People, especially English people, love talking about the weather. It’s an easy way to start a conversation. But do you know some weather terms can also express a feeling or situation. Here are some interesting expressions.

Head in the clouds

If someone has his head in the clouds, they are out of touch with the everyday world and can be unrealistic as a result.

The expression reminds you to be aware of what’s happening around you.

Take a rain check

If you hear someone say “I’ll take a rain check”, it doesn’t mean that he will go out to see if it’s raining.

In fact, the expression could be used as a polite way to turn down invitations. However, not as a full refusal, but more likely to put the invitation off to another time.

When it rains, it pours

The expression is used when something goes wrong, especially when a lot of things go wrong at the same time. People like to say it when they meet with bad lucks one after another in a short time.

Weather the storm

As an extreme weather, a storm could be very dangerous and cause serious results. To weather the storm is to get through difficult situations in your life.

1.Why do English people love talking about the weather in the writer’s opinion?

A. They care about the weather very much.

B. They want to know what’s happening around them.

C. They don’t have other interesting things to talk about.

D. They think it’s an easy way to start a conversation.

2.What does the underlined phrase “turn down” mean?

A. accept B. refuse C. throw D. change

3.Which of the following statements is true?

A. The whole article is telling us how to tell the weather.

B. The writer thinks if someone has his head in the clouds, the person must care about what’s happening very much.

C. When somebody says “when it rains, it pours”, he must be unlucky.

D. The expression “weather the storm” can be used to put off an appointment.

Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700, London had no policemen at all. A few old men used to protect the city streets at night and they were not paid.

About 300 years ago, London was starting to get bigger and more and more people began to live there. The city was very dirty and many people were poor. There were so many thieves who stole money in the streets that people stayed in their homes as much as possible.

In 1750,Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and were called “Bow Street Runners” because they worked near Bow Street.

Fifty years later, there were 120 “Bow Street Runners”, but London had become very big and needed more policemen. So in 1829 , the first Metropolitan(or London)Police Force was started with 3,000 officers. Most of the men worked on foot, but a few rode horses. Until 1920 all the police in London were men.

Today, London police are quite well paid and for the few police officers who still ride horses, the pay is even better than for the others.

1.In 1700, the men who protected the streets were paid _____.

A. a few B. nothing C. a little D. a lot

2.About 300 years ago, many people_____ .

A. wanted to leave London B. had big houses in London

C. became policemen D. came to live in London

3.People didn’t leave their houses because______ .

A. they had no money B. they were afraid of losing money

C. the city was not clean D. they liked homes

4.The “Bow Street Runners”______ .

A. stopped people stealing B. stole money

C. paid people to steal D. stopped people riding horses

5.Today, police officers who ride horses are paid_____ .

A. the same as their workmates B. more than their workmates

C. half as much as their workmates D. less than their workmates

Australia is the greatest island in the world. It is to the south of the equator. So when it is summer in our country, it is cold winter in Australia.

Australia is big, but the population there is thin. The population is the same as that of Shanghai, a city of China. Australia is a young, diverse nation and the Australian people come from many different countries.

Australia has many, many sheep. After a short drive from town, you will see sheep around you. You can also find a kangaroo which has a “bag” below its chest. The mother kangaroo keeps its babies in the “bag”.

Australia is considered to be a relaxed, informal society. When greeting others, students and young people usually say “Hello” or “Hi”. Sometimes they say “How’s it going?” or “G day”. In more formal (正式的) situations they usually shake hands the first time they meet. “Good morning”, “Good afternoon” or “Pleased to meet you” are formal greetings. English is Australia’s national language.

1.Australia is the greatest island in the world. The word “island” means _______.

A. 国家 B. 城市 C. 山脉 D. 岛屿

2.Australia has the same population as _______.

A. Shanghai B. China C. Beijing D. Japan

3.When it is summer in Australia, it is _______ in China.

A. spring B. autumn C. winter D. summer

4.When Australian people meet for the first time, they will _______.

A. kiss each other B. hug (拥抱) each other

C. nod to each other D. shake hands

5.Which statement is RIGHT according to the passage?

A. Australia has a large population.

B. A kangaroo is a kind of sheep in Australia.

C. Young people sometimes say “How’s it going?” or “G day” to greet others.

D. When you drive in Australia, you can see many horses.

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