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Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall?
Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists?
In what other language do people drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
In what other language do they call the third hand on the clock the second hand?
Let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
1. According to the passage ______.
A. sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things
B. there should be egg in an eggplant
C. pineapples are the apples on the pine tree
D. boxing rings should be round
2. Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?
A. A wise man and a wise guy.
B. Overlook and oversee.
C. Quite a lot and quite a few.
D. Hot as hell and cold as hell.
3. The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “______”.
A. blow B. roll up C. get hurt D. finish
4. Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.
A. clever B. crazy C. lazy D. dull
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阅读理解
The other day, my friend Jane was invited to a 40th birthday. The time printed on the invitation, was 7:30 pm. Jane went off with her husband, expecting a merry evening of wine, food, and song.
By 9:45, everybody was having great fun, but no food had appeared. Jane and David were restless. Other guests began whispering that they, too, were starving. But no one wanted to leave, just in case some food was about to appear. By 11; 00, there was still no food, and everyone was completely off their heads. Jane and David left hungry and angry.
Their experience suggests that the words on the printed invitations need to be made clearer. Everyone reads and understands the invitations differently. Most of us would agree that 6:30－8:30 pm means drinks only, go out to dinner afterwards, 8:00 pm or 8:30 pm means possible dinner, but 9:30 pm and any time thereafter means no food, eat beforehand, roll up late.
But this is not always the case. If asked to a student's party at 6:30 pm, it is normal for guests not to appear before midnight, if at all, and no one cares. Being the first to arrive－looking eager－is social death. When my mother is asked to a party for 6:30, she likes to be there, if not on time, then no later than seven. My age group (late thirties) falls somewhere between the two, but because we still think we're young. We're probably closer to student-time than grown-up time.
The accepted custom at present is confusing(混乱的), sometimes annoying, and it often means you may go home hungry, but it does lend every part that precious element(成分) of surprise.
1．The underlined words “off their heads” probably mean ________.
[ ]
2．Jane and David's story is used to show that ________.
[ ]
A．party-goers usually get hungry at parties
B．party invitations can be confusing
C．people should ask for food at parties
D．birthday parties for middle-aged people are dull
3．For some young people, arriving on time for a student's party will probably be considered ________.
[ ]
4．According to the writer, people in their late thirties ________.
[ ]
A．are likely to arrive late for a party
B．care little about the party time
C．haven't really grown up yet
D．like surprises at parties
5．What is the general idea of the text?
[ ]
A．It's safe to arrive late just when food is served.
B．It's wise to eat something before going to a party.
C．It's important to follow social rules of party-going.
D．It's necessary to read invitations carefully.
查看习题详情和答案>>A.add;with B.add up;to? C.add;to D.add up;in ?
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