暑假過(guò)后，新初三生們迎來(lái)了初中最重要的一年——初三。為方便2013年中考考生及家長(zhǎng)查詢相關(guān)信息，出國(guó)留學(xué)網(wǎng)中考頻道特別搜集匯總了中考英語(yǔ)閱讀素材以供參考：
    Long ago and far away, there lived an Emperor. This Emperor was very vain and could think about nothing but his clothes. He had wardrobes and cupboards full of clothes. They filled his spare bedrooms and upstairs corridors of the palace.
    The courtiers were worried that the wardrobes would begin to appear downstairs and in their chambers.
    The Emperor spent hours every morning getting dressed. He had to choose his outfit, preferable a new one, and the shoes and wig to go with it. Mid-morning, he invariably changed into something more formal for his short meetings with his counsellors and advisors. He would change again for lunch, and then again for a rest in the afternoon. He just had to change for dinner and them again for the evening!
    He kept all the weavers, tailors, cobblers and silk merchants of the city very busy and very happy!
    News of the Emperor spread to distant kingdoms and finally came to the ears of two very shady characters.
    "Could we?" they asked themselves. "Could we fool the Emperor who loves new clothes?"
    "Let's try," they decided.
    They left their homes and travelled to the Emperor's city. there they saw the many shops selling clothes, shoes and fabrics. For, if the Emperor dressed finely, so too did his couriers. The two travellers went to the palace along with many other tradesmen hoping to sell their wares to the Emperor.
    They asked to meet the Emperor.
    "We have something very special to show him," they told the Chamberlain.
    "That's what everyone says," said the Chamberlain.
    "Ah, but his is magical," said one, "We have invented a new cloth by using a very special and secret method."
    The Chamberlain felt that it was his duty to bring new items to the Emperor's attention and he went to tell him.
    "Something magical?" said the Emperor, who was changing for lunch and admiring himself in the mirror.
    "Oh, I love new things, Show the two weavers in."
    The two weavers were shown in, and began to describe their cloth to the Emperor.
    "It is gold, silver and rainbow coloured, all at the same time," said one. "It shimmers."
    "It feels like silk, but is as warm as wool," said the second.
    "It is as light as air," said the first. "A most wonderful fabric."
    The Emperor was enchanted. He must have an outfit from this new cloth.
    "There is a grand parade in the city in two weeks time," he said. "I need a new outfit for it. Can one be ready in time?"
    "Oh yes, your Majesty," said the weavers. "But there is a problem. The cloth is very expensive to make."
    "No matter," said the Emperor, waving his hand. "Money is no objest. I must have an outfit. Just see the Chamberlain and he'll sort it out. Make it here in the palace."
    The Chamberlain showed the two weavers to a large airy room and they set to work. They asked for a loom, and a sack of gold to start buying materials.
    The Chamberlain followed the Emperor's orders and they were denied nothing.
    The weavers worked away behind closed doors. The loom could be heard clattering away. Every now and them a courtier would stand and listen at the door. News of the magic cloth had spread.
    Finally, the Emperor could stand it no more.
    "Chamberlain, go to the weavers and see how the cloth is processing. The parade is only a week way."
    The Chamberlain knocked at the door and waited.
    "Enter!" said the weavers. They had been expecting someone soon!
    "The Emperor has sent me to check on the progress of the cloth," said the Chamberlain, staring at the empty loom.
    "Is it not beautiful?" said one of the weavers, holding out nothing to the Chamberlain. "See the lustre, feel the softness!"
    "Um," said the Chamberlain, not quite sure what to say.
    "Oh wise Chamberlain," said the other weaver.
    "Now you can see why it is magical. Only the truly clever and brilliant can see the cloth. Most people would see an empty loom, but a clever man like you will see our wonderful cloth."
    "Of course," said the Chamberlain, not wanting to look stupid. "It really is quite marvellous. Those colours, that shimmer of the gold and silver threads. Marvellous."
    "Oh, you are so wise," said the weavers.
    The Emperor was very impatient and couldn't wait for the Chamberlain to return. After ten minutes of pacing up and down, he went to the weavers' room, followed by half of his court.
    He threw the doors open, and saw the empty loom.
    "Why!" he cried in a surprised voice.
    "Your Majesty," said the Chamberlain quickly. " A wise man such as yourself can surely see the colours and sheen of this magical cloth."
    "Of course I can," said the Emperor, wondering why he could not. "It's beautiful. Simply enchanting. When can my outfit be made? Send for the royal tailors!"
    "Your Majesty," said the two weavers. "We would be delighted to make your outfit for you. There is no need to trouble your hard-working tailor. It is such a difficult fabric to cut and sew. We will make the suit."
    "Very well," said the Emperor. "First fitting tomorrow."
    The courtiers had followed the Emperor, and they now came into the room. Of course, they could see nothing on the loom for there was nothing to see.
    "Is it not beautiful?" said one of the weavers. "Of course, only the wise and very clever can see the beauty of the cloth. Look at the colours, feel the weight."
    The courtiers queued up to look at the colours and feel the weight, and each went away exclaiming over the marvellous cloth which was indeed as light as air. But each courtier secretly wondered if they were really stupid, as they had seen nothing at all.
    The two weavers then set to work as tailors.
    They muttered and discussed at the Emperor's fittings, stitching here, cutting there until at last the suit was made.
    The following day was the day of the parade.
    "Am I not the handsomest of men in my marvellour suit?" said the Emperor to the Chamberlain, as he showed off his new outfit. "Just look at the tiny stitches and the lacework. Truly marvellous."
    "Undoubtedly, sir," said the Chamberlain. "There is no outfit on earth to equal this one."
    The Emperor was dressed in his new suit and ready for the parade. News of his amazing outfit had reached the people of the town and all wanted to see him. There were people crowded along the sides of the streets.
    The parade began!
    People gasped. "What a suit!" they cried.
    "What suit?" asked a small boy, who had not heard of the magical cloth. "The Emperor has no clothes on at all!"
    "It's true! No clothes! The Emperor is naked!" the people cried.
    And the Emperor was very ashamed. He had been so vain, and now he had been made to look a fool.
    As for the two tailors -- they were in fact thieves, and had long since left the town with their bags of gold. Probably laughing all the way!
    But the Emperor is a wiser man now, and spends a lot more time with his advisors and far less with his tailors.
    【譯文】
    很久很久以前，有一個(gè)婦女，得到了一個(gè)小小的孩子，可是孩子太小了，人們就把她叫拇指姑娘。
    有一天，一片玫瑰花葉子掉在水里，拇指姑娘跑過(guò)去，坐在葉子上，從花盆一邊劃到另一邊，真是美極了。晚上，拇指姑娘睡著了，一只老癩蛤蟆從窗外爬進(jìn)來(lái)，看見(jiàn)拇指姑娘正躺在玫瑰葉子上面。它抓起拇指姑娘的玫瑰葉子就跑?；氐郊依铮嬖V兒子，這就是你的媳婦，丑兒子高興極了。
    早上，拇指姑娘醒了，發(fā)現(xiàn)自己在小河里，離岸邊很遠(yuǎn)，這時(shí)老癩蛤蟆領(lǐng)著兒子游過(guò)來(lái)，很得意的說(shuō)：“你是我的兒媳婦了?！?BR>    呱!呱!兒子高興地叫了。
    拇指姑娘哭了，哭得好傷心，她不愿做小癩蛤蟆的妻子。河里的小魚(yú)聽(tīng)到哭聲，游了過(guò)來(lái)，她知道是這么一回事，小魚(yú)非常同情拇指姑娘，魚(yú)兒用嘴叨著葉子，讓葉子順著河水流走了。
    葉子流得很快，越漂越遠(yuǎn)。后來(lái)一只大甲魚(yú)看見(jiàn)了順流而下的拇指姑娘，就把她抓住，飛到大樹(shù)林里去。
    拇指姑娘單獨(dú)在樹(shù)林里。漸漸的天氣變得冷了，所有的鳥(niǎo)兒都飛走了，連甲蟲(chóng)也走了。終于下雪了。
    在樹(shù)林附近，有一片田地。田間的地洞里住著田鼠，拇指姑娘來(lái)到洞口，象一個(gè)討飯的小女孩。
    田鼠很喜歡拇指姑娘，留她在田間的地洞里過(guò)冬。一天，田鼠對(duì)拇指姑娘說(shuō)，我有一個(gè)朋友叫鼴鼠，假如你愿意跟他結(jié)婚，你會(huì)很幸福的。
    早上，太陽(yáng)剛剛升起，拇指姑娘來(lái)到外面。啊，陽(yáng)光多美啊!田野多美啊!她怎么能日日夜夜生活在地洞里呢?她想，決不能和鼴鼠結(jié)婚。
    田鼠聽(tīng)到這個(gè)消息，惡狠狠地說(shuō)：“你一定得和他結(jié)婚，不然，我將咬死你?！?BR>    鼴鼠也說(shuō)：“你馬上搬到我的洞里去，離太陽(yáng)遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的?！?BR>    拇指姑娘多么不幸啊，她向太陽(yáng)伸出雙手，悲哀地說(shuō)：“再見(jiàn)吧，太陽(yáng)。”這時(shí)飛來(lái)一只美麗的小鳥(niǎo)，拇指姑娘說(shuō)：“你能幫助我嗎?我不愿住在看不見(jiàn)太陽(yáng)的地洞里，不愿和丑鼴鼠結(jié)婚?！?BR>    小鳥(niǎo)說(shuō)：“請(qǐng)你不要難過(guò)，你快騎到我背上來(lái)，讓我們飛到遠(yuǎn)遠(yuǎn)的地方去吧!。”
    拇指姑娘高興極了，她坐在小鳥(niǎo)的背上，飛向天空，飛過(guò)森林、大海，飛過(guò)長(zhǎng)年積雪的高山，來(lái)到一個(gè)溫暖的國(guó)家。
    小鳥(niǎo)說(shuō)：“你就住在路邊的那些鮮花里。告訴我，你喜歡哪朵花，我就把你放在哪里?！?BR>    小鳥(niǎo)飛下來(lái)，把拇指姑娘放在一朵美麗的白花瓣上。一個(gè)小小的男子正坐在里面。
    “他多英俊啊!”拇指姑娘說(shuō)。原來(lái)，這男子是此地的王子。他看到拇指姑娘，立刻就高興起來(lái)，他從未見(jiàn)過(guò)這么美麗的姑娘。
    王子問(wèn)：“你叫什么名字?”拇指姑娘回答了。王子又說(shuō)：“我要使你成為花兒的皇后，你愿意做我的妻子嗎?”
    拇指姑娘說(shuō)：“我愿意?！?BR>    于是，路邊的花朵里立刻走出了許許多多小男子和小女子，他們都唱著歌，跳著舞，為王子和拇指姑娘祝福。
    王子對(duì)拇指姑娘說(shuō)：“你太美了，可你的名字太丑了，以后我們就叫你瑪婭吧!”
    從此，瑪婭和王子過(guò)著幸福的生活。
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