小升初英语阅读理解（中国传统文化篇）（专项训练）-2025-2026学年译林版（三起）（2012）英语六年级下册

小升初英语阅读理解专题练习10篇（中国传统文化篇） Passage 1 Sima Guang Breaks the Water Vat Sima Guang was a clever and brave boy in ancient China. One day, he was playing in the yard with his friends. A large water vat stood in the corner. It was completely filled with water. Suddenly, a boy climbed onto the vat, lost his balance, and fell in. The other children were terrified and ran away in panic. But Sima Guang stayed calm. He picked up a heavy stone and smashed the vat with all his strength. The vat broke quickly, and the water rushed out. The drowning boy was saved. Questions 1. What does the word “terrified” mean in the story? A. very happy B. very scared  C. very tired D. very bored 2. Why did Sima Guang break the vat instead of reaching into the water? A. He was too short to reach the boy. B. He knew that letting the water out would save the boy fastest. C. He wanted to show his strength. D. He was angry at the boy. 3. What Chinese value does this story teach children? A. Always obey adults. B. Stay calm and find creative solutions in danger. C. Never play near water. D. Use violence to solve problems. 4. Which word best describes Sima Guang? A. Frightened B. Resourceful C. Lazy D. Selfish 5. If your friend fell into a deep pool and no adults were nearby, what should you do first according to the story? A. Jump in immediately. B. Run away crying. C. Stay calm and find a clever way to help. D. Do nothing and wait. Notes vat n. 大缸 yard n. 院子 corner n. 角落 balance n. 平衡 terrified adj. 极度害怕的 panic n. 惊慌 calm adj. 冷静的 smash v. 打碎，砸破 strength n. 力气 rush v. 冲，涌出 drowning adj. 溺水的 instead adv. 代替 fastest adv. 最快地 violence n. 暴力 resourceful adj. 足智多谋的 creative adj. 有创造力的 Passage 2 Cao Chong Weighs the Elephant Long long ago, a noble received a huge elephant as a gift. He wanted to know its weight, but no scale was large enough to hold the animal. All the wise men in his court thought hard but could not find a solution. Then the noble’s young son, Cao Chong, had a clever idea. He put the elephant on a boat and marked the water level on the side of the boat. Then he replaced the elephant with stones until the water reached the same mark. Finally, he weighed all the stones one by one. Their total weight was exactly the elephant’s weight. Questions 6. Why couldn’t the wise men find a way? A. The elephant was too dangerous.  B. No scale was big enough. C. They were afraid.  D. They didn’t want to help. 7. What did Cao Chong use to compare the elephant’s weight? A. A large scale  B. A boat and many stones  C. A rope  D. Water alone 8. The word “solution” in line 3 means ______. A. problem  B. answer or method  C. elephant  D. boat 9. Why did Cao Chong’s method work? A. The elephant and stones made the boat sink to the same level. B. Stones are heavier than water. C. The noble helped him. D. The elephant was very light. 10. What does this story teach us about solving big problems? A. Only adults can solve big problems. B. Break a big problem into smaller, manageable parts. C. Always ask for help.  D. Use only strength. Notes noble n. 贵族 scale n. 秤 court n. 朝廷 solution n. 解决办法 replace v. 替换 mark v. 标记 exactly adv. 精确地 manageable adj. 可处理的 Passage 3 Wen Yanbo Floats the Ball Out Wen Yanbo was a clever boy in the Song Dynasty. One day, he was playing with friends when their ball rolled into a deep, narrow hole inside an old tree. The children tried to reach it with their hands, but the hole was too deep. They tried to poke it out with a stick, but the ball kept rolling farther away. Instead of giving up, Wen Yanbo thought for a moment. He asked his friends to fetch water and pour it into the hole. As the water rose, the ball floated up to the top. They got it back easily. Questions 11. Why couldn’t the children get the ball with a stick? A. The stick was too short.  B. The ball was round and kept rolling away. C. The hole was too wide.  D. They were not strong. 12. What did Wen Yanbo use to solve the problem? A. A stick  B. A net  C. Water  D. A rope 13. What does this story show about Chinese praise for clever children? A. Strength is most important.  B. Quick thinking and observation are valued. C. Only adults can be wise.  D. Playing is bad. 14. Which word best describes Wen Yanbo? A. Impatient B. Creative  C. Selfish  D. Lazy 15. If your toy car falls into a narrow pipe, which idea from this story could help? A. Push it deeper with a stick.  B. Pour water to make it float (if it floats). C. Leave it there.  D. Break the pipe. Notes narrow adj. 狭窄的 poke v. 戳，捅 fetch v. 取来 float v. 漂浮 creative adj. 有创造力的 observation n. 观察 Passage 4 Kong Rong Shares the Pears Kong Rong was a kind and polite boy in the Han Dynasty. He had five elder brothers and one younger brother. One day, his father brought home some juicy pears and asked Kong Rong to share them. Without hesitation, Kong Rong took the smallest pear for himself and gave the bigger ones to his brothers. His father was surprised and asked why. Kong Rong replied, “Elder brothers are older and should have bigger pears. My youngest brother is small and needs more food. The smallest pear is just right for me.” Questions 16. The word “hesitation” in line 4 means ______. A. acting quickly without doubt  B. being slow to decide C. feeling angry  D. feeling happy 17. What traditional Chinese virtue does this story show? A. Bravery  B. Honesty  C. Putting others before oneself  D. Hard work 18. Why did Kong Rong give big pears to his elder brothers? A. They asked him.  B. They were older and deserved more. C. He disliked big pears. D. His father told him. 19. How did Kong Rong’s father feel? A. Angry  B. Sad  C. Surprised  D. Bored 20. If you were in Kong Rong’s place, what would be the best choice? A. Take the biggest pear.  B. Let your father decide. C. Share fairly while thinking of others’ needs.  D. Eat all secretly. Notes polite adj. 有礼貌的 juicy adj. 多汁的 hesitation n. 犹豫 deserve v. 应得 virtue n. 美德 fairly adv. 公平地 Passage 5 Mencius’ Mother Moves Three Times Mencius was a great thinker in ancient China. When he was a child, he and his mother first lived near a cemetery. Mencius began to copy mourners crying and digging graves. His mother said, “This is not a good place for my son.” So they moved near a market. There, Mencius copied sellers shouting and bargaining. His mother said, “This is not good either.” Finally, they moved near a school. Mencius started to read and learn good manners. His mother was happy and stayed there. Mencius later became a famous scholar. Questions 21. Where did Mencius and his mother first live? A. Near a market  B. Near a school  C. Near a cemetery  D. Near a forest 22. Why did the mother move away from the market? A. The market was expensive.  B. She worried the noise would influence Mencius badly. C. The house was small.  D. She wanted a river view. 23. What does this story tell us about Chinese parenting values? A. Mothers should always move.  B. Environment greatly affects a child’s development. C. Only rich families can educate children.  D. Schools are unnecessary. 24. What did Mencius begin to do near the school? A. Play all day B. Read and learn manners C. Sell vegetables D. Cry like mourners 25. What can you learn from Mencius’ mother? A. Moving houses is fun.  B. Parents should care about their child’s surroundings and growth. C. Children don’t need good environments.  D. Only mothers are wise. Notes thinker n. 思想家 cemetery n. 墓地 mourner n. 哀悼者 grave n. 坟墓 bargain v. 讨价还价 manner n. 礼貌 scholar n. 学者 influence v. 影响 development n. 发展 surroundings n. 环境 Passage 6 Kuang Heng Reads by Wall Light Kuang Heng was a poor but hardworking boy in the Han Dynasty. He loved reading, but his family could not afford even one candle. At night, it was too dark to read. However, he noticed a tiny crack in the wall. A faint beam of light from his neighbor’s candle came through the crack. Kuang Heng made the crack bigger so more light could enter. Night after night, he read by that weak light. Later, he worked for a rich man without payment, just for the chance to read his books. Questions 26. Why couldn’t Kuang Heng read at night at first? A. He didn’t like reading.  B. He was tired.  C. He had no light.  D. He had no books. 27. Where did the light come from? A. The moon  B. His neighbor’s candle through a crack  C. A lamp  D. A fire 28. The word “faint” in line 5 means ______. A. very bright  B. very weak  C. very hot  D. very colorful 29. What Chinese value does Kuang Heng’s story show? A. Rich people are lucky.  B. Hard work and a strong will help you overcome difficulties. C. Reading is only for the rich. D. Candles are not necessary. 30. What can you learn from Kuang Heng? A. If you want something, work hard and be creative.  B. Poor people cannot succeed. C. Reading is easy.  D. Only buy things you can afford. Notes afford v. 负担得起 candle n. 蜡烛 crack n. 裂缝 faint adj. 微弱的 beam n. 一束光 payment n. 报酬 overcome v. 克服 difficulty n. 困难 Passage 7 Covering Ears to Steal a Bell Once upon a time, a man saw a beautiful bronze bell at his neighbor’s door. He wanted to steal it. But he realized that the bell would ring loudly the moment he touched it. After thinking, he came up with a “clever” plan: if he covered his own ears, he would not hear the ring, so nobody else would either. He covered his ears with cloth and reached for the bell. As soon as he touched it, the bell rang loudly. The neighbor heard the noise and caught him red-handed. The man was very foolish — he tricked only himself. Questions 31. Why did the man cover his ears? A. To avoid hearing the bell.  B. To keep warm.  C. To listen to music.  D. To hide. 32. What mistake did the man make? A. He thought covering his ears would stop the bell from ringing. B. He thought the bell was not valuable. C. He thought the neighbor was deaf. D. He thought the bell was gold. 33. What does “caught him red-handed” mean? A. His hands were red.  B. He was caught while doing something wrong. C. A red-handed man caught him.  D. He painted his hands red. 34. What is the moral of this story? A. Stealing is okay sometimes.  B. You cannot change reality by ignoring it. C. Bells are dangerous.  D. Covering ears makes you invisible. 35. Which English saying has a similar meaning? A. “Honesty is the best policy.”  B. “Bury one’s head in the sand.” C. “The early bird catches the worm.”  D. “Two heads are better than one.” Notes bronze n. 青铜 bell n. 钟，铃 steal v. 偷 trick v. 欺骗 reality n. 现实 ignore v. 忽视 Passage 8 Waiting for a Hare by a Tree Stump There was a farmer in the Song Dynasty. He worked hard in his fields every day. One day, a hare ran very fast, hit a tree stump, and broke its neck. The farmer took the hare home and had a good meal. He thought, “This is so easy! Why should I work so hard?” From that day on, he stopped farming. He sat by the stump every day, waiting for another hare to come and hit it. But no hare ever came again. His field became overgrown with weeds, and he had nothing to eat. Questions 36. What was the man’s job? A. He sold hares.  B. He was a hunter.  C. He was a farmer.  D. He was a cook. 37. How did the first hare die? A. The farmer killed it.  B. It ran into a tree stump. C. It was old and sick.  D. A dog caught it. 38. What did the farmer do after that day? A. He worked harder.  B. He waited by the stump every day. C. He moved away.  D. He built a fence. 39. What happened to his field? A. It grew more crops.  B. It became full of weeds.  C. He sold it.  D. Hares ate everything. 40. What does the story mainly tell us? A. Hares are foolish.  B. Farming is a bad job. C. Don’t rely on luck; work actively.  D. Tree stumps are dangerous. Notes hare n. 野兔 stump n. 树桩 overgrown adj. 杂草丛生的 weed n. 杂草 luck n. 运气 Passage 9 Learning to Walk in Handan A young man from the State of Yan heard that people in Handan (the capital of Zhao) walked very gracefully. He envied their style and decided to go to Handan to learn their way of walking. He watched the locals carefully and tried to copy every step. He practiced day after day, but he could never master the Handan walk. Worse still, he gradually forgot his own natural way of walking. In the end, he could not walk at all. He had to crawl back home, becoming a laughingstock. Questions 41. Why did the young man go to Handan? A. To buy shoes B. To learn a graceful way of walking  C. To visit friends  D. To find a job 42. What happened after he tried to learn the Handan walk? A. He walked better.  B. He taught others.  C. He forgot his own way.  D. He became a dancer. 43. How did he return home? A. He walked normally.  B. He ran.  C. He crawled.  D. He rode a horse. 44. What does this story mainly tell us? A. Never learn from others.  B. Copying others blindly can make you lose your own strengths. C. Only young people can learn.  D. Walking in Handan is very hard. 45. What should you do when you want to learn from others? A. Copy everything exactly.  B. Forget your own way. C. Learn from them but also keep your own good qualities.  D. Never try new things. Notes graceful adj. 优雅的 envy v. 羡慕 master v. 掌握 gradually adv. 逐渐地 crawl v. 爬行 laughingstock n. 笑柄 blindly adv. 盲目地 strength n. 优点 Passage 10 Grinding an Iron Rod into a Needle Li Bai was a great poet of the Tang Dynasty. When he was young, he did not like to study. He often left school early to play. One day, he saw an old woman grinding a thick iron rod by a stream. He asked curiously, “Grandma, why are you grinding that iron rod?” She said, “I want to make a sewing needle.” Li Bai burst out laughing. “But that iron rod is huge! It will take many years!” The old woman replied calmly, “If I work hard every day without stopping, I will succeed in the end.” Li Bai was ashamed. He understood that hard work pays off. He returned to his books and studied very hard. Later he became a famous poet. Questions 46. What did young Li Bai like to do? A. Read books  B. Play instead of study  C. Help his mother  D. Write poems 47. What was the old woman doing? A. Washing clothes  B. Catching fish  C. Grinding an iron rod  D. Sewing a dress 48. How did Li Bai feel after hearing the old woman? A. Proud  B. Ashamed and inspired  C. Angry  D. Bored 49. What does the old woman’s reply teach us? A. Only old people are patient.  B. Continuous effort can turn the impossible into possible. C. Iron rods are useless.  D. Only easy things are worth doing. 50. Which proverb best matches this story? A. “All that glitters is not gold.”  B. “Rome was not built in a day.” C. “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”  D. “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Notes grind v. 磨 iron n. 铁 rod n. 棍 sewing n. 缝纫 ashamed adj. 羞愧的 continuous adj. 持续的 effort n. 努力 proverb n. 谚语 Answers: 1.B  2.B  3.B  4.B  5.C 6.B  7.B  8.B  9.A  10.B 11.B  12.C  13.B  14.B  15.B 16.B  17.C  18.B  19.C  20.C 21.C  22.B  23.B  24.B  25.B 26.C  27.B  28.B  29.B  30.A 31.A  32.A  33.B  34.B  35.B 36.C  37.B  38.B  39.B  40.C 41.B  42.C  43.C  44.B  45.C 46.B 47.C 48.B 49.B 50.B 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $