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Some expressions in English can be really puzzling. Have a look at the following to see how it challenges your brainpower.
Homeric laughter
The "Homer" in this expression is the Greek poet. People laugh differently. Some laugh silently, while others tend to laugh loudly. "Homeric laughter" refers to laughter of the latter kind. It is at times uncontrollable, and the entire body shakes during the process. This kind of laughter is called Homeric laughter because this is how the gods laughed in Homer's classics.
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion. There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed. The expression comes from the world of entertainment — the circus. The area where the artists perform their acts is called the "ring". In the past, some of the circuses were so grand that they had three acts taking place simultaneously in three different "rings". The audience had to decide which "ring" they wanted to focus on.
In the swim (of things)
When someone is in the swim of things, the individual is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in "I've been ill, but soon I’ll be back in the swim of thing." In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word "swim" to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty. So, if you are a fisherman and wish to catch a lot offish, where would you be? You would be "in the swim".
Chickens have come home to roost
The word "roost" refers to the place where birds rest. It could be anything — the branch of a tree, a henhouse, etc. The expression is normally used to mean that the bad things that someone did in the past have come back to bite or upset the individual. In other words, one has to face the consequences of the deeds done in the past. The original form of this 700-year-old expression was "curses are like chickens; they always come home to roost".
【小题1】Which of the following can best describe the picture?
| A．Homeric laughter | B．A three-ring circus |
| C．In the swim (of things) | D．Chickens have come home to roost |
| A．At the same time. | B．Step by step. |
| C．All of a sudden. | D．One after another. |
| A．www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/China.html |
| B．www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/university.html |
| C．www.chinadaily.com.cn/culuture/language.html |
| D．www.chinadaily.com.cn/entertainment/fashion.html |
| A．tell readers some old and interesting stories |
| B．indicate the development of English phrases |
| C．correct some misunderstandings about words |
| D．explain the meanings and origins of some phrases |
Do you know the following expressions?
Faustian bargain
According to most stories, Faust was a German scholar who was rather unhappy with his life．The devil（魔鬼）, Mephistopheles, promises him that in return for his soul．he will give Faust unlimited power and knowledge．Faust agrees and experiences all kinds of pleasures, but, in the end, his soul goes to the hell．A “Faustian bargain” therefore is a deal that finally results in one's ruin．It means a bargain made for temporary gain without taking future consequences into consideration．
A three-ring circus
When you refer to a situation as being a three-ring circus, you are saying that it is a situation of complete confusion．There are so many activities taking place all together that they leave you confused or annoyed．The expression comes from the world of entertainment—the circus．The area where the artists perform their acts is called the “ring”．In the past, some of the circuses were so large that they had three acts taking place meanwhile in three different “rings”．The audience had to decide which “ring” they wanted to focus on．
In the swim（of things）
When someone is in the swim of things, he is actively participating in the things happening around him, as in “I've been ill, but soon I'll be back in the swim of things.” In the world of fishing, fishermen use the word “swim” to refer to the section of the lake/river where fish can be found in plenty．So, if you are a fish man and wish to catch a lot of fish, where would you be? You would be “in the swim”!
1.If a person makes a Faustian bargain, _____．
A．he might come to a bad end
B．he would be considered clever
C．his life would become satisfying
D．he would gain power and knowledge
2.In the past, why did a circus perform different acts at the same time ?
A.It was the audience’s requirement.
B. The time was limited.
C. The circus was very big.
D. They wanted to earn more money.
3.What do we learn about the expression “in the swim（of things）”?
A．It means having a lot of things to do．
B．It has nothing to do with swimming．
C．Originally it was used to refer to "going fishing"．
D．Patients use it to express their desire for health.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A．The development of English phrases
B．Some old and interesting stories
C．Some phrases' meanings and origins
D．Some misunderstandings about words
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A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a meeting in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night’s dinner. In their rush, with tickets, one of these salesmen happened to kick over a table which held a display of baskets of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their boarding.
All but one stopped, took a deep breath and experienced a twinge（刺痛）of sorrow for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his friends to go on without him, waved goodbye, and told one of them to call his wife when they arrived and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to where the apple stand had been overturned. He was glad he did.
The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her face. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them into the baskets, and helped set the display up once more. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become damaged; then he set them aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here, please take the $20 for the damage we did.” He continued, “I’m sorry for what we did and hope we didn’t spoil your day too badly.”
She nodded with her tears. As the salesman started to walk away, the blind girl called out to him, “Mr. ...”. He stopped, and turned back. She continued, “Thank you very much”.
1.These salesmen were hurrying because they ________.
|
A．had to attend an important meeting |
|
B．wanted to have plenty of time at home |
|
C．almost missed reaching the airplane |
|
D．hoped to have Friday night’s party |
2.Which of the following is the correct order of what the salesman did?
a. He made an apology to the blind girl.
b. He told his friends to go on without him.
c. He experienced a twinge of sorrow.
d. He returned to the fallen apple stand.
e. He paid the girl $20 for the damage.
|
A．c-e-b-d-a |
B．c-b-d-e-a |
|
C．d-b-c-a-e |
D．d-c-b-e-a |
3.Which of the following can describe the salesman?
|
A．Popular and friendly. |
B．Good and humorous. |
|
C．Honest and generous. |
D．Kind and considerate. |
4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
|
A．A Man’s Kind Action |
|
B．Picking up the Fallen Apples |
|
C．A Blind Girl’s Bad Luck |
|
D．A Blind Girl Who Sold Apples |
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Phillip Island Penguins(企鹅)
The Little Penguin has called
?Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm. for a direct journey to
?See the Gippsland area－Guinness Book of Records place for the world’s longest earthworm (蚯蚓)
?Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance
?Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island－natural home for Little Penguins and many animals
?Take your place in special viewing stands(看台) to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little penguins
Ultimate Penguins (+U)
Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Pen-guins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.
Adult (成人) $ 60.00 Child $ 30.00
Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)
More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.
Adult $ 25.00 Child $ 12.50
Penguin Skybox (+S)
Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of
Adult 16 yrs + $ 50.00
73．What kind of people is the text mainly written for?
A．Scientists. B．Students. C．tourists. D．Artists.
74．We can learn from the text that Little Penguins __________.
A．have been on
B．keep a Guinness record for their size
C．are trained to practice diving for visitors
D．live in large groups to protect themselves
75．How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour?
A．$ 37.50. B．$ 62.50. C．$ 180.00. D．$ 150.00.
查看习题详情和答案>>Phillip Island Penguins(企鹅)
The Little Penguin has called Phillip Island home for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island in plenty of time to watch s summer sunset at Summerland Beach – the stage is attractively set to see the little Penguin leave water and step onto land.
·Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm for a direct journey to Phillip Island
·See the Gippsland area – Guinness Book of Records place for the world’s longest earthworm(蚯蚓)
·Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance
·Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island – natural home for Little Penguins and many animals
·Take your place in special viewing stands(看台) to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little Penguins
Ultimate Penguins (+U)
Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Penguins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.
Adult(成人) $60.00 Child $30.00
Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)
More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.
Adult $25.00 Child $12.50
Penguin Skybox (+S)
Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of Summerland Beach.
Adult 16years +$50.00
1. What kind of people is the text mainly written for?
A. Scientists. B. Students C. Tourists. D. Artists.
2. We can learn from the text that Little Penguins__________.
A. have been on Phillip Island for years
B. keep a Guinness record for their size
C. are trained to practice diving for visitors
D. live in large groups to protect themselves
3. How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour?
A. $37.50. B. $62.50. C. $180.00. D. $150.00.
查看习题详情和答案>>