四、阅读理解
An old saying used for predicting the weather says, “Red sky at night, sailors'（水手）delight（高兴）. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning（警告）.” Is the saying true? It turns out that it is. A red sky at sunset may mean that there are clear skies to the west, where the sun sets. A red sky at sunrise usually means that the clear weather has already passed, so storms might be coming.
Forecasting（预报）the weather has been practised for thousands of years. In the 5th century B.C., the Greeks sent out forecasts to sailors. They used signs in nature to forecast the weather. But today, meteorologists send detailed forecasts further in advance（提前）. They use scientific skills to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts. Pilots（飞行员）, farmers and many other people depend on these forecasts. Luckily, now most of us can simply check on the smartphone or turn on the TV to find out what kind of weather is coming.
If you are looking for some signs of the weather, pay attention to nature. There are two basic rules that are used in weather forecasting: Weather generally moves from west to east, and low air pressure（压力）usually means coming rain or snow. So pay attention to the signs. If rainbows form in the west at sunrise, the sun is on the way. Smell the flowers—their smells are stronger in wet air. What are the ants doing? Are they moving to the higher ground? This could mean a drop in air pressure. Are the birds flying low or high? Falling air pressure may have an effect on birds' ears, so they fly low. And if the sky is red at sunset, you might plan a picnic for the next day!
（
A. The beauty of sunrise.
B. The night sky.
C. The signs of the weather.
D. The sailors' work.
（
A. give daily weather reports on TV
B. carry out studies on nature
C. take an interest in plants
D. do scientific studies of weather
（
A. The reasons for terrible weather.
B. A true story about weather forecasting.
C. Different ways of forecasting the weather.
D. The problems in forecasting the weather.
（
A. It'll be sunny if ants move to higher places.
B. The smells of flowers are stronger in wet air.
C. Birds fly higher because of the low air pressure.
D. It'll rain if rainbows form in the west at sunrise.
（
A. To encourage people to get close to nature.
B. To express the need for weather forecasting.
C. To show nature can tell us about the weather.
D. To discuss how important weather forecasting is.
An old saying used for predicting the weather says, “Red sky at night, sailors'（水手）delight（高兴）. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning（警告）.” Is the saying true? It turns out that it is. A red sky at sunset may mean that there are clear skies to the west, where the sun sets. A red sky at sunrise usually means that the clear weather has already passed, so storms might be coming.
Forecasting（预报）the weather has been practised for thousands of years. In the 5th century B.C., the Greeks sent out forecasts to sailors. They used signs in nature to forecast the weather. But today, meteorologists send detailed forecasts further in advance（提前）. They use scientific skills to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts. Pilots（飞行员）, farmers and many other people depend on these forecasts. Luckily, now most of us can simply check on the smartphone or turn on the TV to find out what kind of weather is coming.
If you are looking for some signs of the weather, pay attention to nature. There are two basic rules that are used in weather forecasting: Weather generally moves from west to east, and low air pressure（压力）usually means coming rain or snow. So pay attention to the signs. If rainbows form in the west at sunrise, the sun is on the way. Smell the flowers—their smells are stronger in wet air. What are the ants doing? Are they moving to the higher ground? This could mean a drop in air pressure. Are the birds flying low or high? Falling air pressure may have an effect on birds' ears, so they fly low. And if the sky is red at sunset, you might plan a picnic for the next day!
（
C
）1. What is the old saying about?A. The beauty of sunrise.
B. The night sky.
C. The signs of the weather.
D. The sailors' work.
（
D
）2. The underlined word “meteorologists” means the people who .A. give daily weather reports on TV
B. carry out studies on nature
C. take an interest in plants
D. do scientific studies of weather
（
C
）3. Which of the following is introduced in Paragraph 2?A. The reasons for terrible weather.
B. A true story about weather forecasting.
C. Different ways of forecasting the weather.
D. The problems in forecasting the weather.
（
B
）4. What do we know from the last paragraph?A. It'll be sunny if ants move to higher places.
B. The smells of flowers are stronger in wet air.
C. Birds fly higher because of the low air pressure.
D. It'll rain if rainbows form in the west at sunrise.
（
C
）5. What is the writer's purpose in writing the text?A. To encourage people to get close to nature.
B. To express the need for weather forecasting.
C. To show nature can tell us about the weather.
D. To discuss how important weather forecasting is.
答案：1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C
解析：
【分析】这是一篇英语阅读理解选择题，考查学生对文章细节的理解和主旨的把握。解题思路为：先通读全文把握核心内容（围绕自然现象与天气预测的关联展开）；再针对每道题目，回到原文定位相关语句，逐一分析选项，排除不符合原文的错误选项，选出正确答案。
【解析】1. 根据第一段第一句“An old saying used for predicting the weather says...”可知，该谚语用于预测天气，即天气的标志，对应选项C；A（日出之美）、B（夜空）、D（水手的工作）均与谚语用途不符，故选C。
2. 根据第二段“They use scientific skills to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts.”可知，划线词“meteorologists”指用科学方法研究天气的人，对应选项D；A（电视天气预报播报员）、B（自然研究者）、C（植物爱好者）均不符合，故选D。
3. 第二段介绍了古希腊人用自然标志预报天气、现代气象学家用科学技能预报天气，即不同的天气预报方式，对应选项C；A（恶劣天气原因）、B（天气预报真实故事）、D（天气预报的问题）均未提及，故选C。
4. 根据最后一段“their smells are stronger in wet air”可知，选项B正确；A（蚂蚁移至高处为晴天）错误，原文指蚂蚁移至高处是气压下降，可能降雨；C（鸟高飞因低气压）错误，原文指鸟低飞；D（日出时西方有彩虹会降雨）错误，原文指该情况为晴天，故选B。
5. 全文围绕自然现象可预示天气展开，作者目的是展示自然能告知天气情况，对应选项C；A（鼓励亲近自然）、B（强调天气预报的必要性）、D（讨论天气预报的重要性）均偏离主旨，故选C。
【答案】1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C
【知识点】英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】本文是围绕天气预测展开的英语阅读理解，题目侧重细节定位与主旨理解，难度适中，学生只需认真阅读原文、准确对应信息即可作答，适合初中阶段学生巩固阅读理解能力。
【难度系数】0.7
【解析】1. 根据第一段第一句“An old saying used for predicting the weather says...”可知，该谚语用于预测天气，即天气的标志，对应选项C；A（日出之美）、B（夜空）、D（水手的工作）均与谚语用途不符，故选C。
2. 根据第二段“They use scientific skills to study weather conditions around the world and make forecasts.”可知，划线词“meteorologists”指用科学方法研究天气的人，对应选项D；A（电视天气预报播报员）、B（自然研究者）、C（植物爱好者）均不符合，故选D。
3. 第二段介绍了古希腊人用自然标志预报天气、现代气象学家用科学技能预报天气，即不同的天气预报方式，对应选项C；A（恶劣天气原因）、B（天气预报真实故事）、D（天气预报的问题）均未提及，故选C。
4. 根据最后一段“their smells are stronger in wet air”可知，选项B正确；A（蚂蚁移至高处为晴天）错误，原文指蚂蚁移至高处是气压下降，可能降雨；C（鸟高飞因低气压）错误，原文指鸟低飞；D（日出时西方有彩虹会降雨）错误，原文指该情况为晴天，故选B。
5. 全文围绕自然现象可预示天气展开，作者目的是展示自然能告知天气情况，对应选项C；A（鼓励亲近自然）、B（强调天气预报的必要性）、D（讨论天气预报的重要性）均偏离主旨，故选C。
【答案】1.C 2.D 3.C 4.B 5.C
【知识点】英语阅读理解、细节理解、主旨大意
【点评】本文是围绕天气预测展开的英语阅读理解，题目侧重细节定位与主旨理解，难度适中，学生只需认真阅读原文、准确对应信息即可作答，适合初中阶段学生巩固阅读理解能力。
【难度系数】0.7