Proverbs(谚语) are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:

Once bitten, twice shy. If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again. 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.   

Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup). When too many people do something together, they get in each other’s way and cannot do a good job.

To pour oil on troubled waters Is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

Don't be a dog in a manger(马槽). Means “ Don’t be selfish.” In a stable(马厩), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bard when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.

He’s sitting on the fence. Means that somebody will not say whether he is in favour of a plan or against it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. A piper is a musician . The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.

You can’t get blood out of a stone means that you can’t get something out of a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him : “______”.

   A. You cannot get blood out of a stone         B. Don’t be a dog in a manger

   C. The early bird gets the worm              D. Don’t be a horse in the manger

Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people did not like the design of the school but they did not argue with Mr Wang because ________.

   A. he was sitting on the fence                 B. once bitten, twice shy

   C. he who pays the piper calls the tune          D. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said: “ I won’t go there again because___.”

   A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush     B. I am sitting on the fence

   C. Once bitten, twice shy                     D. too man cooks spoil the broth

Mr brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she warned him that _____.

   A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush       B. too many cooks spoil the broth

   C.you cannot get blood out of a stone             D.he who pays the piper calls the tune     

Mr. Knight was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all of the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr. Knight said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy.
Mr. Knight wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a small room, was empty. He asked them if they could share a room. The three men said they would. Mr. Knight said the room would be thirty dollars; ten dollars for each person. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room.
Mr. Knight soon began to feel sorry. “Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as a price for that small room.” he thought. He called his assistant over and said, “Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room.”
The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, “How can three men divide five dollars? I’ll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back. And Mr. Knight will never know.” So the assistant returned one dollar to each man.
Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had actually(in fact) paid nine. There were three men. $9´3="$27." The assistant kept$2. $27+$2="$29." Where is the missing dollar?
【小题1】With the help of the manager, the three men___________.

A.went to another hotel
B.each got a small room for the night
C.stayed together in a small room
D.got a small room Mr. Knight kept for himself
【小题2】At first___________.
A.$27 was paid by the three men
B.$30 was paid by each of the three men
C.$25 was paid by the three men
D.$10 was paid by each of the three men
【小题3】The assistant___________.
A.helped the men to divide the money
B.kept two dollars for himself
C.kept three dollars for himself
D.returned three dollars to the men and two to the manger
【小题4】Where is the missing dollar?
A.It was taken by the assistant, too.
B.It was taken by Mr. Knight.
C.It was taken by the three men.
D.In fact, there wasn’t any missing dollar.

Mr. Knight was the manager of a hotel. One weekend all of the hotels in the city were full because there was a large meeting. On Friday, three men came into the hotel and asked for rooms. Mr. Knight said there were no rooms ready because of the meeting. The men were unhappy.

Mr. Knight wanted to help them. He remembered that Room 418, a small room, was empty. He asked them if they could share a room. The three men said they would. Mr. Knight said the room would be thirty dollars; ten dollars for each person. Each man gave him the money and then went up to the room.

Mr. Knight soon began to feel sorry. “Thirty dollars is a lot to ask as a price for that small room.” he thought. He called his assistant over and said, “Here is five dollars. Take it to the men in Room 418. I asked too much for their room.”

The assistant took the money. While he was on the way there, he started to think, “How can three men divide five dollars? I’ll give them each only one dollar and keep the two dollars for myself. The men will be happy to get something back. And Mr. Knight will never know.” So the assistant returned one dollar to each man.

Each man had at first paid ten dollars. After the assistant returned them one dollar each, each had actually(in fact) paid nine. There were three men. $9´3="$27." The assistant kept$2. $27+$2="$29." Where is the missing dollar?

1.With the help of the manager, the three men___________.

A.went to another hotel

B.each got a small room for the night

C.stayed together in a small room

D.got a small room Mr. Knight kept for himself

2.At first___________.

A.$27 was paid by the three men

B.$30 was paid by each of the three men

C.$25 was paid by the three men

D.$10 was paid by each of the three men

3.The assistant___________.

A.helped the men to divide the money

B.kept two dollars for himself

C.kept three dollars for himself

D.returned three dollars to the men and two to the manger

4.Where is the missing dollar?

A.It was taken by the assistant, too.

B.It was taken by Mr. Knight.

C.It was taken by the three men.

D.In fact, there wasn’t any missing dollar.

 

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