To start making a budget, pick up a pen and paper. First, write down your income (收入)—this could be your pocket money or extra earnings from small tasks. Next, write down your outgoings (开支), like the money spent on snacks or new clothes. When you subtract(减去) your outgoings from your income, you’ll see how much you have left to save or spend.
It’s wise to save some of this money, especially if you want to buy something special. Your budget will help you see how much you can save each week and how long it will take to reach your goal. You might spend less on snacks or find ways to earn more to reach your goal faster.
1. What is a great way to take control of your money?

2. According to the passage, what is a budget?

3. Why is it a good idea to make a budget now?

4. What will you see when you subtract your outgoings from your income?

5. Would you like to make your budget? Why or why not?

1. Making a budget.
2. It is a plan that helps us decide how to earn, save and spend our money.
3. Because it’ll help us manage our money better and prepare for bigger expenses in the future.
4. How much I have left to save or spend.
5. Yes, I would. Because it helps me save money for things I really want.

【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解题，需依据原文内容逐一解答问题。解题思路：1. 通读全文，把握文章核心（介绍制作预算的方法与好处）；2. 针对每个问题，定位原文对应段落的关键信息；3. 结合问题要求整理信息，开放题需结合原文合理作答。
【解析】
1. 由原文第一段第一句“To start making a budget, pick up a pen and paper.”可知，控制资金的好方法是制作预算；2. 结合原文对预算的描述（记录收入、开支，帮助规划储蓄与花费），可总结预算是帮助规划收入、储蓄和花费的计划；3. 原文第二段提到预算能明确每周储蓄额、达到目标的时间，还可减少不必要开支或增加收入，因此能更好管理资金，为未来大开支做准备；4. 原文第一段最后一句明确指出，收入减去开支后会得到可储蓄或花费的剩余金额；5. 为开放题，结合原文预算的好处（如储蓄购买心仪物品）作答即可。
【答案】
1. Making a budget.
2. It is a plan that helps us decide how to earn, save and spend our money.
3. Because it’ll help us manage our money better and prepare for bigger expenses in the future.
4. How much I have left to save or spend.
5. Yes, I would. Because it helps me save money for things I really want.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解，细节信息提取，应用文阅读
【点评】
本题围绕理财话题设置，考查学生从原文定位、提取关键信息的能力，包含细节题与开放题，贴近学生生活，难度适中，兼具实用性与考查性。
【难度系数】
0.6

Passage 4
After a whole week of rain, we finally had a comfortable, beautiful summer day outside. My family and I were driving to a nearby town when my daughter found a yard sale. We saw old toys
and a couple of guitars. We saw many clothes and even a piece of furniture or two for sale. Best of all, we saw lots of smiling people talking, laughing, sitting and standing in the sunshine.
Seeing all of this brought back memories of my childhood. Most of my clothes back then came from yard sales. My mom was a talented yard sale shopper. I used to hate going to them until one special day when I saw that they also sold old books there. After that, I always looked for the books until it was time to go and sometimes my mom would buy me one too. Soon a large part of my home library came from yard sale books. To me, they were more priceless than new ones.
Why do most people have yard sales? They get rid of(摆脱) old things and buy “new” old things. As for me, it certainly isn’t for the money. It’s the yard sales that bring us together. We talk and catch up with old friends and new neighbours. We connect with kindness and our love for all the old things.
I think yard sales teach us something about life, too. All we get is to have the thing for a period of time. Then it is time to let it go and pass it on.
1. Where were the writer’s family going when his daughter found a yard sale?

2. When did the writer not hate going to the yard sales?

3. What did the writer think of the books he got at the yard sales?

4. Why do the yard sales matter to the writer according to Paragraph 3?

5. What did the writer learn from the yard sales?

1. To a nearby town.
2. Until one special day he saw that they also sold old books there.
3. They were more priceless than new ones.
4. Because they bring people together.
5. All we get is to have the thing for a period of time. Then it is time to let it go and pass it on.

【分析】
本题为英语阅读理解细节题，解题思路为：先通读全文把握主旨，再根据每个问题的关键词定位原文对应段落的关键语句，提取与问题匹配的信息，答案需严格对应原文表述，避免自行修改内容。
【解析】
1. 定位原文第一段第二句“My family and I were driving to a nearby town when my daughter found a yard sale.”，可知作者一家当时要去附近的城镇，故答案为To a nearby town.
2. 定位原文第二段“I used to hate going to them until one special day when I saw that they also sold old books there.”，可知作者直到看到庭院旧货出售也卖旧书的那个特别日子才不再讨厌去那里，故答案为Until one special day he saw that they also sold old books there.
3. 定位原文第二段最后一句“To me, they were more priceless than new ones.”，可知作者认为庭院旧货出售买的书比新书更珍贵，故答案为They were more priceless than new ones.
4. 定位原文第三段“It’s the yard sales that bring us together.”，可知庭院旧货出售对作者重要是因为它能把人们聚在一起，故答案为Because they bring people together.
5. 定位原文第四段最后一句“All we get is to have the thing for a period of time. Then it is time to let it go and pass it on.”，可知作者从庭院旧货出售中学到的道理是物品只是暂时拥有，之后要放手并传递下去，故答案为All we get is to have the thing for a period of time. Then it is time to let it go and pass it on.
【答案】
1. To a nearby town.
2. Until one special day he saw that they also sold old books there.
3. They were more priceless than new ones.
4. Because they bring people together.
5. All we get is to have the thing for a period of time. Then it is time to let it go and pass it on.
【知识点】
英语阅读理解 细节信息查找
【点评】
本题为记叙文阅读理解，题目均为细节理解题，答案直接对应原文语句，难度较低，主要考查学生快速定位原文信息的能力，适合初中阶段英语阅读练习。
【难度系数】
0.8