbol of long life. Beautiful flowers, which mean being rich and good luck, are also a popular design of the pingfeng. All the designs carry people's beautiful wishes.
Behind the pingfeng lies an interesting story. In the past, the unmarried daughter of a rich family should not see or be seen by men except her father, brothers or very close male(男性) cousins. When a young man came to visit, she could secretly watch him from behind the screen which completely hid her. Her father would discuss poems with the young man and ask him to create one. If both the daughter and her father liked the young man's poem and his looks, she might agree to marry him.
Today the pingfeng is back in fashion for its beauty and its practical(实际的) use as furniture. Acting as a moving wall, it can be the perfect match for modern sofas and walls, which adds style to them.
6. What was the pingfeng used for at the very beginning?
A. Protecting people from wind.
B. Dividing(分) a room.
C. Making a room beautiful.
D. Hiding a person.
7. Which design is a symbol of nobility and power?
A. The dragon.
B. The peacock.
C. The water.
D. The flowers.
8. 中考新考法 推断作者写作手法 How does the writer show more about the pingfeng in Paragraph 3?
A. By listing facts.
B. By telling a story.
C. By telling the result(结果).
D. By showing differences.
9. 中考新考法 推断文章主题 The writer wants to tell us .
A. the designs of the pingfeng in the past
B. a beautiful story of the pingfeng
C. the use of the pingfeng in modern homes
D. the hidden beauty of the pingfeng
10. 中考新考法 推断文章出处 In which newspaper column(专栏) can you read the passage?
A. Culture.
B. Sports.
C. History.
D. Science.

C(2025·南京玄武区期中)
I've lived in a lorry(卡车) with my younger sister Sinita and my parents for over 200 days now! We're travelling around Africa. The lorry is a bit like a house on wheels(轮子), but it has less space. However, we have everything we need for our journey. It's not fast. That is OK—we're not in a hurry.
Our schoolbooks are the same as the ones back home. My mum gives us lessons and then sends our work to teachers on the internet. But my favourite way of learning is by going on special trips that my parents plan. We've seen so many wonderful places, people and animals during the trip.
In September, we went camping in the Kalahari Desert(卡拉哈里沙漠). We learnt a lot about the night sky. The Kalahari Desert is not like other deserts because it gets such a lot of rain that some parts of it look really green. We had a guide, and he told us about all the lovely animals that lived there.
In November, we went on a whale-watching tour in South Africa and saw six whales. We said hello to them. One even swam under our boat. That was really thrilling. I knew whales were big, but I couldn't believe they were so large.
In December, we drove to Boulders Beach in South Africa. There are thousands of African penguins on the beach. These cute black and white birds can swim, but cannot fly. Many of the visitors who went to the beach enjoyed seeing their funny walk, but I was really interested in how clever they were at keeping their babies safe.
11. What do we know about the writer's family's lorry?
A. It's slow.
B. It's expensive.
C. It has six wheels.
D. It was made in Africa.
12. Why is the Kalahari Desert different from other deserts?
A. Because it is larger.
B. Because it is wetter.
C. Because it has clearer skies.
D. Because it has more animals.
13. What was the writer most interested in about the penguins?
A. They swam well.
B. They were clever.
C. They were black and white.
D. They walked in a funny way.
14. What does the underlined word "thrilling" in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. Important.
B. Boring.
C. Exciting.
D. Popular.
15. 中考新考法 标题归纳 What's the best title for the passage?
A. The Study of Night Sky
B. Houses Near the Beach
C. The Work on the Internet
D. A Journey Around Africa