暑假过后，新初三生们迎来了初中最重要的一年——初三。为方便2013年中考考生及家长查询相关信息，出国留学网中考频道特别搜集汇总了中考英语阅读素材以供参考：
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.
【译文】
很久很久以前，有一个妇女，得到了一个小小的孩子，可是孩子太小了，人们就把她叫拇指姑娘。
有一天，一片玫瑰花叶子掉在水里，拇指姑娘跑过去，坐在叶子上，从花盆一边划到另一边，真是美极了。晚上，拇指姑娘睡着了，一只老癞蛤蟆从窗外爬进来，看见拇指姑娘正躺在玫瑰叶子上面。它抓起拇指姑娘的玫瑰叶子就跑。回到家里，她告诉儿子，这就是你的媳妇，丑儿子高兴极了。
早上，拇指姑娘醒了，发现自己在小河里，离岸边很远，这时老癞蛤蟆领着儿子游过来，很得意的说：“你是我的儿媳妇了。”
呱!呱!儿子高兴地叫了。
拇指姑娘哭了，哭得好伤心，她不愿做小癞蛤蟆的妻子。河里的小鱼听到哭声，游了过来，她知道是这么一回事，小鱼非常同情拇指姑娘，鱼儿用嘴叨着叶子，让叶子顺着河水流走了。
叶子流得很快，越漂越远。后来一只大甲鱼看见了顺流而下的拇指姑娘，就把她抓住，飞到大树林里去。
拇指姑娘单独在树林里。渐渐的天气变得冷了，所有的鸟儿都飞走了，连甲虫也走了。终于下雪了。
在树林附近，有一片田地。田间的地洞里住着田鼠，拇指姑娘来到洞口，象一个讨饭的小女孩。
田鼠很喜欢拇指姑娘，留她在田间的地洞里过冬。一天，田鼠对拇指姑娘说，我有一个朋友叫鼹鼠，假如你愿意跟他结婚，你会很幸福的。
早上，太阳刚刚升起，拇指姑娘来到外面。啊，阳光多美啊!田野多美啊!她怎么能日日夜夜生活在地洞里呢?她想，决不能和鼹鼠结婚。
田鼠听到这个消息，恶狠狠地说：“你一定得和他结婚，不然，我将咬死你。”
鼹鼠也说：“你马上搬到我的洞里去，离太阳远远的。”
拇指姑娘多么不幸啊，她向太阳伸出双手，悲哀地说：“再见吧，太阳。”这时飞来一只美丽的小鸟，拇指姑娘说：“你能帮助我吗?我不愿住在看不见太阳的地洞里，不愿和丑鼹鼠结婚。”
小鸟说：“请你不要难过，你快骑到我背上来，让我们飞到远远的地方去吧!。”
拇指姑娘高兴极了，她坐在小鸟的背上，飞向天空，飞过森林、大海，飞过长年积雪的高山，来到一个温暖的国家。
小鸟说：“你就住在路边的那些鲜花里。告诉我，你喜欢哪朵花，我就把你放在哪里。”
小鸟飞下来，把拇指姑娘放在一朵美丽的白花瓣上。一个小小的男子正坐在里面。
“他多英俊啊!”拇指姑娘说。原来，这男子是此地的王子。他看到拇指姑娘，立刻就高兴起来，他从未见过这么美丽的姑娘。
王子问：“你叫什么名字?”拇指姑娘回答了。王子又说：“我要使你成为花儿的皇后，你愿意做我的妻子吗?”
拇指姑娘说：“我愿意。”
于是，路边的花朵里立刻走出了许许多多小男子和小女子，他们都唱着歌，跳着舞，为王子和拇指姑娘祝福。
王子对拇指姑娘说：“你太美了，可你的名字太丑了，以后我们就叫你玛娅吧!”
从此，玛娅和王子过着幸福的生活。
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