Idioms are phrases and sentences that do not mean exactly what they say. Even if you know the meaning of each word you see or hear, you may not understand the idiom because you don't understand the culture behind it.
   For example, if an American boy asks his mother what's for dinner tomorrow, she may say "I'll play it by ear", that means she doesn't have plans for dinner and she will decide later. "Play by ear" used to mean playing music using the sheet music, but now people often use it when they're not talking about music.
   There're many idioms in English. If you learn to use them, your English will be more vivid and colorful. English idioms are more common in spoken English. They can be difficult to remember sometimes. Next time when you hear somebody saying to you, "Give me a hand", you don't necessarily stretch out your hand to him/her, but you do need to be helpful. And when the situation is out of hand, you usually can do very little to manage all that. What about a green hand? It's not about the color of your hand! You're a green hand when you are very new at your work and don't have much experience. If you and your partner always work together hand in glove, you two definitely work together very well.
   Can you guess the meanings of some common English idioms to do with parts of your body?
【小题1】An idiom is _______.

A.a phrase or a sentence that means exactly what the words say
B.a phrase or a sentence that doesn't mean exactly what every word says
C.so difficult that nobody can understand
D.something to do with parts of your body
【小题2】If a mother says "I'll play it by ear" to talk about the dinner, she means _______.
A.she will cook dinner while listening to music at the same time
B.she doesn't hear what others are talking about.
C.she will play music using the sheet music instead of cooking dinner
D.She doesn't have plans for dinner and will decide later
【小题3】When one says "Can you give me a hand?", he means _______.
A.he needs to hold your hand.
B.he works well with you
C.he needs your help
D.he is a new comer and can't help with the situation
【小题4】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.People use English idioms more in spoken English than in written English.
B.To understand the culture behind an idiom is important in understanding the idiom.
C.Idioms make your English more vivid and colorful so they are easy to remember.
D.You may not understand an idiom even though you know the meaning of each word.
【小题5】Here are 4 common English idioms to do with parts of your body and their meanings. Can you match them?
  1) to learn something by heart a. to depend on oneself
  2) to have sticky fingers b. to know something very well
  3) to stand on one's own feet c. to do something secretly
  4) to go behind someone's back d. to have the habit of stealing
A.badc B.bdac C.cbad D.cdba

The information below is taken from a dictionary page.

jaguar: n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U. S. and in Central and South America.

jargon: 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense.

2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand.

3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English.

4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon.

jaunt: 1. n. a trip taken for fun.

 2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday.

javelin: 1. n.. a spear(矛) most commonly used as weapon or in hunting.

 2. n. a light metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field sport events.

3. n. the event in which a javelin is thrown.

4. v. to strike, as with a javelin.

jazz: 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats.

2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz.

3. n. empty talk.

4. ad. of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records.

Jennet: n. a small Spanish horse.

jest: 1.n. thing said or done to cause amusement; joke.

2. (idiom) in jest: as a joke ; in fun; not seriously.

3.v.make jokes 

1.Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?

At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.

A. Definition (定义) 1                B. Definition 2  

C. Definition 3              D. Definition 4

2.Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?

Doctors often speak in medical jargon.

A. Definition 1             B. Definition 2         

C. Definition 3              D. Definition 4

3.What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?

Don’t give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.

A. rhythmic beats              B. a type of music         

C. a kind of dance              D. meaningless talk

4.Which word is needed to fill in the following sentence?

His reply was taken half seriously, half in_________.

A. javelin        B. jest        C. jaunt        D. jargon  

 

When you leave school,you can breathe sigh of relief and leave learning behind,right?Wrong!Learning should last a lifetime. You exercise your body to stay strong,and you should exercise your mind to stay sharp.

An English idiom says,“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But scientists have discovered that isn’t true. Older people can learn,and they should,in order to keep their brain active. Now a new trend has begun in several states in the US that encourages learning. Adults can attend One Day University. They can spend a Saturday or Sunday hearing four 70-minute lectures. Each one is given by a top university professor. One of the original participants said,“It’s like a health club for the brain.” Also,universities like MIT have made all of their courses and lectures available online for free!Libraries offer learning programs too. With so much available,there is no excuse not to learn!

Learning is a habit. Don’t leave it behind after you leave school. On the website lifehack.org,author Scott Young mentions several things to help you.

Always have a book. It doesn’t matter if you read fast or slow. Just read. If you read just one book a week,you’ll read 52 over the course of a year. Think of the knowledge you’ll gain!

Practice it. As you read,do something with what you’ve learned. Don’t just enjoy the mental exercise. Use the knowledge. If you read about painting,try it!

Make a “to learn” list. Compose a “to learn” list for yourself. Maybe you want to speak better English,play the piano,or cook French food. Whatever interests you,put it on your list and then make the time to do it.

Teach others. Whatever you learn,teach someone else. You’ll not only help others but also understand what you’ve learned.

1.What’s the best title for this passage?

  A.Make learning last a lifetime.

  B.What you should do after leaving school.

  C.Several tips on learning.

  D.A new trend in learning.

2.What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 mean?

  A.You don’t need to consider what you have learnt after graduation.

  B.You can relax as you have escaped from the hard life of studying.

  C.Leaving learning behind is what you should do after a break.

  D.You should have a good rest and then go on learning.

3.How many ways of learning for adults in the US are mentioned in Paragraph 2?

  A.One.   B.Two.   C.Three.       D.Four.

4.Which of the following is NOT a suggestion made by Scott Young in the passage?

  A.Keep learning as a habit.

  B.Always have a book.

  C.List what you want to learn.

  D.Teach others what you learn.

 

 

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