Beijing has started a battle to get rid of "Chinglish" (Chinese English). The "Language Mandarins" of Beijing have decided that Chinglish is a disease for China's modernizing claim and must be obliterated before the city hosts the Olympic Games in 2008.

     A road sign on the Avenue of Eternal Peace (Chang'an Street) ,for example, advises: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery Are Very Crafty", a warning that the sidewalk was slippery(滑). Another sign in a Beijing park reads: "Little grass is smiling slightly, please walk on sidewalk. "

     Li Honghai, the city official in charge of the battle, said," Linguistic perfection (语言美) is becoming increasingly important with the rise in the number of the foreigners flowing into the city."

However, not everyone shares the disdain (蔑视) of the Beijing government for the mixed language. "The choice of words is pretty much. One can either choose the verbs, adverbs, nouns or whatever one likes," explained one Hong Kong linguist on an Internet website.

So many examples exist that several Internet sites have been set up to collect Chinglish phrases. Many come from English instructions on packages such as a candle marked with "Keep this candle out of children" and a model boat—curiously named Posh Sailboat—which means, "Please don't place it in dusty play."

If the battle against Chinglish is successful, Chinese will also turn their attention to the English-language versions of newspapers, which play an even more important role in teaching right English.

The underlined word "obliterated" refers to            .

   A. removed            B. exploited

   C. translated           D. beautified

From the passage, we know that           .

   A. everyone shares the disdain for the mixed language

   B. all the people don't share the disdain for the mixed language

   C. Chinglish usually communicates in many cases

   D. several Internet sites have been set up to clear the Chinghsh phrases

We can infer that the English-language version of newspapers           .

   A. should be in duty to teach normal English

   B. should report the above battle

   C. should be paid more attention to

   D. should collect more Chinglish phrases

Which of the following signs is Chinglish?

   A. Watch your step. Slippery sidewalk.          B. Keep off the grass, please.   C. Tourists do not enter.                      D. No smoking, please.

“Yes, I’ll be ready at nine in the morning. Goodbye, dear, and thanks again.” It had not been an easy telephone call for Mrs. Robson to make. Her daughter had been very kind, of course, and had immediately agreed to pick her up and drive her to the station, but Mrs. Robson hated to admit that she needed help. Since her husband had died ten years before, she had always been proud of her independence. She had continued to live in their little house, alone.

On this evening, however, she was standing at her living-room window, staring out at the SOLD notice in the small front garden. Her feelings were mixed. Of course, she was sad at the thought of leaving the house, as it was full of so many memories. But at the same time she was looking forward to spending her last years near the sea, back in the little seaside town where she had been born. With the money from the sale of the house, she had bought a little apartment there. She turned from the living room window, and looked round at the walls. There was a small fish tank, with two goldfish in it. When asked why, her husband used to say, “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.” Since he had passed away, she had always kept some goldfish, had always had “something alive in the room.”

The next morning, as her train was pulling out of the station, Mrs. Robson called to her daughter, “Kate, you won’t forget to collect the goldfish, will you? The children will love them. It’s …” “I know,” Kate interrupted gently, “It’s nice to have something alive in the room.” 

1.According to the passage, we know that Mrs. Robson _________.

2.Mrs. Robson was going to _______.

3.The feelings of Mrs. Robson on her last night in the house were________.

Once harm is _______ to the eco-system, all species will ________, including man himself.

A. made; be in danger                  B. done; be dangerous  

C. caused; be endangered               D. done; be in danger

Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself.

The expression to be in hot water is a very old expression. Hot water was used five hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.

That no longer happens. But we still get in hot water. When we are in hot water, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble—serious or not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he walks in the house with dirty shoes.

Being in deep water is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in deep water, you are in a difficult position.

To keep your head above water is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.

Water over the dam is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water that has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again.

Another common expression to hold water, is about the strength or weakness of an idea or opinion that you may be arguing about. It probably comes from a way of testing the condition of a container.; If it can hold water, it is strong and has no holes in it. If your argument can hold water, it is strong and does not have any holes.

Throwing cold water also is an expression that deals with ideas or suggestions. It means to not like an idea. For example, you want to buy a new car because the old one has some problems. But your wife throws cold water on the idea, because she says a new car costs too much.

1.If Robert says he is in deep water, we may guess_________.

A.he is swimming under the water

B.he is tired of changing shoes

C.he nearly breaks a law

D.he faces a difficult choice

2.What can you say to your friend Jane, who is troubled by a mistake she has made?

A.Keep your head above water.

B.Throw cold water.

C.It is water over the dam.

D.It can hold water.

3.If your argument doesn’t hold water, then it is _________.

A.weak          B. convincing           C. logical              D. disappointing

4.The passage explains the origins of the following expressions EXCEPT_________.

A.to be in hot water

B.to keep your head above water

C.water over the dam

D.to hold water

Expressions about water are almost as common as water itself. But many of the expressions using water have unpleasant meanings.

    The expression “to be in hot water” is one of them. It is a very old expression. “Hot water” was used five hundred years ago to mean being in trouble. One story says it got that meaning from the custom of throwing extremely hot water down on enemies attacking a castle.

    That no longer happens. But we still get in “hot water”. When we are in “hot water”, we are in trouble. It can be any kind of trouble---serious, and not so serious. A person who breaks a law can be in hot water with the police. A young boy can be in hot water with his mother, if he comes into the house with dirty shoes.

    Being in “deep water” is almost the same as being in hot water. When you are in “deep water”, you are in a difficult position. Imagine a person who cannot swim being thrown into water over his head.

     You are in deep water when you are facing a problem that you do not have the ability to solve. You can be in deep water, for example, if you invest(投资) in stocks(股票) without knowing anything about the stock market.

     “To keep your head above water” is a colorful expression that means staying out of debt. A company seeks to keep its head above water during economic hard times. A man who loses his job tries to keep his head above water until he finds a new job.

     “Water over the dam” is another expression about a past event. It is something that is finished. It cannot be changed. The expression comes from the idea that water which has flowed over a dam cannot be brought back again.

53. 1.The passage mainly tells us _______ .

A. the importance of water in our life    B. some expressions about water   

C. some sad stories about water         D. some lessons about daily life

54. 2. When a friend is troubled by a mistake she has made, you might tell her to forget about it. You say “ _______”.

A. You are in hot water                          B. You are in deep water

C. Keep your head above water               D. It is water over the dam

55．3.Two of the phrases “to be in hot water” “to be in deep water” mentioned in the passage have the same meaning of “ _______ ”.

A. to be in debt                          B. to be in difficulty

C. to be useless                           D. to be out of water

56. 4.Which of the following expressions is a bit different from the others in meaning?

A. To be in hot water.                B. To be in deep water.

C. To keep your head above water.      D. Water over the dam.