一、完形填空
$Do you know that the "Happy Birthday to You" song is the first song sung in outer space? Apollo IX astronauts \underline{1} it on March 8, 1969. It is one of the most popular English songs of all time. Here is the story behind it.$
$The song was written by two sisters from Kentucky, Mildred Jane Hill and Patty Smith Hill. It was first published under the \underline{2} of "Good morning to All" in 1893. It was used as a classroom \underline{3}. Teachers sang it each day to welcome their students to the classroom.$
The composer, Mildred Jane Hill, was a concert pianist. Her sister Patty Smith Hill wrote the original(最初的) lyrics (歌词$) for the song while she was a teacher in a kindergarten in Louisville, Kentucky, where Mildred also \underline{4}.$
The Hill sisters copyrighted (取得版权$) their song on October 16, 1893. However, it appeared \underline{5} their agreement in Robert H. Coleman's songbook on March 4, 1924. Coleman changed part of the lyrics to say, "Happy Birthday to You", \underline{6} the song still had its original title. The song was then published several times over the next ten years, often with small \underline{7} in the lyrics. In 1934, when the song was sung every night in a Broadway Musical, another Hill sister, Jessica, went to court ($法院$) over the copyright problem of the song. She was \underline{8} about the theft of the song and the failure to pay to her sisters. She \underline{9} her case. The Hill family owned the rights to the melody and had to be \underline{10} every time the song was part of a commercial($商业的) production.
The Hill sisters, who devoted their lives to educating children, could never imagine that the simple little song would continue to earn about 2 million every year.
1. A. saved B. wrote C. invented D. sang
2. A. notice B. order C. title D. law
3. A. party B. greeting
C. discussion D. test
4. A. taught B. searched
C. sold D. prepared
5. A. as B. under
C. for D. without
6. A. although B. until C. because D. after
7. A. chances B. tasks C. changes D. signs
8. A. satisfied B. glad C. curious D. angry
9. A. lost B. won
C. heard D. dropped
10. A. paid B. praised
C. invited D. warned

D
; C
; B
; D ; C
; D ; B ; A

二、阅读理解(传统文化)
【2024南充中考改编】Sugar painting, as the name means, is a painting made of sugar. It's the sugar for us to taste, and the painting for us to admire.
Since the Warring States Period（战国时代）, the ancient people loved sweets and developed methods of producing sugar. In the Tang Dynasty, there was huge progress in the technology of sugar making. And sugar, the precious product once only served to the emperors and princes, also went into common people's homes. With the cultural and economic（经济的） development of Song and Yuan Dynasties, people became less interested in only tasting sweetness. In the Ming Dynasty, some people added pictures with good luck into the bowl of sugar, and sugar painting appeared.
Sugar painting is different from normal painting. Sugar painters use syrup（糖浆） as the material, a spoon as the "paintbrush",

and a smooth table as the "paper". To make syrup, they have to make sugar hot before painting. Since syrup may become hard if it cools, the painters have to produce the work very quickly. They move the spoon full of syrup up and down, left and right. Soon a sugar painting is done.
However, it's a pity that this folk art is dying recently. The sugar painting that used to be rich in shapes has become poorer and poorer because of fewer needs. What's worse, few people seem to be willing to pass on the art except those aging sugar painters.
For most people, painting is a kind of art and difficult to understand. However, sugar painting has pulled the art down into people's daily lives. Through it, we may see the spiritual support of the ancient people across centuries. Now, sugar painting has been listed as an intangible cultural heritage（非物质文化遗产） in China. Therefore, the art should be remembered, missed and passed on.
11. What does the underlined word "precious" in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Valuable and expensive.
B. Useful and cheap.
C. Special but worthless.
D. Simple but priceless.
12. When did sugar painting appear?
A. In the Warring States Period.
B. In the Tang Dynasty.
C. In the Yuan Dynasty.
D. In the Ming Dynasty.
13. What's the writer's attitude（态度） towards today's sugar painting according to Paragraph 4?
A. Uncaring.
B. Doubtful.
C. Worried.
D. Unclear.
14. Which can be a suitable title for the passage?
A. Exploring the Art of Sugar Painting.
B. Improving the Taste of Sugar Painting.
C. Effects of the Sugar Producing Technology.
D. Ways to Change the Future of Sugar Painting.